ALEX ROWE’S NEWSPAPER REPORT

For week ending 5th July 2008

 

This week was a good one for Wesham with many wins and successes on the road and the trails, including men’s and women’s teams across the North West region. Charlie Pass was the overall winner in the second Harrock Hill race on Wednesday evening with a good Wesham turnout, but there are no results yet available.

 

The inaugural Sotos 10k in Fleetwood was a great success, with over 200 runners, and Wesham won both the men’s and women’s teams. Gary Pendlebury was Wesham’s leading man and won the race outright with 35:34, a time ameliorated by the strong headwind along Princess Way. Gary was leading veteran and M50 and was 56 seconds ahead of second-placed leading lady Rachel Jones of Salford Harriers. Karl Lee was Wesham’s second man, 6th overall in 37:19, just edging ahead of Steve Myerscough who was 7th in 37:38 having found the wind tough going after his efforts the previous day in the Gibson Grind. Graham Cunliffe made a good debut for the blues with a fine 38:00 in 9th place for 2nd M50, with Peter Cruse hard on his heels in 38:02 (3rd M45), and Alan Hudson, just winning the M55 age group by 6 seconds 11th with 38:05 in a close finish between the trio. John Bertenshaw, recovering from a hamstring pull was 29th and 5th M50 with 40:25, and Graham Vickers was 45th with 42:00. Joanna Goorney was Wesham’s first lady finisher, 6th woman and 2nd W35 in 42:34; Julie Cruse was 9th and 3rd W45 in 43:26; and Kath Hoyer 16th (4th W45) with 46:59 to seal the Wesham women’s team victory. Chris Moss was 78th in 45:20; Dave Preston 81st in 45:50; Nigel Shepherd 83rd in 46:05; Shaun Turner 84th with 46:08; Stephen Wilkinson 86th in 46:23. Dougie Brown was first M70 in an excellent 47:15 in 101st place; Nichola Unsworth 105th with 47:52; Dave Young 108th in 48:32; John Howorth 112th in 48:59; Kerry Eccles 115th with 49:20; Mike Walsh first M75 with a great run to record 50:18 in 122nd place overall; Bernie  Krawczyk 126th in 50:46l; Helen Jolly 127th with 51:07; Tracey Hulme 130th in 51:26; Tony Robbins 3rd M70 and 137th in 52:09; David Wells 145th in 52:53; Pauline Weller 147th with 53:19; Ken Munro 151st in 54:06; Peter Earnshaw 171st in 56:36; John Whiteman 173rd with 57:11; Pauline Mills 177th and 3rd W55 in 57:37; and Jennie Thompson was the leading W60 and 183rd overall in 58:18.

 

The British Masters 10km Championships was held on a windy airfield at Prestwold Hall in Leicestershire on Sunday in an open race with over 700 competitors. Alex Rowe finished 5th M50 in a good quality race, running 34:55 and coming in 33rd overall in the race. With Bingley’s Jon Cordingley and Peter Pyrah the Northern Veteran men won the VAA of England Inter-Area M50 team.

 

The Wesham women won the team prize in Saturday’s Gibson Grind over an 8.5 mile course from Kendal with a 1200’ ascent, with Joanna Goorney 4th and 3rd W35 in 71:40. She was followed by a pack of Wesham ladies, with Kath Hoyer 7th and 2nd W45 in 75:27, Sarah Sherratt 8th with 76:15 (5th W35), Michaela Dempsey 9th and 1st W40 in 77:12, and Julie Cruse 10th with 77:45 for 3rd W45. The men were lead by Steve Myerscough who came in 17th in 62:43, Peter Waywell 21st and 4th M40 with 63:22, Richard Davies 31st in 65:48, Dave Waywell 38th and 1st M60 in 67:52, Simon Eaton 41st in 68:47, Nigel Shepherd 64th with 73:40, Barry Edwards 72nd in 76:51, Shaun Turner 80th in 79:49, and John Sharples 84th in 81:22.

 

Wesham had a successful evening out in the Lake District at the Hawkshead 10k with the course around the beautiful Esthwaite Water. Steve Littler was the overall winner in a fine 32:53 in a classy race with Ben Harrison and Phil Leybourne, pulling away strongly over the undulating course to win by 1min 7secs. Alex Rowe was 4th and 2nd Over-40 in a tactical burn-out with the chasing pack, running 35:59, with Karl Lee 7th in 36:44. The Wesham trio won the men’s team. Steve Myerscough came in 9th with a good run, recording 37:17, faster than his winning 37:51 in the Rail Sport 10k around Blackpool’s Stanley Park the previous Sunday. Peter Cruse edged ahead of Simon Eaton as he came in 14th with 38:37, with Simon himself just ahead of Peter Waywell as the pair recorded 39:09 and 39:11 in 15th and 16th places. Michaela Dempsey was 4th woman and 2nd Over-40 in 43:53, finishing 43rd overall.

 

Karl Lee ran a fine 4:40.9 in a highly competitive Senior Men’s 1500m in the Mid Lancs Track & Field League meeting at Bolton on Saturday, finishing 190th in the race. Alex Rowe was 11th in the same race with 4:45.6, having run 2:18.7 in the 800m finishing 4th.

 

John Rudd was 35th in the Alfred Hulme Great Hill Race clocking 52:17, and Dougie Brown was 37th and 1st M70 in 53:39.

 

Steve Myerscough won the Rail Sport 10k around Blackpool’s Stanley Park on Sunday morning in windy conditions, clocking 37:51 to add the gold medal to his previous silver and bronze.

 

Gary deBanke finished 7th in the Sri Chinmoy Self-Transcendence 5k race in Bristol’s Eastville Park on 17th June, running a fine 19:42.

 

Yvonne Russell ran the Bala Half-Ironman Triathlon in sweltering conditions in 5:37:56, having clocked 41:41 for the swim, 3:04:09 for the cycle and a fine 1:52:06 for the half marathon, finishing 209th overall.

 

Richard Davies finished a creditable 16th in 47:29 for the 5-mile 1450’ ascent Darren Jones Clougha Pike Fell Race on Saturday in atrocious conditions with storm-force winds and driving rain that saw the race tent ripped to shreds around the organisers. Nigel Shepherd ran a creditable 55:43 for 45th place and 4th M50.

 

Steve Myerscough, Dave Waywell, Nigel Shepherd, Kath Hoyer and Pauline Weller ran the Cuerden Valley Badger 10k on Thursday evening but no results are yet available.

 

Full Wesham Results from the Freckleton Half Marathon:

 

2

002

 

Steve Littler

M35

(001/067)

01:13:27

Y

6

006

 

Les Cornwall

M

(002/078)

01:18:46

RY

9

009

 

Barry Norman

M

(004/078)

01:20:00

 

16

016

 

Karl Lee

M

(005/078)

01:24:35

Y

27

027

 

Gary Debanke

M45

(007/056)

01:27:59

Y

32

032

 

John Burns

M50

(004/038)

01:28:59

RY

38

037

 

Peter Waywell

M40

(008/081)

01:29:46

Y

41

040

 

Simon Eaton

M35

(011/067)

01:30:09

Y

50

048

 

John Bertenshaw

M50

(006/038)

01:31:26

Y

53

051

 

Russell Mabbett

M40

(012/081)

01:31:57

Y

60

 

003

Joanna Goorney

F35

(001/032)

01:32:53

RY

64

060

 

Peter Gleaves

M40

(017/081)

01:33:11

Y

73

 

007

Carmel Sullivan

F40

(002/035)

01:34:10

Y

105

092

 

Philip Leaver

M50

(010/038)

01:38:24

Y

108

095

 

Stephen Nelson

M

(013/078)

01:38:41

 

117

 

015

Julie Cruse

F45

(002/016)

01:39:39

Y

147

129

 

David Preston

M55

(005/020)

01:42:30

 

157

138

 

David Gregory

M

(023/078)

01:43:18

 

164

145

 

Chris Moss

M40

(044/081)

01:43:46

Y

180

160

 

Stephen Wilkinson

M55

(007/020)

01:45:29

 

187

166

 

John Sharples

M50

(015/038)

01:46:07

Y

188

 

021

Fiona Bledge

F35

(006/032)

01:46:18

 

191

168

 

Peter Bartlett

M55

(008/020)

01:46:24

RY

225

197

 

Mike Walsh

M75

(001/001)

01:49:12

Y

226

198

 

John Howarth

M55

(009/020)

01:49:12

Y

256

220

 

David Young

M60

(005/009)

01:51:36

Y<