ALEX’S NEWPAPER REPORT

For the week ending 28th June 2008

The Wesham Vet-50 men added another British team gold to their Masters Road Relay in winning the M50 team in the British Masters 5km Championship at Horwich on Sunday. In very windy conditions and with a false start to contend with the wily trio of Gary Pendlebury, Alex Rowe and Alan Hudson packed together well to beat the Oxford City team who have previously been almost invincible. Pendlebury lead the team with a solid run of 17:01, finishing 3rd M50 overall and winning the bronze individual medal. Rowe was a short way behind with a late surge to come in 6th M50 in 17:17, and Hudson sealed the victory with an excellent 18:21 to finish 4th M55 just 6 seconds adrift of the individual bronze. Trevor Rayner ran a good time, clocking 18:49 but highlighting the quality of the event with 24th position in the M45 rankings. Barry Peatfield persevered with his comeback from long time injury with an encouraging run of 19:09 to finish 9th M60.

 

Steve Littler finished 2nd behind Ben Fish in a good time of 1:13:27 considering the weather conditions were probably the worst in its 44 year history, with gale force winds across most of the course. Les Cornwall was 2nd in for Wesham, clocking 1:18:46 in 6th place and winning the Freckleton resident for the 4th consecutive year. Barry Norman was 3rd with 1:20:00 in 9th place, and the trio won the Men’s Team with consummate ease. Joanna Goorney was Wesham’s leading lady, 3rd woman overall and 1st W35 in 1:32:53, also taking the Freckleton Woman Resident for the 3rd year. Carmel Sullivan was 7th and 2nd W40 in 1:34:10, and Julie Cruse 15th and 2nd W45 in 1:39:39. Together the ladies won the Women’s Team from Darwen Dashers by some margin. Mike Walsh was 1st M75 in 1:49:12 and Norman Bateman was 2nd M65 in 1:57:32.

 

Sunday marked the culmination of the Tour of Horwich, which commenced on Tuesday with the Lever Park Run, and continued with the Jubilee 5-mile, Two lads Fell Race and Joseph Holt Cross Country, culminating on Sunday afternoon with the Georgia Pacific 5k. Overall Charlie Pass finished 2nd with a combined time of 2:41:40, Peter Cruse was 17th (5th M45) in 2:45:16, George Kennedy 25th (3rd M50) in 2:50:16, and Graham Vickers 34th in 3:02:12 with the men’s team 5th. Michaela Dempsey was 6th woman and 3rd W40 in 3:07:00, and Sarah Sherratt was 7th and 1st W35 in 3:09:12.

 

On Tuesday Charlie Pass was 2nd with a fine 35:55; Peter Cruse was 21st in 41:39; Dave Waywell 35th and 3rd M60 in 43:12; George Kennedy 36th in 43:17 (3rd M50); Michaela Dempsey 10th woman and 3rd W40 in 46:45; Graham Vickers 58th in 47:12; Sarah Sherratt 11th and 2nd W35 in 47:41; and Kath Hoyer 12th and 2nd W45 with 48:32. The men’s team were 4th on this opening night, 3rd Veterans 2nd Women’s and wining the Women Veterans. In the Jubilee 5-Mile race on Wednesday Pass was 9th with 27:44; Cruse 37th with 31:04; Kennedy 49th and 4th M50 in 32:05; Carmel Sullivan 12th woman and 3rd W40 with 34:26; Vickers 87th in 34:28; Julie Cruse 14th and 3rd W45 in 35:01; Michaela Dempsey 17th in 35:33; Sarah Sherratt 19th in 35:57; with the ladies team 3rd and veterans 2nd. On the third night, the Two Lads Fell Race, Pass 7th in 34:02; Cruse 69th in 41:51; Kennedy 88th with 43:30; Richard Crompton 104th in 44:57; Vickers 121st with 46:05; Sarah Sherratt was 14th woman and 3rd W35 in 46:52; Michaela Dempsey was 16th and 3rd W40 in 47:05; and John Rudd was 145th in 48:01. In the Joseph Holt Cross Country on Friday evening Pass was 2nd in 26:53; Kennedy 26th and 2nd M50 in 31:49; Cruse tiring with 31:56 for 29th; Vickers strong in 40th with 33:50; Michaela Dempsey 9th and 3rd W40 in 36:09; and Sarah Sherratt 10th and 1st W35 in 36:42. In the final event the Georgia Pacific 5k on Sunday Pass was 40th in the combined North of England Championships and open race in 17:06; Cruse 90th in 18:46; Kennedy 106th with 19:35 (3rd M50); Vickers 122nd in 20:37; Michaela Dempsey 42nd woman and 3rd W40 in 21:28; Sarah Sherratt 46th and 3rd W35 in 22:00.

 

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.

 

Written by: Alex Rowe

Submitted: 26th June 2008

Edited by: Brenda J Earnshaw WRR Editor

 

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

270

 

039

Jennifer Salt

F

(012/034)

01:52:29

Y

280

238

 

Paul Carter

M35

(048/067)

01:53:17

 

284

242

 

Brian Porter

M40