ALEX ROWE NEWSPAPER REPORT

For the week ending 10^th May 2008

The second fixture of the Inter Club Grand Prix 2008 series was hosted by Lytham on Thursday evening in fresh conditions with a steady breeze off the sea, as Spring still fails to make a late start, but Wesham showed a hearty turnout with 49 runners, producing a worthy team result. Steve Littler, in the peak of his fitness, challenged Jono Prowse for the top spot, finishing 2^nd in 25:39 for the 5-mile out-and-back course. Behind him, a tight knit group vied for Top-10 positions, with Gary Pendlebury pulling away on the loop around Fairhaven Lake and Lee Barlow catching up Karl Lee who set off brimming with confidence. Pendlebury stuck to his guns, finishing strongly in 9^th place in 27:40 for 3^rd veteran and 1^st M50. Les Cornwall, after two weeks of solid training, did himself proud with 28:14 for 10^th place, Lee Barlow coming up to 12^th with 28:32, just getting away from Karl Lee who was 13^th in 28:37. Alex Rowe was well adrift in 20^th position, finishing 4^th M50 in 29:13, with Alan Hudson hot on his heels as 5^th M50 with 29:33 in 24^th place. Steve Myerscough had a strong run to place 25^th in 29:36; John Collier consolidated the M50 team in leading position with 29:47 for 28^th and 6^th M50; and Martin Bates brought the Men’s team home in 2^nd place overall with a fine 30:02 for 32^nd place and 7^th M50. The M60 team was 2^nd with Dave Waywell 2^nd in 31:21 (51^st overall); Dave Young was 8^th (147^th overall) in 38:21; and Mike Walsh 9^th with 38:38 for 150^th overall.

 The Wesham women were reduced in numbers with only 7 runners but they packed in quality. Joanna Goorney was the first finisher, in 5^th place and 73^rd overall with an excellent time of 33:10. Michaela Dempsey was 11^th and 91^st overall in 33:56, with Sarah Sherratt 12^th with 34:20, Julie Cruse 14^th in 34:59 and Kath Hoyer 15^th in 35:07. With such a grouping the ladies finished 2^nd team, just pipping Preston by 1 point. Backing up the scoring team were Helen Jolly, with 39:51 for 32^nd place (163^rd overall) and Tracy Hulme 43^rd (186^th) in 43:25.

The remaining men’s results were:

34 Derek Buckley V50 30.19; 35 Ian Sharples V40 30.19; 38 Jason Barlow M 30.26; 41 Gary deBanke V45 30.46; 43 Richard Davies V45 30.56; 44 Pete Waywell V40 30.58; 49 George Kennedy V50 31.17; 51 Dave Waywell V60 31.21; 56 Joe Hodkinson M 31.38; 57 Russ Mabbett V40 31.40; 63 Chris Whitlock V40 32.15; 67 Graham Vickers V50 32.41; 71 Tony Kemp V40 32.59; 79 Trevor Rayner V45 33.21;

92 Mark Midgley V40 33.59; 108 Nigel Shepherd V45 34.49; 111 Phil Leaver V50 35.00; 113 John Sharples V50 35.09; 116 Gary Moore V45 35.20; 135 Peter Bartlett V55 36.56; 138 Shaun Turner V40 37.12; 141 John Rudd V45 37.25; 147 Dave Young V60 38.21; 150 Mike Walsh V75 38.38; 159 Bernie Krawczyk V50 39.40; 170 Peter Cooke V45 40.54; 174 Norman Bateman V65 41.13; 189 John Whiteman V60 44.37; 196 Keith Gresty V65 45.57; 199 Peter Earnshaw V65 46.13; 203 David Wells M 47.22.

 There was no holding back Steve Littler in the Dallam Dash 10k on Sunday as he stormed away to win by 2 minutes from Ambleside’s Nick Sharpe, recording a time of 32:25 over the undulating course through Field End and around Hincaster. Second in and in 4^th place was Lee Barlow, with 37:08. Peter Cruse was 24^th with 41:11, just ahead of George Kennedy who finished 26^th and 4th M50 with a solid 41:21. Stephen Wilkinson was 4^th M55 and 60^th overall in 48:14, with John Howorth 6^th M55 and 70^th in 49:29. Ken Munro ran 55:03 for 7^th Over-65 and 91^st overall. Janice Copeland was 3^rd W55 in 58:27, 29^th woman in 58:27, with Pauline Mills 4^th W55 and 35^th with 63:36. She ran with Jennie Thompson, who finished 2^nd W60 in tandem with Pauline. The race as always was in aid of the primary school in Milnthorpe that hosted the race.

Martin Bates finished 2^nd GB in the 7^th Cracovia Marathon in Krakow, running 3:12:54 for 137^th place and 17^th M50. Finlay McCalman was 3^rd GB in 3:35:43, a tremendous performance earning him 427^th place and 124^th M40.

Graham Vickers concluded his training preparation for the forthcoming Windermere Marathon with a swift outing over the Keswick Half Marathon, scoring 1:39:37 on the hilly course for 133^rd position, out of 507 runners.

Les Cornwall again out-sprinted Karl Lee for the second time in a week, when he finished 14 seconds ahead to take 5^th place in the Rosemere Cancer 5k in Preston’s Moor Park, recording a time of 17:06. Lee persevered and ran on to finish 6^th in 17:20. Behind them Chris Whitlock had a storming run, placing 16^th with a time of 19:39, with Tony Kemp 20^th in 20:13. Chris’s son Dan was 3^rd Junior Man with a time of 22:22, finishing 35^th overall, a tremendous effort. Paul Carter was 71^st with 38:39. The team of Cornwall, Lee, Whitlock and Kemp were 2^nd overall behind local team Preston Harriers.

Dave Waywell returned to winning ways at the Bluebell Trail 10-mile race in Halifax, just beating Preston’s Alan Appleby for the first M60, clocking 1:20:33 in 48^th place overall. Sarah Sherratt was Wesham’s leading woman, in 94^th place, 4^th W35 in 1:26:47. Michaela Dempsey was 2^nd W40 and 114^th overall in 1:29:15, and Kath Hoyer made up the ladies team in 2^nd place, with a fine run of 1:33:29, 4^th W45 and 151^st overall. Norman Bateman (M60) also ran, but result not yet known.

Written by: Alex Rowe

Submitted: 6^th May 2008

Edited by: Brenda J Earnshaw WRR Editor