There was quite some action last week in the athletics world to give Fylde athletes plenty to have a go at, and Wesham members were out there.

The main action of the weekend was the fifth round of the Mid Lancs Cross Country League staged at the leigh Sports Village on a course running out onto the neighbouring Pennington Flash. In the Senior Women’s 6km over one small lap and two large ones Kay Twist finished 61^st and 11^th W50 in 27:35. Anne Mayers-Smith, also competing in the incorporated Northern Masters Championship was 66^th and 12^th W40 in 28:24, with Lucy Neighbour placing 95^th and 14^th W40 in 31:25. 95^th was Louise Lord in 16^th W45 position with her time 31:34. Clare Bellfield was 103^rd and 15^th W35 in 35:09. In the overall placings for the season after 5 matches with one to go the Wesham ladies are 9^th in Division 3, with the W35 team 10^th. The W45s are 11^th, with no W55 or 65 teams. In the accompanying M70 race over the 6km Dave Young finished 10^th in 31:59 with Peter Bartlett 15^th in 39:33. Wesham were 3^rd M70 team behind Clayton and Kendal. In the Senior Men’s 10km of 3 large laps Andrew Harling ran a blinder to finish 41^st and 8^th M40 in 41:34, ahead of David Taylor who was 44^th in 42:25.  Tom Crabtree placed 53^rd in 43:22; Mark Belfield was 57^th in 43:44, with Lee Barlow was 93^rd and 18^th M45 in 46:21. Carl Groome made his cross country debut after running the Lytham Hall parkrun earlier, coming in 108^th and 7^th M50 to close in the men’s team with 47:03. Steve Myerscough finished 131^st and 24^th M45 in 49:03; Damien Ings was 148^th and 27^th M45 in 50:19; Nigel Shepherd 6^th M60 and 160^th overall in 52:37 with John Collier 4^th M65 and 173^rd in 54:54. Training partners James Danson and Stephen Twist battled it out over the last few metres to finish 199^th and 202^nd for 24^th M55 and 19^th M50 in 1:01:43 and 1:02:08. Colin Gibson came in 13^th M60 and 207^th overall in 1:02:30. The Senior Men are now 3^rd in Division 1 after an excellent season with the “B” team 3^rd in Division 3. The M40 team are also in good stead in 4^th place in Division 1, with the M50 team 7^th and the M60s 2^nd, both good results. The M70 season is very close race behind Kendal and Clayton.

Tanya Shaw ran the Valentines 10k in Lancaster on Sunday, placing 9^th woman and 38^th overall, 2^nd W45 in 50:46. In the Muddy Shoes 11-mile cross country orienteering event last weekend from Caldervale village Alek Walker finished 5^th with good map reading in a time of 1:35:10. Steve Myerscough was 15^th in 1:44:46, placing 1^st M45. Helen Lawrenson was 4^th woman and 2^nd W50, 25^th in 1:50:12. Julie Paton had a great run coming in 5^th woman and 1^st W45, 29^th overall in 1::51:50. Sharon Cooper was 16^th woman and 4^th W45, 53^rd overall with 2:14:02. Lee Lawrenson placed 62^nd in 2:20:30, 13^th M40. Andrew Wilkinson finished 21^st in Pilling 10k Saturday afternoon in 58:17 3^rd M50.

Over the 21-mile undulating cross-country Silverdale Circuit at the weekend, Alek Walker finished 11^th in 2:58:25, with Paul Lancashire 36^th in 3:30:28 and Lee Lawrenson 123^rd in 6:22:00.

Last week’s Wesham Handicap over the 4-mile 2-lap winter course David Taylor was first home in 23:13. Carl Groome came in second with 26:53 and Lee Barlow third with 24:46. Louise Lord was the quickest woman in 33:32, with Bev Wilding close behind in 33:57. Antoinette Holton was third fastest in 36:20 on scratch. Tom Crabtree ran 24:02; Lee Nixon 25:59; Dan Hounsley 24:31; Nigel Shepherd 26:53; Steve Myerscough 27:47; Damian Ings 28:04; Andy Moore 35:00; Robert Danson 34:05; Peter Rooney 33:16; Catherine Nichols 36:21; Dave Young 35:47; Clare Belfield 37:04; Emma Crabtree 36:04; Rob Wallace 33:35; Sally Deacon 39:31; Debbie Myerscough 39:59; James Birchall 39:50; Julie Rooney 41:00; and Peter Bartlett 44:35.

In the Lytham Hall parkrun on Saturday morning at 9am for the 5km time trial Chris Hastwell clocked 19:50 to record an M35 age graded performance of 67.82%. Jonathan Lawson was second fastst Wesham member in 22:51 for an M50 grade of 66.67%. Michelle Tickle scored Wesham’s fastest lady with 23:44 for W45 68.96%; Graham Cunliffe ran a fine improved 25:03 to reach M65 66.93%; and Ian Nichols Hogg returned 25:04 for a senior graded 51.60%. Vicky Gore clocked 26:40 for a W45 60.13%; Carl Groome pulled Colin Smy to 26:53 and a graded 51.52% while he ran 26:41 for M50 56.65%. Antoinette Holton ran 27:36 for W35 54.53%; with Ryan Azzopardi a time of 29:22 for 47.16%; Mark Holton 29:40 with an M40 47.08%; and Julie Rooney setting 31:28 with W45 51.48%; and Elliot Costello 34.85% in 37:04. At the Stratford-upon-Avon parkrun Emma Lund was a Tourist for 29:20 and a graded W35 51.59%. back home in the Blackpool run Suzanne Leonard was Wesham’s first in 24:16 with W50 69.92%; Rob Wallace clocked 24:21 for 52.98%; Stephen Browne ran 24:49 and M55 62.46%; Finlay McCalman returned 27:34 for M55 56.71%; Andrew Moore secured 27:43 and M60 57.85%; and David Marsland ran 32:08 for M65 52.70%. In the Alexandra Park in Manchester’s Moss Side Martin Bates recorded 22:36 for M65 74.19%.

In 2010 there was a lot of action within the local athletics fraternity this last week as the spring season got underway, with action on the country, fell and roads.  The Wesham teams rallied round for the penultimate Mid Lancs Cross Country League at Hyndburn Wilsons Fields on a pleasant afternoon with reasonably firm conditions underfoot over the woodland course, always a delight to run. In the absence of the two front runners Carmel and Joanna Sarah Sherratt was the first Wesham woman pas the post, finishing 31st and 7th W35 in 26:08 over the 7km course. Michaela Dempsey finished 43rd and 11th W35 in 27:51, with Helen Lawrenson coming in 50th and 14th W35 with 28:16.  Tracey Hulme sealed the team in 12th place overall, with 3rd place in the W35 Division. The ladies have done very well this season but need to consolidate with a god turnout at Barrow next month to be in with a chance of medals. Charlie Pass returned to competition with a vengeance after a bit of a layoff, placing 18th with 33:37 on the 9km undulating course. Alex Rowe was well down the field again in 48th with 36:06 but was surprised to finish 1st M50 after the indefatigable Bob Atkinson dropped out of the Top 5 with a calf strain. John Collier proved a good backup with a strong run in 72nd place and 4th M50, running 37:57. Lee Barlow was 75th with a good run in 38:13, and Steve Myerscough placed 82nd with 38:44. Chris Whitlock brought the team into 7th place with 41:14 for 115th place. Gary Moore was 118th in 41:22, and Alan Glasgow closed the Wesham M50 team in 1st place with 42:04 for 130th and 20th M50. Jonathan Lawson was 144th in 43:54, and Peter Bartlett 4th M60 and 145th in 43:58. The Men’s M40 team were 8th. Alex Rowe took another M50 gold in the Northern Veterans cross Country Championships on Sunday in Warrington’s Victoria Park. Finishing just outside the Top 10 in a good quality combines race with all masters’ age categories he ran 37:02 over the 4-lap 10km course. Steve Littler took his eighth title in the Buttermere 34km road race from Keswick, wining this year over the slightly extended course in 2:09:40, just over 6 minutes ahead of second placed M45 Alan Bowness. The race was lengthened to 22 miles with a detour round a missing river bridge on the approaches to Keswick. Steve Myerscough again incorporated the race into his London Marathon training, finishing 14th in 2:39:18. Peter Waywell was 24th with 2:42:49, 9th M40, and Martin Bates came in 38th in 2:54:25, 4th M50. Simon Eaton was not far behind, running 2:56:20 for 42nd place. Graham Cunliffe just shaved inside the 3-hour mark with 2:59:32 in 46th position, 6th M50. Nigel Shepherd came in 56th with a fine 3:16:00, and Russell Mabbett suffered after a few weeks hard work and a heavy cold to run 3:18:08 in 58th place. Joanna Goorney had finished 150th in the Watford Half Marathon last weekend in 1:28:49 on a hilly course, placing 12th woman and 3rd W35. the women’s winner was England Masters international champion Debbie Walters in a personal best 1:16:31. Joanna’s age graded performance percentage was 77.35. Carmel Sullivan ran an excellent 2:18:31 for the Bramley 20 Mile Road Race near Reading, finishing 114th, 12th woman, and 2nd W40. Mick Edge ran very well considering he had food poisoning a week previously, clocking 2:28:40 for 217th position and 29th M45. George Kennedy was the first Wesham finisher at the historic Parbold Hill Race on Saturday, a challenging 6.5-mile cross country race with 800’ of climb. He finished 181st in 58:58, 18th M50. Anne Docherty was 62nd woman in this popular race that attracts runners from Merseyside and Cheshire, clocking 72:32 for 5th W50 and 378th overall. It was good to see Mike Walsh back out running after a recent calf strain, and he finished 1st M75 in 82:26, 44th overall. Chris Whitlock doubled up after Saturday’s Mid Lancs with a run in the awesome Winter Hill race, 11.5 miles with 5 ascents of the summit in good conditions, running 2:12:38 for 107th place and 18th M45. In the Blackburn Winter Warmer 10k race with its tough ascent out of Witton Park up Bunser Lane Brian Yates finished 13th in 38:13, producing a good solid result. Alan Hudson ran well to claim 1st M60, clocking 40:08 on the challenging course to place 25th overall. Dave Waywell was pleased with a good result, 1st M65 in 43:08 and 52nd overall. Michaela Dempsey was ruing a little tired but ran a good 44:56 for 7th woman, 2nd W40 and 74th overall in 44:56. Alan Taylor ran 47:53 for 116th as his running steadily improves, and Helen Lawrenson placed 15th woman, 4th W40 and 119th overall in 48:10. Kath Hoyer came in 17th and 2nd W50 with 48:12, 121st, and Shaun Turner was 161st in 51:32. George Flanagan finished 168th and 7th M60 in 52:00, and Ruth Turner was 61st, 9th W5 and 254th in 66:33. Both the Wesham women and the men finished 3rd team. Charles Colby was 37th in the Anderton Arms Valentine’s Day 5km race, clocking 23:29. Angele Colby was 5th in 26:10; and John Howorth 76th with 29:10.

Sally Deacon with a cheery wave and a reminder of the arrival of spring

2019 just three years ago saw the fifth and penultimate fixture of the Mid Lancs Cross Country League took place at Leigh on Saturday, slightly out of the county boundaries but hosted by Leigh Harriers affiliated for extra competition. In the Senior Women’s 6.8km course Kath Hoyer Wesham’s only female runner, finished as 4^th W55 and 73^rd overall in 25:44. In the incorporated M70 race Peter Bartlett performed well to finish 4^th in 30:25. Dave Waywell was 5^th in 31:22 and the pair just beat Chorley AC to the M70 team glory with the same points but winning by countback. In the Senior Men’s 10km race Rob Danson was back in action and flew away from the field to win in 32:02 with a 21-second lead from second placed Luke Minns of Blackpool. Backing him up David Taylor put on the pressure and finished 44^th in 37:24. Mark Belfield put in a good run for 73^rd place in 39:04. Andrew Harling was next Wesham finisher in 101^st place with a time of 40:25. Steve Myerscough finished 144^th and 42^nd M40, Wesham’s first masters’ finisher, in 43:30. John Collier was next in placing 4^th Over-60 and 164^th overall in 44:42. John managed to beat Nigel Shepherd on this occasion, who finished 7^th Over-60 and 170^th overall in 45:05. Ben Wrigley put in another great performance finishing 207^th in 47:50. Martin Bates was 18^th M60 and 222^nd overall in 49:07, giving the Wesham Senior Men’s team 14^th place overall. For ten first time this season the Men had a ‘B’ team, finishing 17^th. The grouping of Collier, Shepherd and Bates 9^th Over-50 team position, and 1^st Over-60 team, giving them a great chance of team medals overall for the season. Martin Bates ran the Central Lancashire 5km on Sunday to complete a weekend double, clocking 23:29 for the hilly course in Leverhulme Park, placing 5^th M60. Tanya Shaw finished 136^th the Valentine’s Day 10k on Sunday in Lancaster, 4 days in advance of the day itself, running 53:20 for 40^th woman and 5^th W40. This was a popular race with 256 finishers and winning times of 31:43 (men) and 37:26 (women). Anne Berry ran the Muddy Shoes 11-mile on Saturday finishing 41^st in 2:14:34 in the navigational event across the fields from Caldervale. A new route is used every year so that it is unknown until the day, making it an orienteering event. Wesham members were busy Saturday morning at parkrun, although the high winds caused the cancellation of the Lytham Hall, Fleetwood Promenade and Lancaster events. Most local runners diverted to Blackpool’s Stanley Park, where Chris Hastwell recorded the second fastest time of the morning with 19:13 to record an M35 age graded performance of 68:60. Lee Barlow clocked 21:23 for an M45 grade of 67.34% and Lee Nixon set a First Timer best of 21:29, a great run for an M35 grade of 62.61%. Stephen Browne ran 22:57 for M50 65.87% and Dave Marsland set an M60 grade of 71.23 with his time of 23:07. Suzanne Leonard clocked 24:21 with a W45 67.21 with George Kennedy running the same time for an M60 grade of 66.46%. Andrew Moore ran 26:38 with an M55 58.70%; Graham Cunliffe clocked 27:59 and M60 58.31%; Sharlan Butcher ran 28:34 for W45 55.60%; Dawn Biggs 29:53 with W50 56.78%; and Phil Leaver 31:16 for an M65 grade of 53.62%. Tracey Hulme ran the South Manchester parkrun at Platt Fields and ran 24:58 for W55 72.50%. Rob Danson had the fastest time in the Preston parkrun with a modest 18:13 for an age grade of 70.81%. Steve Abbott ran 22:16 for M40 62.20% and Robert Brown recorded an M60 age grade of 59.57% with his time of 27:10. David Taylor was in to some pace making and ran 28:13, with Paul Carter running 29:33 for M45 49.51%. The parkrun Tourists were in South Yorkshire at the new Frickley Country Park run between Wakefield and Rotherham. Steven Gore ran 20:58 for an M35 grade of 63.67%; and Vicky Gore recorded 29:50 for W40 52.35%.