There were a number of races last week as there were signs of spring in the air. The club fell and trail running championship continued with the Trotters Trail Five Mile race through the Smithills Country Park on the northern outskirts of Bolton.

Stuart Mulrooney ran the 46:41 for 5^th M40 in 34^th place in the 10k of the Oulton Park running grand prix.

Trotters Trail Run 5 miles in the Smithills country park in the north of Bolton with a run up to a two-lap circuit of the high ground, and descent back to the finish. Steve Myerscough was out in front finishing 26^th in 33:20 for 6^th M45. Mick Edge ran well for 54^th place in 35:52 for 7^th M60. Carmel Sullivan was 18^th woman and 80^th overall in 37:31 to place 2^nd W55. Ian Nichols Hogg was 91^st in 38:21 with Kay Twist 21^st woman and 94^th in 38:31 finishing 3^rd W50. Sally Deacon was 207^th in 52:31; and Kirsty Holland ran with Debbie Myerscough marking her return to running for 237^th and 238^th places with respective times of 1:04:01 and 1:04:14.

There was a new run on the scene with race director Wesham member Alan Taylor in the Take the Fell 10k and 20k races. Starting and finishing on Beacon Fell the courses took in the Brock Bottom valley and surrounding country with a varied course on trail and fell. In the 10k race Dan Hounslea was 2^nd in 49:09 and returning Wesham member Paul Hetherington finished 3^rd in 49:13. Emma Lund was 2^nd woman and 16^th overall in 58:24 with Sue Coulthurst 3^rd and 17^th overall in 58:54. With a great team result Lisa Minns was 6^th woman and 28^th in 1:06:23. Julie Paton finished 8^th and 37^th overall with 1:08:50; Vron Walker was 15^th woman and 48^th in 1:15:42; and Louise Lord 16^th and 49^th with 1:15:42. There was equal success in the 20k where Alek Walker had a large lead for most of the race until a number of wrong turns brought the leading there back together again, Alek 1^st came in with Daniel Waters for a time of 1:37:04 with Simon Reason a second behind. Andrew Wilkinson finished 18^th in 2:01:34; Jo McCaffery was 8^th woman and 30^th overall in 2:26:06; Anne Berry placed 12^th woman and 36^th overall in 2:28:35; and Paul Carter was 49^th in 2:43:46. For its first year there were 56 runners in the 20k and 69 in the 10k.

The March Wesham Handicap took place on Monday at the club meeting on its undulating two-lapper round Dowbridge, where Chris Hastwell had the fastest time of 28:04 on scratch.  Stephen Taylor was second in 31:50 with Louise Lord third in 45:13 with a9 minute handicap. John Naylor ran 45:33 for fourth (19:00 handicap) and Martin Allison was fifth in 45:59 with 15:00 handicap. Daniel Bolton clocked 46:10 and Ian Nicholls-Hogg 46:44. Carmel Sullivan was first woman with 46:54 and 18:00 handicap, with Mick Edge 9^th in 46:59. Will Parkinson ran 47:01; Adam Wilding 47:05; Stuart Topping 47:29; James Danson 47:30; Andy Moore 47:31; Peter Rooney 47:38; David Taylor 47:46; Stuart Grice 47:49; John Burns 47:47; James Birchall 49:26; Stuart Mulrooney 50:52; and Dan Hounslea 51:09 with 24:00. The fastest net times were ha by Adam Wilding (22:05); Dan Bolton (23:10); David Taylor (23:46); John Naylor (26:33); and Mick Edge with 26:59.

There was a good spread of Wesham members out running a parkrun on Saturday morning. Furthest travelled in Chester-Le-Street in the North East John Burns joined has daughter at her home run at the Riverside parkrun where he ran 24:51 for an M65 age graded performance of 68.75%. Emma Brook clocked 27:56 for a W40 grade of 54.77%. The Wesham parkrun tourists were out in force at the Watergrove parkrun north of Rochdale, a trail and fell run on a three-pronged course where David Taylor brought in the fastest time of the day with 19:30 for M35 68.03%. Steven Gore had laced on his best pair of shoes to secure the third fastest time with a good 21:58 for M40 62.59%. Elliot Costello ran 24:45 for 52.26%, and Vicky Gore ran the fastest women’s time of the day with 28:42 for an W45 age grade of 56.45%. Alona Versinina had the second fastest time of 28:54 with a W35 graded 51.73%; Sue Rigby clocked 37:47 for W45 43.85% with Carl Groome taking it steady with his ankle operation for 37:48 and M50 40.30%. Michelle Pitt returned 42:02 for W40 36.88% with Tracy Clare in 42:17 with a graded 35.08%. In the Huddersfield parkrun in Greenhead Park Michelle Tickle notched up her 300^th run with a personal best time of 23:11 for W45 71.46% and in the revised South Manchester course in Platt Fields Tracey Hulme clocked 24:58 for W60 76.64%. Peter Cruse made a welcome return to action on Morecambe Prom with his run of 24:55 for M60 64.35%; Nigel Shepherd was out in Avenham Park in Preston for the three-lapper in a time of 21:53 for M60 75.93%; and Dave Young ran Fleetwood Promenade in 27:13 for an excellent M75 69.63%. Daniel Bolton had the fastest time in Blackpool’s Stanley Park with a time of 17:51 for an age graded 72.27%. Steve Myerscough had the third fastest time of 19:24 for M45 75.43%. Rob Wallace clocked 22:48 for 56.65%; Stephen Browne 27:21 with M55 57.16%; Andy Moore 28:06 for M60 57.59%; and Finlay McCalman ran 29:55 for an M55 52.70%. In the Lytham Hall run Mark Holton ran 20:41 for M40 68.01%; Jonathan Lawson 26:38 with M55 57.70%; James Danson 27:25 for M55 57.51%; Peter Bartlett clocked 37:04 for an M70 grade of 50.27%; and Ian Nichols Hogg warmed up for the next day’s trail race with 38:58 for an age grade of 33.28%.