Rob Danson had a Good Friday run in the Salford 10k finishing 4^th in a race that was surprisingly not that fast. Danson clocked 31:33 and the winning time was only 31:03. The finishing times were close packed up to 34 minutes (27 runners across the line), and Wesham’s Steve Littler placed 10^th with 32:49 for 1^st M45 and second master overall. Simon Denye ran excellently for 71^st place in 36:21, 8^th M45; Lee Barlow was 105^th in 38:01, 14^th M45; Chris Hastwell 116^th in 38:26; Thomas Crabtree was 159^th in 40:26; Stuart Clayton 272^nd with 45:18; Martin Allison 339^th in 49:25; James Danson (Rob senior) finished 362^nd in 50:27; Peter Rooney 391^st 51:42 and 14^th M60; Jo McCaffery 452^nd and 113^th woman in 55:14, 15^th W40; Kerry Eccles finished 441^st in 54:39, 110^th woman and 7^th W55, a great result. Colin Smy was 458^th in 55:26.

The mid-week racing season is in full swing with summer standard time and the second race in the 5-mile Curleys Trail Races took place on Wednesday evening out back of Horwich, and Lee Barlow finished 9^th over the undulating course on the foothills of the West Lancashire Moors in 20:14, placing 2^nd M45. Steven Gore performed well to finish 16^th in 20:46 Paul Lancashire was 36^th in 21:58 and Elliot Costello 63^rd just a week after his marathon finishing in 23:34. Helen Lawrenson came in 8^th woman and 2^nd W45 and 65^th in 23:54. Stuart Clayton ran 24:43 for 81^st place and Martin Alison was 104^th in 26:12,. Kay Twist finished 29^th woman and 133d in 28:41 and Vicky Gore was 33^rd 2^nd woman and 138^th in 29:30. Jo McCaffery finished 35^th and 141^st in 29:46 and Tanya Shaw 45^th and 156^th in 31:21.

Rob Danson started off the 2019 Inter Club Grand Prix with another win, leading Wesham to overall team glory with a great start to this year’s series of seven races. Rob was away from the start after a heavy downpour dampened conditions and he toyed with Preston’s Dave Rigby round the first 2-mile lap before pulling away on the second lap by 19 seconds to win the 4-miler in 20:02, a good pace for a twisty course. Steve Littler was on great form and he finished 4^th in 20:56 to place first masters runner and certainly first M45. Steve Swarbrick was second masters and 10^th overall in 21:52 with David Taylor and ultra-distance master Ugis Datavs neck and neck in 19^th and 20^th with 22:30 and 22:39 respectively. Steve Abbott was close behind in 22^nd in 22:52 and Simon Denye running well 26^th with 23:00. Lee Barlow finished 28^th in 23:15; Paul Gregory 32^nd with a great run in 23:19; and closing in the winning team Thomas Crabtree in 37^th place with 23:32.

Wesham were triumphant in the first round of the 2019 Inter Club Grand Prix race in Stanley Park on a chilly Wednesday evening with an excellent turnout from the men, also winning the Over-40 and Over-60 age categories. Full results in next week’s Gazette!

Seven Wesham members tackled the challenging Coniston 14 race in the South Lakes, a very historic race of 13.875 miles around the lake clockwise from the John Ruskin School now in its 36^th year. Simon Denye was the first finisher in 46^th place with a time of 1:10:25 for 12^th M45. Paul Hetherington made a welcome return and he ran 1:33:38 for 16^th M45 and 71^st overall. Jason Parkinson finished 217^th in 1:44:20 and 36^th M45. Helen Lawrenson was 47^th woman and 8^th W45 in 1:48:38, 283^rd overall. Martin Bates finished 8^th M60 and 346^th in 1:51:33 and Stephen Browne 404^th with a time of 1:54:25. Debbie Myerscough had a tremendous run returning from a long injury with 2:30:19 to place 33^rd W55, 399^th woman and 1389^th in this big popular race.