
As the country locked down in both terms of the pandemic restrictions and the post-New Year blues, the actual Blues (Wesham Road Runners) were all action with the January Move Every Day (MED) Virtual Challenge, and a resumption of the Virtual Monthly Handicap. The latter saw 22 members take on the 4.9-mile event either on the actual course through Treales for those local, although this route is currently flooded again along Spen Lane, or an equivalent distance to the runner’s personal choice. In this month’s run, being the first of the year and a return to a virtual event was not handicapped but used to provide the weightings for February’s run. Thus, on actual time run Lee Barlow ran the fastest time of 53:13. Alan Hudson was second with in 37:20, an excellent run for the over-70-year-old. Nigel Shepherd placed third in 37:29 with Paul Eccles fourth with 37:38. Rob Wallace was fifth in 37:49 with Peter Rooney sixth in 41:15. Michelle Tickle was first woman in 7th place overall in 41:59; Claire-Marie Axel second with 45:14 (11th overall). Julie Kinsey was third woman (12th overall) in 45:36, and Karen Cook was fourth woman and 14th in 47:03. Pauline Eccleston was fifth and 15th overall in 47:48. Robert Danson was eight in 43:30; Sean Murray ninth with 43:40; Dave Young 10th in 45:10; Troy Watson 11th in 47:03; Phil Leaver 16th with 47:58; Andy Moore was 18th in 49:16; Kerry Eccles sixth woman and 19th in 49:57; Liz Sharrocks seventh and 18th with 52:05; Dawn Biggs eight and 21st in 53:50; and Sharlan Butcher ninth 22nd with 54:11. This was a good result for the first event in three months and sets 2021 off to a good start.
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