The Christmas period was wrapped up with the Rudolf Red Nose Race around the De Vere and Marton Mere on Sunday in cool damp conditions. The rule of the day was festive costume and most of the competitors complied. There was a breakaway group of 6 at the front that finished up 3 and a half minutes clear of the rest. Leading the field was M45 Gareth Booth who completed the 5 miles trail running in 27:54. Rob Danson dressed as Elvis finished 2^nd in 28:01, with Steve Littler 3^rd and 2^nd M45 in 28:24. Simon Denye had another great run to come in 6^th and 3^rd M45 in 32:01 and round off his comeback. Christopher Hastwell was at the front of the chasing group, finishing 8^th in 35:42 and 1^st M35. Peter Cruse was 5^th M55 and 37^th in 38:37 and Ben Wrigley in a Santa cloak finished 43^rd with 39:17. Suzanne Leonard as an elf and George Kennedy in gold lame as Elvis ran together and finished 46^th and 47^th in 39:37. Stuart Clayton was 58^th and Kath Hoyer came in 67^th in 41:55 just ahead of Sharon Cooper who finished 68^th with 42:03. Maureen Danson was 78^th in 43:57 and Lee Barlow coasted round in 44:00 for 79^th place. Robert Danson was 81^st as Elvis Las Vegas in 44:21 with Peter Rooney 82^nd with the same time. Paul Carter was 84^th in 45:37 and then Carmel Sullivan and Mick Edge fooling to the line as an elf riding a snowman 99^th and 100^th in 47:20 and 47:21. Lucy Neighbour and Peter Cooke were 110^th and 111st in 47:42; Alice Deacon was 118^th in 47:45; Kerrie McNeill and Graham Brook 132^nd and 134^th in 50:01; John Howorth 142^nd with 50:19; Emma Topping, Dan and Helen Lawrenson 147^th, 148^th and 149^th in 50:27, 50:28 and 50:29; Louisa Denye and Tanya Barlow 151^st and 152^nd with 50:34 and 50:45; Kerry Eccles and Sally Deacon 161^st and 162^nd in 52:26; Pauline Eccleston in a fairy outfit was 171^st in 53:16; John Pouncy 176^th in 55:25; Sue Rigby 178^th in 55:59.

Wrapped up well against Storm Deidre the trio warm up with their post-race snifters.

Kath Hoyer was the only Wesham runner at the final Hurst Green Turkey Trot trail race mid-way up the Ribble Valley on Saturday in horrendous conditions completing the course 159^th woman and 12^th W55 in 1:18:44, placing 298^th overall. The start had to be moved due to sheet ice over the course.

The second Mad Bull Torchlight run from Rivington saw atrocious icy conditions heading up to the pigeon tower and times were greatly slowed over the 5 miles. Steve Gore finished 2^nd in a time of 45:47 having been overtaken by Andy Staveley of Burnden Runners on the treacherous descent. Pauline Eccleston finished 4^th woman in 1:13:52 in 24^th place overall, 2^nd W45, and Anne Berry was next placed in 5^th and 25^th overall with the same time, 1^st W55.

The third Mid-Lancs cross country fixture at Hyndburn Wilsons Fields turned out to be a real challenge with horrendous weather conditions and problems on the course with the markings and Marshalls, resulting in various course problems up to the Senior Mens’ race which went ahead to plan. Wesham’s first action was in the combined Senior Women and Men Over-70 race supposedly held over a medium and a large lap. Setting off 20 minutes late, Anne Mayers-Smith finished 49th in 29:10 over an approximate 8km course placing 16th W35. Carmel Sullivan made a return to cross country after a 3-year layoff with injury, coming in 31st in 27:38 and 7th W45.

In the M70+ race Dave Young finished 2nd in 35:37 and Peter Bartlett was 5th with 1:04:15 having been sent wrong near the finish getting mixed up with lapping Senior Men. Peter’s finish ensured the M70+ team victory for Wesham.

The Senior Men were more successful with Alex Rowe filling a marshaling slot. David Taylor was first Wesham runner to complete the course coming home in 42nd place in 41:06 with a great run. Andrew Harling provided great backup finishing 46th in 41:36. Phil Quibell was 3rd M60 and 78th overall in 43:52. Nigel Shepherd finished 5th and 158th in 49:37 and John Collier was close behind to clinch the M60 team win in 7th place, 165th overall with 50:34 in a hard-fought finish with fellow M60s Graham Webster and Terry Hellings of Lytham St Annes. Steve Myerscough finished 176th and 54th M40 in 51:21, a brav effort as he steadily returns from injury. Ben Wrigley was 216th in 57:45. The Mens’ team is listed as 14th; the M35s 13th; and the M50s 5th, but this may be wrong as Wesham’s Garry Barnett who did not run is listed in 198th place with54:37.

On Sunday the big race for Wesham was the Longridge Christmas Pudding 7-miler up Longridge Fell and over the infamous Jeffrey Hill, a much better day with favourable weather conditions. Simon Denye had a superb run representing many weeks of preparation and return to racing fitness, coming across the finish line in 42:22 holding the chasing third placed runner by 5 seconds. Paul Gregory placed 9th in 43:30 and Stuart Clayton finished 73rd in 53:53. Helen Lawrenson was 81st with 54:36 and Stephen Brownie was 97th in 56:38. Next in Alan Hudson finished 115th in 58:04, and Sara Ward 152nd with 60%19. David Millar finished 180th in 61:58 and Robert Danson was 185th with a good run in 62:26. Vicky Gore was 210th in 64:59; Maureen Danson 218th in 65:29; Paul Carter 223rd with 65:54; Peter Rooney was 225th in 65:48 (the results are in chip time order); Louis’s Denye 269th in 68:47; John Howorth 313rd with 1:13:23; Sally Deacon 331st in 1:14:21; Debbie Myerscough 367th in 1:17:36; Antoinette Holton 371st in 1:20:42; Julie Rooney Diane Blagden 376th and 377th in 1:21:36; there were 411 runners in all.

The weekend saw the annual double-headed Langdale Xmas 10k, split over two days to accommodate the popularity of this race from the New Dungeon Ghyll down the valley to Elterwater and return. On the Saturday Peter Cruse was the leading Wesham runner finishing 75th in 45:54. Chas Colby crossed the line 227th with 52:40, and Angela Colby 305th with 55:56.

The Lytham Hall parkrun was cancelled on Saturday morning due to high winds at the end of a breezy week. Most of Wesham’s runners managed to find their way to neighbouring runs, with David Taylor warming up for the afternoon’s Mid Lancs Cross country with a measured 20:12 for an age graded performance of 64.36. Robert Brown ran 26:07 for M60 61.97%. Elizabeth Johnson recorded 26:11 with a W35 58.05%. Tracey Hulme completed the South Manchester parkrun in Platt Fields in 24:14 for a W55 age grade of 74.69%. Martin Bates was running in the Bolton run in Leverhulme Park and he completed the undulating 5km in 26:04 for M60 62.60%. Emma Wright was in the Wyre Forest and ran 32:02 for W40 48.02%. Emma Lund ran the Lancaster parkrun in Williamson Park in 23:41 for W35 63.12%. At the Blackpool parkrun in Stanley Park Helen Lawrenson ran 23.09 with a W45 grade of 71.56%; Stuart Topping 22:18 with an M45 64.57%;   Finlay McCalman M50 52.92% with his time of 28:47; and Kerry Eccles ran 30:47 for W55 59.77%. In the Fleetwood Promenade run George Kennedy and Suzanne Leonard ran 25:32 in tandem to record age grades of M60 63.38% and W45 64.10%. The Wesham parkrun tourists were at Potternewton Park in North East Leeds over 3 laps with Vicky and Steven Gore running 27:43 for W40 55.92% and M35 48.17%.

The main race of the week was the Myerscough 10 Mile, replacing the previous Guy’s 10, taking in the quiet Fylde roads out round Inskip.  David Taylor was the fastest Wesham runner in the field, finishing 12^th in 61:56. Carmel Sullivan was next in, back on form after her holiday and 10k in Benidorm last week, finishing 4^th woman and 1^st W50, 53^rd overall in this case with a fine run of 1:11:22. Jason Blagden was 66^th in 1:14:21 finishing 10^th M45. Rob Wallace was next in in 71^st place with his time of 1:15:08 and Ben Wrigley ran 1:23:59 for 123^rd place. Finlay McCalman was 151^st and 12^th M50 in 1:27:05 and Paul Carter 168^th with 1:30:08. Tanya Shaw finished 45^th woman and 11^th W40 in 1:31:19, 179^th overall. Peter Bartlett was 2^nd in his new age group M70 with 1:30:20 for 173^rd place overall. John Howorth finished 7^th M65 and 228^th in 1:40:46. Debbie Myerscough ran her longest distance since returning to running this year with a fine 1:41:01 to place 8^th woman and 9^th W50, 232^nd overall. Collectively the Wesham men finished 8^th team with hosts Garstang RC first, and the women were 6^th with the winners Garstang again.