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.

The Northern Athletics long and short stage Road Relays were held in Birkenhead Park for the second consecutive year and another warm fine day although with a bitter gusting wind this time. Wesham had two women’s teams over the 6-Stage, with Kay Twist (40:53); Carmel Sullivan (16:49); Sue Coulthurst (17:21) giving a tremendous performance; Louisa Denye (39:37); Alice Deacon (18:57); and Bernadette Dickinson (20:28) making up the “A” team with a cumulative time of 2:34:05 to finish 49^th. Tanya Barlow (41:48); Emma Davies (20:44); Julie Rooney (23:07); Sharlan Butcher (44:17); Heather Buckel (22:33); and Antionette Halton (21:14) closed in the Wesham Ladies “B” team in 53^rd place with 2:53:43. Stages 1 and 4 were 8km and the shorter stages were 4k.  The Senior Men ran 8km on Stages 1,3,5 and 7, with the other stages 4km, and Simon Denye took out the Wesham Men’s “A” team with 28:56 to put them in 64^th place. Steven Gore then ran 14:18; Lee Barlow 28:56; Chris Hastwell 14:17; David Taylor 28:41; Martin Bates 16:54; Thomas Crabtree 31:01; Mark Renshall 14:41; Mick Edge 16:47; John Collier 17:18; Colin Smy 18:48; and Jason Parkinson 15:52, closing the team 59^th in 4:06:29. The “B” team finished 65^th in 4:47:22, with Neil Gregson off on the first stage with 31:12 (69^th); followed by Elliot Costello (15:40); Rob Wallace (33:54); Ben Wrigley (16:47); Ryan Azzopardi (37:24); Peter Bartlett (21:24); Peter Rooney (37:45); Dave Young (19:44); Graham Cunliffe (19:37); Stephen Twist (20:10); James Birchall (17:14); and Stuart Topping (16:31).

Steve Littler nipped over the border into White Rose territory for the top-class Thirsk 10-mile road race on Sunday, and finished 6^th in 55:00 to win the M45 age category and place first in the masters results.

There were 5 Wesham runners in the Trimpell 20 race in Lancaster in their training and lead up to forthcoming marathons. David Taylor finished 19^th in 2:10:30 with Paul Lancashire 102^nd in 2:36:28. Thomas Farquhar was 162^nd in 2:46:54 and Ben Wrigley was 277^th with 3:00:37. David Millar was 29^th M50 and 432^nd in 3:28:54.

Anne Berry battled the elements in the Cartmell Ultimate Trails 10km race on Saturday and finished 275^th and 20^th Over-50 in 71:03. Graham Brook finished 442^nd in 1:23:19. George Helme ran the 5km Trail finishing 47^th in 44:30 and 10^th Under-16. Kelly Helme was 68^th in 47:26. Fran Hodskinson finished 175^th in the 18k Trail Emergency Route (shorter distance due to the extreme weather) in 66:35. Elizabeth Johnson was not far behind in 180^th place with 66:43. Diane Blagden finished 262^nd in 1:12:13, a great day out for the ladies.

Rob Danson was selected for the Inter-Counties Cross Country in Prestwold Hall in Loughborough after his excellent performance in the Lancashire Championships on 6^th January. He finished 6^th in the Lancashire Senior Men’s team and placed 70^th overall in 35:34 for the 6 miles. Lancashire won the 9-man team.

Steve Littler was 2^nd behind Nick Leigh of Horwich with 1:23:18 just 8 seconds adrift in the 14-mile Dentdale run in the Howgills. Many-time winner of this race this result also won him the M45 age category. Steve Myerscoough in marathon training and recovering from injury finished 48^th and 12^th M45 in 1:46:31. There were 283 runners in this race.