The start of a new month heralds a stage of the monthly Wesham handicap, now being run virtually over the summer course of 4.9 miles, with many members choosing to run the actual course from Dowbridge though Treales on a circuit. There is now the possibility to run in groups of six. Stuart Topping ran the fastest time and headed both actual and net time rankings, with 45:08 on a handicap of 10 minutes giving him a net time of 35:08. Pauline Eccleston was second with 46:19 on scratch, and Robert Danson 47:34 with a handicap of 5 minutes and a net time 42:34. Paul Eccles was 4^th in the handicap with a 12 minute handicap to clock 47:40 and second on net time with 35:40. Jo McCaffery was 5^th with 48:00 (2 mins and 46:00). Nigel shepherd was 3^rd on net time with 38:12 (10-minute handicap to 50:12), and Alan Hudson 4^th in 40:53 (50:53 handicap tine). Peter Rooney was 5^th in 40:54 with an 8-minute handicap and Robert Danson was 6^th. Andrew Moore was 7^th in 45L:04 (51:04); jo McCaffery 8^th; Pauline Eccleston 9^th; Kerry Eccles 10^th in 46:33 (48:33); Phil Leaver 11^th in 46:41 (49:41); Claire-Marie Axcell 49:11 (51:11); Liz Sharrocks 49:19 (52:19); Peter Cooke and Finlay McCalman 51:33 both on scratch; Julie Rooney 53:14; and Dave Young 59:06 (64:06).

Last week’s Wesham challenge was to see how far members could now run in the time it took to run their first 5km. Stuart Topping ran 3.63 miles in 25:19; Dawn Biggs 3.41 miles in 30:55; Clare Belfield recorded 3.51 miles in 31:00. Dave Young clocked 3.59 miles in 31:03; Robert Danson 3.77 miles in 31:51 on the same Catforth course. Emma Wright ran 3.72 miles in 36:16; Alek Walker 3.95 miles in 25:22; and Liz Sharrocks topped the ranks with 4.04 miles in 40:03. This week’s running challenge is a timed mile, which will be an interesting comparison with the same challenge staged in the second week of lockdown back in March.

Wesham had their biggest ever entry in the British Masters Road Relays with 58 members in the team, albeit in a virtual 5km stage relay rather than the physical event in Birmingham’s Sutton park.  On a 6-stage run the Wesham M35 a team came 62^nd with a combined time of 1:52:19, with Andrew Harling 413^th overall in 17:34; Mark Holton 500^th with 17:48; Alek Walker 584^th in 18:00; Steve Abbott 712^th in 18:21; Neil Gregson 904^th with 18:51; and Paul Eccles 1907^th in 21:45. The M45 team over 4 stages placed 7^th in 1:08:22 with Steve Littler 97^th in 16:11; Steve Swarbrick 271^st in 17:01; Lee Barlow 408^th with 17:33; and Simon Denye 431^st in 17:37. The ‘B’ team were 90^th with 1:24:19 with Garry Barnett 1109^th in 19:24; Jason Parkinson 1492^nd with 20:31; Stuart Topping 1895^th in 21:42; and Mark Renshall 2208^th with 22:42. The M55 team finished 65^th with a 3-stage relay in 1:10:19 with Nigel Shepherd 1651^st in 20:57; Anthony Leach 2615^th with 24:27; and Robert Danson 2710^th in 24:55. Wesham’s M65s were 16^th team in 1:12:54 with John Burns 2341^st in 23:08; Alan Hudson 2476^th with 23:46; and Dave Young 2855^th in 26:00. The W35s ran a 4-stage and came in 81^st team in 1:42:44 where Tara Fisher was 2062^nd in 22:08; Tanya Shaw 2592^nd with 24:19; Julie Kinsey 3039^th in 27:44; and Clare Belfield 3093^rd in 28:33. The ‘B’ team were 91^st in 2:03:52 with Emma Brook 3115^th in 28:53; Julie Paton 3147^th with 29:21; Claire Axcell 3168^th in 29:43; and Nicola Carter 3266^th in 35:55. On a 3-stage race the W45 team were 58^th in 1:09:47 with Helen Lawrenson 1980^th in 21:56; Sue Coulthurst 2208^th with 22:42; and Kay Twist 2754^th in 25:09. The ‘B’ team of Sharon Cooper 2812^th in 25:39; Dawn Biggs 3003^rd in 27:20; and Sharlan Butcher were 96^th in 1:20:32. And the ‘C’ team of Pauline Eccleston 3029^th in 27:38; Sally Deacon 3060^th in 28:06; and Julie Rooney 3204^th with 30:51 were 105^th in 1:26:35. The W55 team completed the squad 31^st in 1:19:42 with Tracey Hulme 2777^th in 25:21; Anne Berry 2981^st in 27:08; and Kerry Eccles 2992^nd in 27:13. Just running out of teams Martin Allison finished 2402^nd in 23:27; Stephen Twist was 2855^th in 26:00; Peter Rooney 2720^th in 24:58; Phil Leaver 3085^th with 28:27; and Liz Sharrocks 3115^th in 28:53.

Last week’s challenge for Wesham members was the June Handicap over the summer 4.9 course. Members have to run the same course each month for consistency, with those local having the option to run the actual course around Treales, with date and time being totally open during the week.  On net positions, being actual time run, Ugis Datavs recorded the fastest time with 28:11 on a 20-minute handicap. David Taylor was second with 28:44 on 19 minutes, and Alek Walker 3^rd with 30:04 (18 mins). Suzanne Leonard was fastest woman with 39:00 and an 11-minute handicap; Tanya Shaw 2^nd with 40:41 (6 minutes) and Dawn Biggs 3^rd in 44:40 (2 minutes). On elapsed time Phil Leaver was first across the virtual finish line in 46:28 (1-minute handicap) equal with John Burns on an 8-minute time lag. Dawn Biggs was 3^rd in 46:40 just ahead of Tanya Shaw on 46:41 with 2- and 6-minute handicaps apiece. Nigel Shepherd was 5^th with 47:26; David Taylor 6^th with 47:44 and Lee Barlow 7^th in 47:53. The remaining net time were Neil Gregson 31:12; Lee Barlow 35:53; Nigel Shepherd 36:26; Rob Wallace 37:51; John Burns 38:28; Peter Rooney 40:54; Andrew Moore 42:20; Dave Young 43:03; Robert Danson 43:18; Sharlan Butcher 44:49; Stephen Twist 45:25; Phil Leaver 45:28; Louise Lord 45:38; Jo McCaffery 46:18; James Birchall 48:11; Pauline Eccleston 49:05; Julie Rooney 51:29.

This will be an active week for Wesham, as they field a team in the Virtual NHS Endure24 this weekend, a 24-hour relay with a member each doing an hour’s running between midday Saturday to Sunday and a series of group runs for a final lap of honour. Also started this Wednesday Wesham have 55 runners in the British Masters Virtual 5km Road relays with final entries and runs on Saturday 20^th June.

Wesham remain very much an active athletics club despite the current pandemic and cancellation of all competitive events, with the club having a weekly live session on Facebook, video training sessions and staging weekly virtual running challenges and the monthly club handicap running in a virtual context. The club were very saddened to learn of the passing of Blackpool’s David Wood last week, a very popular local with many running achievements to his name and a portfolio of the best photographs of Fylde and Preston area athletics. A lovely man taken before his time, he will be sorely missed.