Josh on track for series win
ATHLETICS GRAHAM WHITE
AT the halfway point in this season’s Red Rose Cross Country League, after the second fixture, U17 Josh Whitehead is in pole position to win the series after another outstanding performance at Witton Park on Saturday.
As in the first fixture at Leigh, Josh tracked Bury’s Marcus Dey before outsprinting his rival in the finish straight.
One more victory in either of the last two races will see Josh take the overall series win.
In the U17 ladies race there were great performances from Amelia Chadfield in third, Corinna Howorth in fourth and Sarah Goldswain in 12th, resulting in a team first place on the day with victory over Bolton United Harriers.
The senior men have struggled to field their strongest team this season and Saturday was no exception but Callum Davidson’s third place overall was a huge fillip for the squad resulting in third place.
Callum has been training hard over the past few months and this is gradually paying dividends.
Rob Webb, unusually off the pace, came home with his usual storming finish for eighth place and Nick Schofield was, as ever, impressive in 23rd place overall and first Vet 50.
Ashley Holt was not far behind and second Vet 40, with Thornton Taylor the first Vet 55 home.
The ladies race was won by GB international Jessica Judd from Chelmsford AC who ran as a guest and admitted it was a tough workout for her, not being used to the famous saucer, the highest point on the course. Sophie Murphy ran a great race to finish 19th and 6th U20 and Lynne Berbatiotis was 28th and fourth Vet 35.
Young Joe Ormrod was 9th in the U11 boys race and Joe Hopley finished well for 13th in the U13 boys race, finishing third placed team with Maxwell Hereward in 17th and Jamie Clayton in 19th.
Holly Pegg was 16th in the U13 girls race and, as ever, Ben Forrest ran well for fourth in the under 15 boys race with Ben, Max Cunnigham and Ryan Heneghan completing the team for second, behind host club Blackburn.
Minnie Targett was fifth in the under 15 girls race.
Rossendale’s male vets were the convincing winning team at Witton due to the efforts of Nick Schofield, fifth, Ashley Holt, 8th, Sean Molloy, 15th and Craig Stansfield, 17th.
Saturday morning’s Park Runs weren’t quite as popular this week but over at Burnley, Steven Melling was 39th in 22mins 19secs, Barbara Howorth 179th in 30mins 02secs and Steve Howorth 182nd in 30mins10secs. Hannah Dabinett came home in 195th in 30mins 38secs.
Further afield, Stephen Corbishley was second ● The start of the Under 13s girls race at the Red Rose Cross Country race at Witton Park Blackburn with the Rossendale girls to the fore ● Josh Whitehead on his way to victory in the Under 17s men’s race with a new PB of 17mins13secs at Aberystwyth and Joe Waller also second in 19mins16secs at the hilly Cuerden Valley event.
In Llanberis, in North Wales, Claire Whittaker took part in the Snowdonia Marathon finishing in 6hrs 07mins 38secs on what is reckoned to be the toughest marathon course in the UK.
Jill Longshaw was in action over at Clumber Park in Worksop where she took part in the Half Marathon and finished in 2hrs 26mins 55secs.
Slightly further afield, Rod Graham was racing in the World Masters Championships in Perth, Australia. Competing in the Vet 55 category 5K on the track he came home in 22mins 07secs. where the winner ran a remarkable 16mins 43secs.
On Sunday at the 7.5 mile Bronte Way race, Ronnie Turner was 37th and first Vet 55, closely followed home by Thornton Taylor in 44th place and second Vet 55.
Ken Taylor, as usual, was the first Vet 65 in 59th place, Jeff Hignett 121st, David Greenwood 122nd, Andrew Biddle 154th, Peter O’Gorman 159th and Hillary Fallen 185th.
The Lancashire Cross Country Championships, one of the biggest event of the season for the Harriers, will take place on Saturday 7th January at Witton Park and entries are now being taken either, on line, or by post.
These are the trial races for team selection for the Inter Counties Championships at the end of the season. Full details can be found at lancsaa.co.uk.