Jope leads off Harriers campaign
ATHLETICS STEVE DUXBURY IT was a great start to the cross country season for the Harriers at Leigh on Saturday, when the first fixture of the Red Rose League took place, with team and individual wins for the juniors.
Joe Ormrod took his first race win in the U13 Boys section leading home all 55 starters and his team of Jamie Clayton and Billy Smith to third.
The U15 Boys were led to victory by a superb run from Joel Taylor in second place followed by Max Cunningham, taking sixth after a sprint to the line, and Joe Hopley in tenth.
Ryan Heneghan was unlucky not to make the team after finishing twelfth.
It augers well for the season but Horwich, only a point behind, will be the club to watch.
The girls weren’t quite so dominant but managed third team on the day thanks to Lauryn Gregg’s fourth place, followed by Holly Pegg and Lily Haygarth.
20 degree temperatures and the ground firm underfoot weren’t typical cross country conditions but they didn’t stop Matthew Mackay, Rossendale’s fell international, from taking an emphatic win in the ● Kurtis Mitton U17 Men’s race. Matty was in a group of three early in the race over five kilometres but in the end he had 16 seconds in hand over Bury AC’s Marcus Dey and a further minute and a half over the third placed runner.
It was also very pleasing to see Kurtis Mitton finishing strongly for fourth place and Ben Kirkman enjoyed his best ever cross country race in 13th place to complete the winning team.
Minnie Targett’s third place in the girls race helped her U17 team mates, Amelia Chadfield and Tiegan Alexander to third placed team.
Most of the seniors were at the British Fell Relays in Llanberis but Mathew Harris and Connor Richardson both enjoyed top ten finishes in the 179 strong field with seventh and ninth respectively.
Both young men are now developing into strong endurance athletes and their track pedigrees ● Joe Ormrod held them in good stead on the flat and fast course at Leigh.
Connor was the first U20 athlete and at the other end of the age groups the evergreen Taylor brothers, Thornton and Ken, emerged as winners in the Vet 60 and Vet 70 classes.
Veteran Chris Fell was hoping for a better result in the Manchester Half Marathon on Sunday but his 72mins 30secs was enough to secure 29th position from over 7500 finishers and third in his Vet40 category.
Chris was in a good group early on and was on 70 minute pace but a tight calf put paid to that in the latter stages.
Hopefully he’ll recover quickly and get back on track for his marathon debut in San Sebastian in late November.
Kris Armitage enjoyed better fortunes in clipping 35 seconds off his personal best and finishing in 78mins 57secs for 91st place.