The biggest poppy run yet!
DESPITE changing the routes three times, Birstall Running Club held its annual Remembrance Day Poppy Run on Saturday, November 9, and it was its biggest yet.
The planned route had to be changed leading up to this event due to rising water levels and flooding in Watermead Country Park – so participants ran a good section of this around the village streets in Birstall instead.
It was a cold and foggy morning, and everyone assembled outside the Birstall Royal British Legion on Front Street. Every runner wore a poppy, as that was part of the race conditions. A two-minute silence was observed by all, which was broken by siblings Rudy and Pearl Askham (both under 10) who read from the Remembrance poem “For the Fallen”.
There was an offset start for runners from 9am – with the fastest runners starting last – so all runners should finish this race at roughly the same time.
There were 72 finishers of the 5km route and eight runners with younger children who did a shorter course. Twelve juniors took part aged between four and 11.
It was coordinated by race director and club committee member Dave Snutch who said: “This is a great event we put on for our club members and their families.
“The response this year has been fantastic. It was the biggest number of runners we’ve ever had. The smiles captured in the photos by Holly Boyce shows how much enjoyment all the runners had.” Prizes were awarded for the first three males and females across the finish line and the fastest man and woman too.
It was a big victory for the kids with brother and sister Riley and Lyla Hill taking first place in their respective categories. Mum, Lou Lou Hill was second lady with 11 year old Paige Carter was third. Young Joshua Crane was second boy and Max Brownlow, also a junior came in third. Quickest on the day were Kevin Carter in an impressive 19:30 and Emma Johnson in 24:30, who joined in the run as a guest.
Forty-three runners had bought Poppy Run medals in advance of the race raising in excess of £400 for the Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal and in addition a collection was held which raised a further £200.
Dave said: “It’s been hard work organising medals, and then having to plan route changes, but such is the enjoyment it brought to our club members and the fantastic amount raised for the RBL, I would do it all again tomorrow.”