Harriers close out SEL X Country season
THE final race of the South East Lancs X Country League was held at Heaton Park last weekend.
Sadly, only a few Harriers decided to make the journey down the M62 to the park, five juniors, three ladies and four men. The only race left in the X Country calendar are the Nationals being held at Weston Park near Telford this Saturday.
The focus then well and truly switches onto the fell and road race championships.
Heaton Park had seen little change from previous weeks in terms of the weather, so the course was very muddy, but at least it wasn’t pouring down or blowing a gale.
In the Under 11 Boys, Adil Arkin did well in coming 13th with a time of 13m, 58s. Whilst in the Under 11 Girls, Lily Hirst came a creditable 5th in 14m, 30s, followed by Evie Boon, 23rd in 19m, 13s. The Arkin family then provided the only junior Harrier in the Under 13 Boys, with Alim Arkin, 12th, in 16m, 55s.
They also provided the only Harrier in the Under 13 Girls race, Aliya Arkin achieved 10th position, in 16m 56s.
Over to the ladies now, which saw Juliet Smith doing very well, achieving 3rd place in 42m, 32s in the ladies over 18 race. Juliet was followed home by Zara Hirst, 10th, in 45m, 54s. Mother Susie Hirst coming 18th, in 49m. The ladies team achieved 3rd place in the race.
The Hirst family connection, then runs into the senior men’s race, with dad Neil being the 3rd Harrier home in 52nd place, with a time of 52m, 57s. First Harrier back was Danny Bennett, who had used the Oldham Park run as a warm up race, achieving a well earned 8th in 41m, 9s. Second Harrier was Pete Butterworth, 50th in 52m, 57s.
Finally Ian Aitchison was the 4th and last Harrier, coming 60th, in 53m,41s. The men’s team finished 7th in the race and came 1st in the Vet 50 category. A big well done must be extended to the Arkin and Hirst families, for providing seven out of the twelve Harriers who ran at Heaton Park.
Overall positions in the four race series for Harriers runners and teams are as follows:
U11 Boys 11th Adil Arkin U11 Girls 2nd Lily Hirst
U13 Boys 11th Alexander Reay
Joint 13th Alim Arkin U13 Girls 9th Aliya Arkin Girls 2nd Lottie Peacock Ladies over 20
4th Juliet Smith
9th Jennie Ransome
10th Zara Hirst
17th Susie Hirst
22nd Molly Howell
24th Danielle Dignan
Congratulations to Juliet Smith in achieving 1st place overall in the Vet 45 category and to Susie
Hirst coming 3rd in the Vet 50 age category and finally to Jennie Ransome gaining 1st position in the ladies Vet 60 group.
The ladies team achieved 3rd place overall, so well done to all those who ran in the races.
In the senior men’s series, Danny Bennett came 6th overall, followed by Neil Hirst in 33rd place. Congratulations are in order for Danny Bennett who won the men’s vet 50 age category, with Neil Hirst achieving a very creditable 4th place. The Hirst family should be proud of their collective achievements running for the Harriers, as should the Arkin family.
Finally in the men’s V65 category, Ian Aitchson came 3rd overall, followed by Matthew Cox in 4th place.
Last and by no means least, mention must be made of that running machine Danny Bennett who, not satisfied with running the Oldham Park Run on Saturday morning and the X Country in the afternoon, also went on to run the Wrexham Bakery Half Marathon on Sunday. Danny ran it in a time of 1hr, 21m, 26s, finishing 203rd overall and coming 2nd in the V55 age category. You earned your loaf Danny.