Slovenian Master win for Davies
THE Master 35 World Master Mountain Running Championship took place recently on Ratitovec Mountain near Lake Bled in Slovenia.
Stockport Harrier Andrew Davies took on the 10.8km race which included an 1184m elevation gain to win individual gold and help the British team to improve on their bronze medal from 2017 and be crowned champions.
Round 2 of the Cheshire Track and Field league took place at Macclesfield on 2 June 2018. Stockport had a great turn out from junior and senior athletes, some of whom hadn’t raced on a track for quite a few years! The inclusive nature of this league means that athletes of all ages and abilities can take part and try their hand at different events. The more events entered; the more overall points gained. And every point counts as Stockport won by a clear 100 points!
Some stand out performances from the day came from Luke Farrant and Alec Francis who were 1st and 2nd respectively in the Senior Men’s 3000m, both achieving Personal Bests. The Under 13 Girls 4 x 100m relay also set a new club record. Hero of the day came in the form of Jennifer Hulley who bravely stepped in to breach in the Senior Women’s 800m and 3000m to ensure Stockport were represented in all events. Jennifer is usually seen scaling fells and traversing trails so running round in 400m circles was certainly a change of scenery.
James Pratt, the team manager, gave a helping hand in the Senior Men’s 4x400m on the 2nd leg and set the ‘A’ team up for their spectacular win. The rest of the team was made up of Ian Mulligan, Robert Stokoe and Sam Johnson. Match 3 of the Cheshire League will be on 15th July at Woodbank Park and all Stockport athletes are encouraged to take part.
The month of May certainly stopped that never ending question for many runners – what shoes should I wear? Road! Because the conditions all over the north-west made for perfect conditions underfoot. This was evidenced on the 9th May when our 7th Race Series event, the Mad Hatter 5m took place in Reddish Vale Park. A total of 193 runners took part with a 20-strong partly from Stockport Harriers. Adam James Thompson got there sharpish to do an early reconnoitre but I’m not sure how much it helped as he went the wrong way around the course in his warm up…
Nevertheless it was a quick start around the two lap circuit and we were soon running up the first hill and around the zig zag course. The paths were all clearly marked with good marshalling although it was hard to overtake on certain sections. At 1.5 miles in there was a steep incline that we had to run up again at mile 4. The second lap was obviously harder than the first as tiredness kicked in and those who conserved a little energy for the finish fared better. It pays to know the course. The final push was mainly all downhill and flat going and finished under perfect conditions.
A week later saw the Shining Tor Fell Race (Event 8) and once again great conditions brought out a field of 278 eager hill climbers. This is a tough race in the Hayfield Series with fantastic views throughout. Unfortunately when you are busting lungs and trying to deal with lactate build up running 300m+ uphill you don’t get much chance to stop and admire the view. Once again there was a good Harriers turnout and as always interesting to see those runners which prefer the fell races to those who like the roads. A special mention goes to Heather Corden who was second lady and is also leading the Ladies Division.
Following the huge success of the last course, a complete beginners’ running course will be starting again on Tuesday 19th June. This is a great opportunity for anyone looking to get fit safely and with lots of support and advice. This course is suitable for people with no running experience and starts with walking intervals and gradually builds up to running for 30 minutes continuously.
You will be fully supported by an England Athletics Level 2 Coach and under the auspices of Stockport Harriers. This is a great chance to receive professional coaching and meet new people.
Meet at 7pm at the Community Centre, Turncroft Lane, Stockport, SK1 4BN. The community centre is at the entrance to the main Woodbank Park car park. The cost for the full 8 week course is £24 with goody bag for everyone who completes the course. For further information please contact Alexis.dinsmor@ntlworld.com