Harriers Take on the English Fell Championships
The first race of the English Fell race series kicked off with the Edale Skyline Fell Race, renowned as one of the most iconic and challenging fell races in the UK. The course famed for beauty and brutality covers 32kms over 4000 ft of climbing across tough, technical and a varied terrain of rocky paths, peat bogs, steep climbs and exposed ridge lines. Five hardy Harriers rose to the challenge in a field of quality competitors including numerous GB and European title holders. The red vests acquitted themselves well. Lead Harrier was Luke Foley 02:46:20 in 14th, followed by the ever improving Sam Fairhurst 3:06:41 in 48th. Club veteran Dan Gilbert took 03:39:26 to cross the line 148 th . Julian Goudge finished 188 th with a time of 03:55:41 and Nick Kelly 04:01:12 in 200th.
Two intrepid Horwich Harriers, Richard O’Reilly and Marcus Taylor jetted off to Spain this week for the Malaga Half Marathon. Whilst not with the same prestige as its northern counterpart Valencia, despite a hill start the course is relatively flat and fast with a course record of sub 60 minutes. Unfortunately, Taylor caught a stomach bug and was too ill to make the start line leaving O’Reilly as the solo red vest representative. O’Reilly finished 522 nd from a record entrant field of 8000 runners to just pinch a top 20 position in the Vet55 age category with a time of 90:33.
London Marathoner in training Milly Lever took on her first half marathon at Stafford finishing 21 st female from 576 runners in a great time of 97 minutes 13 seconds
In the weekly park run round up Marie Lowe and Sean McTyler took on the rapid South Manchester course finishing a commendable 5 th female, 57 th overall in 21:33 and 2 nd Vet60, 127 th in 24:18 in a usually strong field of 587 park runners. Father and son duo Robert and Mark Seddon were 11 th (22:02) and 52 nd (26:40) respectively at Bolton. Whilst over at Worsley Woods in another large field of 552 park runners Georgia Heath had an excellent run coming in as 1 st female (20:47) followed by Andrew Storey, 191 st (27:45) and Gordon Stone 360 th (32:29). In what must be one of the largest parkrun fields 789 runners were out at Burgess, one of whom Paul Kaye placed 92 nd in a respectable 21:50 and 3 rd in age group. At Huntington it wasn’t unlucky number 13 for Andrew Crickmore with a time of 21:57. Glyn Kay took off at Ormskirk to claim 47 th (23:12). Across the moors to Pendle Graham Schofield claimed a top 10 result with a 6 th placing in 24:03. An usually low Harrier turnout at Haigh Hall saw single entrant and regular Gillian Smith hand in the barcode as 216 th (36:55) finisher. The Middletons stuck close to home at Stretford, Jason finishing 115 th (23:01) and Janet 456 th (30:17). A solitary Tony Hesketh ventured to Leyland for Worden Park winning the Vet75 category in 30:09. The Jackson Two group, competed at their favoured Peel Park. Rob on his 100 th parkrun was just outside the top 10 in 11 th with a cracking time of 18:29 still good enough to nab the now obligatory 1 st Vet55. Uncle Steve crossed the line 508 th in 34:21. Park runner of the week award goes to Isaac Battye for his 2 nd placing at Endcliffe in a rather rapid 16:49.