Horwich Trio become Greater Manchester Champions

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It was a big weekend on the track for Horwich members young and old as the 2025 regional championships took place. On Saturday in Stretford, the club saw 3 new Greater Manchester champions crowned. Jack Fletcher won the U15 300m with a PB of 49.92, Oscar Burke won the U15 100m with his own PB of 12.06 and U17 Joel Ige also took the victory in his 100m, with another PB of 11.27. Sarah Lawman made her 300m final with a great time of 46.09. At the Lancashire champs in Blackpool, Alistair Sharrock was an agonising 2nd in his 100m, with a cracking PB of 10.9.

(L-R): Joel Ige, Oscar Burker, Jack Fletcher, Sarah Lawman showing off their medals at the Greater Manchester Athletics County Championships. Photo courtesy of Trevor Williams.

The success continued on Sunday, with Burke (25.28) and Ige (22.89, PB) again winning in their respective age groups, this time over 200m. Jemima Miles came away with a gold in the High Jump (1.52m), a silver in the 100m hurdles (15.51) and a season’s best in the Javelin (26.38). Jack Fletcher followed up his 300m gold with an 80m hurdles silver and a PB of 12.93. Meanwhile, in Blackpool, Alistair Sharrock was pipped to gold in his 200m race but could console himself with a PB of 21.8. Coach Trevor Williams is “super proud” of all the athletes who competed and can’t wait to see how they stack up at the national level at Inter-Counties.

Rob Hope donned his old Horwich top for the first time in years as he rejoined his childhood club. Thankfully, he still fit in his old club vest; the same one he won the Rivington Pike Race in 1995 in, no less. The man better known for his exploits on the fells (he has been overheard complaining about races being “too runnable”) showed that he can run with the best on the flats too, placing 4th in the Lancashire County senior men’s 5000m. His pacy 16:44 makes him the fastest English V50 of 2025.

There was success in the first of the popular Astley Park Trail Races for the RMI women, as Charlotte Wilkinson (2nd female, 25:30), Emma Bradley (27:33), Alice Tucker (27:40) and Sophie Walton (30:54) combined to take the women’s team prize. In the junior race, Ellie Leach and Abigail Taylor both ran well to secure 5th and 6th place respectively in the F12 category.

Two tough fell races took place on Saturday, with Pendle Cloughs and Fairfield Horseshoe both proving a stern test of legs and lungs. In the former, 14 miles (4,100ft) of trackless, steep and rugged terrain was tackled as competitors navigated between the seven “cloughs” on Pendle Hill. Club fell captain Dan Gilbert was up to the task, bagging a 10th place in a time of 2:49:03. It was a hot day and no more so than on the exposed, rocky fells of Cumbria. Luke Foley beat the heat with a superb run, finishing 4th in one of the Lakes’ most prestigious and difficult medium fell races, the Fairfield Horseshoe (9 mile, 3000ft). His time of 1:25:41 placed him just 30 seconds off the podium.