Lostock 6 and English Fell Champs
Thankfully those long chilly winter nights are ending, heralding spring and the road race season. Opening the Central Lancs Gran Prix season was the Lostock 6 miler. An army of red vests took on this classic 6-mile race on an undulating course around Lostock and Westhoughton. Such was the quality fielded Horwich had 3 finishers in the top 10. Matt Harrison took the honours of first back just outside a podium place with an excellent 4th in a time of 33:35. Kevan James 6th (33:51), Joe Horrocks 9th (34:52), Matthew Wilson 22nd (36:14), Matthew Dewhurst 23rd (36:19), Adam McDonald 43rd (38:26), Marcus Taylor 47th (38:40), Brett Hazelwood 53rd (39:42), Steven Horrocks 76th (42:15), Karl Dilworth 92nd (42:56), Paul Wilcockson 97th (43:42), Gary Porteous 98th (43:50), Graham Schofield 122nd (44:37), Katherine Newall 174th (48:07), Lawrence Pinnell 327th (58:40), Kevin Newall 337th (59:44), Michelle Mortimer 380th (1:03:29) with Julie Williamson 400th (1:06:35).
A day earlier, Horwich sent a crack team of mud chompers for the opening counter of the English Fell Champs, The Doctor’s Gate. A challenging “AL” (Long, Steep) category fell race held annually in the Peak District, the route features open moorland, rocky sections, and areas with no clear paths, requiring strong navigational skills with a course climb of roughly 1000m and 20.5kms distance. Starting from Shepley Street in Glossop, the race follows an old packhorse route known as the Doctor’s Gate before ascending to the Pennine Way. Being highly regarded for its challenging, classic Peak District terrain, competitors can look forward to open moor, peat hags, rough trods, flagstones in places, and the usual very wet underfoot conditions allowing for “bog hopping,” but then not without steep, fast-paced sections.
Red vest royalty Rob Hope was first of the club to cross the finish line 40th in an astounding time of 1:47:43, less than 10 minutes behind the old course record as a Vet 50. Finlay Grant did turn up and smash the old course record by over 10 minutes though! Next came Sam Fairhurst 61st (1:51:55) followed by Julian Goudge 103rd (2:01:30), Dan Gilbert 135th (2:08:19), James Titmuss 146th (2:09:40), Marcus Taylor 175th (2:16:12), Mark Walsh 198th (2:18:36) and Mary White 396th (3:29:10). The veterans had an outstanding day out, taking 2nd in the Male Vet Over 50 Category.
In very wet and muddy conditions, two hardy ladies ventured to Sedgefield for the National Cross Country Championships. Ava Winstanley was 99th (15:41) in the under 15 girls and Janet Rashleigh was 320th in the senior women’s with a race time of 42:20.
The weekly parkrun round up included: Peel Park – Robert Jackson 34th (20:01), Preston – Adele Lever 386th (34:52), Phoenix – Jason Middleton 30th (25:12), Janet Middleton 82nd (32:40), Huddersfield – Olivier Hughes 147th (25:05), Bolton – Gareth Webb 29th (25:15), Andrew Storey 64th (28:50), Worsley – John Robertson 106th (26:22), Gordon Stone 185th (29:18), Tony Hesketh 218th (30:51), John Rockliffe 268th (32:49), Burnley – Graham Schofield 54th (22:42), Haigh Hall – Richard O’Reilly 9th (21:50), Chris Charnley 12th (22:38), Gillian Smith 164th (37:44), Morecambe – Brendan Bolland 224th (28:51), Peel – Steve Jackson 345th (31:06), Clarence – Phil Marsden 1st (18:25) and Isaac Parker 20th (18:36) at Brook Leys.
