Julian Goudge Powers Through Prolific Five-Race Week
Julian Goudge enjoyed the most prolific week of his athletic career, running five events in a seven-day stretch. He started at the Hutton Roof Fell Race on Saturday, followed by the Austwick Amble on Monday, before back-to-back mid-week outings on Wednesday and Thursday at Stanhill and Harrock Hill. He concluded his busy run as the first finisher at the Haigh Woodland parkrun. Impressively, Goudge secured a top 10 finish in every single race and won his MV55 age category in all but one of them.
Match 2 of the Lower YDL league took place at Stanley Park in Blackpool, where the performances on the track were just as hot as the summer weather. A host of personal bests from the young stars in the red and black vests helped Horwich finish the event in second place, giving them the overall lead in the series standings.
In the U14 Girls’ events, Winnie Lancaster clocked 14.00 seconds for the 100m, ran a 2:31.7 in the 800m, and threw the shot put 5.70m. Amelie Wormald powered to 29.2 seconds in the 200m, completed the 1500m in 5:06.4, and achieved a mark of 3.28m in the long jump. For the U14 Boys, Theo Bolton scorched to 13.7 seconds in the 100m, 29.0 seconds in the 200m, and threw the shot put 6.80m, while Toby MacDonald ran the 100m in 16.7 seconds and the 1500m in 6:05.8.
The U16 Girls also put on a fantastic show. In the 80m hurdles, Olivia Jones ran 11.6 seconds and Isobel Reid clocked 13.6 seconds. A highly competitive four-way club showdown in the 100m saw Lily Mort come out on top in 13.3 seconds, with Sarah Lawman running 14.1, Mia Humphreys 14.3, and Grace Hoyte 14.4. Humphreys and Hoyte also doubled up in the 200m, clocking 30.3 and 30.0 seconds respectively, while Jessie Cox recorded a swift 28.8 seconds. In the 300m, Millie Reid crossed the line in 44.5 seconds and Sarah Lawman finished in 45.1. The 800m saw solid performances from Eve MacDonald (2:49.8) and Isobel Reid (2:30.0), while Ava Winstanley was the sole club representative in the 1500m, finishing in 5:23.8.
In the U16 Girls’ field events, Lily Mort soared to 4.50m in the long jump, with Millie Reid reaching 3.80m. Isobel Reid cleared 1.25m in the high jump. Lily Watts completed a trio of throwing events, highlighted by a 6.11m throw in the shot put and 13.27m in the discus. The hammer throw was eventful, though no official scores were posted. To cap off the track events, the quartet of Cox, Jones, Watts, and Mort combined to secure a victory in the 4x100m relay in 53.30 seconds.
The U16 Boys matched that success on the track. Oscar Burke (11.3 seconds), Jack Cleworth (12.6), and Luke Perry (14.6) impressed in the 100m. Burke (24.3) and Perry (30.4) also doubled up in the 200m, supported by Matthew MacDonald who clocked 30.6. A flying Flynn Harris registered times of 40.5 seconds in the 300m and 2:14.6 in the 800m, while William Burkin ran 43.5 and 2:20.7 in the same events. Matthew MacDonald ran a strong 1500m in 5:24.5 before joining Cleworth in the long jump.
On the road at the Great Manchester Run 10k, Luke Foley was the first Harrier home, crossing the line in an excellent 32:28. Rob Jackson claimed first place in the V60 category with a time of 39:40. Grant Allen completed the course in 49:11, while Isabella Merritt finished in 51:34. In the half marathon distance, Marcus Taylor smashed the 90-minute barrier, running 1:27:30 to secure second place in the MV55 category, while Jonathan Pimbley completed his race in 1:55:38.
