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Race report 24/4/22

24 April 2022 (by admin)

Karen Doherty

RADCLIFFE Athletic Club had a great turnout of 21 runners at a sunny Bolton 5k at Leverhulme Park.

They posted superb times and personal bests over the flat and fast two-lap course, the second race in the Central Lancashire Grand Prix championship which is contested by local clubs.

John Gibbs was the first RAC runner across the line in 18:23, finishing 26th and second MV40 out of a competitive field of 200 runners, and Rob Shiels was 34th in 18:56.

Next came a flurry of Radcliffe runners separated by just eight seconds: Mike Kontowtt ran 20:31 just ahead of Steven Fawcett in 20:36 while Neil Greenhalgh and Chris Paxton both clocked 20:39. They were followed by Peter Hunter (21:40), Ian Swan (22:00) and John Mcnicoll (23:02).

Paula Abernethy led home the club’s women and was third VW55 in 24:24, her second race in two days. Other results were: David Bartlett (25:02 pb); Chemane Brier (25:29); Karen Doherty (26:51 pb); Emma Wolstencroft (27:09); Elaine Bailey fourth VW60 27:11; Caroline Malone third WV50 (29:13); Jackie Faith fourth WV50 (29:58) in her first club race; Natalie Hitchen (30:53 after a hilly 10k the day before); Kelly Gallagher (31:44) in her first club race; Tracy Wroe (31:55); and Bev Quinton (34:29).

The men’s A team was eighth, the B team was 12th and the C team came 20th. Meanwhile the women’s teams were eighth, 10th and 14th.

Runners were cheered on by the club’s new chairwoman Donna Cartwright who was unanimously elected at the recent AGM. She is the fourth person to lead the club since it was formed in 1984, and the first woman.

Two of the runners at Bolton ran back-to-back races, completing Saturday’s undulating Wray Scarecrow 10k in the Lune Valley. Paula Abernethy was first VW55 in 51:13 while Natalie Hitchen ran 1:08:02.

Radcliffe runners were also at a variety of parkruns on Saturday. Staying local, Rob Lister was 14th at Bolton in 22:47 followed by Kris Booth (25:07) and Craig Ward (33:57). At Heaton Park, Simon Foulkes ran 20:55, Robbie Parkinson was second JM11-15 in 23:04 and Iain Harris finished in 45:06.

Further afield, Sheila Jones topped her age group at yet another parkrun venue, clocking 23:39 to finish fifth woman and first VW65 at Druridge Bay in Morpeth. Other results from RAC members on their travels were: Bev Quinton 39:01 (Blackpool); Cheryl Gallagher 33:40 (Burnage); Helen Kay 30:35 (Horspath, Oxford); Vince Ashton 35:25 (Trentham Gardens, Stoke-on-Trent); Chris Paxton 23:33 and Peter Hunter 24:33 (Witton).