Bumper Bank Holiday success for RAC29 August 2022 (by D.Cartwright) |
It was a bumper Bank Holiday weekend of action for Radcliffe Athletic Club runners who posted great performances at a variety of races.
Ten members took part in Sunday’s Pennington Flash Five Mile Trail Race, the sixth Race in the Central Lancashire Grand Prix which is contested by local clubs.
Craig Norman was the club’s first finisher, and 22nd overall, in 34:28 – even after doing an 11-mile training run to get to the race! Ian Swan ran 35:52 followed by Steven Fawcett in 38:02, while Sheila Jones was first WV64, and the 13th woman overall, in 41:45.
In hot conditions Karen Doherty clocked 46:30, and Elaine Bailey celebrated her birthday by finishing second WV60 in 48:09. Also running were Caroline Malone (52:15), Sarah Cantwell (54:56), Natalie Hitchen (57:14 third WV40) and Sarah Rushton 57:16.
Club chairwoman Donna Cartwright also contended with warm weather when she was third woman and first WV45 in 1:44:08 at Saturday’s Chipping Show fell race in Bowland, a tough and traditional 7.5-mile fell race with 1,801ft of climbing.
There was more success on the hills when three Radcliffe members completed the midweek Golf Ball Fell Race, the final fixture in a four-race series organised by Rossendale Harriers.
Lee Turner ran 56:55 on the 5.5-mile course with 801ft of climbing on the hills above Rossendale, Kathryn Davies was second WV55 in 1:06:55 and Karen Doherty was third WV45 in 1:08:08.
The results meant Davies finished a superb second in her age group for the series – and she was back racing on the fells three days later, this time taking on 1,509ft of ascent at the 9.3-mile High Cup Nick race in the Eden Valley in 1:55:47.
Radcliffe runners celebrated Monday’s Bank Holiday by turning out en masse for the Wacky Relays in Philips Park, Whitefield.
The club had five teams at the event, each made up of four runners who ran a loop of the 2K course. Although the emphasis was on fun, the challenging trail route had some tough climbs!
Paula Abernethy and Lee Cooper completed the West Lancs Summer Triathon on Sunday: a 400m swim, 18.5k cycle and 5k run at Edge Hill University. Cooper finished in 1:13:31 and Abernethy clocked 1:21:49.
Members were out in force again at Saturday’s popular 5k parkruns. Sheila Jones was the club’s first finisher and first VW65 in 23:49 at Heaton Park. Also running were Nick Barnes (27:44), Helen Kay (27:57), Emma Wolstencroft (29:26) and Iain Harris (38:32).
Results from other parkruns were: Bolton – Mark Alan Williams (32:06), Natalie Hitchen (33:27), Elaine Bailey (34:17), Andy Wheeler (37:58); Heartlands – Chris Paxton (20:11); Tawd Valley – Ian Swan (22:12), Peter Hunter (23:16), Stephen Crowe (28:29), Cheryl Gallagher (34:24), Bev Quinton (37:37); Worsley Woods – Alison Howarth (28:26) and Tracy Wroe (35:04).
