Radcliffe shine at season opener in Bolton19 February 2023 (by D.Cartwright) |
Radcliffe Athletic Club members kicked off the 2023 championship calendar in style with strong performances and several personal bests at Bolton 5k.
The club fielded a 21-strong team for Sunday’s flat and fast two-lap race around Leverhulme Park.
It was the first race in the Central Lancashire Grand Prix (CLGP), which is contested by local clubs, and was also the opening race in Radcliffe’s own club championship.
As well as pbs and great results by people returning to fitness, there was also a winning return to road racing for Sheila McNulty. More used to notching up long distances in the fells, she was first V75 in 33:17 in her first road race for several years.
John Gibbs was first home for the club, and 40th overall out of a field of 254 runners, in 18:36. Other results were: Michael Kontowtt (20:19), Mark Williams (third M55 20:19), Simon Foulkes (20:46), Ian Swan (20:57 pb), Steven Fawcett (20:55), Adam Wills (21:02 pb), Mia Derbyshire (21:48), Warren Simmens (22:55 pb), Charlene Leyden (23:14 pb), Paula Abernethy (third F55 23:45), Chemane Golding (25:20), Karen Doherty (25:56 pb), Alison Howarth (26:13 pb), Stephen Crowe (27:06), Elaine Bailey (27:28), Helen Kay (29:29), Natalie Hitchen (30:31 pb), Tracy Wroe (31:01) and Andy Wheeler (37:23).
The overall awards for last year’s CLGP championship were also handed out after the race, with Elaine Bailey and Karen Doherty receiving participation medals for completing nine of the ten races.
It was a busy weekend for Gibbs, Swan and Foulkes whose great performances were even more impressive having run cross-country a day earlier - along with a parkrun for Foulkes!
They were among several Radcliffe seniors and juniors who took on the challenging and muddy course at Heaton Park on Saturday afternoon, the third fixture in the South East Lancashire Cross Country League.
In the 10k senior men’s race, Gibbs was 19th in 39:57 followed by Craig Norman V40 (41:20), Rob Shiels (44:24), Ian Swan (47:29) and Simon Foulkes (48:45). The team was fifth overall.
In the junior distances, Lucas Paxton ran 9:42 (under-11 boys’ race); Oliver Swan 19:39 (under-13 boys’ race); Duncan Whalley 16:28 (under-15 boys’ race), and Robbie Parkinson 35:34 (under-17 men’s race).
In his first of three runs over the weekend, Foulkes was second M40 in 20:19 at Peel parkrun on Saturday morning. Results from other parkruns were: Bolton – Elaine Bailey (33:12); Cheadle Hulme – (Stephen Crowe (32:57); Cliffe Castle – Peter Hunter (25:34); Heaton Park – Rob Shiels (21:02); Pavilion Gardens – Helen Kay (30:48) and Bev Quinton (65:27 walking on crutches after tearing her calf muscle); Peel – Simon Foulkes (second M50 20:19); Preston – Katherine Biddle (27:45); Worsley Woods – Tracy Wroe (34:31) and Sarah Rushton (35:10).
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