RAC runners make a splash30 October 2023 (by D.Cartwright) |
Radcliffe Athletic Club members made a splash when they ran cross country in Bolton.
They were out in force on Saturday for the second fixture of the Red Rose Cross Country League, taking on strength-sapping mud, slippery hills and a stream crossing.
Julie Robertson was the club’s first finisher in the 5k ladies’ race, clocking 26:25 to lead the team to a ninth-place finish.
She was followed by Chemane Golding (29:04), Paula Abernethy (30:07), Karen Doherty (30:15), Elaine Bailey (34:44), Lucy Tetler (36:04) and Helen Kay (39:19).
There was drama when Alison Howard injured her ankle shortly after the start. Caroline Malone, Louise Shield and Tracy Wroe showed true team spirit when they abandoned their race to ensure she received medical attention.
Caroline and Louise were given permission by the marshals to slot back into the race close to the start of its second, longer lap, completing a truncated 4k route in 39:20 and 39:22 respectively. Meanwhile, Wroe dropped out to stay with Alison.
Rain at the start ensured tricky conditions for the longer men’s race with Gary Adkins leading home the RAC contingent in 44:05. Other times: Craig Norman (44:43), Mark Garner (52:01) and Stephen Crowe (1:11:07).
Times from the junior races were: under-11 girls - Aoife Warr (11:22) and Grace O’Donnell (11:43); under-15 boys - Duncan Whalley (17:40); under-17 men - Robbie Parkinson (26:22).
Donna Cartwright had a superb run at the wet and misty 4.8-mile Race to the Summit fell race in Littleborough, finishing 3rd WV45 in 42:36. Starting at the Summit Inn, runners climbed 1,000ft to the White House pub near Blackstone Edge, touched the pub wall and then ran back to the Summit.
Si Foulkes described Macclesfield Half Marathon as “one hill after another” after clocking 1:36:47 in Sunday’s race while Ian Swan ran 1:37:51.
Meanwhile, husband and wife Dominic and Sarah Parry finished the Macclesfield 10k in 1:20:51. It was a weekend of family running for the duo; the day before Dominic ran 35:36 at Heaton parkrun with daughter Skyler, who is a RAC junior, while Sarah clocked 39:56.
Radcliffe was represented at Sunshine Beach parkrun in Japan where Kath Biddle was the first woman in 27:22. Meanwhile, Charlotte Holden celebrated her birthday with a time of 28:50 at Holyrood parkrun, a hilly lap of the Arthur’s Seat extinct volcano in Edinburgh.
Results from other Saturday morning 5k parkruns closer to home were: Bolton – Paul Benson (26:06), Natalie Hitchen (38:10), Sarah Rushton (38:15) and Tracy Wroe (61:52): Clarence Park – Ian Swan (35:09); Heaton Park - James Higginson (22:11), Mia Derbyshire (23:01) and Sheila Jones (23:41); Woodhouse Manor, Leeds – Stephen Crowe (28:54) while Bev Quinton and Helen Kay were the volunteer tail walkers.
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