Welcome to the Home of Radcliffe Athletic Club

Last Wednesday marked the third year of the Radcliffe AC Multi Terrain 5k Race held by Radcliffe Athletics Club, with the highest number of competitors to date. Part of the Central Lancashire Grand Prix series of races, this fully marked and marshalled 5k takes on the undulating trails of the neighbouring Philips Park. After a relatively fast first 4k, runners encounter the infamous Heartbreak Hill, followed by their second motorway crossing, before circling back to the finish at Sedgley Park Rugby Club.

As well as providing a full host of marshals, timekeepers, and event assistants, Radcliffe AC had a fantastic complement of runners themselves. Khama Banda was first home for the club, and thirteenth overall in a time of 19:28, whilst Elaine Bailey was first in her age category (FV65) in 31:03. Also racing for Radcliffe were Andrew O’Donnell (21:05), Steven Fawcett (21:10), Robin Shiels (22:32), Michael Knotowtt (22:58), Robert Parkinson (23:21), Adam Wills (24:05), Paula Abernethy (28:18), Richard Parkinson (28:33), Trevor Fishwick (30:28), Helen Kay (32:56), Wayne Holden (33:43), Jen Foley (39:21), Bev Quinton (42:25), Iain Harris (42:35), and Lucy Tetler, who was running as the sweeper marshal in 49:11.

This weekend saw the seventh round of the fell race series Run The Moors with the Pete Bland Kentmere Horseshoe. With a distance of 18.5km and over 1000 meters of elevation, the routes takes in the summits of Ill Bell (757m), High Street (828m), Brown How (707m), and Kentmere Pike (731m) before a technical, often boggy, decent back down into Kentmere village. Representing Radcliffe were Neil Greenhalgh, who got round in 2:48:47, followed by Warren Simmons in 3:01:13.

Elsewhere, Ken Smith ran the Tolkien trail race in 1:06:53 during a hot and humid day, and Chemane Thomas completed the Trafford Trails 5 mile race in 42:37.