Dave Neilands reports . . . .

For Garstang Running Club members races in the North West are often like London buses - none for ages then a pile of them together.  Last Sunday was a case in point - road races at Blackpool, Morecambe, Longridge and Grasmere not to mention several fell races.  Not surprisingly some events were not well supported.  155 turned out at Morecambe for the 10k on a very hot day with Tony Pritchard leading club members home in 21st place in 40.34 minutes.  He was followed by Dave Heslop, 28th in 42.08, Peter Gelderd, returning from his latest life threatening injury, 110th in 53.18 and Denise Hughes, how could the organizers possibly think she was a Denis, 126th in 56.06.

Richard Jones decided on the multi terrain Grasmere Gallop in the Lake District finishing 105th in a field of 295 in 45 seconds over the hour.  In other races on different days, also in the Lake District, Julie Graham finished 283 in a field of 317 at the Garburn Trail race.

The Roberts "twins" Richard and Phil finished 46th and 47th in the Hutton Roof fell race which attracted a field of 174, with Richard pipping Phil by just 5 seconds in 58.52.  Mr Active Richard Roberts was out again at the Alfred Hume Fell race at Chorley where, in a small but perfectly formed field of 51 he finished 7th, less than four minutes behind the winner.

Geoff Lyons finally got his backside into gear - his words but not an exact reproduction - at Paddy's Pole Fell race near Chipping where in a field of 153 he finished 53rd in 40.12 minutes.  Finally, new member Helen Vinnicombe was the club's only representative at the Blackpool Half Marathon where she finished 286th in 1 hour 43 minutes with the 1364th and final competitor finishing the hilly course in 4hours and ten minutes!

(18/6/06)

 

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