Championships, Grand Prix and Steam Trains

Yet more successes to celebrate. Bronze medals for our Vet40 Ladies team in the British Fell Championships and an individual Bronze LV50 medal for Wendy Dodds. Plenty of trophies at the Pendle and Burnley Grandprix and the Tywyn Steam Train finally tamed.

Wednesday 12 August

Haigh Hall 4 Mile Road Race
Julie Toman was our sole representative a this midweek event. She finished in 93^rd place with a time of 36:15.

Full Results

Pilgrims Cross
There was a decent turnout of 18 Clayton-le-Moors Harriers to this mid week fell race of 6 miles and 1100 ft of climbing. It is the third race in a series of four organised by Rossendale Harriers

Full Results

Friday 14 August

Pendle & Burnley Grand Prix
151 of our club members took part in at least one race in this local series of 13 races including 5 & 10K road races, a half marathon, trail and fell races; there is something for everyone. There were some great results for our members and prizes galore. You have to complete 9 races of the 13 on offer to qualify for prizes. With a healthy number of competitors we had 10 of the top 20 men and 10 of the top 20 women.

Jordan McDonald, junior winner and third overall, with Tom Cornthwaite. Photo by Barry Brock

A special mention for Stuart Barker who was one of only 3 people to compete in all 13 races. Quite an achievement, well done Stuart! He received a special award to recognise his achievement along with newcomers to running Michelle Butschok and Leanne Cottam. Matthew Duckworth Received the Everest Trophy for most improved male.

Prize winners. L-R Michelle Butschok, Leanne Cottam, Rachel Todd, Helen Burnett, Joanne Bennett and Stuart Barker

Grand Prix Awards

Special Awards

Shore Road Race
Two club members took part in this 7km (4.35 miles) road race  with 98 metres (322 ft) climbing.

Full Results 

Saturday 15 August

Catforth Canter
A quartet of our members took part in this race around the quiet lanes of Catforth. Our senior vets cleaned up the 70 plus placings with all three of them claiming first age category positions.

 Full Results

Podium Races

This blisteringly fast local 5K race series has expanded and added some junior races to its portfolio. Thirteen juniors took part, six of our youngest members in the 3k and seven in the 5k.

The start of the Podium B Race. Photo by David Belshaw

Helena White had a storming run and finished as first girl in the 3k with a time of 14:08. In the 5k race Briony Holt finished in second place, first girl, with a time of 19:48 demonstrating that she doesn’t need the hills to be fast! Dexta Thompson was hot on her heels in third place. Sophie Ashworth and Liberty Thompson were second and third girls making a clean sweep for the Clayton girls!

In the “A” Race, Jacob Boyle and Dan Balshaw were taking part in this elite and super fast 5k. Jacob Boyle finishing in 8^th position with a time of 15:46 and Dan Balshaw in 18^th place with a time of 16:43.

In the “B” Race , six club members, including four of our junior members, took part. First finisher for the club was junior Jackson McKay, who finished in 8^th place overall with a time of 18:28. Laura Hesketh was our first lady, second lady overall, with a time of 18:41. Juniors Ryan Clarke, Tom Bradley and Curtis Holt put in some strong performances – look out senior runners! Andy Bradley completed the Clayton team in this event.

Clayton Junior boys at the Podium Races. Photo by David Belshaw

The unstoppable and stylish Clayton Girls at the Podium Races. Photo by David Belshaw

Full Results

Race the Train

Richard Stevenson and Julia Rushton took part in this 14-mile, train-racing even; Richard returning with a score to settle! Lucy, Adam, Keira and Rachel Stevenson all ran brilliantly in the 3 mile event.

Richard Stevenson who beat the train this time. Photo by Deborah Stevenson

Report from Richard Stevenson

We pitched up at the campsite in Tywyn, North Wales, on the Friday evening ready for the 32^nd annual Race the Train event on the Saturday where you race the steam train of the Talyllyn Railway on its journey to Abergynolwyn and back. The event is described as multi-terrain where the course uses a mixture of public roads, lanes, unmettalled roads, track and agricultural land which run alongside the track .

There are 4 different races throughout the day of varying distances from 3 miles to the main Rotary Challenge of 14 miles where runners have 1hr and 48 mins to beat the train back to town centre.

We awoke on Saturday to lovely sunshine so we set off into town for the shorter distance races with Clayton junior members Lucy, Adam, Keira and Rachel taking part in the 3 mile Tynllwynhen race. They all put in a great effort across a very tough hilly course with a knee deep stream crossing. The kids loved it and were very impressed with the contents of their goody bags!

Team Stevenson at the Race the Train Races. Photo by Richard Stevenson

After a little rest it was time to take my place at the start line on the railway bridge above the station. I took part in the Rotary Challenge in 2013 and missed out on beating the train by 50 seconds so this was a revenge mission and the pressure was on!

The race takes you out of the town over fields, rough pasture, and farm tracks all the way to the turn point 7 miles in at Abergoynolwyn station. This I knew had been the easy part of the course and, on checking my watch, I knew I was doing well.

After turning around the station you now climbed very steeply to run across the face of the hillside on narrow sheep tracks for over a mile. Once past the summit the course levels off for a short way before leaving the road and plunging down a very narrow path.You then have to negotiate footbridges, steep steps, bogs and small streams before reaching open fields with about 3 miles to go. I was still feeling strong and knew that barring disasters I was going to beat the train.

With 1 mile to go you join the public road heading for the finish in Tywyn. By now I was well ahead of the train and could soak up the great atmosphere in the town for the finish.

Finished; and one train well and truly beaten! Time 1:39:59. 14 minutes ahead of the train in a position of 39^th.

I cannot recommend this race highly enough, a great weekend away with the family at an event where the whole town get involved and cheer on the runners.

Julia Rushton at the Race the Train event. Photo by Richard Slater

Race the Train 3.5

Race the Train 14

Full Results

Watergrove Trail Race

Philip Naylor was our sole representative in this 4.55 mile race on the trails around Watergrove Reservoir.

Full Results

Sunday 16 August

Lakeland Country Fair

Report by Colin Woolford

Colin Woolcroft at the Lakeland County Fair fell race. Photo by the Woodentops

As I can’t afford a bike for the proper mid life crisis (road or motor), I decided to indulge my love of running and the outdoors by completing my 43^rd race since my 39^th birthday, thus completing my ’40 before I’m 40’ in style up the Old Man of Coniston fell race from Torver. 1 hr 32, 33^rd from 43.

Well done Colin!

Prudent Riverside Half Marathon

A flat fast course using the network of paths up following the Lune. The race starts outside the George & Dragon Pub before looping around underneath the impressive Lancaster Castle. The route heads to Caton before looping back towards Lancaster.

Brian Wildman was flying the tangerine flag in this Lancaster Race Series half marathon. He finished in 52^nd place in a field of 129 runners with a time of 01:44:17.

Full Results

Sedburgh Hills Fell Race

Report from Peter Browning

A bright, clear and mostly still day for the 14 miles Sedburgh Hills race saw three Clayton members take on the challenge of over 6000 feet of grassy climbing through the quiet Howgill Fells. Richard Briscoe, Jean Brown and Peter Browning were among the 125 runners who set off on the long first climb up Arant Haw to be met there by fellow Claytonner, Graham Eccles, who was the summit checkpoint marshal. Richard and Jean soon pulled away from me as I struggled to get going properly, but I always felt that if I kept at it, I would start to peg them back. Andy Firth’s Borrowdale report, where he mentioned that if he just kept going he would catch Richard came to mind. Poor Richard, Andy’s words might haunt him for many years to come!

As it turned out, I didn’t see Jean again until I crossed the finish line eleven minutes behind her! She had a superb run, finishing second lady, just two minutes behind long distance record breaker, Nicky Spinks of Dark Peak. Jean was a little disappointed however: 10 seconds faster and she would have beaten the three hour mark!

Once into the race proper, I managed to grind out the miles in my usual style and sure enough caught and passed Richard at the top of the climb that leads to the Calf checkpoint. He professed to be knackered at that point but was well on course to beat his target of three and a half hours.

The steep descent from the last checkpoint on the top of the summit of Winder that overlooks the town of Sedburgh followed by a short road run back to the finish saw all three of us finished in very respectable times and places as follows:

1. Joe Symonds 2:13:40
   36. Nicky Spinks                2:56:29
   40. Jean Brown                  3:00:09
   55. Peter Browning        3:11:44
   63. Richard Briscoe        3:17:14

Sheep Fell Over Fell Race

A trio of our club members took part in this 3 mile fell race. Alan Life had a great run finishing in 9^th postion overall and 1^st vet 50. Congratulations to Robert Hirst who has recently turned 65 and this was his 65^th race in his 65^th year!

 Full Results

Parkrun roundup

Another great week for our parkrunners with plenty of PBs and first place positions for John Hartley at Pendle and Tom Brewster at Skipton. Also after a successful practice run at Witton Park, the new Blackburn parkrun is all set to hold its inaugural run on Saturday 29th August all down to the hard work of our club member Bryan Searby and his wife and running friends.  Get yourselves down there!

Club Chairman James Hickie trying out the new parkrun at Witton Park with organiser Bryan Searby. Photo by Stacy Lloyd Ayriss

Burnley parkrun – A total of 268 runners took part.

Pendle parkrun – A total of 56 runners took part

Bolton parkrun – A total of 251 runners took part.

Marple parkrun – A total of 176 runners took part.

Sewerby parkrun – A total of 146 runners took part.

Skipton parkrun – A total of 149 runners took part.