Upwards and onwards

It’s been yet another action packed week for Clayton-le-Moors Harriers with road races, fell races, uphill races, half marathons, marathons, endurance ultra marathons, LEJOG (Lands End to John O’Groats) and Ironman. You have been an exceedingly busy bunch this week upwards and onwards (and onwards, and onwards!). I think I might need to go and have a lie down now….

Monday 6 June

Cork Marathon

Report from Orlaith O’Mahony

The sun was filtering through my window at 6.45am on Monday the 6th of June. Finally, 6 months of training was about to be tested by Cork City Marathon. I am from Cork originally so my overnight accommodation was provided by my parents’ house which included being reunited with my childhood teddy bear and porridge prepared by mum. The nerves were mounting as I attempted to eat my breakfast knowing that in a few hours it would all be over. Cork City Marathon is run on the June Bank Holiday weekend every year and is something I have watched many times while questioning why anyone would want to do something so ridiculous.

Orlaith O’Mahony at the Cork marathon

The race starts on St. Patricks Street, the main street of Cork City so at 9am I set off along with the 1400 full marathon participants and a few hundred relay teams. The relay team start with us at St.Patricks street and change over every 5 or 6 miles along the route, I decided a few months ago to take full advantage of this set up and roped in a few unsuspecting friends to run with me. My friend Kieran ran with me for the first 10.5miles and his pacing was superb, I didn’t care about time but he set me up comfortably between the lovely men carrying balloons marked 3hrs 45 and 4hrs. We ran on closed roads through the city and along the river until the first relay hand over point and then ran to the Jack Lynch tunnel which runs under the River Lee. This is closed especially for the marathon as it does not usually allow pedestrian traffic and I felt like I was in an action movie running through it! My niece and sister were awaiting me at the end of the tunnel with large homemade posters which cheered me up no end after running along a motorway for 3 miles. A bagpiper was the next spectator of note and while a man holding a sign stating ” Run as if you are late for Mass” reminded me I wasn’t running in Burnley! Kieran handed me over to our friend Pa at the 10.5mile mark at the 2nd relay point which was situated below the beautiful Blackrock castle, we then ran along a track beside the river until the half marathon mark where we turned back towards the city along a disused railway track. This was a hard section for many as there were a lot of trees and very few spectators but we were rewarded at the end when we reached the Marina where volunteers gave us wet sponges to help cool us down. All that winter training did not take into account that the marathon would be run on a very hot day in June!!

Orlaith O’Mahony at the Cork Marathon

I met my friend Sarah at the 16mile mark where she kept telling me I looked so fresh…I did not feel it at this point but perhaps the sponge had refreshed my complexion? We ran through the tree lined suburbs of the city where there were numerous families cheering us on. Local residents were cutting up oranges on tables at the end of their driveway, nothing beats an orange segment at mile 17 of a very warm marathon. I passed my mother who was a steward at mile 19 and at mile 20 my father decided to join me on his bike, further family and friends cheered me on along the next few miles which started to come quite close to my childhood home in Bishopstown. At mile 21 Sarah handed over the relay team baton and a very tired Orlaith to Dave. Dave channelled John Roche over the final five miles as we realised I might hit the sub 4 mark. I was told to have a word and use the hills. Mile 23 is a hard mile in any Marathon but in Cork it is the dreaded Straight Road a long, flat and at this point sore section of the run where you feel like you are not moving. When I reached the end of this dreaded section Sarah and Pa re-joined me. I must have been the only marathon runner with three team mates and a father on a bicycle taking me through the final section. Dave helped me weave in and out of the crowds coming up to the finish line as we could hear the crowd in the distance. I feel this is where winter training with JR really kicked in, I barely knew where I was or what I was doing but every time Dave told me to overtake I sped up and was eventually rewarded with the wonderful finish line on Patricks Street.

In summary Cork Marathon is a relatively flat and fast marathon which has the whole city behind it and the spectators are typically full of the Irish charm. I would highly recommend it to anyone attempting a first marathon

Orlaith finished in 421^st place with a time of 3:56:05. She was 46^th female.

Full Results

Tuesday 7 June

Paddy’s Pole Fell Race

18 Clayton-le-Moors Harriers took part in the Paddy’s Pole Fell Race, a 3.7 mile race with 1102ft of ascent.

Dominic Carr and Mark Nutter at Paddy’s Pole fell race. Photo by Andrew FIrth

Matt Perry was our first finisher and 2^nd place overall with Peter Coates earning a 7^th place finish. Linda Bostock was our first lady finisher in 66^th place overall and 1^st FV60.

Linda Bostock at Paddy’s Pole fell race. Photo by Andrew FIrth

Full Results

Thursday 9 June

Walsh Two Lads Fell Race

Geoffrey Gough was our sole representative at the Two Lads fell race, a 5.2mile race with 899ft of ascent organised by Horwich Harriers. He finished in 31^st place in a time of 40:30 in a field of 164 runners.

Full Results

Friday 10 June

Norden 6 Mile Road Race

130 runners took part in this 10K race. Danny Collinge was our first finisher in 4^th place with a time of 35:00. Ian Hargreaves was 96^th with a time of 51:31 and our sole lady runner was Hayley Copeman who was 123^rd in 61:07.

Danny Collinge at the Norden 6 mile road race. Photo by Paul Taylor

Full Results

Saturday 11 June

Lancashire Schools Athletics Championships

Congratulations to Briony Holt who ran in the Lancashire Schools Athletics Championship in the 1500 metres and came 1^st. It was tough race with the weather conditions and a close finish but Briony pulled it off and is now the Lancashire Schools champion.

LEJOG – Alex Cran’s Epic Challenge

Congratulations to club member Alex Cran who completed an epic cycling trip from Lands End to John O’Groats to raise money for the Dreams Come True Charity.

Alex Cran at the start and finish of his epic LEJOG

Donations can be made at his Just Giving Page

Mizuno Endure 24

Report from Jane Hylands

Endure 24 aka Glastonbury for runners, is a running festival held in Wasing Park near Aldermaston. Runners complete a 5 mile forest trail circuit through the forest as many times as they can between 12pm Saturday and 12pm Sunday either as solos, pairs or in a team of up to 8. Only one team member can be on the course at any time.

Jane Hylands going ultra at the Endurance 24

This is an amazingly friendly festival with weekend camping included on the entry fee and some fantastic quirks like a bar in the woods serving shot blocks, a disco campervan with energy cocktails and hippies pumping tunes to power you up heartbreak hill. It was my third time with friends at this event but my first time as a solo runner. I managed to complete 10 laps totalling 50 miles and had the most amazing support all the way round. Even met endure celebrity Pete who is 86 years young and did 40 miles!!! He has free entry for life he’s such a legend. Winning solo managed an astounding 135 miles breaking the course record.

It would be great to have a Clayton team next year…

Full Results

Pedol Cwn Pennant Race

Report from Peter Browning

Saturday saw the second round of this year’s British Fell Running Championship, with the Pedol Cwm Pennant race in Snowdonia. This relatively new race covers around 17 miles, with about 6000 feet of climbing and was a first time visit for the vast majority of the 232 finishers and all of the five Clayton runners that travelled down. The glorious sunny days of recent weeks were replaced on the day by low cloud and high humidity, and although the sun only came out right at the end of the race, it remained warm throughout.

Clayton runner at the Pedol Cwm race. Photo by SIxbySeven Photography

The race itself featured a long run out to the first summit checkpoint on Moel Hebog (it took me 58 minutes), and due to the low cloud we never really saw the hill other than the twenty or so yards of ground directly in front. The pre-race publicity spoke of beautiful ridge running and stunning views, but it all remained hidden from us as we moved through the low cloud, always anxious not to lose contact with the runner in front. Underfoot, there was a good mix of grass, bog, rock and old slate quarry workings. On the tops, the checkpoint marshals blew their whistles to guide the runners in as the low cloud persisted. Following the final summit check point, we had to negotiate a long, long descent through knee deep heather with plenty of hidden rocks and holes to trap the tiring runner, followed by gorse and bog. The final blow once the valley bottom had been reached was a weary three miles of undulating road running to the finish as the sun eventually came out, and I for one have seldom been more tired and more relieved to complete a fell race.

Race winners Carl Bell (Keswick) and Louise Roberts (Ambleside) took a scarcely credible 24 and 20 minutes respectively off the course records, and all five Clayton runners finished.

Full Results

Turner Uphill Juniors

Well done to the juniors who took part in the Turner Uphill races. They slogged up the Walna Scar Road in Coniston

U8

Felix Thompson at the Turner Uphill Races. Photo by Chris Thompson

 U10

Janson Bentham at the Turner Uphill race. Photo by Chris Thompson

 U12

Dexta Thompson at the Turner Uphill race. Photo by Chris Thompson

U14

Liberty Thompson at the Turner Uphill Race. Photo by Chris Thompson

Full Results

Weets Fell Race

Another great turnout of Clayton Harriers at the latest in the popular Pendle and Burnley Grand Prix Series in this tough local fell race around Weets Hill. The race is organised by Barlick Fell Runners and it’s no surprise to see a great set of results for them. Our first finisher was Carl Helliwell who was 10^th with a time of 42:41 and 1^st V40. Jordan McDonald was 1^st MU18 and 15^th overall. Sean Clare was 1^st M50 in 29^th place overall and Barry Mitchell was 1^st M70 in 85^th place.

Irene Roche was the first Clayton lady finisher. Linda Bostock was 1^st W60. This was another great turnout for our ladies with the biggest female turnout of all the clubs involved in the race.

Michelle Butschok, Deborah Greenwood and Mark Knowles ath Weets Fell Race. Photo by David Belshaw

 Weets Junior Races

We had a good number of juniors in the Weets junior races despite the clash with other events at the weekend. The junior races took place on a steep field just a short way down from the senior race with each age group adding extra distance. It was a tough and steep climb at the beginning, with a level stretch contouring around the hill before a steep and tussocky descent back to the start. All age groups tackled the same tough climb at the beginning

U8

In the U8s race Toby Birtwistle had an excellent run and was battling to a close finish with Barlick’s George Fitzpatrick. Unfortunately, he fell a couple of times on the final stretch and had to settle for 3^rd place.  Running for the first time in a fell race, Elissia Smedley got stuck in and held her own against the Barlick runners finishing in 9^th place and 3^rd girl. Emily Johnson, also a fell newbie, threw herself in to this fell race and showed great grit and determination as she tackled the steep climb at the beginning of the race.

U10

Finley Stubbs was our sole U10 runner and had a stonking run to take first place.

U12

Robbie Smedley showed great promise as he gamely took on this tough course giving Barlick’s Elliott Phillips a good battle along the way. He finished in 2^nd place. Ella Dorrington looked as calm as ever as she finished in 3^rd place and 1^st girl. Charlie Birtwistle finished in 5^th place putting in a solid performance and Bronia Olszewska finished in 14^th place.

U14

Only a handful of runners in this race. Adam Stevenson battled hard right to the finish line to take 2^nd place. Natasha Olszewska was the only girl so automatically got first girl position, notwithstanding she put in a gutsy performance on a tough course.

Full Results

Sunday 12 June

Bolton Aquathlon

Congratulations to Ellie Root who came 2^nd in the Bolton Aquathlon.

Catforth 10K

172 runners took part in this 10K road race. Three Clayton-le-Moors Harriers took part. Daniel Isherwood was our first finisher and 16^th overall with a time of 39:58. Michael Hogan was 24^th in 41:04 and Stephen Biscomb was 45^th with 42:23

 Hawkswick Dash

Report by Alan Dorrington

Hot on the heels of last weekend’s Kettlewell race, the BOFRA series relocated over the other side of the hill in Hawkswick for Round 4 of the Championship Series. Another warm day and another short but hard course awaited the juniors, with the promise of a dip in the river afterwards to cool off.

Josh Mckay and Felix Thompson had a good battle in the U9 race, coming in very close in 13th and 14th.  In the U12 race Dexta Thompson worked hard on the steep climb onto the fellside to put himself clear in 2nd where he stayed till the finish.

Dexta Thompson at the Hawkswick Dash fell race. photo by Alan Dorrington

Jenson Bentham came 7th not far ahead of a charging Ella Dorrington (9th overall) who had gone clear from her rivals in the Girls race on the long wide runnable climb to take her first BOFRA win. Kady Thompson ran hard into the finish for 40th place overall.

Ella Dorrington at the Hawkswick Dash fell race. Photo by Alan Dorrington

Jackson McKay was chasing really hard from the turn, using his rapid descending skills to claim 5th place in the U14 race whilst Millie Stubbs found the going tough and persevered doggedly to 6th Girl and 20th overall.

Briony Holt had been finished as 1st Girl for well over 5 minutes before 2nd place arrived at the finish, such was the speed of her run which also netted her 4th overall in the U17 race.

Briony Holt at the Hawkswick Dash fell race. Photo by Alan Dorrington

It was another great set of results from our Juniors who take some of the steepest, hardest races on the calendar easily in their stride.

U9 Race

U12 Race

U14 Race

U17 Race

Ironman 70.3 Staffordshire

Report from Jon Cleaver

It was a 0530 wake up call to get porridge and bananas down me before going to Cannock Chase for the Swim leg. Quick check of the bike and load it up with Hydration and Nutrition. No dramas…

Jon Cleaver at the Staffordshire Ironman.

First came the swim,  and for whatever reason I had a meltdown, I could not get any form together on my front crawl so I took my time, gathered myself and started to do what I’ve done in the pool for the last 2 months total time 42 mins.

Next came the bike a 56 mile course in the rolling Staffordshire countryside. About 38 miles in the rain came and soaked us for the entire bike leg. I saw a few hairy accidents on the greasy surface so I plugged away taking no unnecessary risks as I knew my strongest leg was yet to come. The only drama was a climb 6 miles from the finish taking us up a few hundred metres of elevation – time 03:09.

Finally the run, which was a mixture of Tarmac, mud and trail, 3 loops round the Shughborough estate each lap had a climb of 100 metres. I took a lot of places back on the half marathon and ended up finishing in 01:33. The total elapsed time was 05:37. Which I was really pleased with. Iron Man organise these things like clockwork, no waiting around for anything and it was a thoroughly challenging and enjoyable time. Maybe I will do the full next year!

Swim: 42:25, Bike 03:11:38, run 01:33:24. Total 05:40:02. Overall ranking 515.

Full Results

Knowle Hill Fell Race

Angela Shian, Vicky Heys and Katy Thompson all took part in the Knowle Hill Fell race which Angela described as harder than a normal 10K with 1300ft of cheeky climbing and a lovely, well flagged and marshalled route.

L-R Vicky Heys, Angela Shian, Katy Thompson

Full Results

Potters Arf Half Marathon

Well done Dan Plant who took part in the Potters Arf half marathon in Hanley. Over 1300 runners took part and Dan finished 89^th with a time of 93:30

Daniel Plant getting ready for the Potters Arf half marathon

Full Results

Parkrun roundup

Bolton parkrun – A total of 319 runners took part

Burnley parkrun – A total of 382 runners took part.

Dewsbury parkrun – A total of 119 runners took part.

Lytham Hall parkrun – A total of 187 runners took part.

Marple parkrun – A total of 174 runners took part.

Pendle parkrun – A total of 90 runners took part.

Witton parkrun – A total of 81 runners took part.