Mud’s up!

From stately homes to legs in a state, on road, trail, fell and the country, you’ve kept it going this week and heading toward… well that big event at the end of the year. Not too early to mention it, is it? Either way, some PBs from hard working seniors and some really good performances by Juniors who have also stepped up after putting the work in, all rounded off a sobering week.

Saturday 12 November

Cheshire 10k

Danny Collinge and John Hartley packed their flatland legs and made the trip to the stunning Elizabethan hall at Arley to run this very fast 10k. Undeterred by the rain, both of them posted very fast times in a quality field. Danny set a new PB in 7th place and is edging ever closer to that 32 min mark whilst John blazed round to finish first V60 and 83rd.

Full results

Harriers vs Cyclists

Louisa Powell-Smith spurned two wheels and opted for Harrier mode in this longstanding and unusual race over at Bingley. Probably a wise move as it looked pretty boggy and hard going, even more so on a bike. The Harriers won again, Tom Adams from Ilkley coming in first with Rob Jebb leading the cyclists home. Anna Lupton and Viccy Wilkinson were first runner and rider home respectively, for the women and Louisa was 5th and only 20 seconds of 2nd in a strong international ladies field, the first 4 having been top fell runners with GB vests.

37th Louisa Powell-Smith 42:15s

44th Gary Wilkinson 43:59 (2nd Vet 50)

111th (cycling) Paul Hesketh 48:15.

Full results

Louisa Powell-Smith in Harrier mode at Harriers vs Cyclists. Photo: Woodentops

Dunnerdale Fell Race

Peter Browning sent this report about this tough late season fell race:

Just two Clayton Harriers made the journey up to south west Lakeland for the mini classic that is the Dunnerdale Fell Race.

After a wild, wet and windy Friday night, race day dawned dry but breezy and surprisingly mild. Conditions on the 8km course were very wet underfoot, with the descents requiring proper respect, but no navigation problems were encountered.
186 runners completed the course, and safely in midfield were our two runners

111. Peter Browning.   60.15
116. Wendy Dodds.     61.18. (1st LV60)

On collecting her race prize, Wendy jumped into the car and headed off to Yorkshire for that evenings FRA Presentation do, to collect her latest national trophy. Clayton’s most competitive runner ever? No question.

Warrington Way

Martin Terry continued his quest to retain his RunFurther V50 title from last year, with a strong finish at this 40 miles trail ultra base around the eponymous route of the same name and starting and finishing in Lymm, Cheshire. Martin was a fantastic 6th overall out of 123 competitors, completing the route in 5 hours 59 minutes. The RunFurther leader board hasn’t been updated yet but hopefully this was enough for Martin to retain his title this year.

Full results

Schools Cross Country Cup, Middlesborough

Ellie Root put her cross -country skills to good use when she competed in this event – Mum Sam reports back:

Ellie has run this week in the regional finals of the Schools Cross Country Cup. She ran in the inter-girls team. Ellie had a decent run and was 32nd. Although she wasn’t a counter her team won their event and have managed to secure a place in the final in December in Formby.

Red Rose Cross Country Round 3 – Leverhulme Park

Leverhulme Park. Photo: Alan Dorrington

It’s been a little reticent in coming but the mud is now finally here. Leverhulme delivered its usual wet conditions and the ever hardworking Jason Pier tried valiantly to find a dri(er) patch to pitch the Orange Tent of Comfort(TM) but it still ended up being at the centre of a squelchy bog. All of which is grist to the mill for the Junior and Senior cross-country teams who lapped it all up, as usual. Not literally.

Juniors

U11 Boys

Robbie Smedley on his way to 2nd. Photo: Alan Dorrington

Once again the U11 Boys produced strength in depth to cover many of the top placings, and take the team prize with ease. Dexta Thompson took his usual place at the head of affairs but a stand out performance from Robbie Smedley saw him take second not far behind with Finley Stubbs coming in as third counter. They were backed up by Jenson Bentham, Matthew Jackson, Joshua McKay and Toby Birtwhistle.

Dexta Thompson on his way to 1st U11 B. Photo: Alan Dorrington

U11 Girls

Helena White in 5th led the U11 Girls team home to a 6th place overall backed up by Kady Thompson who is improving with every race at the moment, and Summer Hargreaves. The girls were supported by Emily Nichols, Holly Reilly and Ellisia Smedley.

U13 Boys

Jackson McKay pushed hard for an excellent 2nd place, along with Christopher Brown, Lennon Jackson and William Nicholls and the boys took 4th place overall in the team event.

U13 Girls

Ella Dorrington led Bethany Wheatcroft  and Keira Stevenson to 10th place in the team results.

U15 Boys

Just 3 U15 Boys ran – Stanley Grewel, Adam Stevenson and Aaron Lundie taking the club to 5th place in the team event.

U15 Girls

The U15 Girls narrowly missed out on 2nd team after great runs from Briony Holt and Millie Stubbs, with Natasha Olzsweska continuing to improve in her races after some hard work in training, with 21st place. Liberty Thompson supported the girls in 26th.

Natasha Olszweska working hard. Photo: Alan Dorrington

Under 17 Boys and Girls

Curtis Holt was 7th and Simon Wilshaw 10th in the Boys race with Lucy Stevenson flying the flag as sole Clayton Girl in 20th in the Girls race.

Senior Ladies

Irene Roche reports:

There was a good turn out on Saturday for the third meeting of this league. We had plenty of senior ladies and men to make up teams for the club. With the tent ready nice and early (as always) by Jason Pier and helpers, the experience of cross country always has a comfortable and well organised start for us. The course naturally offered plenty of mud and on this particular event much of it vertical as we scrambled out of the woods. However, a rest from the mud was offered from the winding trails through the woods where a bit more speed could be had – if space allowed for passing the runner in front. A challenging course! Well done all who ran.

Senior Men

The Senior team was 5th overall and the Vets team 3rd. Well done to all that braved the mud.

Full Results

BOFRA Presentation evening

A rather glamorous location at the Stirk House Hotel, Gisburn saw the BOFRA fraternity reunited for one last time this season with 3 young (and one not so young) Clayton athletes all there to enjoy the final prize presentation.

Briony Holt (1st U17 Girl overall, Ella Dorrington (2nd U12 Girl overall) and Dexta Thompson (1st U12 Boy overall) all picked up their trophies whilst the ever enthusiastic Richard Briscoe picked up his series t shirt for completing the required 8 championship races. Richard was camera shy so here are Briony, Dexta and Ella instead.

U17 G winner Briony, 2nd U12B Dexta and 2nd U12G Ella get their trophies.

Sunday 13 November

Windmill 10k

Clayton at the Windmill 10k

The big race of Sunday, from a Clayton point of view was the Windmill 10k, at Lytham. With a fast and flat course along the coastal fron past Lytham and Fairhaven Lake, the event first ran in 2011 and is growing in popularity. Among the athletes to get a PB was Mick Hughes…

Full Results

Wadsworth Half Trog

Even Half a Trog is enough bog to strike fear into a fell runners heart but Jeffrey Pickup braved the diluvian conditions of the moors around Wadsworth for this semi-classic race, taking in the ‘best’ bits of the full Bog, sorry Trog race in February. No results yet, but hopefully he has dried out by now.

Parkrun

Burnley Parkrun – a total of 210 runners took part

Bolton parkrun

A total of 191 runners took part.

Dewsbury parkrun

A total of 109 runners took part.

Pendle parkrun

A total of 51 runners took part.

Fell Foot parkrun, Newby Bridge

A total of 137 runners took part.

Witton parkrun

A total of 54 runners took part.