Racing in relays, running alongside trains and tackling hilly challenge routes, so many of you racing multiple times this week, there’s just no holding you back! It’s great to see some terrific turnouts at team events. The future’s most definitely bright!

Welcome Tavern / Vernon 5k series – Tuesday 23 June

60 Runners lined up for the latest race in this 5k series. Tony Pilling and Anthony Hughes ran in this event.

Full Results

Pendle Forest Orienteers – Sunnyhurst Woods – Wednesday 24 June

Three of our members took part in the latest of the summer series orienteering events organised by Pendle Forest Orienteers. This event took place in Sunnyhurst Woods in Darwen. Well done Jacob Boyle & Joshua Boyle in the midi class. Dave Motley in the maxi.

Full Results

Todmorden Park 5k – Race 1 – Thursday 25 June

71 runners lined up for the first race of this popular mid-week 5k races. A trio of our junior members took part as well as nine seniors. Excellent times from youngsters in a fast race generally. Lots of people pleased with the results and ready for the next race.

Super fast Clayton Harrier juniors at the Todmorden 5k race

Full Results

Witton Park Trail Relays

54 club members formed 18 teams for this popular trail relay that takes part in Witton Park in Blackburn on a deceptively tough course.

Quite a lot of Team Clayton at the WItton Park Trail Relays. Photo by Adrienne Olszewska

There were 4 senior male teams, 2 junior male teams and 2 male vet teams. The ladies matched the men’s numbers with 4 senior female teams, 2 junior female teams and 3 vet female teams. There were some great runs and individual performances.

Clayton Ladies at the Witton Park Trail Relays. Photo by Adrienne Olszewska

Our Clayton Harriers Ladies’ Team 1 (Laura Hesketh, Claire Vincent, Helena Leathley) were the first ladies team. Our Male “A” team (Danny Collinge, Jacob Boyle, and Jordan McDonald) finished in 4^th place. Our Junior Boys A team (Ryan Clarke, Tom Bradley, and Curtis Holt) were the first male junior team. Josh Boyle, running with the Run4Nepal team ran the fasted leg 2 time with his team finishing in 6^th place overall.

Tom Bradley handing over to Curtis Holt at the Witton Park Trail Relays. Photo by Adrienne Olszewska

Well done to all that ran.

Full Results

Cliff Bar 10 Peaks – Saturday 27 June

The Cliff Bar 10 Peaks events work on a very straight forward principle – they find the most challenging mountainous locations in the UK and plot an ultra-distance length route through them, with mandatory checkpoints on the highest 10 peaks in the area. It is then down to the competitors to navigate from the start to the finish, taking in the 10 peaks in a set order (plus additional mandatory checkpoints and feed stations), within the 24 hour time limit.

The routes are not designed to be easy and are navigationally challenging, especially if the conditions are unkind! The long routes are up to 60 miles long, with 6000 meters of height gain, whilst the “short” routes vary between 30 and 45 miles with between 3 and 4000 meters of height gain. Usually less than half of the competitors successfully complete the long course, hence the introduction of the shorter route choice since 2013.

Congratulations to Alun Hall who completed the long course. He finished 32^nd with an excellent time of 17:21:31

Full Results

Wharfedale 3 Peaks Challenge – Saturday 27 June

Vicky Heys and Angela Shian took part in this event which they described thusly; great route, great company, 22 miles done and dusted by 1pm, then a jig with a morris dancer, lovely day!

The route is a departure from the well known Yorkshire Three Peaks of Penyghent, Whernside and Ingleborough and instead visits the stunning Upper Wharfedale Three Peaks of Birks Fell, Buckden Pike and Great Whernside.

Vicky Heys and Angela Shian at the Wharfedale 3 Peaks Challenge

Full Results

Pennine 10K – Sunday 28 June

A front line of Clayton talent. Photo by David Belshaw

A fantastic win for Christopher Holdsworth in this hugely popular local 10k race organised by Jane Tomlinson’s Run for All charity. Well over a thousand runners of all abilities took to the streets and parks of Burnley for this undulating course.

Christopher Holdsworth well in front at Towneley Park in the Pennine 10k. Photo by Adrienne Olszewska

Chris Holdworth won the race in a time of 32:59. As he passed through Towneley Park he was running with a comfortable lead which he maintained until the end. Top ten finishes followed for clubmates Daniel Balshaw and Jacob Watson. Also a couple of excellent runs from Jordan McDonald and George Pier earning them both a top twenty finish. John Hartley was the 1^st MV55 and Laura Hesketh was our first Clayton lady finisher, 3^rd lady in the race. Ryan Clark had an excellent run finishing in 95^th place with a time of 44:13.

First Clayton Lady, Laura Hesketh approaching the finish with Kenan Eti close on her heels. Photo by David Belshaw

A special mention and well done to Judith Carey who ran this distance for the first time. She said she was really proud of her achievement and is hoping to be much faster next year.

Judith Carey delighted with her run at the Pennine 10k

Wigan Trail 10k – Sunday 28 June

Well done Team Thompson. All four Thompsons took part in the 2.5k short run on the trails of Wigan’s Greenheart Amberswood park, situated between Spring View & Hindley. This former mining area has been transformed into a 160 hectare nature reserve of woodlands to wildflowers meadows, grasslands to wetlands.

Team Thompson at the Wigan Trail Races. Photo by Nicola Thompson

Awaiting results

Race the Train – Sunday 28 June

Report by Chris Snell

Chris Snell – faster than a steam train! Photo by Gemma Higgins

For those used to public transport, chasing buses or trains can be a regular occurrence. Trains in particular, have a nasty habit of closing their doors just as you arrive! So revenge sprung to mind when I heard about race the train.

Runners compete to beat a steam train on the East Lancashire Railway over a distance of 12 miles. The event started at Bury train station and involved running multi-terrain in the hope of not just catching the train, but beating it. Both the runners and the train started by the train whistle.

The course covered public roads, fields, rough pasture and park lands. The train made several stops, which gave runners a chance to catch up or even overtake. Running alongside fellow Clayton’er Andy Bradley, we battled in a game of cat and mouse with the train, catching the occasional glimpse of steam from its engine or the sound of it chugging behind us.

Crossing the line, roughly 10 minutes before the train’s arrival, with my medal in hand and a victory photo next to the beaten train, I decide this is definitely better than all those sprints along the train platform.

Richard Stevenson, Chris Snell and Andy Bradley ahead of schedule at “Race the Train”. Photo by Gemma Higgins

Full Results (File Download)

Our Awesome Junior Members

As always our junior members compete in many events always giving their all and pulling brilliant performances out of the bag. A real credit to the junior coaching team.

Well done Junior member Ellie Root  who took part in the Salt Ayre Triathlon Sunday 21st June in the T3 category;  she came 9th overall in a time of 33.14. On Thursday 25th June she took part in the Harrogate and district athletics finals and came 3rd in 1500m in a time of 5.29 and yesterday, Saturday 27th June she took part in her 1st open water aquathlon at Crosby Marina which included a 350m swim and 2000m run. As yet results have not been posted we think she came 11th.

Multi-talented Ellie Root at the Witton Park trail relays this week

And well done to Natasha Olszewska for winning her 1500m race at the QEGS sports day breaking the course record at the same time!

Natasha Olszewska winning the 1500m

Parkrun roundup

Personal pacing at Burnley parkrun. Photo by David Belshaw

Plenty of parkrunning as always this week. A number of good placings and PBs scattered about and lots of you warming up for the Pennine 10k the following day. Well done to John Hartley for his first place and new PB at the Pendle parkrun. At the Burnley parkrun well done to Dexta Thompson for his excellent new PB bringing him under the 20 minute mark. Finlay Stubbs, Andrew Taylor and Marion Wilkinson also earned new PBs .

Burnley parkrun – A total of 215 runners took part.

Pendle parkrun – A total of 89 runners took part

Bolton parkrun – A total of 302 runners took part.

Dewsbury parkrun – A total of 77 runners took part.

Fell Foot parkrun, Newby Bridge – A total of 133 runners took part.