Liverpool, Lee Mills and living to tell the tale

It was wild, windy and very wet this weekend. Yet another storm put you through the mill whether it was on exposed moorland and fells, muddy quagmires that used to be parkland,or wading through puddles that turned into mini lakes. What a tough lot you are – some of you went out in it twice, on the same day in some cases!

Club News and Announcements

Subscription Renewals

Don’t forget! Your membership subscriptions are due on 1st January. Full details on how you can organise payment can be found here.

Festive Social Runs

The Xmas run / walk / bike ride this year will be on Monday 28^th December. As usual it will be around 2 hours starting at 1pm from the bottom corner of the Memorial Park, Great Harwood. (Map ref: 736331)

After there will be food and drinks at The Pub Royale, Station Road, Great Harwood. (Map ref: 738333)

If people are going to come to the pub could they let me know, so that I can let the pub know how many to cater for. Also are they vegetarian?

I can be contacted on 07455990989 or 01254231650 or by email mickgreen906@btinternet.com

Christmas Eve Pendle Run

Meet on Barley Carpark for the traditional Christmas Eve run up Pendle Hill. It’s looking likely to be meet at 10:45 for an 11:00am start. Don’t forget your santa hat! Full details to follow.

Thursday 26 November

Todmorden Park 5K Race Series – Race 3

This was the third in a series of 4 fast paced 5k Runs in Todmorden Park organised by Cannonball Events. Clayton member Garry Wilkinson also ran under the charity team name Run4CF and finished in 5th place with a time of 18.59.

Saturday 28 November

Mid Lancs Cross Country League – Liverpool

Team Clayton tent awaits runners. Early birds L-R George Pier, Alice Pier, Danny Collinge. Photo by Jason Pier.

Great team spirit seemed very much in evidence as a good number of ladies, gents and junior runners made the trip to Liverpool for the British Cross Challenge event in Sefton Park in Liverpool. As always, this event attracts some top notch runners across all categories chasing national places so it was great to see all of our runners getting stuck in and holding their own.

Ella Dorrington and Dexta Thompson both put in superb runs finishing in 10^th and 8^th places respectively in the U11 races.

Coach Marion Wilkinson (far right) taking the U11 team to the start line. Photo by Nicholas Olszewski

Report from Irene Roche

Well done to all Clayton-le-Moors Harriers today. Huge thanks and appreciation to Jason Pier for sorting out numbers, tents and refreshements for everyone. It was just a tad blustery on arrival and during the junior races. Things turned rather drizzle by the time we ladies set off. Not too bad for running through the mud that awaited us. Unfortunately, it was just a matter of time before heavier rain set in for the senior men’s race.

U11 Girls

Ella Dorrington after her finishing line body slide! Photo by Alan Dorrington

U11 Boys

Team Position 7th

U13 Girls

Team Position 8th

U13 Boys

U15 Girls

U17 Women

U17 Men

Senior Women

Team Position 8th ( H Leathley | C Vincent | E Mullan)

Over 35 Team 7th ( I Roche | J Bennett | H Burnett)

Over 45 Team 4th (I Roche | J Bennett | J Rushton )

Over 55 Team 3rd ( I Roche | K Goss | C Leathley)

Senior Men

Team positon 9th ( J McDonald | B Holdsworth | G Pier | D Bagot | C Snell | A Holt)

Over 40 team 7th (B Holdsworth | A Holt | J Wilcock | A Quinn)

Over 50 Team 7th (J Wilcock | J Hickie | P Browning)

British Cross Challenge Results

Mid Lancs Full Results

Wesham 10K

Congratulations to Laura Hesketh who was the second lady finisher in this 10K road race over a rural, undulating course. Ted Orrell was 1^st V75.

Full Results

Sunday 29 November

David Staff Memorial Fell Race

The race is organised by Darwen Dashers run in memory of David Staff, who joined the Dashers as a 15 year old and competed in many fun runs as a junior. David turned 17 years of age on 5th December 1994 which then allowed him to compete as a senior for the Dashers. His first race (and last) as a senior was in the Clitheroe 10k on 27th December 1994. David collapsed and died by the road side at 5 miles from a condition called Hyperthropic Obstructive Cardiomyopathy, which in laymans terms is an abnormal thickening of the heart muscles which interrupted the electrical pulses which keeps the heart working.

Mark Nutter at the David Staff Memorial Fell Race. Photo by Helen Jones

This condition takes the lives of approximately 8 so-called fit and healthy young people a week, most of them are actively engaged in sport, but it is not the sport that kills; it is the exertion that acts as a trigger.

Stephen Fish at the David Staff Memorial Fell Race. Photo by Helen Jones

This race raises funds for Cardiac Risk in the Young, the charity that David’s father Granville actively supports. The funds raised are used to provide heart screening in the young; so far over 60 people have had heart defects identified as a result of Granville’s fund raising.

Full Results

Lee Mills Fell Relays

28 brave (or, some might say crazy) runners represented Team Clayton in 7 teams at the Lee Mills Relays. 89 teams completed the gruelling event and 7 teams did not complete fully. . Conditions were awful but most of you seemed to have had a great time with a number of you having run in the British Cross Challenge at Liverpool as well. In dire weather, you are an impressive bunch; Jordan McDonald, George Pier, Dave Bagot and Danny Collinge. The future is definitely bright!

Well done in particular to the Mens A team who finished in 7th place overall with Danny Collinge and Jordan McDonald running our two fastest legs. Also Anna Kelly and Wendy Dodds who were 1st V50 and 1st V60 ladies respectively

Andy Bradley, all wrapped up and ready to take on the horrendous weather at the Lee Mills Fell Relays. Photo by Rachel Todd

Lee Mill Relay – Ladies Team Report by Kath Brady

We had two teams, ladies and lady vets running in wet and very windy conditions, which were forecast to get worse. Claire Vincent and Jean Brown set off on leg 1, Jean came back before Claire with tales of a well flagged route and deep bogs. Nat Walton and Anna Kelly ran leg two.

Nat Walton trying to keep warm and dry in the club tent. Photo by Rachel Todd

Flags were blowing away and bogs getting boggier! Vicky Heys and Alison Dugdale suffered the worst of the weather on leg 3. A mass start on leg 4 was planned for 2pm but due to deteriorating conditions we requested they brought this forward to 1.30 and missed Top of Leach trig. Angela Shian and Wendy Dodds setting off with slightly improving conditions.

On Monday at 10pm organisers are still working on results. Well done to all and thanks to Captain Dave, George and Jordan for bring the club tent and refreshments.

Mens Team A – 7th Place

Mens Team E – 13th Place

Mens Team B – 17th place

Mans Team C – 33rd Place

Mens Team D – 47th place

Ladies Vet Team – 57th place

Ladies Team A – 61st place

Full Results

Manchester Christmas Pudding 5 Mile Dash

Christmas Puds and other Festive goodies were on offer plus a medal and a mince pie at at the finish. The race is a fundraiser for the Greenmount Wild Bird Hospital in Bury and took place over a 2 lap off road course using footpaths, fields and trail in Wythenshaw Park

Christopher Holdsworth, Kevin O’Brien Sophie McIntosh took part with Chris more than earning his Christmas pudding by winning the race in a time of 28:18. Kevin O’Brien (MV70) finished in 67th place in a time of 52:29 and Sophie McIntosh was 69th with a time of 53:22. 119 runners took part.

Full Results

Parkrun roundup

Burnley parkrun – A total of 187 runners took part.

Keswick parkrun – A total of 77 runners took part.

Pendle parkrun – A total of 43 runners took part.

Witton parkrun – A total of 86 runners took part.