RHAC Awards Presentation & Party, 2025

The reasons for John being given the Joe Salt Award are provided elsewhere, but suffice to say they include: representing the Club for 19 years on the Run the Moors Fell Grand Prix committee; organisation of major relay events (e.g. the 280 mile Pennine Way Relay and the 192 Mile Coast-to-Coast Relay); overhauling the clubs governance to meet England Athletics’ Club Standards; and IT activities such as implementing contactless payments, an online Club kit shop and making online membership applications possible. This year he was also the lucky winner of the raffle for the baton used in the Coast to Coast Relay.

The baton raffle raised a total of £280 for Mountain Rescue. Regarding relays, next year’s challenge is a relay around the GM Ringway. This is a 200 mile circular route around Greater Manchester, starting and finishing in Norden, Rochdale.

Onto the running exploits of the Harriers and it’s not often that we mention Parkrun, but Saturday was a special occasion for Watergrove Parkrun as it celebrated its 500th running, an occasion attended by the Mayoress of Rochdale. So a big well done to watergrove and its volunteers.

GMAA XC Championships: Jacob at his first race for Rochdale and Seniors Andy, Louise and Craig at the same

Back into Lancashire to the Leigh Sports Village and the Greater Manchester Cross Country Championships. A sparse Harriers turnout of one junior, two senior men and one senior woman, competed in what must be the flattest cross country course. The U15’s Boys saw Jacob Lawlor making his debut in Harriers colours, achieving 12th place in a time of 13m, 29s, for the 4000 metre course. Louise Whitehouse was Harrier’s sole representative in the 7000 metre distance Ladies race, coming 19th, in 32m, 19s. Over in the men’s race, 10,000 metres in length, Andrew Whitehouse was first back in 39th place, in 44m, 4s. Second Harrier back was Craig Howell, 42nd, in 52m, 21s.

Saturday also saw three Harriers driving over to Hebden Bridge or more precisely the HB golf club, to take part in the Moors the Merrier Fell Race. This is a 21 mile, anticlockwise circular route around Hebden Bridge, going over Midgeley, Wadsworth, Heptonstall and Errington moors, with 4000ft of ascent. First back in 54th place was Lee Meadowcroft in 4hrs, 21m, 57s. Kay Welsby was next in 66th position, followed by John Bramwell, 67th. With times of 4hrs, 26m, 48s and 4hrs 26m, 58s respectively. Hope the golf club was open for refreshments afterwards. It is a very tough course, as it drops down into several valleys before climbing back onto the moors.

Next we hop on a plane to Spain for another Harrier’s overseas adventure. This time it was Molly Howell heading to the sun kissed beaches of Malaga, running in the Malaga Half Marathon, (best description of a pub crawl I’ve heard). Molly achieving a personal record, running the race in 1hr, 41m, 57s.

The final and possibly the most important event of 2025 is the Harrier’s “World Famous” Chip Butty Run, on Sunday 28th December from Norden Bowling Club. A fun social run eventually going over Knowl Hill and retuning to the Bowling Club, with a free chip butty for every runner.

We wish all our readers a Happy Christmas and a Prosperous New Year. See you in 2026.

And here are the detailed Championship Results:

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