South East Lanc’s XC Season Comes to a Close, January 2025

THIS YEAR we have not posted many reports on the Harriers’ racing exploits because the vast majority of the races have been cancelled, due to the bad weather and, in places, ice and heavy snow. One Harrier, Lee Meadowcroft, found out how tough it is running in deep snow. Lee ran in the Bowland Ultra Race on Saturday 11 January. The Bowland starts and finishes at Slaidburn Village Hall and is 65k (40 miles) long, with 6,100ft (about 2,000m) of ascent, running around the Bowland Fells. Lee took the wise decision had to drop out of the race after developing a groin injury. Sensible at this time of year, as a serious injury could wreck his entire running season.

The weather didn’t stop two Harriers running the Garstang 10k. This is an undulating road race running around the outskirts of Garstang. First Harrier back was Abdul Shadid, coming 49^th in 42m, 37s, with his club mate Abdul Wadud achieving 179^th position in 57m, 10s.

The weekend of 18/19 th January was a completely different story, with the Harriers competing in a whole host of different races from Cross Country to Road to Fell. The main focus though is on the X Country season, being the final race of the South East Lancs League series. A total of 22 Harriers made the short journey down to Heaton Park, to enjoy a chilly and less muddy course due to the cold firming the ground.

In the U11 Boys, Finley Duckworth achieved a time of 17m, 20s. This was Fin’s first XC season and his fourth ever XC race, impressively having represented the Club at every SEL fixture this season.

In the U13 Boys XC race, Alex Reay finished in 14m 9s. Two Harriers girls ran in the U13 Girls race, with XC veteran Lily Hirst achieving an excellent 5^th position, in 12m, 44s, followed by Lola Whittaker in 14m, 40s. Again the Boys race saw relatively new member Ben Hadfield with a commendable 2^nd place in the U15s in 21m, 31s. Ben has been training at the track with the Seniors for some time and his pace has improved incredibly as a result. In the Girls race, an increasingly fast Lottie Peacock, who has also been training alongside Seniors at track, finished in an excellent 5^th place in the U15 girl’s race, posting 25m, 8s.

The Ladies over 18yrs race saw four Harriers taking part. For much of the race, Juliet Smith (L45) and Zara Hirst (SF) were neck and neck, battling it out. Ultimately Juliet finished 9^th, 37m, 29s and Zara 12^th in 37m, 47s. Next from RHAC was Zara’s mother, Susie (L50) in 41m, 19s. Anna Blomfield (L60) came 38^th, 44m, 49s. The ladies team finishing 4^th in the series.

The Harrier’s men’s team were out in force with twelve running. First home, in 48^th position, was Ian Dale (V60), 39m, 10s, followed by Michael Jackson (V40), 60^th, 41m, 16s and the third Harrier back, Neil Hirst (V55), 70^th, 43m. Pete Butterworth, who had ran the 15 mile off-road event called “The Hebden” that very morning, was breathing down Neil’s neck for much of the race, finishing just six seconds behind him in 49m. Ian Aitchison (V65) again finishing six seconds behind Pete in 73^rd place.

The big well done, goes to the V60 team who finished 1^st in the overall race series. Our vet 60’s did point out that the Club needs more of its younger runners to take part in cross country if it is to be competitive at Senior level. There is more to athletics than simply running on tarmac.

As previously mentioned It was a busy weekend for the Harriers, two headed up to the Lake District to compete in the Whitestones Fell Race. A category CS (short, small amount of ascent), 6.4km (4 miles), with 155m (509ft) of ascent. Dave Parton (MSEN) doing well finishing in 14^th place , 37m, 37s. Decland Harrison (MV40) finished in 46m, 27s and obviously missing the mud of X Country, falling chest deep into a bog. Decland claimed it had disguised itself to match the surrounding fellside (should have gone to …..?).

Nearer home six Harriers decided to do The Hebden as a “social run”, running the shorter 15 mile course around the moors surrounding Mytholmroyd. The social six being Pete Butterworth, John Bramwell, Kay Welsby, Emma Ball, Mark Walker and Jake Warwick. This race has become something of a new Year’s tradition at the Club and is used as a long training run, in preparation for the long races later in the year.

Onto the roads now, two Harriers drove down to Helsby to run in the Four Villages Half Marathon. The race goes through the villages of Dunham on the Hill, Mouldsworth, Manley and Alvanley and Helsby. The start was delayed resulting in warmed-up runners becoming freezing cold and then suffering in the winter chill. Phil Lockett (V60) was first back home in 238^th place and a time of 1hr, 30m,5s. Corina Haynes (V60) finished in 1042 place, in 2hrs, 1m, 39s.

Nearer home three Harriers and a new member made the starter journey up to Lea Town just outside of Preston, to run the Central Lancs New Year’s Half Marathon. A circular route to Inskip and back described as running through glorious countryside, (we’ll forget about running over the M55 twice ). Gareth Chambers was 33^rd and the first Harrier back in 1hr, 35m ,47s, followed by Abdul Shahid and Tahir Ali, our newest member, so welcome to the club, finishing together in 1hr, 44m, 2s. Then came Abdul Wadud in 2hrs, 47s.

Phew that’s it for this week, who says winter is a quiet time for racing, its non-stop. Next up is the first of the “big ones”, the Northern Counties X Country Championships at Tatton Park this Saturday. The finale to the X Country season, comes in February, with the National X Country Championships at Parliament Fields in London.