The thumbs up from Duncan Carter with Catherine Carrdus in tow on Saturday
The 30th Wesham 10k was a triumph with a record number of entrants and a field of 409 finishers. Wesham themselves had 17 women and 28 men, the biggest number for 3 years although there was a 9 year peak prior to then. The team race couldn’t have been closer with Darwen ladies on equal points with Wesham but winning on count-back, with the men clear of Preston Harriers to win by 65 points.
The two Robs Affleck and Danson had a race plan with the coach aiming to guide his protégé to a new personal best time but a flock of sheep being herded along a narrow lane at halfway put paid to this goal. The pair took opposite sides of the flock to get past and Affleck took the advantage to open a gap on Danson. The incident was reminiscent of a similar close encounter in the race history in the 1990s when a cow got loose and joined in the race for a while. The final result this year saw Affleck take the win in 32:47 with Danson just 9 seconds behind in 32:56. The pair were well clear of Rossendale’s Jonathan Ferguson and Barlick’s Stephen Chew who had taken the race out over the first mile and finished close together half a minute behind, and unattached Rodger Wilkins a further 20 seconds behind in 33:46.
The women’s winner was Diane McVey her 5th consecutive run in the event and her second win defending her crown in 16th place overall in 37:03. Wesham’s Catherine Carrdus was first home for the club in 4th place with 38:50, 38th overall and 2nd W40 with a great run, knocking 50 seconds off her previous best in the process. Conditions were perfect for the race with the early chill warmed by clear skies and only a slight breeze. Carmel Sullivan was 6th and 1st W45 with 40:30 improving her year’s best and coming close to her personal best. Nicola Unsworth was 16th in 44:24. 123rd overall; and Sharon Cooper completed the team in 27th place with 47:53. Gemma Owen ran well in 36th place clocking a time of 50:14, with Sarah Heaps 39th in 50:31, Lisa Minns 50th and 5th W50 with 52:27, and Diane Blagden 63rd in 54:07.
Alex Rowe completed his 21st Wesham 10k in his 24-year membership of the club finishing 15th in 36:52 and 1st M55. Steve Myersough was chasing him down finishing 17th in 37:04, with Lee Barlow packing in well in 20th place to secure the team win with a time of 37:37. Men’s captain Garry Barnett was 28th and 3rd M45 in 38:00 and Jason Barlow below par in 31st place with 38:10. Closely packed again fast improving Paul Hetherington placed 33rd in 38:30, and Paul Gregory returning to action was 43rd with 39:12, and renewed member and welcomed back Duncan Carter showed he will be back in there with 39:39 for 50th place with David Taylor 3 seconds behind in 51st place. Graham Cunliffe was 2nd M55 in 40:01; Alan Hudson 1st M65 with 41:08; and Doug Brown was 2nd M75 in 57:08.
Rob Danson and Carmel Sullivan were crowned Men’s and Women’s Champions and winners of the 2014 Race Championship at the Wesham annual Dinner Dance and Presentation the same evening at the Clifton Arms in Lytham for a very successful and enjoyable night.
Straight after the Wesham 10k in Liverpool the third round of the Mid Lancs Cross Country league once again headed to Merseyside for the Cross Challenge and Wesham hardies managed to make it there to ensure at least one team flew the flag. In the Senior women’s race over 8.1km and 3 mixed laps Wesham had three runners; Helen Lawrenson lead the way and finished 126th in 36:29; Kath Hoyer was 162nd in 39:39 with Jenn Thompson 169th in 40:40. The Cross Challenge once again proved the ground for selection for the British team for the European Championships early in 2015 so this was a class field. Anna Thompson finished 68th in the Under-11 Girls race with 10:11 for the opening 1.9km race over one short lap, a great result. In the men’s race Alex Rowe was the first Wesham finisher, in 288th position with 39:10 for the 9.8km course over three large laps. The conditions were still warm with no wind but the skies were completely grey and the view was fine mist, but the ground was firm and dry. Lee Barlow was second in for Wesham in 314th place with 39:58; John Collier was 319th in 40:05; Alan Glasgow 419th with 44:20; Chris Moss 464th in 46:57; Peter Bartlett not yet listed and Dave Waywell 500th with 52:23. The men thus completed an Open, M40, M50 and M60 team but the Mid Lancs results are not yet available.
Kath Hoyer was 16th woman and 4th W40 in the David Staff Fell Race on Sunday, running 43:05 for the 5.1 miles and 1200ft ascent. Dave Waywell was 4th M70 and 137th in 45:16 having to take it easy with two races in the one weekend.
Just sneaking in before the great shave-off the clean-shaven Nicola Unsworth ran the Movember 10k in Lytham on Sunday morning to shake off the hangover from the Wesham annual dinner dance the previous evening, finishing 3rd woman and 1st W40 in 46:56 for 43rd place.
Wesham 10k – Full Wesham placings
38 / 004 / Catherine Carrdus / F40 / (002/027) / 00:38:5061 / 006 / Carmel Sullivan / F45 / (001/023) / 00:40:30
123 / 016 / Nicola Unsworth / F40 / (005/027) / 00:44:24
184 / 027 / Sharon Cooper / F40 / (007/027) / 00:47:53
220 / 036 / Gemma Owen / F / (013/029) / 00:50:14
227 / 039 / Sarah Heaps / F / (014/029) / 00:50:31
261 / 050 / Lisa Minns / F50 / (005/017) / 00:52:27
293 / 063 / Diane Blagdon / F45 / (011/023) / 00:54:07
295 / 064 / Bernadette Dickinson / F50 / (008/017) / 00:54:11
308 / 070 / Karen Davies / F50 / (011/017) / 00:54:53
326 / 080 / Sally Deacon / F45 / (015/023) / 00:55:56
345 / 092 / Angela Kirkham / F45 / (017/023) / 00:57:05
347 / 093 / Clare Betfield / F / (022/029) / 00:57:07
390 / 119 / Julie Rooney / F40 / (026/027) / 01:04:43
399 / 127 / Kim McGuire / F55 / (010/010) / 01:09:15
401 / 129 / Jacquie Hirst / F45 / (023/023) / 01:09:44
402 / 130 / Pam Wemsley / F50 / (017/017) / 01:09:55
2 / 002 / Rob Danson / M / (001/079) / 00:32:56
15 / 015 / Alex Rowe / M55 / (001/033) / 00:36:52
17 / 016 / Steve Myerscough / M40 / (005/040) / 00:37:06
20 / 019 / Lee Barlow / M40 / (006/040) / 00:37:37
28 / 027 / Garry Barnett / M45 / (003/040) / 00:38:00
31 / 029 / Jason Barlow / M45 / (004/040) / 00:38:10
33 / 031 / Paul Hetherington / M40 / (008/040) / 00:38:30
43 / 039 / Paul Gregory / M / (020/079) / 00:39:12
50 / 046 / Duncan Carter / M45 / (008/040) / 00:39:36
51 / 047 / David Taylor / M / (022/079) / 00:39:39
55 / 050 / Graham Cunliffe / M55 / (002/033) / 00:40:01
56 / 051 / Troy Watson / M45 / (010/040) / 00:40:15
70 / 062 / Alan Hudson / M65 / (001/014) / 00:41:08
100 / 088 / Stuart Topping / M40 / (019/040) / 00:42:57
105 / 093 / Mick Edge / M50 / (006/042) / 00:43:11
122 / 107 / George Kennedy / M55 / (004/033) / 00:44:22
140 / 120 / Russell Mabbett / M50 / (011/042) / 00:45:22
142 / 122 / Kevin McCumiskey / M / (048/079) / 00:45:39
144 / 124 / Jason Blagdon / M40 / (027/040) / 00:45:44
162 / 138 / Ben Wrigley / M / (053/079) / 00:46:49
208 / 174 / Paul Boustead / M / (062/079) / 00:49:13
226 / 188 / Peter Cooke / M55 / (016/033) / 00:50:30
273 / 218 / Mark Dobson / M50 / (035/042) / 00:52:57
287 / 228 / Finlay McCalman / M50 / (038/042) / 00:53:41
305 / 237 / David Young / M65 / (007/014) / 00:54:40
348 / 255 / Doug Brown / M75 / (002/002) / 00:57:08
381 / 268 / Clive Berry / M45 / (039/040) / 01:01:25
389 / 271 / Paul Carter / M45 / (040/040) / 01:04:22