MANCHESTER AREA CROSS COUNTRY LEAGUE – 2015/2016 SEASON

MATCH 1 : SATURDAY 10th OCTOBER 2015
Woodbank Park, Stockport – Stockport Harriers
Full results: www.race-results.co.uk/results/2015/maccl151.pdf

MATCH 2 : SATURDAY 7th NOVEMBER 2015
Sherdley Park, St Helens – St Helens Sutton
Full results: www.race-results.co.uk/results/2015/maccl152.pdf

MATCH 3 : SATURDAY 5th
DECEMBER 2015
Boggart Hole Clough, Manchester – Salford Harriers
Full results: www.race-results.co.uk/results/2015/maccl153.pdf

MATCH 4 : SATURDAY 16th JANUARY 2016
Heaton Park, Manchester – Manchester Harriers

from Mike Jones

The fourth Manchester Area Cross Country League race took place at Heaton Park on 16th January in cool but calm and sunny weather. Underfoot was a mixture of a frozen surface and mud.
The ADAC U11 girls turned out in force with five running, led home by Hannah Gregg in 16th. Aisling McHale (27th), Beth Robinson (31st), Daisy Ainsworth (42nd) and Kate Harrison (43rd)

were the other Altrincham athletes in a field of 48 runners. The team finished 8th.
Regular Harry Sinclair was the only boy running for Altrincham, finishing 12th out of 19 in the U15 boys‟ race.
The women’s race, listed as over 8.5K, consisted of 3 medium laps, turning right shortly after the start to run alongside the trees before climbing through the woods, heading towards the football pitches. Sarah Tunstall from Kendal won by over two minutes in 32:41. Altrincham athletes put in some good performances, picking up 1st vet 60 and 50 prizes. Ann-Marie Jones (1st FV60) led home the team in 33rd, ahead of an in-form Carole Harrison (1st FV50) in 50th, Alison Vesey (62nd), Fiona Cosgrove (86th) and Diane Hunter (156th). A total of 216 women finished.
The ADAC team finished 10th out of 44 teams and 3rd out of 37 vets‟ teams!
The men ran 3 long laps, listed as over 9.8K, including a loop around the Papal Monument, before climbing through the woods as for the women. Jack Morris from Stockport won the race in 33:09, getting away from Dave Norman who put in another great run in 2nd place. The rest of the team were led by Mike Berks, running well again to come home in 27th, ahead of Steve Renny (62nd),
Jon Powell (82nd), Dan Martell, after his morning parkrun, (90th), and Neil Walker (101st).
The second Altrincham team was made up of Richard Johnson (110th), Adrian Fuller (115th),
Roger Preece (119th), Dave Livingstone, in his first cross country of the season, (123rd),
Mark Hunter (153rd), and David Hughes (165th). Brad Johnson (180th) came in first for the third team ahead of Peter Pickwell (187th), Graham Harrison (191st), Nick Burke, celebrating his birthday, (193rd), Lockie Campbell (222nd) and Dave Telford 3rd MV65 (261st).
Jeff Norman was 1st MV70 (263rd), David Walton, making his debut for Altrincham in the cross country, (268th), Pete Hill (274th) and I was 316th out of the 329 who finished.
We finished 10th, 20th, and 32nd out of 41 teams and 9th, 16th, 22nd and 30th out of 35 vets‟ teams. Overall a good performance from Altrincham athletes and good to see the junior girls doing so well. We also saw the vet men and women racing well and finishing in the prizes.
Thanks go to all the supporters – Alan Hardman, Mansel Pope, Stephen Jones, Linda Pickwell,
Dave Attwell and Mike Welford (officiating again). Thanks also go to Carole and Fiona for the cakes.

Full results: www.race-results.co.uk/results/2016/maccl154.pdf

MATCH 5 : SATURDAY 13th FEBRUARY 2016
Wythenshawe Park, Manchester – Sale Harriers

SOUTH EAST LANCS CROSS COUNTRY LEAGUE – 2015/2016 SEASON

MATCH 1 : SATURDAY 14th NOVEMBER 2015
Leigh Sports Village – Leigh Harriers
Full results: www.race-results.co.uk/results/2015/sel151.pdf

MATCH 2 : SATURDAY 12th DECEMBER 2015
Heaton Park – Middleton Harriers
Full results: http://www.race-results.co.uk/results/2015/sel152.pdf

MATCH 3 : SATURDAY 23rd JANUARY 2016
Tandle Hills – Oldham & Royton Harriers

from Jeff Norman

I looked forward to returning to the rolling, good running course in Tandle Hill Park that I last ran 47 years ago. Unfortunately the current course is held round a lot of very muddy fields just outside the park. I know Pete Hill was enthusing about the course (best ever) comparing it to a fell race.
I couldn‟t see the analogy. Apart from the mainly ankle deep muddy fields, the hills were too short to get your teeth into and there were only a few short firmer stretches. We had four runners in the senior men‟s race but none in any of the other races.
Neil Walker led the way with a good run in 16th place. He had time to run back to the entrance to the last muddy field to cheer me into the finish and I was pleased to just scrape into the first half of the field and consolidate my position at the head of the overall 60+, 65+ and 70+ categories.
I was then able to witness a terrific cat and mouse battle between David Walton and Pete Hill down the final muddy field. Pete led but was overtaken by David. Pete came back with 80 yards to go, but sunk in a bad stretch of mud as David took the advantage.
The race was won easily by Chris Farrell of Horwich in 36:21, more than 2 minutes ahead of the runner-up. There were 107 finishers.

Neil Walker 16th 44.47 Jeff Norman 52nd 53.03 David Walton 68th 55.27 Pete Hill 69th 55.29

Full results: http://www.race-results.co.uk/results/2016/sel153.pdf

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Left to right: David Walton, Jeff, Norman Neil Walker, Pete Hill

MATCH 4 : SATURDAY 20th FEBRUARY 2016
Boggart Hole Clough – East Cheshire Harriers

GREATER MANCHESTER CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS

from John Snape & Mike Jones

The Greater Manchester Cross Country Championships were held at Leverhulme Park Bolton on Saturday 9th January. Due to the prolonged wet weather the courses were changed, taking out the river crossing and reducing the distances. The course took in a mixture of muddy path and grass. It was good to see three junior girls running in the U13 Girls‟ race run over 3km.

Millie Pearce finished in 9th place in 13:58, only half a minute behind the winner. She led home her sister Tessa who was 31st in 14:52 and Isobel Miller who was 55th out of 62 in 16:57. They finished 11th team and 9th „A‟ team.
The rain in the morning held off for the senior races. The women ran 2 long laps, covering a distance of about 5K, and veteran Louise Rudd of Stockport Harriers won the race by over a minute in 23:35. Alison Vesey was the sole Altrincham representative in the race, finishing 24th out of 51 in 29:37. The men ran 3 long laps, a distance of around 8K, and Carl Hardman of Salford Harriers won the race in 29:19. Roger Preece was first home for Altrincham, running well to finish 59th in 37:15 and

I managed to avoid finishing last, coming 118th out of 119 in 50:05!
Thanks go to the supporters: Jeff Norman, Maggie Jones, Pete Hill, John Snape and Mike Welford, who was also officiating.

[su_row][su_column size=”1/4″]Picture38 copy
Alison Vesey[/su_column] [su_column size=”1/4″]Picture39 copy
Mike Jones[/su_column] [su_column size=”1/4″]Picture40 copy
Roger Preece[/su_column] [su_column size=”1/4″]Picture41 copy
The U13 girls muddy shoes pictured by Harriet Pearce[/su_column][/su_row]

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