Announcements

IN the Festive Flash Five Miler, Striders Peter Medlicott and Katie Taggart organised an inspirational event hosted within the grounds of Pennington Flash Country Park in Leigh.

The scenic route covered trails, canal paths and was enjoyed by a vast number of enthusiastic Striders. Hannah Whittaker wove her magic as she stormed to victory in the ladies’ race in a time of 34:18!

Meanwhile her husband Craig cruised to an emphatic personal best in 35:40.

The ever dependable, ever reliant Kevin Brennan came home first male Strider in position 9th in 32:02.

Anthony Cheers, clearly growing from strength to strength after his increased Winter training program, secured second Strider overall in an astonishingly fast and new improved PB of 33:08.

Zoe Fillingham and Christine Humphrey provided a sure solid rock of support, as they fought for each other crossing the line simultaneously in 51:18. Kevin Cairns captured the Striders ethos of team spirit as he joyfully caned it in 36:32.

Rachel Tickle and Paul Hargate also provided one another with encouragement as they sailed through the five miles.

Nicki Donovan sublimely settled an old score winning a PB in 42:53.

And Cherryl Orrick, rampant as ever and running with fire in her belly, secured 40:39. The ever jovial Peter ‘Bucket’ Bennet excelled in 41:57.

Joanne Mercer, Debs Hill, Paul Booth, Carla Langley, Joanne Jackson, Mike Brunt, David Brisco and Adrian Pridgeon all ran exceptional races.

The Wilmslow 10k is a relatively flat course and starts in the town centre.

The race was well attended by the Striders and Colin Wilson, the birthday boy, buoyantly astonished his fellow teammates with a heroic personal best in 47:41.

The tenacious Sue Heaps recorded 50:34. Rebecca McKenna, known well for her people person skills at race events, chugged along in 56:34. Jane Marshall and Mark Hamilton also gave a great account of themselves.

In the International Cross Country event held at Sefton Park in Liverpool, athletes had travelled from across the UK, due to qualification for the European trials being up for grabs. Amongst Olympians and the best around Rachael Fairclough proved her class, and always with a smile on her face she finished in position 98th.

The distance in the senior women’s race was 8.1K and Rachael finished in a time of 32:56; no mean feat under the circumstances!

Elsewhere in the Clowne Half Marathon the joker himself Ian Floyd ate up the course, and at the 10k in Heaton Park Ste Pickavance proved yet again the class act he’s always been.

And finally in the Santa Dash Louise and Tony Padmore got themselves into the Christmas spirit much earlier than most. They’ll be running in the Easter Egg hunt next month!