30 December 2007: Last dash for a season's best

Several senior runners took the opportunity of races on the last Sunday of the year to post best times for the year.  Rob Berry, Amanda Crook and Ann Eggington were at the Ribble Valley 10K and both Rob and Amanda shot to the top of the club's road rankings with very impressive times.  Rob clearly likes this race, having run a PB 30:29 here in 2005.  Today he was not far short of that time, finishing in 3rd place overall in 30:43.  Amanda ran 37:55, the best 10K time by a Southport Waterloo lady since Sue Cooper ran 37:38 in the Penny Lane 10K in 2001.  A good time, but in a high quality field led by Helen Clitheroe, winning in 32:44, Amanda was 9th female finisher.  Ann Eggington ran 41:24, just short of her season's best - 40:04 at Penny Lane.
Meanwhile in Manchester, Carlos Irizar continued his return to form with a season's best time of 33:55 in the Sale Festive 5.
Any road runners with season's best not recorded in the rankings should notify results through to Ron Scott as soon as possible please.

29 December 2007: Last Club event of the year attracts record numbers

With a strong and chilly wind blowing occasional squally showers off the sea, senior and junior runners at Formby Point were spared a testing run along the beach in the annual Xmas Handicap races.  This year's new course stayed inland, almost as far as the Squirrel Reserve car park before turning back on itself, looping around the duck pond and back to the Lifeboat Road car park.  At 2.45 miles per lap, the  new course is slightly shorter and avoids the long run up the beach from Formby Point car park to the Squirrel Reserve car park .  It was introduced to make the event more attractive, particular with the younger runners.  Today, there was a record attendance with 40 senior runners in the 2-lap race and 25 one-lappers.  65 runners is an excellent turn-out and maybe more juniors will be attracted next year.  Interestingly, a show of hands at the post-race social showed only a slight majority favouring the new course.  Oh well! We obviously won't please everyone.
In the 1-lap race, 11-year Fiona Cary, running with dad Richard, was first home and so wins the Larry Hyland Memorial Handicap Trophy.  Joe Vis was the fastest boy recording 14:46 and Stephanie James was the fastest girl in 17:42.
In the 2-lap race, Terry Berry - from Fitness Connection I think - was the first home in 40:40 with an actual time of 34:10.  Carol Handley was the first women in 44:30 (actual 40:00) with Mark Clarehugh the fastest man in 28:38, just pipping David Hamilton running 28:58, and Tracey Peters the fastest woman with a time of 36:22.
Towards the rear of the 2-lap field, Sam Howard was enjoying a social run with Sara Barratt and Rosie Fearon.  Readers with longer memories will recall that Sam Dean, as she was then, and Rosie Fearon are former Southport Waterloo junior athletes of theYear - in 1990 and 1991.
Results are now available for the 1-lap and 2-lap races.
Later, over a drink and a chat at the Formby Cricket Club, the senior awards were presented.  Susan Cooper took the woman's Grand Prix trophy making it an impressive 8 wins in 9 years!  David Hamilton continued his run of success with his third consecutive Grand Prix title.  Karen Faloon and Peter Roome took the vet awards.  The Progress Trophy winner for the most improved senior runner went to John Sprackland for the 2nd year running.
The final trophy to be awarded was the seniors' cross country trophy, where the winner this year was Amanda Crook.  Ron Scott told the group that the club committee had been looking again at how this award was decided and were moving to a club championship to be held within a major cross country race.  The new format would come in in 2008 with the championship being held within the UKA European Trails / Mid Lancs / L&D fixture in Sefton Park in November.  To avoid any difficulty deciding between a male or a female winner, an additional trophy would be purchased to award to the first club male and female finishers.
The final award was for the three guaranteed club marathon places.  With 7 club runners having been rejected, the lucky (?) marathoners were drawn from a hat with Tony Norbury, Tracey Peters and Steve Wilkinson the winners.  Michelle Spencer was drawn as reserve.
Finally, Ron explained that whilst it was intended to continue with the social meeting after the Xmas Handicap, the club was considering combining the Junior and Senior awards and presenting them all at the presentation and disco evening in early December.
Many thanks to Sandra Waters, Sue Cooper and Brian Grice for organising events today, to all the marshals staged around the new course to ensure no-one went astray, to the helpers at the finish recording names and times and everyone else who helped.
The next event is the first of 2008 - the New Year's Day run from Hall Road in Blundellsands to the Fisherman's Rest in Birkdale - or railway stations in between for those happier with a shorter run.  The start is at 10.30 and Paul Cutner will be manning a drinks station in the Squirrel Reserve car park in Formby.

21 December 2007:  New Year's Day Run (By Rick Bowker)

Southport Waterloo AC have been holding a New Year's Day coastal path run for more years than I can remember.
Starting at Hall Rd lifeboat station at 10.30am and finishing at the Fishermans Rest pub on Weld Rd, Birkdale some 14 miles later.
What better way to blow away the hang over than doing this social run! You will run over dirt paths, pinewoods and sand-dunes and in the afternoon you can relax over a pint or two in the Fishermans Rest.
I have run the coastal path many time in training and I think I hold the unofficial record for both ways non-stop with 3 hours 41 mins.
John Burnett holds the unofficial record one way with 1 hour 39 mins.

15 December 2007: A stunning run around Langdale (by Emma Felton)
  Although the temperature barely went above freezing, the winter sun shone down on the Cumbrian Langdale valley, providing a stunning setting for a very popular 10k race - the Great Langdale Xmas Pudding race, near Ambleside. So popular, the run is now spread over two days. With a restricted race limit of 500 runners each day, the course starts on the road outside the New Dungeon Ghyll Hotel and Sticklebarn Tavern and takes you through to Elterwater village and back. A favourite with local club runners, times are quick for an undulating course, with a challenging incline at around 4 miles.
Coming in a very impressive 24th overall Richard Cary (M40), finished in 35.37, with Alan Gray (M55) home in 44.33. Liz Stanfield (F35) ran 46.17, while Rachel Thomas came in at 47.05. I was too busy sightseeing; the views are just too distracting! and came in 57.09 – definitely one for the calendar next year. Full set of results can be found at http://www.ukresults.net/2007/langpud1.html

15 December 2007: Seniors sure of promotion in L&D

The 3rd fixture in this season's Liverpool & District Cross Country League was across the water in Wirral's Arrowe Park.  We have been doing well this season in the L&D and although currently in Division 2 we are beating most of the teams in Division 1.
At the first fixture in Beacon Park we fielded 18 runners and finished 2nd team overall behind Liverpool Harriers.  At Sefton Park - fixture 2 - we had 16 runners and finished 3rd team overall behind Liverpool and Wirral.  (Wirral are still shown as 3rd in the results on the L&D web page but I understand a Wirral runner was not identified in the results and a correction will elevate Wirral to 2nd place.)  Today, we had just 7 runners but importantly we managed a team again and seem certain to be promoted back up to Division 1 next season as Division 2 champions.
First home for the club was Rob Berry.  Rob was one of the leading pack of 5 after the first of three laps on the soft, springy turf of Arrowe Park but Liverpool Harriers stretched the fivesome out with Rob finishing 4th in 32:22.  Richard Shearer showed the value of regular track training with a fine run for 10th overall in 34:14 just ahead of Steve Wilkinson, 13th in 34:48.  David Hamilton was 19th in 35:29, Steve McLean 47th in 39:14 and Mike Cunningham was the last team counter; 49th in 39:32.  Finally, team manager Steve James was 69th of 118 finishers in 42:04.
Full results will appear shortly on the L&D web site.

9 December 2007: Impressive start to indoors season

The first of the Sale Harriers Manchester series of indoor open meetings in and around the 200m indoor track at Manchester's Sportcity attracted a good crowd, including 7 of our sprinters.  And what a start to the indoors season, with many of the runners and jumpers recording PBs and, indeed, one or two club records.
Most popular was the series of 60m sprints.  The fastest of our runners was Rico Dalle-Mulle, now Under 17, recording 7.74 secs on his first run and 7.69 on his second.  Under 15 Joshua Hughes wasn't far behind with 7.73 and Jordan Kelly ran 7.89, improving to 7.87 on his second run.  Senior Chris Honess ran 8.60, one of many PB today.
For the girls, Under 17 Lauren Brennan was the fastest with 8.20, Under 15s Eleanour Newton ran 8.73 and Lucy Whitehead 8.95.
Lauren was also there in her favoured 300m, winning her heat in 41.45, the fastest time of any female on the day.
In the 60m hurdles, Rico was back in action running 8.80 and Under 15s Eleanor ran 10.17 and Lucy 10.47.
Then in the field events Jordan Kelly high jumped an excellent 1m 65 and long jumped 5m 84 - taking him from No 2 in the club Under 15 rankings to No 1 in the Under 17 age group!
Eleanor and Lucy also longed, their best jumps being 4m 32 and 4m 21 respectively.
Full results for this meeting.
See Fixtures page for the other indoor open meetings.

1 December 2007: "Norman would have been proud of me" (by Liz Stanfield)

When I was browsing through my Runners World last week, I thought "lets get into the christmas spirit", so I looked for a nice rural setting and entered the Cheddleton Christmas Pudding 10K.  When I rang up to enter I asked quite wimpishly 'Is it hilly?'  the lady answered 'oh not really, just one hill at the beginning'.  So I got up eagerly and quite excited on Saturday morning and travelled to Staffordshire with my boyfriend - and the dog of course.  When we got there it was a fab atmosphere.  My only regret was I didn't get dressed up in a Santa's outfit.
One hill at the beginning. I don't think so!  There were lots of hills!! But what a lovely run, challenging but enjoyable.  After the first lap I thought "gosh, I'll be lucky to do do this under the hour".  However I got into a good rhythm and finished in just under 52 mins.  The best part was when I was handed a lovely christmas pud at the end.  What more could a girl ask for!
I have the race bug and have entered the Christmas 10K in Cumbria on the 15th.  Lets hope the prize is a christmas pud again.