EIGHT Radcliffe AC members competed in the midweek Three Sisters 5k at Wigan with Rob Shiels clocking a fine 18mins 58secs and coming 35th out of 219 runners. He was followed home by Rob Andrew in 19mins 57secs: Tony Holt (V50) in 20mins 04secs: David Ward (V40) in 20mins 20secs Dave Bartlett in 21mins 40secs: Mauro Rotondi (V40) in 23mins 12secs: Kath Davies (V50) 25mins 29secs and Eileen Royle was first vet-65 in 25mins 35secs.

In the Freckleton Half Marathon, the oldest half marathon in the UK and set in the heart of the Fylde Coast, Steve Lomax showed he still had good form clocking 1hr 33mins 54secs, coming 92nd out of 635 finishers. John Scarlett was first under 21 in 1hr 38mins 55secs and Alison Vidler (V45) ran 1hr 57mins 33secs.

Don Whiley was top in his age group when he competed in an Olympic distance triathlon in Cheshire. Also a member of Boltontri, the vet-50 was 14th overall  out of 139 entries in the Capesthorne Triathlon taking part on the picturesque Capesthorne Hall Estate. The 1500m swim was in the Mere and Don completed it in 34mins 57secs. In the 39k bike ride he took 1hr 15mins 10secs and and on the 10k ran 48mins 03secs.

Four members ran the four mile Holcombe Two Towers Race, with 1,300 feet of climbing and Wayne Jennings was first home for the club in 23rd position out of 78 runners, clocking 41mins 35secs. Martin Stott (V45) was next in 45mins 48secs then Mark Wolfenden (V45) in 54mins 17secs. Steve Hamer donned the vest of Holcombe Harriers to run this in 49mins 12secs.

David Wells took on the Prestwich Challenge as part of a works team which came second overall. The course covered eight miles of natural and man-made obstacles in Prestwich Clough and Prestwich Forest Park.

TWO Radcliffe AC runners took on a real challenge at weekend in scorching conditions when they competed in the Rochdale 3 Day Event.  George Critchley and Dave Bartlett ran three tough races in three days with vet-55 George coming second in his age group overall.

Organised by Rochdale Harriers the 19th annual event had a record turnout on all three days. After the six mile hilly Norden Road Race, the six mile Norden Valley Multi-Terrain Race, and the six mile Knowl Hill Fell Race, with 1,300 feet of climbing, George finished 27th overall out of 47 competitors and four minutes ahead of Dave, who unfortunately suffered a fall in the fell race and an exploding fell shoe! In the first event Dave had been 42nd overall out of 86 runners in 43mins 32secs with George clocking 46mins 41secs and coming third in his age category. On day two George was 41st out of 67 runners in 52mins 55secs, having caught Dave on the run in, putting himself up to second vet-55. Suffering with the heat, as were many of the runners, Dave clocked 53mins 04secs. On day three George clocked 1hr 02mins 28secs finishing a happy man, just five seconds shy of a third consecutive personal best. Dave ran 1hr 09mins 26secs.

Runners could complete the full three day challenge or run any of the events separately. In the road race Donna Cartwright showed her form again by being second woman and first in the 35 age group in 43mins 38secs.

On day three six other Radcliffe runners took to the hills in the fell race with Rob Andrew running a fine time of 55mins 20secs, coming 45th out of 169 runners. Next home was David Ward (V40) 56mins 18secs: Martin Stott (V45) 58mins 37secs: Paul Swyers (V45) 59mins 54secs: Mark Wolfenden (V45) 1hr 12mins 04secs and Mark Murphy (V40) 1hr 12mins 35secs. The fell race was part of the Run The Moors Grand Prix which the club takes part in and also a club fell championship race.

Tony Holt  (V50) showed he was good at three disciplines when he competed in the Bala Half Ironman in Wales on Sunday. He completed a 2km swim, 80km bike ride and 20km run in a fine time of 5hrs 14mins 01secs, which included losing five minutes with a puncture. On a tough hilly course for  both the bike ride and the run but, he commented, on a glorious day he came in 79th out of 263 and was fifth in his age group.

In an event of a different kind Jo Stevens took on an open swim, the Fell Foot Flyer Half, in Windermere. She was well pleased with her performance covering 1300m in 32mins 02secs.

IT was double family success for Radcliffe AC’s Donna Cartwright and daughter Jenna when they both competed at Wigan. In the Amberswoods Trail Race,an undulating 10k on Sunday Donna was fourth woman and first in the 35 age category in 44mins 50secs and 12-year-old Jenna ran the 2.5km event and came home in fourth place in her age group and won herself a medal.
Donna, showing she is keeping her season’s form was in only her second fell race this year, her first being the week before when she was third lady in the 4.5 mile Bamford Fell Race.

Four members took to the trails in Wales on Saturday running a very hilly and boggy Big Welsh Trail half marathon in the Coed LLandegla forest area with Shaun Boult, back from injury, coming home first for Radcliffe in 1hr 58mins 07secs and finishing 47th out of a large field. Next home was Kath Davies back after illness and clocking a creditable time for a testing course of 2hrs 16mins 14 secs. Mauro Rotondi was next home in 2hrs 18mins 19secs followed by vet- 65 Eileen Royle who was first in her age category in 2hrs 22mins 35secs.

Four members ran the six mile plus Edenfield Fell Race on Sunday which had a tough 1,500 feet of climbing. David Ward was first home for the club ((V40, 58M 26s) followed by George Critchley (V55, 66M 28s), who found himself in some of the course’s boggy conditions, Paul Swyers was next (V45, 66M 56s) in with Mark Wolfenden (V45, 71M 57s) following.

John Scarlett has been a busy racer taking in three recent 10k events.
He took part in the Great Manchester Run, clocking 44mins 04secs; the Beaverbrooks Blackpool 10k running a fine 42mins 08 secs and this weekend ran the Pennine Lancashire 10k at Burnley on a hilly course, clocking 43mins 38secs. In two weeks he is competing in the Freckleton Half Marathon.

Jim was warming up away from the crowds at the Great Manchester Run when he bumped into Haile Gebrselassie! As people on Facebook said – It’s always a real treat to meet a true running legend something Mr gabrrselesi won’t forget! (Quote cortesy of Mark and Jean Jackson)

At the Manchester Run Jim manages a chat with one of the greatest runners in history, Haile Gebrselassie!