This week saw team and individual prizes for the Lions at the Helen Windsor 10K, a very impressive performance by Gavin Foster in the Leeds 10K and no let-up from the sweltering heat.
Helen Windsor 10K – fizzy drinks and crisps!
Sixty five Lions attended the popular Helen Windsor 10K last week. This race is a real favourite for many Lions, with its beautiful runnable course and friendly atmosphere. This year it had the feel of a child’s birthday party to it, with fizzy drinks at the water station and packets of crisps for the runners at the finish line. Despite being gassed up with the fizzy water, the Lions ran well in the 25 degree heat to take the men’s team prize and a number of individual prizes. There were age category wins for Derek Parrington, Tanya Blake, Aileen Baldwin and Judith Greenwood. There was fabulous support all round the course from Lions spectating on foot, on bikes and in the beer garden of the pub on the route. Some of the faster Lions even waited near the end of the course after they’d finished to “run in” with the steadier runners. New Lion John Bannister made his debut for the club on the night. It would be easy to confuse him with long-standing member John Bassinder, but luckily they run at quite different speeds, one posting 46:55 while the other finished in 46:56.
Results: Ed Hyland 36:55 (2nd place overall), Stephen Hall 37:45 (3rd place overall), Derek Parrington 38:55 (10th place overall, 1st M50), Gavin Foster 39:47, Sean Thompson 40:18, Chris Hall 40:56, Dan Marsden 41:18, Craig Miller 41:24, Andy Baird 42:01, Phillip Moyles 42:21, Tanya Blake 42:37 (2nd Lady, 1st F45), Leon Severn 43:28, Jim Harris 44:17, Suzanne Patterson 44:38, Richard Crombie 45:12, Gerry Banham 45:31, Gareth Knight 45:52, Tony Mott 46:16 Sally Caton 46:30, Stefanie Hopkins 46:44, John Bannister 46:55, John Bassinder 46:56, David Farrar 47:09, Ian Johnson 47:16, Andrew Mackrill 47:27, Gaby Ferris 47:32, John Ingles 47:40, Martin O’Brien 47:50, Ian Hoskins 48:12, Maria Harron 48:17, Helen Armitage 48:33, Aileen Baldwin 48:33 (1st F65), Will Rushworth 48:44, Michelle Rogerson 48:58, Stuart Clinton 49:05, Michael Dunning 50:20, Paul Corns 50:36, Jonathan Pybus 50:51, Jan King 51:12, Catherine McHugh 51:22, Cat Daniel 51:47, Angela Lee 53:44, John Hirst 53:59, Sharon Marlor-Gage 55:25, Roy Lunt 56:07, Sandy Gee 57:09, Paul Armitage 57:34, Susan Cash 58:03, Gail Schofield 58:22, Rikki Hammond 59:21, Richard Brewster 59:54, Paula Pickersgill 60:34, Janet Carter 62:25, Richard Lambert 65:11, Richard Brear 65:16, Alex Whyte 65:26, Anne-Marie Killeen 65:49, Ken Chilcott 66:10, Judith Greenwood 66:11 (1st F70), Trish Hallowell 66:25, Wendy Paulson 67:56, Anne Cawdron 69:00, Debbie Hinds 69:06, Gail Fawcett 70:29, Jackie Barker 71:52
Heptonstall Festival Fell Race
It’s hard to find moorland that isn’t on fire at the moment. Happily, at Heptonstall, it was just the runners’ lungs that were burning as they tackled the Festival Fell Race in sweltering conditions on Saturday. Starting in the village, the 6 mile route plunged deep into a valley before finding its way to the top of a nearby peak. It then returned in similar fashion, meaning runners finished with an almighty uphill struggle. Total ascent 1,600 feet. The terrain was a mixture of cobbles, grassy fields, muddy slopes, rocky bridleways and open moorland, some of it pathless. The race was part of a family-friendly music festival with live bands in the ruined church and Weaver’s Square, along with beer tents, street food, and children’s entertainment.
Results: Martin O’Brien 1:09:48, Leon Severn 1:13:01, Aileen Baldwin 1:13:15, David Culpan 1:13:41, John Bassinder 1:14:19, Andrew Mackrill 1:21:38
Warslow Beer Festival Fell Race
Jonny Cartwright completed the Warslow Beer Festival Fell Race in the Peak District on Saturday in a time of 77:59. Wife Nicki can normally be persuaded onto the fells with Jonny but on this occasion was having none of it.
Leeds 10K
It’s flat, it’s fast, it’s where people go for a pb. Gavin Foster was first Lion and a very impressive 39th overall (out of a huge field of 5555 runners).
Results Gavin Foster 38:16, Jan King 50:25, Richard Brewster 58:50, Michael Porter 59:09, Michelle Eyre 60:58, Allison Hesketh 64:31, Phil Richards 65:35, Clare Jolly 67:00
Vicursa Marinera 7K
And finally, just one Lion ran the Vicursa Marinera 7K road race in Port de Pollenca, Mallorca. A last-minute entry after a less-than-ideal race preparation of a late tapas lunch, two large glasses of Sangria and a Crema Catalan, Steve Boyer still managed to complete the course in 38 minutes. The flat course along the seafront and back streets was attended by 500 runners, with plenty of cheering onlookers, despite the 30 degree heat. Good job the race started at 9pm! Steve enjoyed trying out the podium for size and was more than pleased with his finisher’s goodies, particularly the €15 sun-lounger voucher.