British international cross country runner Rob Whalley grabbed glory at the Shell Chester Round The Walls Boxing Day men’s race.
The Bristol and West AC member, who has represented Great Britain five times at the World Cross Country Championships, posted a winning time of 23 minutes four seconds at the event which was organised from Chester Racecourse by West Cheshire AC.

Race leaders photo https://www.westcheshireac.co.uk/docs/load.php?id=701

He finished well clear of last year’s Chester Walls Race winner, Bashir Hussain, representing Stockport Harriers, who clocked 23:56 for second spot.
Warrington AC’s Matthew Jackson secured third position and the first under 20 junior man prize after posting a time of 24:12, ahead of Adam Peers (Liverpool Harriers) who was fourth in 24:23, and Wirral-based Ben Reese who was fifth in 24:28.
Wrexham AC’s Darren Rowlands posted 24:28 for sixth position, ahead of former Walls Race winner, Mike Proudlove (City of Stoke AC), who clocked 25:19.
Deeside AC’s Jamie Wright completed the multi-terrain event in 25:51 for ninth spot, while Wrecsam Tri Club’s Gary Norgrove finished 11th in 26:15.
Bernie Jones (Wrexham AC) secured 13th position in 26:23, ahead of Tattenhall’s Peter Taylor (15th in 26:50), and Ken Begley (City of Chester Tri Club), who won the over-45 veteran prize with 27:25 and finished 17th overall.
Buckley Runners’ Stephen Bellis finished 18th in 27:36, while Wrexham AC’s under 20 junior, Tom Csizmadia, finished 24th in 28:40.
Jonathon Bradshaw, from Buckley Runners, grabbed 26th spot in 28:57, ahead of Deeside’s under 20 junior man, Tom Snowden, who posted 29th spot in 29:17.

Martha Hall won the women’s race, finishing 28th overall with a time of 29:15, and Jennifer Van Deelen, from Canterbury Harriers, finished runner-up in 29:45, while Joanne Stokes (Oswestry Olympians) clocked 30:42 for third position.

Race winners photo https://www.westcheshireac.co.uk/docs/load.php?id=721

Wrexham AC duo Tony Parry (38th in 29:57) and Philip Walker (39th in 29:59), finished ahead of Ellesmere Port’s Michael Burns (41st in 30:01), and City of Chester Tri pair Gareth Blizzard (42nd in 30:02) and Chris Hulse (51st in 30:20).
West Cheshire AC’s Chris Rhodes finished 52nd in 30:24, ahead of other purple-vested colleagues Tom Booth (77th in 32:05) after his fun run victory earlier in the day.
Ian Crozier was West Cheshire’s next finisher, posting 111th place in 33:53, ahead of Mark Povey (126th in 34:17), Aidan Stoakley (144th in 34:58), Amanda Scott (221st in 38:12), Kerry Riley (255th in 39:43), and Steve Russell-Ingram (259th in 39:58).

Dave Alexander battled his way home to a thrilling victory at Whitby Park, Ellesmere Port.
He clinched success in West Cheshire AC’s Cross Country Christmas Handicap following an exciting final lap over the four-lap, four miles course.
Dave was given a handicap of more than 10 minutes on the first competitors to start and managed to pick off his rivals one by one in an exciting final lap of the wet and muddy course.
He eventually clocked a net time of 24 minutes 23 seconds and an overall time of 44 minutes 33 seconds to win the overall event and the veteran over-40 plate award.
In close pursuit was Russell Kirk who achieved an overall time of 44:42 and a net time of 26:32, while Jeff Kettle, who posted an impressive run at Mold in the Borders Road Running League the week before, clocked 44:51 overall and a net time of 25:26.
Other four-lap finishers included Gary Withers who posted 46:20 for a net time of 28:10, while Olivia Beaney with 47:36 (net of 38:06) just edged home in front of Steve Russell-Ingram who achieved 47:42 (net of 38:12).
Ellen McMahon was the first member to finish in the one-lap junior race, posting 8:30 net off an overall time of 15:30, ahead of Alex Kirk with 16:19 (7:34 net), and Ryan Jones who posted 16:47 (6:47 net).