Press Report: Busy Weekend, Home and Away
JON PARK headed West Cheshire Athletic Club’s charge at the Essar Chester Half Marathon.
Park posted a time of 78 minutes eight seconds to secure 24th position at the popular fixture which attracted 4,307 finishers.
The winner of the race was Mohammed Rezeq (Altrincham) who clocked 64:28, nearly five minutes ahead of runner up Ben Fish (Blackburn) with 69:27, and Simon Birch (Hinckley) was third in 70:38.
Keely Smith was West Cheshire AC’s first female finisher, posting 90:55 for 14th lady position, while Kirsty Longley (Liverpool Pembroke Sefton) was first lady in 79:03, ahead of runner-up Julie Briscoe (Wakefield) in 79:46, and Gemma Connolly (St Helens Sutton) was third in 79:55.
A total of 30 West Cheshire AC members completed the 13.1 miles course, including Cathryn Whalley who posted 1:52:24 to smash her club’s 20-year-old record for an over-50 female.
Other finishers included Steve Fernyhough (78:08), Graham Wells (81:32), Dave Alexander (82:41), Michael Young (83:40), Rob Little (84:50), Phil Woodley (85:21), Andy Carter (85:31), Tony Woodall (85:42), Chris Palmer (86:28), Mark Davies (87:02), Dan Thwaites (89:51), Danny Paddock (89:43), Wullie McGarrell (90:47), Nick Duffey (91:36), Rob Boggild (92:10), Joe Foy (92:24), Andrew Clague (92:40), Steve Hillier (97:32), Sophie Smithdale (103:26), and Danny Watling (102:37).
Clare Mallon clocked a new personal best of 103:18 to finish sixth in her over-45 age group, ahead of Darren Shillington (106:53), Ian Ackroyd (109:21), Mark Gallagher (108:12), Julian Tegg (1;54:28), Stephen Ball (1:59:33), and Sharon Dodd (2:00:13).
JOSEPH MORRISON had a weekend to remember in West Cheshire AC colours after posting 15:54 for fourth spot in the under 20 men’s age group at the Christleton 5k Road Race.
The teenager then clocked a new 800m personal best of 1:53.9 at Blackburn in the opening round of the Northern Track and Field League and won the 3,000m steeplechase in 10:55.3 after a storming sprint finish.
Morrison rounded off the day alongside Alan Littler, Matthew Webb and Bradley Spurdens to post a new club 4x400m record time of 3:32.5.
West Cheshire finished the match in third spot thanks to contributions from Victor Oyesola, Josh Ford, Tom Roberts, Paul Morrison, Sion Roberts, Ewan Bradley, Michael Maxwell, Will Scott, George Hyde, David McKay, Emma Ashcroft, Danielle Erskine, Ella Dimbylow, Abigail Cartwright, Beth and Ellen McMahon, Ellie Robinson, Lily Moorhouse, debutant Debra Bemand, Christina Broome, Evie Tipping,Sophie Percival, Nicola Gore, and Debra Erskine.
TEAM RESULT: 1 Blackburn 391 points; 2 Team Isle of Man 375; 3 West Cheshire 336; 4 Wakefield 334; 5 City of York 282; 6 Wigan 254.
NEIL HERSHAW and Dave Bish both demonstrated club record-breaking form for West Cheshire AC at the Christleton 5k Road Race.
Hershaw posted 17:41 for second spot in the over-55 age group, while Bish was third in his over-70 age group with a new club record time of 25:30.
Teenager Sion Roberts clocked 16:09, ahead of Tom Booth (16:13), Bradley Spurdens (16:31), Jon Park (16:53), Dave Dentith (16:58), Mark Davies (17:04), Andy Carter (17:29), Steve Fernyhough (17:31), Neil Hershaw (17:41), Isaac Tait (17:42), Paul Morrison (18:03), Richard Hayes (18:29), Ian Gloyne-Phillips (18:28), Tony Woodall (18:46), Andrew Clague (19:14), Nick Duffy (19:16), Patrick Tait (19:34), Ellie Robinson (20:35), Debra Bemand (22:41), and Alex Duffey (26:30).
SIX West Cheshire AC youngsters achieved grade one marks at Wavertree, Liverpool, in the second round of the Youth Development Under 13 and Under 15 Track and Field League.
Maddi Mercer, Sara Pearson, Harriet Wheeler, Imogen Pughe, Lara Battersby, and Luke Parker all impressed to help earn their club fourth team position.
Mercer won the under 13 girls 75m (10.1 seconds), Pearson posted 20.17 seconds in the under 13 girls 150m, Wheeler hit 26.79m to win the under 13 girls javelin, Pughe (40.92 seconds) and Battersby (41.62 seconds) won the under 15 girls 300m A and B races, and Parker clocked 2:22.64 in the under 13 boys 800m.
TEAM RESULT: 1 Sale Harriers Manchester 666 points; 2 Preston 597; 3 Wirral 564; 4 West Cheshire 488.5; 5 Liverpool 476; 6 Blackburn 446.5; 7 Stockport 431.
FIXTURES this weekend include the second round of the Under 17 and Under 20 Youth Development Track and Field League at hosted by West Cheshire AC at Ellesmere Port Sports Village (11.15am start).
The Trafford AC Open Medal Meeting takes place on Monday, and the Wirral Seaside 5k Race takes place on Wednesday, (May 29) at Leasowe.
