Press report: Walls entries are going fast

ENTRIES are being snapped up for this year’s Essar Chester Round The Walls Race.

The popular festive fixture being organised by West Cheshire Athletic Club on Boxing Day from Chester Racecourse, has an entry limit of 500 runners, but more than 300 entries have already been sold.

Anyone still wanting to enter the event is being urged to quickly secure their place on the start line by following the online entry link: https://wcac.niftyentries.com/Essar-Chester-Round-The-Walls1

The race is one of the oldest in the country, with the first Boxing Day event held in 1972 and the fixture is now in its 47th year.

The event starts and finishes at the Roodee, the oldest racecourse still used in England, but this year’s route has been changed due to the Bridge gate closure.

Reigning champion, Elliot Cox, from Buckley Runners, will be aiming to defend his title, but faces tough competition once again from last year’s runner-up and 2017 champion, Leon Foster, from Leeds City AC, as well as Jez Brown (Buckley Runners) who finished third last year.

Sarah Hunter, from Ackworth Road Runners, who finished runner-up in the women’s race last year, will be attempting to go one better this time round after finishing behind reigning champion Carol Parsons (Ellesmere Port Running Club).

Volunteers are needed on Boxing Day to help make the race another success. Anyone wanting to help should contact Dennis Wall by emailing: [email protected]

JOSEPH MORRISON maintained his impressive form with a victory at the Abergele Five Miles Road Race.

The West Cheshire AC teenager won the under 20 men’s title and finished third overall with a time of 26 minutes 33 seconds.

Joseph’s brother, Paul, finished second in a time of 20:25 at Saturday morning’s Ellesmere Port 5k Park Run, ahead of West Cheshire AC team mates Rob Freeman (23:55), Julian Tegg (26:27), Darren Shillington (26:27), Alex Duffey (28:37), and Georgina Duffey (28:57).

Andrew Clague (19:33) was West Cheshire AC’s first finisher at the Chester 5k parkrun, ahead of team mates Sammy Hollins (19:53), Jessica Lark (20:41), David Irving (20:57), Mark Gallagher (27:26), Sharon Dodd (27:30), and Brian Beattie (30:21).

Graham Wells, of West Cheshire AC, was third at the Delamere 5k parkrun in a time of 19:18, ahead of Clare Mallon (23:45).

THE Ellesmere Port Sports Village Athletics Track will be closed from Monday 11th November for five days to remove moss and clean the track. West Cheshire AC track training sessions on Tuesday, 12th November, and Thursday, 14th November, will be cancelled. But the Club has use of the whole Ellesmere Port Sports Village Sports Hall on Tuesday, 12th November, between 7-8pm and members wanting to train indoors are being requested to register in the corridor outside the sportshall at 6.45pm.

FIXTURES this weekend include the second round of the Manchester Area Cross Country League on Saturday at Manchester University Playing Fields/Kenworthy Woods, Willenhall Road, Wythenshawe, Manchester, M23 0BD. The timetable is: 12 noon: Under 11 Girls and Under 11 Boys; 12.15pm: Under 13 Girls and Under 13 Boys; 12.30pm: Under 15 Girls and Under 15 Boys; 12.50pm: Under 17 Ladies and Under 17 Men; 1.30pm: Senior, Under 20 and Veteran Women; 2.30pm: Senior, Under 20 and Veteran Men.

West Cheshire AC will host the second round of the North West Indoor Sportshall Athletics League at Ellesmere Port Sports Village this Sunday (12.30pm start).

WEST CHESHIRE AC will hold it’s EGM and AGM on Friday, 29th November, at the Ellesmere Port Sports Village Athletics Trackside Community Room, (7.30pm start).

ENTRIES close on Friday, 15th November, for the UK Cross Country Challenge at Sefton Park, Croxteth Drive, Liverpool, L17 3AL, taking place on 23rd November.

Start Times – 10.45am: Under 11 Boys (2000m), 10.55am: Under 11 Girls (2000m), 11.05am: Under 13 Girls (3000m), 11.20am: Under 13 Boys (3000m), 11.35am: Under 15 Boys (3000m), 11.50am: Under 15 Girls (3000m), 12.05pm: Under 17 and 20 Women (4400m), 12.25pm: Under 17 Men (5500m), 12.45pm: Under 20 Men (6700m), 1.05pm: Senior Women (8100m), 2.05pm: Senior Men (9800m).

The link for entries is at: https://www.uka.org.uk/competitions/the-british-athletics-cross-challenge/