Press Report: Eleven Run for County

ATHLETICS
by Dennis Wall

ELEVEN West Cheshire Athletic Club members represented their county at Nottingham on Saturday.

Emilia Pyper, Sam Oliver, Lewis Morris, Lucas Sawyer, Leon Betteridge, Claire Harris, Nia Manson, Harriet Beattie, Finlay Stewart, Heidi Wetherall, and Scott Wells all negotiated a challenging UK Inter Counties Cross Country Championships course at Wollaton Park.

Emilia was first home for the Cheshire under 17 women’s team, clocking 22 minutes 19 seconds for the 5km course and registering 172nd spot.

Sam was first home for Cheshire in the senior men’s 10km race and posted 33:40 for 106th position.

Lewis was second home for the Cheshire team in the under 17 men’s 6km race, achieving a time of 19:47 for 21st place.

Lucas and Leon were second and fourth finishers for the Cheshire team in the under 13 boys 3km race, clocking 11:28 and 12:02 for 27th and 104th positions respectively.

Claire was second home for the North Wales team in the senior women’s 8km race, clocking 34:51 for 193rd position.

Nia and Harriet finished third and fifth respectively for Cheshire in the under 15 girls 4km race with times of 18:20 and 19:16 for 231st and 277th positions.

Finlay was fifth home for Cheshire with a time of 16 minutes in the under 15 boys 4km race to register 257th spot.

Heidi was seventh home for Cheshire with a time of 14:45 and finished 280th in the under 13 girls 3km race.

And Scott was seventh Cheshire finisher with a time of 22:29 and finished 236th in the under 17 men’s 6km race.

POPPY McKENNA celebrated two personal bests at the England Athletics Under 15 Girls Indoor Pentathlon Championships in Sheffield.

Poppy negotiated the 60m hurdles in a new best of 9.86 seconds and hit 6.09m in the shot put, and added season’s bests of 1-38m in the high jump and 4.10m in the long jump, before clocking 2:41.30 for the 1000m.

LINDSAY FISHER, Jeff Gifford and Michael Young achieved podium places at the Chester 10k Road Race on Sunday.

Lindsay won the over-35 lady’s age group with a time of 38:11, while Jeff won the over-60 men’s age group in 39:25, and Michael finished second in his over-35 age category and fourth overall with 32:44.

They were supported at the event by Steve Fernyhough (eighth over-40 man in 37:23), Phil Woodley (14th over-35 man in 37:58), Mimi Jayaram (fourth senior lady in 40:08), Jake Hidden-Deveson (41:11), Kevin Eaton (41:51), Richard Hayes (11th over 55 man in 44:11), Melissa Pugh (45:44), Phil Gent (47:46), Andrew Gore (47:26), Amy Mills (49:02), Peter Kerestur (47:37), Mark Robinson (43:50), Stephen Ball (50:05), Maya Jennings (52:27), Sophia Evison (55:35), Claire Williams (53:56), Darren Shillington (58:49), Beth Duke (63:33), Alexis Ferguson (62:48), Tony Kennedy (62:28), and Mae Grant (69:21).

JACK ARNOLD and Morgan Edwards made it a one-two finish for Bishop’s Bluecoat in the year six boys race at the final round of the West Cheshire AC Schools Cross Country Race Series.

The pair finished ahead of Finley Edwards in Saturday’s fourth fixture of the annual event held at Ellesmere Port Sports Village.

Neston’s Jasmine Rogan won the year seven girls race, ahead of Alice Roberts-Page (Bishop’s Bluecoat) and Zara Evans (Bishop Heber) who finished second and third.

Hoole duo Niall Betteridge and Logan Blackburn finished first and second in the year five boys race ahead of third placed Max Molloy (Ysgol y Waen).

Abby Gamble (Guilden Sutton) won the year six girls race ahead of Polly Morait (Farndon) and Heidi Anstey (Overleigh St Marys) who were second and third.

Matthew Halsey (Our Lady of Pity) won the year five boys race ahead of Toby Honeyborne-Kelly (Abbeygate) and Arthur Jones (Kings) who were second and third.

Ivy Bowden (Tushingham) won the year five girls event ahead of second placed Arianwen Setters (Hoole) and Chloe Golightly (Oldfield) who was third.

Michael Bentley-Ryan (Acresfield) was victorious in the year four boys race ahead of runner up Oliver Purdy (Chester Bluecoat) and third placed Seb Close (Woodfall).

Lyra Allison (Whitby Heath) won the year four girls race ahead of Viola Gilligan (Upton Heath) and Eliza McKeown (Frodsham) who were second and third.

Lucas Cairns (Woodfall) won the year three boys race ahead of runner up Sidney Brennan (Frodsham) and third placed Albie Callaghan (Dee Point).

Amelie Grant (St Martins) won the year three girls event ahead of Newton duo Paisley Herriman and Emily Cocking who were second and third.

FIXTURES this weekend include the English Schools Cross Country Championships at Sefton Park, Liverpool, on Saturday; the final Sale Harriers Manchester Indoor Track and Field Open Meeting at the Regional Athletics Centre, Sportcity, Manchester, on Sunday; and the Liverpool Half Marathon and 10 Miles Races on Sunday, while the Chester Primary Schools Cross Country Races take place at Ellesmere Port Sports Village, on Monday (4.15pm start).

WEST CHESHIRE is hosting a Seniors and Masters Open Track Meeting on Saturday, April 11, at Ellesmere Port Sports Village, featuring One mile, 3,000m and 10,000m events, with the 10,000m incorporating the Northern Masters Championship.

The entry fee is £7.50 per event for track events and £10 for the 10,000m, and track events start at 10am.

The online entry link is: https://data.opentrack.run/en-gb/x/2026/GBR/throwspent-middist/

Enquiries relating to track events to: [email protected]

All competitors must be registered with a UKA affiliated club.

ENTRIES have opened for the Chester Spring Five Milers Road Race being organised by West Cheshire AC on Wednesday, April 15. The entry link is: https://wcac.niftyentries.com/Chester-Spring-5123

THE 2026 Cheshire Steeplechase Championships will be held at Warrington, on Saturday, April 18. Warrington AC have kindly offered to host the County Steeplechase Championships for Cheshire and other North West Counties at their Spring Open Meeting.

There will be races for Under 16, Under 18, Under 20 and Senior men and women. Medals will be awarded to the first three Cheshire athletes to finish in each race.

Holding a joint event with other counties will provide athletes with a great opportunity to take part in more competitive races. The closing date for entries is April 15.

Full details of the meeting can be found at: https://meets.rosterathletics.com/public/competitions/details/about?id=27996&fbclid=IwY2xjawQb45dleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETBwbExyNkJJTm8zSUJVYWd3c3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHvNqYRkjoZiDhrWVl_3Jn1XMpN3UxJ1D_WKnZVY7PizG4lSLvooBIVLRYkB8_aem_lskPt-oZhn3JkLRsPFUpHg

FIXTURES for this season’s Borders Road Running League are: March 22, (to be confirmed); April 19, Delamere Forest; May 6 (to be confirmed), Prestatyn, Relays.

FIXTURES for this year’s Cheshire Track and Field Grand Prix are: Round One, Saturday, April 25, at Macclesfield; Round Two, Sunday, May 17, at Crewe or Macclesfield; Round Three, Sunday, July 5, at Ashton Under Lyne; Round Four, Sunday, September 13, at Ellesmere Port Sports Village.

FURTHER details about West Cheshire Athletic Club can be found at: www.westcheshireac.co.uk