Well done to all who took part in the opening round of the West Cheshire AC Schools’ Cross-country Series at Ellesmere Port Sports Village on Saturday October 17th 2026. Provisional results are available near the bottom of the Off-road page of the club website.

ATHLETICS
by Dennis Wall

A TOTAL of 183 youngsters took part in Saturday’s opening round of the West Cheshire AC Schools Cross Country Race Series held at Ellesmere Port Sports Village.
Thea Sheppard (Woodlands) celebrated success in the year three girls race ahead of Lucy Howard (Willaston) and Madison Wright (Whitby Heath) who were second and third respectively.
Henry Cooper (Acresfield) won the year three boys race ahead of runner-up Albie Potter (Christleton), and third placed Louis Bettley (Sandiway).
Emily Cocking (Newton) delivered a victory in the year four girls race ahead of Martha Oats (Tushingham) and Sophia Webber (Meadow) who were second and third respectively.
Lucas Cairns (Woodfall) finished 16 seconds ahead of runner up Theo Huddart (St Martins Academy) and third placed Finley Lambourne (Woodfall) in the year four boys race.
Lyra Allison (Whitby Heath) won the year five girls race ahead of Tarporley’s Sofia Watson and Newton’s Anna Taylor who were second and third respectively.
Oliver Davis (Ysgol y Ffynnon) grabbed glory in the year five boys race ahead of Seb Close (Woodfall) and third placed Oliver Purdy (Chester Bluecoat).
Arianwen Setters (Hoole) won the year six girls race ahead of runner up Ivy Bowden (Tushingham) and third placed Chloe Golightly (Oldfield).
Toby Honeyborne-Kelly (Abbeygate) celebrated victory in the year six boys race ahead of King’s duo Arthur Jones and Maximillian Williams who were second and third respectively.
Anna Dooley (Wirral Grammar) won the year seven girls race ahead of Hermione Allison (West Kirby) and Rebecca Cain (Whitby High) who were second and third respectively.
Logan Blackburn (Upton High) won the year seven boys race ahead of Christleton pair Hamish Robinson and Stanley Whitehart who were second and third respectively.
Zara Evans (Bishop Heber) won the year eight girls race in front of Maisy Roberts-Page (Bishop’s Bluecoat) and Isla Lambert (Queens Park High) who were second and third respectively.
Morgan Edwards (Bishop’s Bluecoat) won the year eight boys race ahead of Christleton duo Joseph Whitehart and Blair Easton who were second and third respectively.

WEST CHESHIRE were represented for the first time at the Northern Athletics Cross Country Relay Championships held at Graves Park, Sheffield.
Joseph Morrison (10:18), Sam Oliver (10:54), Henry Robinson (11:54) and Paul Morrison (12:17) combined for the senior men who finished 15th out of 53 teams.
Nia Manson (8:36), Amelia Snowden (8:42), and Florence Hain (9:47) were 27th out of 37 teams in the under 16 girls race.
And Emma Nutt (13:50), Anest Muller (16:07) and Lis Oats (17:44) combined to achieve 35th spot out of 46 teams in the senior women’s race.

JACK ARNOLD finished third in the under 14 boys race at the second round of the North Staffs Cross Country League, held at Stafford Common, where Jeff Gifford finished 80th in the senior men’s race.

FIXTURES this weekend include the British Masters Open Cross Country Relay Championships, at Oxford, on Saturday; and a Run-Jump-Throw Open Indoor Athletics Competition on Saturday, at Deeside College, Connah’s Quay.

THIS season’s Cheshire Clubs’ Cross Country Championships will be held at Kelsall Hill Equestrian Centre, on Saturday, January 9.
ENTRIES are now open for the Manchester Indoor Open Track and Field Meetings being held on Sundays, January 24, February 7, February 28, and March 28. Further details: https://www.saleharriersmanchester.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/SaleHarriers-Indoors-Entry-Form-2026-27-3.pdf

THE Northern Cross Country Championships will be held at Witton Park, Blackburn, on Saturday, January 23, while the English Cross Country Association National Championships, will be held at Thoresby Park, Ollerton, Nottinghamshire, on Saturday, February 20, and the UK Inter Counties Cross Country Championships and Cross Challenge Final, will be held at Nottingham, on Saturday, March 13.

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

ATHLETICS
by Dennis Wall

WEST CHESHIRE Athletic Club’s David Shearer ran a personal best of 2:39:36 to finish fifth at the recent Galway Bay Marathon, shaving 12 seconds from the club’s over-40 men’s record that had stood since 2004.

Sarah Hunter recorded a time of 2:45:00 in Sunday’s Chicago Marathon, to finish 51st in her over-35 age group. Sarah was joined in Chicago by club mate, Brian Cremin, who registered a new personal best of 3:21:29.

Dave also posted 3:17:50 in full Highland dress at Sunday’s Chester Marathon, where Steve Fernyhough was the club’s first finisher, clocking 3:05:13 for 35th spot in his over 45 age category. Other club members to complete the 26.2 miles course included Harvey Tegg (3:13:39), Kevin Eaton (3:27:40), Jake Hidden Deveson (3:46:08), Rob Little (3:53:45), and Andy Gore (4:38:30).

Jack Gannon finished sixth in his over 35 age group and 12th overall in the Chester Metric Marathon with a time of 1:39:54.
He was backed up by club mates Matthew Douglass (fourth senior man and 14th overall in 1:41:04), Sallyann Harper (fourth over 50 lady in 2:15:37), Peter Kerestur (2:16:12), Amy Mills (14th over 40 lady in 2:21:35), and Melissa Pughe (2:34:18).

FIXTURES the first round of the West Cheshire AC Schools Cross Country Race Series on Saturday, at Ellesmere Port Sports Village (10am start), with other fixtures taking place on Saturdays, November 28, January 30, and March 6.

THIS season’s Cheshire Clubs’ Cross Country Championships will be held at Kelsall Hill Equestrian Centre, on Saturday, January 9.
ENTRIES are now open for the Manchester Indoor Open Track and Field Meetings being held on Sundays, January 24, February 7, February 28, and March 28. Further details: https://www.saleharriersmanchester.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/SaleHarriers-Indoors-Entry-Form-2026-27-3.pdf

THE English Cross Country Association National Championships, will be held at Thoresby Park, Ollerton, Nottinghamshire, on Saturday, February 20, and the UK Inter Counties Cross Country Championships and Cross Challenge Final, will be held at Nottingham, on Saturday, March 13.

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

LEWIS MORRIS (eighth in 38:58), Scott Wells (11th in 40:01), and Noah Woolgar (15th in 44:11) combined for third team spot in the under 20 men’s race at the opening round of the Manchester Area Cross Country League, on Saturday, at Woodbank Park, Stockport.
And they contributed to the men’s 15th team position which featured Matthew Hughes (37:17), Graham Wells (42:04), and Paul Morrison (43:53).
Finley Stewart secured 10th spot in the under 16 boys race with a time of 18:29, while Nia Manson (16th in 21:54) and Beth Jones (62nd in 28:44) completed the under 16 girls race.
Jack Arnold (14th in 15:10), Joseph Whitehart (32nd in 16:23), Daniel Kuzia (44th in 17:14), and Stanley Whitehart (57th in 18:05) combined for ninth team spot in the under 14 boys race.
Emma Nutt (16th senior lady in 36:25) and Anest Muller (22nd over 45 lady in 39:37) completed the women’s race.
And Sam Arnold (39th in 13:12) and Arianwen Setters (45th in 14:37) rounded the under 12 boys and girls races respectively.  

ATHLETICS
by Dennis Wall

LEWIS MORRIS celebrated success at Sunday’s opening round of the Borders Road Running League.
The West Cheshire Athletic Club teenager clocked 28 minutes 16 seconds for the testing 8.5km course at Llandegla.
Lewis finished 25 seconds clear of his nearest challenger and was backed up by club mates Matthew Douglass (14th in 31:18), Scott Wells (35th in 33:28), Graham Wells (55th in 35:11), Paul Morrison (57th in 35:16), Tony Kennedy (194th in 52:45), Neil Field (211th in 62:56), and Dave Tiernan (212th in 63:04).

Claire Harris headed the club’s women home, finishing 15th in 39:59, supported by team mates Emma Nutt (16th in 40:06), Sallyann Harper (39th in 43:42), Joy Hickman (51st in 44:57), and Amy Mills (67th in 46:56).

The next round will take place at Birkenhead Park, on Sunday, November 1, (11am start).

FINLAY STEWART secured third spot in the under 16 boys race at Saturday’s opening round of the North Wales Cross Country League held at St Asaph.

Nia Manson (fourth in 17:52), Rosie Grimsditch (seventh in 18:54), and Florence Hain (14th in 21:13) combined for the under 16 girls.

Ivy Bowden (fourth in 9:26), was backed up in the under 12 girls race by Chloe Golightly (13th in 10:44) and Mia Rees (17th in 11:28).

Jack Arnold (fifth in 10:17) and Morgan Edwards (eighth in 10:40) completed the under 14 boys event.
Arthur Jones (eighth in 8:35), Sam Arnold (18th in 9:23), Toby Honeyborne-Kelly (20th in 9:45), and Logan Lambert (24th) combined for the under 12 boys.Emilia Hughes (12th in 14:23) and Isla Lambert (13th in 16:22) completed the under 14 girls race.
Emma Nutt (26th in 28:35), Anest Muller (42nd in 30:35), Ellie Robinson (45th in 30:42), and Joy Hickman (59th in 32:10) combined for West Cheshire ladies.

George Grimsditch completed the under 18 men’s course in 29:25 for 13th position.

And Paul Morrison (32nd in 32:27) and Andrew Clague (60th in 36:06) combined in the men’s race.

The next round will be held at Eirias Park, Colwyn Bay, on Saturday, October 31.

FIXTURES this weekend include the opening round of the Manchester Area Cross Country League, on Saturday, at Woodbank Park, Stockport, and the Chester Marathon on Sunday.

THE West Cheshire AC Schools Cross Country Race Series starts on Saturday, October 17, at Ellesmere Port Sports Village (10am
start), with other fixtures taking place on Saturdays, November 28, January 30, and March 6.

THIS season’s Cheshire Clubs’ Cross Country Championships will be held at Kelsall Hill Equestrian Centre, on Saturday, January 9. West Cheshire AC entries will be via the club.

ENTRIES are now open for the Manchester Indoor Open Track and Field Meetings being held on Sundays, January 24, February 7, February 28, and March 28. Further details: https://www.saleharriersmanchester.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/SaleHarriers-Indoors-Entry-Form-2026-27-3.pdf


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

The provisional* top placings at the end of the 2025-26 Endurance League could hardly have been closer, with the men’s event resulting in a three-way tie between Jeff Gifford and past winners Andrew Clague and Paul Morrison. Joy Hickman finished two points clear of Emma Nutt in the women’s competition, with Anest Muller clear in 3rd.

See the Races page for full tables. *Please address any queries to [email protected].