John Driscoll has been awarded for his services to athletics.The West Cheshire AC vice-president was presented with the John Young Memorial Award at the recent Cheshire County Track and Field Championships.
Driscoll, who lives in Little Sutton, has enjoyed athletics since he was nine years old after a running session was hastily arranged following the cancellation of a football match due to a wet field.
And he admitted he had been surprised and extremely pleased to receive the award: The presentation at this years county track and field championships came as a total surprise.
The award means a great deal to me because I knew John Young for many years and I looked up to him as my mentor.
Driscoll remembers training on a new cinder track in his home town of Bedford and participating in cross country races while at Manchester University between 1960 and 1966.
Contemporaries’ during his time at Manchester included Ron Hill and John Whetton, and he went on to join Salford Harriers in 1966.
Driscoll moved to Ellesmere Port in March 1967, but continued running for Salford until 1976 before attending an inaugural meeting of Chester and District Athletic Club in October 1967.
He joined Chester and Ellesmere Port Athletic Club in October 1967 and has since played an instrumental role within West Cheshire Athletic Club having been part of the working group connected with the Stanney Athletics Track between 1999 and 2004.
Driscoll helped found the current Cheshire County Athletic Association in 1992 and chaired the county athletics commttee between 2004 and 2006.
He continues to compile road running statistics for Cheshire club members and was named president of Northern Athletics two years ago.
View picture at https://www.westcheshireac.co.uk/images/usrimg/johnDriscoll.jpg

To get to Stanney Track approach along Stanney Lane (B5132) from the direction of Ellesmere Port.
If you normally use Junction 10 off the M53 stay on the A5117 to the roundabout at the A5032 junction, turn right for Ellesmere Port. At the traffic lights by the Woodland Pub (opposite Whitby School) turn right into Woodland Road, this becomes Underwood Drive and finishes at a T junction with Stanney Lane, turn right.

Before Dover Drive (which is on the left before the normal right turn to access the track) turn right near to the Pelican Crossing into the car park in front of the school.

West Cheshire AC member Alex Staniforth has been given the honour of carrying the Olympic torch in Chester on Tuesday May 29th.At approximately 6:10pm, Alex will run from Handbridge, over the Old Dee Bridge, along The Groves beside the River Dee, to Souters Lane. Feel free to support Alex on his run. On the same night, BBC1 North West Tonight will show an interview with Alex. For more details of his nomination, see
http://www.handbridge.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=436:alex-chosen-to-carry-olympic-torch-through-handbridge&catid=1:latest-news&Itemid=378
Two days later, local athletics stalwart Joe Beswick, of Helsby Running Club, will carry the torch in Macclesfield – see http://helsbyrunningclub.wordpress.com/2012/05/17/joes-olympic-torch-run-may-31st-details-and-route/ for details.

Five West Cheshire AC members have experienced the thrill of competing at the Olympic Stadium in London.
Olivia Montez-Brown and Kelly Baker both produced bronze medal performances at the UK School Games staged in the capital.
Olivia, a pupil at Ellesmere Port Catholic High School, achieved third spot in the triple jump with 11.30m, while Bishops Bluecoat student Kelly hit 11.51m in the shot for a place on the podium.
Tom Booth, Bryony Potter and Emily Clarke also travelled to London to compete in the British Universities and Colleges Track and Field Championships.
Tom, a student at Central Lancashire University, posted 60.96 seconds for seventh place in his 400m hurdles heat, and 5.15m in the long jump for 19th spot.
Bryony, representing Durham University, clocked 61.21 seconds for fifth place in her 400m heat.
And Emily, competing for Keele University, achieved eighth place in the triple jump with 10.48m, and 4.65m in the long jump for 17th position.

Due to County Championships at Warrington

A busy month of races means that Mark Davies and Julie Wood are spearheading the points table as at the end of April. See https://www.westcheshireac.co.uk/roadracing/pointscomp

Come to the Cheshire Athletics Network Off-road Day, Delamere Forest, Sunday May 27th 2012. See https://www.westcheshireac.co.uk/docs/load.php?id=1580

Down load report https://www.westcheshireac.co.uk/docs/load.php?id=1577

Falésia 5 2012 results (Tuesday Marxh 13th) are available via https://www.westcheshireac.co.uk/archive

For standings as at end of March 2012, see https://www.westcheshireac.co.uk/roadracing/pointscomp