Lostock members have busy week of fell-running action

Lostock AC’s members had a busy week as two races from the club championship fell in the same week.

The first was the Pete Hartley Memorial Fell Race, starting at Marl Pitts Leisure centre, in Rossendale. Te race climbs up some muddy bankings to the moors and gradually over moorland and farm fields until reaching the summit of Liver Hill.

The race returns the same way to the finish with the ground wet and extremely muddy, resulting in slower race times overall.

The race covered 4.3 miles and an elevation gain of 820 feet.

Tony Marlow had a storming run to finish first Lostocker in 48mins 52secs, followed by Mark Shuttleworth, in 51:43. Next home, and first Lostock lady, was Nikki Morrison, in 54:07, who was sixth lady overall and also second in her age category.

Rachel Hancock followed in 58:03 with a good consistent run to win her age category, while the final Lostocker to finish was Josie Greenhalgh, who was recovering from injury, in 1:05:23.

The next outing was the Pendle Fell Race, covering 4.5 miles and a dizzying elevation gain of 1,499 feet.

The race started at Barley village hall, before runners head up the lane for half a mile then turn off through muddy farmland up on to the moors.

The Lostockers started together at a sedate pace but were soon spread out along the road. The route climbs steadily uphill and short of the summit, it drops off the side along a path almost to the foot of Big End on the Barley side.

The route then goes sharply up the hillside to the trig point. There was a strong headwind that took the runners breath away and every step took a massive effort.

Greenhalgh was the first Lostocker to cross the finish line in 52:09 securing third in her age category, followed by Shuttleworth (52:55), Hancock (57:51) and Mark Checkley (1:13:00).

On the roads, Johanna McManus and Rachel Stevens competed in the Race to the Castle 10k, in Manchester.

This is a beautiful 10k in which competitors run along the River Lune towards Lancaster Castle. The route is mostly flat, but the hill up to the castle is extremely steep with most participants opting to walk up the hill (and steps) to save their energy for the run back down.

It was a beautiful, sunny spring day but there was still the remnants of Storm Kathleen, making some of the flatter parts tough with participants running into the wind.

Despite recovering from illness, McManus had a fantastic run, completing the 10k in 50:15 and achieving second in her age category, while Stevens followed in 55:08.

Lostock AC members headed to Haigh Woodland Parkrun to celebrate member, Andy Laycock’s 250th parkrun.

He was the first Lostocker to cross the finish line in 23:40, followed by Chris Barker (24:04), Nikki Hamerton (24:28 - first in age category), Brian Halton (24:45 - second in age category), Ian Johnson (25:30), Greg Kilshaw (26:54), Janet Rhodes (27:19 - second in age category), Bev Atherton-McKenna (27:51 - second in age category), Rachel Stevens (28:33), Katie Edern (29:13), Ian Burns (30:04) and Karen Taylor (33:18).

Other parkrun results: Bolton - Tony Maxwell 27:44 (second in age category), Sheila Garewal 32:14 (first in age category), Rachel Hancock 39:36.