Horwich Harriers members took on the Hayfield Championship and its interestingly-named races.
Comprising the best four from 10 races around the village of Hayfield in the High Peak, competitors can choose from races such as Groovy Baby Love, Chickens Run and Lamb’s Longer Leg.
Two of Horwich’s stalwart fell runners, Luke Foley and Nick Leigh, took on the Kinder Trog - one of the long leggers in the series. The Trog runs an extended loop around the Kinder Reservoir along the Hayfield skyline, the spiritual home of dark peak fell running.
The 25km and 900m of climb takes runners on a variety of terrain, much of the race being on rocky trails. Foley finished an impressive sixth in 2hrs 2mins 21secs, with Leigh ninth and second Vet 45 (2:10:16) in what would prove to be an incredibly close finish with third Vet 45 a second behind at the line.
Summertime is associated with the appropriately named Sale Sizzler series for a rapid blast around Wythenshawe Park, starting and finishing at the park’s track before two loops through the park. It is a notoriously quick race with a course record of 14:25 and in the second of the four races, first Harrier back was Marcus Taylor in 18:49 as 12th Vet 50, closely followed by Colin Rigby, in 18:53 as fifth Vet 55, and Jason Middleton, in 26:53 (20th Vet 55).
At Leigh Sports Village there was a day of action at the 2024 Northern Masters Track and Field Championship. Club 5k stalwart Rob Jackson was glutton for punishment as the only V55 to enter the 800m, 1500m and 3,000m races taking home two silvers and bronze medals in the process.
Last weekend a troop of Harriers juniors crossed the border into North Wales for the final race in the English Junior Fell Running Championship Series, the Clwydian Hills.
Individual Series results: Under-13s - Maddison Wilkinson 23rd, Leo Orrell 23rd, Harry O’Connor 34th, Benjamin Higgin 36th; U15s - Kitty Crossland ninth, Sophie Orrell 27th, Harry Yates 27th; U17s - Grace Mort 15th, Mark Titus 14th.
Soon-to-be-senior Charlotte Wilkinson had a strong season only to be pipped from a podium place and finished in a commendable fourth place in the U19 girls.
In parkrun, Paul Kaye was 45th (22:21) at Rushcliffe, while at her favoured Haigh Hall, Gillian Smith was 165th (35:22) and club runner Julian Goudge won the race in 18:38.
Brendan Bollard was at Morecambe and finished 130th in 27:04, while the Pinnells, Lazurus and Heather, were 37th and 38th at Sutton Manor.
Not content with his midweek master running, Rob Jackson was back to Peel to take his obligatory first Vet 55 position in 18:22 (ninth overall). Also at Peel, club legend Tony Hesketh was 273rd in 27:57.
Vet 45 Richard Pollitt travelled to the historic Cinder Track in the Esk Valley which crosses the iconic Whitby Viaduct and finished an excellent third overall in a sub-18 (17:49) and first Vet 45.
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