Last Sunday the British Masters 5 kilometres road championship was revived in what had become its home, the Lancashire town of Horwich. Due in no small measure to the sterling efforts of Adrian Edwards and Eric Horwill, the renaissance was dubbed a great success by competitors, officials and spectators alike. The facilities were excellent and the lap course on paths near to the Bolton Wanderers ground deemed to be very satisfactory. As you might hope, given the geography of the venue our club was well represented on and off the field, so to speak. So too, Zeus, the Greek god of weather smiled upon the afternoon’s exploits. I did have a word with him.

Horwich 5k Race Walk – incorporating BMAF 5k Road Walk Championship

WOMEN

1 Grazia Manzotti (1W50) time 28.15mins, age graded 82.1%
2 Melanie Peddle (2W50) 28.43mins, 80.7%
3 Carolyn Derbyshire (1W45) 29.37mins, 72.8%
4 Penelope Cummings (2W45) 31.25mins, 69.2%
5 Julie Bellfield (3W50) 33.10mins, 70%
6 Helen Elleker (1W65) 34.02mins 79.3%
7 Lynn Bellfield (1W55) 35.34mins 67.9%
8 Noel Blatchford (1W75) 35.54mins 85%
9 Ann Wheeler (2W65) 35.58mins 76.1%
10 Andrea Lennon (1W80) 43.26mins 77%

MEN

1 John Laste (1M60) 27.48mins 81.5%
2 Ian Richards (1M75) 28.53mins 92.5%
3 Matt Henney (1M50) 29.25mins 70.9%
4 Steve Uttley (1M65) 29.50mins 80.1%
5 Hardeep Minhas (2M65) 31.25mins 75.2%
6 Tony Bell (2M60) 32.39mins 68.7%
7 Ian Torode (3M65) 33.12mins 72.8%
8 Sean McMullin (2M75) 34.01mins 80.9%
9 Roy Gunnett (3M75) 35.30mins 76.4%
10 Ray Robinson (1M45) 36.19mins 55.9%
11 Greg Smith (1M70) 36.27mins 69.5%
12 Sailash Shah (1M55) 36.34mins 60.8%
13 Tony Malone (2M70) 36.37mins 70.1%
14 Nigel Gates (3M70) 36.56mins 68.5%
15 John Crahan (4M70) 37.04mins 71.1%
16 Joe Hardy (4M75) 37.12mins 76%
17 Ian Hilditch (1M80) 37.14mins 80%
18 Julien Rosen (3M60) 39.07mins 58.5%

19 Guy Goodair (1M85) 45.16mins 71.6%
20 Edmund Shilabeer (2M80) 45.52 mins 66.8%

Age Graded %

England Ladies;
Blatchford 85%
Manzotti 82.1%
Peddle 80.7%
Total 247.8

England Men
Richards 92.5%
Uttley 80.1%
Hilditch80%
Total 252.6%

Ireland Men
Laste 81.5%
McMullin 80.9%
Malone 70.1%
Total 232.5%

Top 3 age-graded performers:- Richards, Blatchford, Manzotti (all England).

And, to end Part One on a humorous note from Dave Ainsworth, himself a former Bolton resident, a photo of the evergreen Edmund Shilabeer in front of the statue honouring the legendary Nat Lofthouse. my idol when but a youth. In the early 70s I used to travel to any midweek match at Burnden Park on the number 82 bus from Leigh to Bolton in my tracksuit. Then at 9.15 p.m. I would run or race walk the 15 kilometres return, wending my way in the early stages through the excited or sulky homegoing crowds. I had to get the miles in.

Thanks to Greg Smith for the photos. More to come plus action shots in Part Two