Message from Dave Ainsworth

G o o d  n e w s  – In his 3rd race back after nearly 3 years out – now with 1 kidney and undergoing chemotherapy.   Well done to Steve!

And I’ve checked with Steve, a staunch LWC member back in the day, if it’s OK to reproduce this letter from Sunday, September 15th

Hi –  I managed to win the BMAF Over 65 title yesterday in 31-26, which is okay considering I’ve just taken a year off!. I was 4th overall in the combined race won by Carolyn Derbyshire in 28-47. I beat Hardeep Singh and Trevor Dixon. A few people missing in my age group though, including Stuart. I beat the over 60, Martin Slevin as well. The Over 75 Peter Boszko beat me though by a couple of seconds.

Not sure if I’ll get round 10k at the moment as I was pretty tired.  I think I’ll have to avoid warming up to save energy.

Thanks to Tony Malone’s meticulous record of races through the 1970s, I think I’ve traced Steve’s first race up North. It was a Stretford Track League 5,000 metres held on July 22nd, 1975. Steve wearing the colours of Oldham and Royton AC [a tale in itself?], very much a novice, was 9th in 28:29. Ahead of him was a quartet of familiar names, Taylor 22:30. Malone 23:03 [a pb at the time], Harvey 23:15 [in the early days of his illustrious career] and Hopkins 23:39 [later the RWA National Coach]. A month later, still in Oldham colours, Steve improved to 27:24 and by September now in a LWC vest he clocked a personal best of 15:30 for 3,000 metres. Much more was to come and Steve was to return South – not sure when? I need to do more detective work!

Whatever, I know everyone at our club will be pleased to see Steve back in action and will want to wish him the very best for the future.