Dave Evans reports:

With the Atlantic storm still a way off, the weather is working in fits and starts . Most club members journeyed to the course in drizzle and rain and the less unfortunate met with traffic problems as at least one vehicle was involved in a motorway crash less than 2 miles away from Simister.

We had 13 walkers and from the start it was clear that Tony Bell would be the target with Martin Payne on his heels for at least the outgoing section to the Heaton Park turnaround.

Unbeknown to the race organiser Manchester Council decided to build a swimming pool on the final section of the roadway in Heaton Park with a large pond of water at least calf height. Because of this Adrian Edwards, who kindly policed the park section , directed the walkers to about turn before they took the plunge.

The actual distance was nearer 4.7 kilometres hence the slightly faster final times. My thanks to Chris Bolton, centurion number 332 , Alex Rowe and Irene Pike for doing the administration work at the start and finish.

Good to see Sailash Shah back in the mix after losing 12 months with an injury which now seems to have been sorted.

As a tribute to Eric Horwill, our Life member, who very sadly passed away in early October, the club members stood for one minute’s silence at the start of the post race meeting. Our races will never be quite the same.

SCRATCH
1. Tony Bell. 30:29
2. Martin Payne 31:39
3. Roy Gunnett 33:47
4. Steven Wilde 33:54
5. Phil McCullagh 34:39
6. Glyn Jones 35:08
7. Greg Smith 35:13
8. Sailash Shah 35:19
9. Joe Hardy 36:04
10. Pat Evans 36:21
11. Ian Hilditch 39:37
12. A N Other 41:39
13.Andrea Lennon 43:12

HANDICAP
1. Andrea Lennon 26:57
2. Steven Wilde 27:09
3. Martin Payne 27:54
4. Phil McCullagh 27:54
5. Ian Hilditch 28:07
6. A N Other 28:24
7. Sailash Shah 28:34
8. Pat Evans 28:51
9. Glyn Jones 28 53
10. Tony Bell 29:09
11. Greg Smith 29:18
12. Roy Gunnett 29:22
13. Joe Hardy 29:44

As ever thanks to Greg Smith for the photos, of which there will be more in the AGM meeting summary.