Dave Evans reports:

Quite a number of the usual club and guest walkers were absent from today’s event with injury, holidays and family concerns. The rain held off and the seven aspirants face the starter with an hour of racewalking ahead of them. Newcomer Ian Corless, a respondee to Greg’s “Come and join” us poster lined up with regulars and given he has no experience in the sport walked extremely well displaying good discipline throughout save for some over enthusiasm in the final laps. Martin Payne showed how his underlying long distance stamina proved beneficial on this occasion with Greg Smith taking “time out” on route, losing him half a lap or more. A review of the lap times proved how consistent everyone was with very little variation in their lap times.

Results(400 metre times on each lap)

1. Martin Payne (2:56,2:56,2:54,2:55,2:54,2:54,2:56,2:53,2:57,2:55,2:54,2:48,2:50,2:51,2:49,2:44,2:49,2:52,2:44,2:47,2:42). 8404 metres
2. Greg Smith
   (2:57,2:56,2:54,2:55,2:54,2:54,2:55,2:54,2:56,2:56,2:54,2:48,3:43,2:53,2:55,2:56,2:53,2:57,2:57,2:54). 8141 metres
3. Joe Hardy
   (3:03,3:11,3:11,3:11,3:11,3:13,3:10,3:13,3:14,3:14,3:13,3:16,3:16,3:18,3:19,3:19,3:19,3:18)
   7828 metres
4. Dave Hoben
   (3:12,3:13,3:12,3:12,3:12,3:11,3:11,3:14,3:11,3:12,3:13,3:14,3:11,3:09,3:13,3:13,3:12,3:17)
   7487 metres
5. Pat Evans
   (3:17,3:16,3:16, 3:15, 3:16,3:19,3:17,3:16,3:15,3:18,3:16,3:17,3:16,3:16,3:16,3:15,3:13,3:11)
   7350 metres
6. Ian Corless (3:28,3:28,3:28,3:22,3:21,3:20,3:18,3:22,3:23,3:22,3:19,3:18,3:20,3:19,3:22,3:12,3:11)
   7208 metres
7. Andrea Lennon (3:37,3:37,3:39,3:36,3:34,3:36,3:39,3:39,3:42,3:41,3:41,3:39,3:41,3:40,3:37,3:48)
   6755 metres

Greg Smith, the photographer, would like to thank everyone who helped on the day.

Julian’s funeral was a moving and revealing experience. He was a much-loved, respected and many-sided character as illustrated by the diversity of those in attendance – from primary school and university friends to Liverpool Harriers to a band of lounging physicists. Last but not least representation from our club and beyond was witness to his standing in the world of race walking, a former National Events coach and formidable competitor in his own right. Dave Evans, Roy Gunnett, Greg Smith, Chris Harvey, Tony Malone and myself formed a Lancashire contingent, whilst renowned GB internationals Roger Mills and Mark Easton marked his impact on our sport across borders.

Hopefully, in the coming months I will trace in more detail Julian’s career in our sport and revisit afresh his pioneering and oft controversial perspective.