Athletics: John Hunt sees Wirral land medal quarry in fell run

Mar 27 2008 Liverpool Daily Post

JOHN HUNT led Wirral AC to their first Merseyside Fell Running Championships when he took the individual crown and led team-mates Steve Spence (fourth) and John Paul Seymour (eighth) to a three-point victory over defending champions St Helens-Sutton in the Rivington Pike Race at Horwich.

The Saints had their revenge in the women’s event, winning their third successive team title thanks to Julie Finn (third), Karen Jarvis (fourth) and Louise Hogg (fifth). The individual title was won by Liz Farhall (Spectrum) ahead of Liverpool’s Sarah Jackson.

In the men’s race Alan Ashton (Liverpool) took the silver medal with Tony Smith (St Helens-Sutton) third.

SouthportWaterloo AC were the third team in the men’s race, Brian Davey making up for his disappointment at missing a Merseyside medal by winning the over-50 prize in the open race.

The previous day Ashton had been fourth in the Good Friday four-mile race at Victoria Park, Southport, Liverpool club-mates Simon McEvitt and Steve Freeman also grabbing top 10 places.

Rachel Jones (Salford) won the women’s race, Tracy Peters from the host club just edging out Julia Eccleston for sixth place as the first Merseysider to finish.

At the Halton Bridge Race Liverpool’s Luke Reddy and Rob Dewhirst were separated by Paul Sankey (LRC) while Jenny Clague and Amy Glen were split by St Helens-Sutton’s Gemma Connolly. Liverpool won both team races. Husband and wife team Colin and Marian Martin from Spectrum Striders won the over 55 and over-45 age group awards respectively.

Joan West (Mossley Hill) and Dorothy Fairhurst (St Helens-Sutton) took the over-60 and 65 age group awards.

Further afield the Liverpool quartet of Johnny Mellor, John McCole, Adam Peers and James Meldrum competed in the annual Easter Festival of Running in the Isle of Man.

The programme included a 10k road run, the Peel Hill race and a 4x5k relay which the team took on aggregate over the course of the three-day festival.

Katrina Thompson (Liverpool) has been chosen as the outstanding under-15 female athlete of the year by England Athletics following her undefeated record in 2007.

Sunday’s main event is the Wilmslow Half Marathon which has maintained its reputation as the best 13.1 race in the North West with the race closed to entries some time ago.

Other races in the North West include 10k road runs at Burnley and Blackpool and a Trail race at Moses Gate in Bolton.

David Forrester (St Helens-Sutton) takes on the best in the world when he represents Great Britain and Northern Ireland in the World Junior Cross Country Championships in Edinburgh.

There is a track meeting scheduled for Robin Park, Wigan on Sunday with an 11am start for field events and a noon opening for the track contests.