Horwich’s George Martindale is the new Ironman Uk champion.
Martindale helped start the current run of race wins by Harriers’ members by winning the Horwich Triathlon in April.
In winning the Ironman UK event, he has taken that run to 11 consecutive weeks.
It is also another big step up for Martindale who will now be looking at the opportunity he will have on a world stage for more successes, including qualification for the World Championship in Hawaii.
The news of his progress and success was keenly followed on social media by Horwich’s two squads of junior athletes and their support teams in the Howgills for the final 2022 round of the FRA junior fell championships and at Witton Park in Blackburn where Horwich hosted the latest fixture in the Youth Development League.
At the Howgills, Isaac Battye achieved his first ever win in an FRA English Junior Fell Running championship race, something he has been steadily building up to and that is a real example to younger athletes about how to build performances.
There were 12 Harriers at the event, all giving their best in heavy showers.
Louis Yates, as an under-nine, has only just started his fell career but is already impressing and this week was third in his age group.
Meanwhile, at Witton Park, there were another 24 young Harriers for the YDL match where there were some fine performances with wins for Joel Ige (75m, 150m and long jump), Seb Smallridge (shot), Sophie McCaffery (javelin), Emily Tweddle (100m, 200m), Ilyana Garin (high jump), Alistair Sharrock (100m, 200m), Harrison Stokes (3,000m, 80m hurdles) and Ryan McCaffery (high jump, shot).
But it was a great team performance epitomised by the 100m relay wins for both the u15 girls and boys.
In the club competition, it was a close thing as Horwich were third with 324 points, within 15 points of Border Harriers and East Cheshire and Tameside AC.
The other seniors had a less busy week than usual.
Danny Hope, usually found on the fells, turned in a great result in the JLL Property Triathlon at Dorney Lake, near Eton, by finishing eighth out of 770 finishers and first M40.
James Scott-Farrington often specialises in triathlon but this week was fourth at the competitive Airport City Sale Sizzler 5k with a super time of 15mins 14secs.
Joe Mercer was fourth, Simon Bruton 24th and Gareth Webb was first V65 with a time of 19:47 that should earn him a UK top-20 ranking in his age category.
On the fells Dan Gilbert was eighth at the Heptonstall Festival race.
In parkrun, Richard Pollitt was first home at the Brickfields, Dublin event.
Rob Jackson is now a parkrun tourist having run his second-ever parkrun at Peel Park, where he was sixth and first M55.
At Heaton Park, Rob Seddon was also sixth and first u20, while at Worsley Woods it was a race of the vets as Gordon Stone pipped Tony Hesketh by one second, with the latter giving away a few years to Stone.
At the same venue, Steve Jackson got his fastest 5k time since returning from heart and knee surgery.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here