After 3 events in the Red Rose Cross Country league, both the under-11 girls and under-13 girls are top of their age categories. They are both ahead of Chorley in 2nd place in the series. On Saturday at Leverhulme Park the under-11s were 12 points clear of Burnley in 2nd place with Emma Bradley in 2nd place leading home Pip Nuttall and Imogen Andreassen to make up the team with 8 other girls from Horwich also competing in the same section. For the under-13s Eva Baldwin took 1st place ahead of last week’s victor, Lucy Dixon and the 3rd place in the team was taken by Isabella Merritt. The under-15 boys are 2nd in their age category and on Saturday it was Thomas Massey, Robert Seddon and Matthew Mair who did the honours in taking 2nd place on the day.

The vets made a good go of it at Leverhulme Park this weekend too with Neil Holding, Tony Hesketh and John Parker first in the V55, V65 and V75 categories respectively. The vets team of David Milliken, Neil Holding, Chris Essex-Crosby and Steve Williams took 3rd place to improve Horwich’s place in the vets series to 5th. Neil Holding then turned out the following day in the combined Preston 10 mile road race combined with the Lancashire championship, in which Neil was 17th and the 1st V55.  Doug Fleming, David Barnes, Gordon Stone and Lawrence Pinnell formed another Harriers vets team at the South East Lancs cross country fixture at Heaton Park. They didn’t do anywhere near as well and finished 13th of 13 teams. However Isaac Simmonite restored some pride for the club at Heaton Park with 2nd place in the under-15 boys race.

The runners group in the club, purporting to be beginners, meets every Tuesday and Thursday for training and a sociable scene and is increasingly fielding runners in the competitive races. Running Leader, Geoff Leech goes from strength to strength and in consecutive weeks has set new pbs for the 10k and the half marathon with a terrific ‘chip’ time of 1 hr 37 mins this weekend at the Conwy race over an undulating route. 5 women from the runners group also turned out at Radcliffe AC’s second running of the Thirteen Arches half marathon with Emily Cobb leading the group home and Gail Maxfield 2nd in her age category.

Horwich’s best parkrun performance this week was also at Leverhulme Park where Sean McMyler achieved a 76% grading in finishing 4th, one place ahead of Richard Marlton. Aleks Clayden got another 2nd place at the Queens Park junior parkrun. And back at Heaton Park on Sunday Rob Jackson was seeking a hat trick of wins at the Mo Run 10k but despite a quick time was 4th this year, taking the V50 prize. Also on Sunday the club’s junior fell coaches Tony and Brenda Hesketh organised a fun and fund raising relay up Rivington Pike in aid of Children in Need raising over £700.

Podium 5k road race (Barrowford) – 36th Nick Leigh 15:39; Red Rose XC (Leverhulme Park, Bolton) – (Ladies) 87th Emma Collings 32:18; 111th Katie Lever 35:48; (Men) 23rd David Milliken 40:38; 35th Neil Holding 42:14; 41st James Jordan 43:01; 59th Chris Essex-Crosby 44:04; 69th Steve Williams 44:38; 81st Ian Collings 45:08; 143rd Tony Hesketh 51:30; 171st John Parker 59:29; South East Lancs XC (Heaton Park) – 73rd Doug Fleming 46:42; 103rd David Barnes 49:34; 129th Lawrence Pinnell 53:00; 132nd Gordon Stone 53:40; Myprotein Preston 10 mile road race – 47th Neil Holding 01:03:12; Thirteen Arches trail ½ marathon (Radcliffe) – 309th Emily Cobb 02:18:04; 352nd Gail Maxfield 02:26:37; 353rd Linda Webb 02:26:37; 385th Kristina Mountain 02:39:50; 387th Justine Topping 02:39:53; Conwy road ½ marathon – 264th Geoff Leech 01:38:34; Mo Run 10k road race (Heaton Park) – 4th Rob Jackson 38:33;