The first test at Helsby is walking straight past the bacon butty van after a cold and early start. No problem this year for the enthusiastic Wilmslow team who were already eyeing PBs in good running conditions.
It was a bit foggy though and as we headed off the A56 towards the first village it felt particularly cold. Tony was there at the 2 mile mark to cheer us on and I gradually fell in with a pack of runners contesting about 10th position. The first few miles were flat and rather disorientating as we zig zagged between the first 3 villages down chilly country lanes. The pace was fast however and there were bunches of enthusiastic supporters to wave at.
Around 7 miles I began to notice that my knee (that I had thought was fixed) was stiffening ominously. By the time we were climbing the long gradual hill approaching 9 miles I was beginning to lose form as the knee dragged. Suddenly I was overtaken by the leading lady with Stuart in hot pursuit. Cheered by this I tried to keep up but by the time we were into the undulations after the big hill I’d lost the flying Parrot.
The long run down Towers Lane is a great opportunity to pick up speed for an enjoyable finish. My knee however was having none of it and by the bottom it felt like I had one leg longer than the other. A queue of rivals from last year trotted past in the last mile or so including Alan Pover on his way to a great V55 time.
Stuart sprinted into the top 20 knocking over a minute off his PB and completing a remarkable comeback since his operation last year. Kate Ayres started where she left off in December – first FV45 in a strong field and yet another club record in under 1:23. Jane and Trevor Morris were just behind – again PBs and joining Ian S under 1:25. Paul Ayres extended his 2005 form posting another PB and Mike Cooper claimed a “UK PB” within touching distance of his Benidorm mark. Nicky and Steve S dead heated on the line with Nicky getting the dip. Kate Sutton I think ran a PB despite suffering with a cold. There were surely a few other PBs in the great times listed below.
All in all a great start to the season and bodes well for another Cheshire Grand Prix.
Rob Downs
19 Stuart Parrott 1:15:44 MV40 4
27 Rob Downs 1:16:54 MV40 6
110 Kate Ayres 1:23:54 FV45 1
117 Trevor morris 1:24:04 MV40 20
123 Jane Clarke 1:24:26 FV35 3
133 Ian Smallwood 1:24:57 MV40 27
154 Michael Cooper 1:26:08 MV40 38
267 Paul Ayres 1:30:17 MV45 31
274 Andrew Watts 1:30:32 MV55 14
327 Nicky mowat 1:32:28 FV45 4
326 steve smith 1:32:28 MV40 68
389 Steve Russell 1:34:31 MV45 51
423 Sean Barry 1:35:25 MS 181
561 William Staniard 1:39:05 MV40 111
586 Ian Ashcroft 1:39:52 MV60 8
605 Kate Sutton 1:40:34 FV40 19
663 Gareth Trimble 1:42:06 MS 256
708 Peter Watson 1:43:29 MV60 14
836 penny hinke 1:46:19 FV45 20
842 Rod Coombs 1:46:29 MV55 48
952 caterina marshall 1:49:07 FV35 33
953 Ken Smart 1:49:08 MV65 3
989 Trevor Faulkner 1:50:03 MV60 21
1121 Angela B Smith 1:53:39 FS 68
1182 Amanda Bradbury 1:55:21 FS 77
Full results at http://www.helsbyrun.freeuk.com/Races/HalfMarathon/results2006/index.htm
Including chip times and positions.