Burnden Race Report - 12th October

Report by Gayle Gerrard - Well done, Gayle - a great first report 👏

Victory for Shield at Heaton Park

It was a return to Club Championship racing this week with an epic day of racing at the Heaton Park 10K organised by RunThrough.

The headline performance came from Alexander Shield, who delivered a masterclass in front running. Shield commanded the field to claim first place, his first ever, clocking an impressive time of 38:32 over the challenging and undulating two-lap 5K course on the tarmac paths of the park.

He was closely followed by Suleman Badat, who secured third place overall in 39:07, while Martin Whitehead finishing in 43:26 was Burnden's third male finisher.

The ladies also enjoyed a fantastic day, securing both first and second places on the podium. Paula Pilling claimed the title of first female overall, finishing in 45:51, with Sadie Thompson close behind in 46:23 to take second place. Lyndsay Derbyshire was the third Burnden lady home and fifth female overall in 47:24.

Burnden's strength was evident throughout the race, with club members occupying eight of the top ten female finishing positions, rounding off a highly successful day for the club.

Other results: Gareth Doherty 43:40, Martin Fielding 43:55, Andrew Dunlevey 44:35, Mike Caine 44:58, Linda Doherty 47:35, Andrew Crawford 47:37, Gayle Gerrard 48:07, Simon Marland 48:10, Marie Parkinson 49:52, Gareth Lowe 51:14, Jenni Partington 51:16, Richard Blake 51:48, Shirley Staveley 52:27, Jackie Oakes 53:20, Anne Ferguson 53:39, Elaine Roper 54:03, Andy Warburton 54:41, Catherine Shield 55:03, Steven Bate 56:19, Julia Hall 57:35, Emma Walker 58:39, Teresa Riley 59:02, Steve Holt 59:14, Paul Christie 59:50 Lisa Berry 61:33, Sarah Brown 67:38, Sue Marland 66:02, Carol Richardson 67:03, Rita Ledwards 71:23, Debra Hennessey 71:26 Maz Matthews-Wyatt 85:38, Ian Mann 87:11, Luke Newall 109:57

Tony Fulop opted for the one lap 5K race finishing in 38:36 taking first place in his age category.

MBNA Chester Marathon

Eight intrepid members took on the prestigious MBNA Chester Marathon conquering the 26.2-mile course and delivering an unforgettable day of running.

The scenic route saw runners line up at the historic Chester Racecourse before heading through the city centre, passing landmarks including the Eastgate Clock and Chester Cathedral, before heading out into the Cheshire countryside and crossing the border into North Wales, before finishing alongside the River Dee.

It proved a truly memorable day for the club capped off by a series of fantastic results:

Adam Corker 3:07:06, Leon Horrocks 3:10:16, Jim Gartland 3:16:51 Andrew Horrocks 3:17:44, Andrew Norman 3:34:41, Ravi Patel 3:37:40, Gary Avison 3:47:49, Phil Fryer 3:51:18

Cross Country

October is here meaning one thing for Burnden Road Runners. The mud, spikes and brilliant team camaraderie of the cross-country season are back.

The opening fixture of the now Lancashire Rose Cross Country League took place at Pennington Flash, Leigh.

First home in the men’s 10K race for Burnden was Cross Country Captain Paul Duke in 41:52. Not far behind were Steven Nolan 43:14 (1st V65), Michael Kermode 43:38, Gareth Lowe 47:59 and Keith Thomas 50:54

Tony Fulop completed 6.57km in 51:16.

In the ladies 5K race, Paula Pilling was first over the line for Burnden in 22:54 with Lyndsay Derbyshire second in 24:21 and Gwen Kinloch third in 25:06 (1st V65). Completing the ladies team were Shirley Staveley 26:16 (1st V60), Luisa Shield 26:32, Jenni Partington 26:36, Anne Ferguson 27:18 and Kath Baron 28:07.

West Coast Half Marathon

Lindsey Beresford and Joanne Eccleston took on the West Coast Half Marathon, a point-to-point course from Preston Docks to Fairhaven Lake in Lytham St Annes.

Running together, both finished in an excellent time of 2:42:21 – a PB for Eccleston.