Lionesses celebrate fine team victory in Road Relays
The Lionesses from Stainland roared to victory at the Yorkshire Veterans Athletic Association Road Relays last weekend.
They held off strong opposition from City of Hull AC and Holmfirth Harriers to claim first place in the F55-64 team category at Wyke Community Sports Village track.
Each runner took on a tough three-mile leg with Helen Armitage setting the tone with a swift 19:46 before Heather Moffat powered through in 20:49 and Lorraine Naylor sealed the win with a strong 20:09. Their combined time of 1:00:44 was enough to crown them champions.
On Sunday, two Stainland Lions runners took on the Hopton 10k in Mirfield, a hidden gem of a race featuring woodland trails, bridleways, footpaths, and some cheeky climbs.
Martin O’Brien put in a fine performance to finish in 56:33, claiming second MV65 in the process. He was followed by Adam Morton, who tackled the course with determination, finishing in 1:10:32.
The weather was kind for the 98 starters at the Stainland Trail 10k, challenging multi-terrain race.
At the sharp end of the field, Andy Smith of Slaithwaite Striders claimed victory in 40:08, closely followed by Lions’ Gavin Mulholland, in second place with 40:32.
Not far behind, Paula Statham put in a brilliant run to claim first woman home in 52:51, finishing 16th overall.
Lions results: Gavin Mulholland 40:32, Paula Statham 52.51, Fraser Ambrose 56:17, Mark Wearmouth 57:31, Rebecca Butler 58:49, Paul Patrick 1:01:19, Martin O’Brien 1:01:40, Dominic Boyle 1:01:54, Aileen Baldwin 1:03:40, Roy Lunt 1:05:26, Naomi Edwards 1:05:45, Ian Johnson 1:09:02, Carol Whitworth 1:41:31, Judith Greenwood 1:46:17, Jackie Barker 1:46:17, Virginia Lewin 1:46:17.
At the Warrington Running Festival Half Marathon, Margaret Beever put in a sensational performance to finish fifth female overall and second in the FV45 category with a superb time of 1:24:48.
Further afield, Jamie Westwood took on one of the world’s greatest races, the BMW Berlin Marathon. Against the backdrop of the Brandenburg Gate and alongside more than 55,000 runners from 160 nations, Westwood delivered a fantastic performance, crossing the line in 3:11:37.