Lions’ Penson is up to the challenge of Stone Circle marathon
Three Stainland Lions runners clocked up some serious mileage at the Stone Circle Marathon and Half Marathon on Halloween weekend.
The Yorkshire Dales routes posed a serious challenge but in the full marathon, James Penson produced a fine performance, crossing the finish line in 4:25:27 to claim an impressive 13th place.
Meanwhile, in the half marathon, Mark Wearmouth finished an excellent 15th place in 2:06:45, followed by Naomi Edwards, who completed the course in 2:23:55.
The Soyland Moor Fell Race is a tough 13.5 mile challenge across the Calderdale moors, starting and finishing at the Hinchliffe Arms in Cragg Vale.
With around 1,300 feet of climbing, runners face a steep opening climb towards Sunderland Pasture, before heading up to Stoodley Pike, following sections of the Pennine Way and crossing the moors towards Great Manshead Hill.
It’s certainly not just a case of following the runner in front either, as competitors needed to navigate between checkpoints with only the start and finish flagged.
Leading the Lions home was Margaret Beever, who finished 12th overall, taking second female place and first in the FV45 category with an excellent time of 1:47:55.
James Penson and Andrew Earnshaw were inseparable, with Penson finishing in 2:06:16, taking third MV50, closely followed by Earnshaw, who took fourth MV50 in 2:06:17.
Mark Wearmouth was next across the line in 2:10:42, followed by Naomi Edwards, who clocked 2:15:37 to finish second FV40. Completing the Lions’ line-up was Jim Harris, who crossed the finish line in 2:31:49.
Dalby Forest provided the backdrop for the Dalby Dash 10k, where runners took on a challenging woodland trail course, complete with a testing uphill climb and some lovely forest trails.
Flying the flag for Lions were David and Diane Waite with David crossing the finish line in 56:36, followed closely by Diane in 57:56.
The Windmill Remembrance Day 10k saw runners taking on a coastal route in Lytham while also taking time to remember those who gave their lives in service.
Among those taking part was Lions’ Alan Whiteley, who completed the 10k in a time of 1:15:01.