Booth buoyant for world bid

OLDHAM and Royton Harriers’ Paula Booth has launched her build-up to the World Masters Championships in Finland at the end of this month with some excellent results.

In the British Masters Pentathlon Championships, in Oxford, she competed in the over-50s section and took the gold medal with 2,541 points to go sixth on the UK all-time lists.

Booth’s results were: 80m hurdles 15.8 seconds, shot putt 7.95 metres, high jump 1.10m, long jump 3.88m, 800m 3 minutes 25.0 seconds.

She then took part in the Midlands Athletics Championships, finishing first in the 80m hurdles in 15.5s, second in the shot with 8.67m, third in the long jump in 3.39m and third in the javelin with 17.62m.

Then in the British Masters Athletics Championships, Booth claimed gold in the 80m hurdles in 15.34s, fifth in the long jump with 3.65m and sixth in the shot with 8.24m.

Harriers’ road runners have been having a busy time lately.

In the Freckleton Half Marathon, Mike Kendrick was 307th in 1:55:51.

Four Oldham runners travelled to Fleetwood for the Sotos 10k on one of the hottest days of the year. Jason Horsfield finished 47th in 41:57, Darren Mannings 68th in 44:14, Pete Williams 88th in 45:51 and Rachel Ricketts 127th in 48:37.

On the track, there was success for the club in the North of England Track and Field League.

There were wins for Rob Ingham in the 3000m steeplechase (10:17.1) and the 400m hurdles (64.3s), plus the ‘B’ hammer (23.49m).

Mike Rigby won the hammer with 42.02m, discus 32.34m and shot with 10.74m.

Steve Williams won the ‘B’ shot put with 8.19m.

The men’s 4x100m and 4x400m relay teams both won their races.

In the women’s events, Sharon Harper won the ‘B’ hammer with 23.38m.


ROYTON Road Runners had 31 entered in the Rochdale Harriers 10k road race and Stuart Carroll led the way, finishing in 14th place with a time of 37 minutes 32 seconds.
Stuart Hulme (15th 38:00), Dave Kershaw (19th 38:17) and Bernard Cassidy (21st 38:24) were next to cross the line.

Others: Paul Whitehead (33rd 39:42), David Emanuel (34th 39:47), Bernard Goodwin 36th 40:04), Barry Greaves (39th 40:22), Colin Green (40th 40:25) and Bryan Lawton (42nd 40:36), Dave Whittam (41:59), Dave Hall (67th 42:37), Robert Kellett (71st 42:52) and Eamonn Nolan (43:06), David Freer (45:01), James Holdaway (45:27), Steve Shaw (45:36), Andrew Nuttall (45:39), David Smith (45:45) and Debbie Shaw (45:58 - first lady over-45), Jeff Cordwell (46:32), Dean Burgess (47:36), George Meynell (47:44), Steve Hayes (50:04), Shane Reading (50:43), Teresa Hollins (51:07), Mark Kelly (51:19), Tony Hunking (52:20), John Lambe (52:38), Louise Gilchrist (53:02) and Rose Rowson (54:05).