Red-hot Howard
Date published: 04 March 2011
ATHLETICS: ADAM Howard is gunning for more glory tomorrow in the final of the McCain UK Cross Challenge in Birmingham.
Competing in the under-15s section, the Oldham and Royton Harrier is looking to carry on his superb form of late.
The teenager recently claimed the English National Cross-Country Championships title in his age group at Alton Towers, Staffordshire.
Howard also had another win in the under 15 boys’ race — he posted 12 minutes six seconds — at the final cross-country league match at Boggart Hole Clough, Blackley,
The Harriers won the team prize in the race, with Mathew Shaughnessy finishing second in 12:58, followed by Scott Healey (eighth, 14:49), Jack Edmonson (ninth, 15:24), Nathan Hilditch (10th, 16:09) and Ben Davies-Rice (11th, 11:37).
James Kelly had a great run to come third in the under-11 boys’ race in 5:50 and was fourth overall in the series. Team-mate Philip Whitham was first overall.
In the under-11 girls’ category, Olivia Green ran superbly to come home first in 5:56.
Next for Harriers were Maria Gabrliatson (13th, 7:16), Eve Darrough (16th, 7:22), Molly Healey (18th, 7:25) and Elise Taylor (19th, 7:27).
Sophie Hall also produced a good run, but her time was not recorded. The team finished in third place overall.
In an excellent day for the Harriers, Christopher Brown won the under-13 boys’ race in 8:23 and the overall title. Bradley Healey was fourth (9:12) and third overall.
Life’s a breeze for Royton’s McBride
IAN McBride claimed a superb third in the Great North-West Half Marathon at a blustery Blackpool.
One of 35 Royton Road Runners who made the trip to the Fylde coast, he completed the two-lap course in one hour 13 minutes 13 seconds.
There were plenty of other impressive performances, including personal bests for Mark Kelly (1:25:03) and Colin Green (1:25:45), while Bernie Cassidy (1:26:10) and Dave Phillips (1:42:28) picked up third prizes in the V50 & V65 age categories respectively.
Club stalwarts Jeff Cordwell and Trevor Grundy also took part in their first club race of the campaign.
Dominic Kennerley led home a field of eight Oldham and Royton Harriers in the race.
He set a new personal best time of one hour 28 minutes 29 seconds.
Reigning Road Runners champion Stuart Carroll sliced almost two minutes off his personal best time in recording 2:52:5 in the Limassol Marathon in Cyprus.
This time was good enough for 10th place overall in the men’s race — the top four places were taken by Kenyan athletes — while he was second British runner to cross the line and the third best V40 finisher.
