Ellesmere Port Running Club

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Mark's Column - 01/05/06

Speed is what we need, greasy fast speed!

Mark On the 26th April, Steve Crowe and Ian Cooper traveled to the Wirral Seaside Run. It's a point to point road race and is run along 4.92Km’s of promenade, from Leasowe to Harrison Drive, Wallesey. Steve ran his heart out and finished in an outstanding second place, with a brilliant time of 15:31 knocking nearly a minute off last year’s time. Adams Peers of Liverpool Harriers won the race, but was only 20 seconds ahead of EPRC’s finest. Ian Cooper who is making an exceptional comeback came home in 16:22 just 3 seconds outside his PB for the course.

A quadrilogy of races featuring EPRC runners commenced the Saturday of the bank holiday weekend, with the first being the Wrexham 10 mile road race. Steve Crowe, who is exhibiting exceptional form at present could not bridge a gap opened up at 6 miles by eventual winner Clive West of Buckley Runners. Steve, again had to settle for second place but with the consolation of a outstanding personal best time of 54:50 knocking nearly a minute off his already exceptional 10 Mile PB from Llandudno last year.

Sunday saw Mark Dodd head over to Bury for the Radcliffe 10k multi terrain race. On a tough course Mark posted a very disappointing 44:16 for 108th position. After starting positively for the first 5k, the course took its toll on Mark who jogged though the finish line exhausted and leg weary. The race was won by John Brown of Salford Harriors in 32:29. The first lady home was Horwich’s Lisa Heyes in 38:58.

The weekend’s third race and Mark Dodd’s second in two days was the popular Sale 5k road race at Wythenshawe Park in Manchester. Windy conditions and rain did not deter the quality field and saw the first six places taken by the local club Sale Harriers. The race was won by Gareth Raven in 14:56. First lady home was C Entwistle of Wigan Phoenix Runners in a superb 16:42. Mark was determined not to let the previous day’s performance get him down and worked unremittingly to smash his PB by 12 seconds posting 18:25 for 41st position. After a disastrous couple of months this is an indicator of things to come.

Three EPRC members tried their luck at the Waterloo multi terrain15km race. On a revamped course that traversed trackless fields, crossed the Blundell Sands firing range and came back along rough farm tracks, Paul Robertson was the first runner home for EPRC in 59:08, with continuity of form Brian Griffiths finished in 1:05:40. Final EPRC member home and possibly hampered by the windy conditions was a disappointed Steve Tague in 1:12:37.