Review of 2016

2016 saw one of the most successful years that Bury AC has had over recent years with competitive successes being matched by growth in membership and continuing improvements at the Market Street Track.

January saw great results from the under 15 boys in the Greater Manchester Cross Country Championships, with Marcus Dey taking the individual title and with support from Oliver Makinson and Ben Forrest the team finished as county champions. Marcus and Oliver earned county selection as did Sophie Whittaker and Lauren Booth in their respective races. Also making county selection for Sportshall athletics were brothers Elliott and Evan Savage, Mikey Carling, Abigail Howard and Matilda Brett. At the Greater Manchester Sportshall championships Bury boasted a number of county champions including James Coghlan, Grace Goodsell, Daisy Worthington, Jerel Livingston, Patrick Clarke and the Savage brothers.

In February Bury had a number of junior athletes competing in the Greater Manchester Schools Cross Country Championships with Marcus Dey, Ben Forrest, Francis Woodcock, Sophie Whittaker and Lauren Booth winning selection for the county team.

In March Bury athletes produced excellent performances in the North West Sportshall finals. Grace Goodsell, Patrick Clarke and James Coghlan were individual winners.

Grace Goodsell in full stride

April saw men’s captain Byron Edwards compete in the Greater Manchester Marathon, recording a time of 3:13.39 in the first of his three marathons in three weeks. Next came the Boston (3:25.52) followed by London (2.:58.46). April also ushered in the start of the Track and Field Season with Bury competing in the North of England League, the Cheshire League and the Youth Development Leagues (Upper and Lower).

Byron Edwards after the London Marathon

May saw the Greater Manchester championships with medallists including Gilbert Vaughan, Patrick Clarke, Christie Cook, Jay Cook, Hattie Vaughan, Katherine Townsend, Daisy Worthington and Ruth Worthington. Katie Geelan and Sophie Whittaker also ran well in the elite field in the Great Manchester 10k.

June saw medals and county selections being won at the Greater Manchester Schools competition with Sophie Whittaker, Hashim Shah, Grace Goodsell, James Coghlan and Hattie Vaughan all performing well.

July saw some excellent performances on the fells with Ben Coop and Sophie Whittaker running well in the Snowdon event. Sophie’s performance contributed to her securing bronze medal in the English championships.

Sophie and Ben at Snowdon

August saw the Track and Field season drawing to a close with spectacular success for the teams. In the YDL Lower team manager Nick Rimmer was delighted that the team secures promotion as champions for the second successive year. In the YDL Upper Donna Cartwright was pleased that Bury were able to field their own team for the first time in several years and saw some excellent performances from the older teenage athletes. In the Northern League Bury secured promotion as league champions under the leadership of Giles Bennett.  In the Cheshire League Joanne Brown’s under 11s secured second place in the league. Hattie Vaughan and Grace Goodsell were also crowned as Northern champions in the pole vault and long jump respectively.

Northern League Divisional Champions

September saw a number of Bury athletes competing in the inaugural Bury 10k with fine runs from Ben Coop, Katie Geelan and Sophie Whittaker. It was also good to see several of the club’s development section running well.

The Autumn months saw Bury runners performing well in the Red Rose cross country league with the under 17 men, under 20 women and senior women taking the league team titles. It all augers well for 2017.

Red Rose Champions!