Terrific Performances in Liverpool

Sefton Park in Liverpool played host to the British Cross Challenge with the event being used to select athletes for the Great Britain Cross Country Team. The races also incorporated several local league fixtures including the Red Rose and Manchester Leagues. This gave local athletes the opportunity to run against the very best in the country. Team manager Ian Warrington was delighted that 42 Bury athletes competed in the fixture. The course was in a good condition initially, following a spell of dry weather, however with the rain setting in during the course of the day the conditions became tougher for the races later on in the programme.

The under 11 boys were first away with Bury’s trio of Max Worsley, Jason McGuinnes and Finley Aldred placing 24^th,  117^th and 199^th respectively. They placed second Red Rose League team. The under 11 girls scoring trio of Lila Metcalfe, Evelyn McDonald and Maya Akram took 37^th, 168^th and 188^th respectively to place fourth Red Rose team. The other finishers were Ava Young and Sophie Straffon-Finch.

The under 13 girls took second Red Rose team. Isla Taylor (24) Heidi Wilkinson (42) and Niamh Murray ran very well. The other finishers were Myla Bryan, Nina Boodhun and Scarlett Hudson. Once again it was Ethan Statham who provided the stand out performance in a Bury vest. Running in the under 13 boys race he was up with the leaders from the start. An injury has compromised his training and as a consequence he fell off the pace slightly, but nevertheless took a superb 13^th place. Chester Theakstone was the other Bury finisher.

Lucy Dent (50), Ella Straffon-Finch (133) and Lois Green (163) brought Bury home in third under 15 girls Red Rose place. Emma Stansfield was the club’s sole competitor in the under 17 women’s competition, placing 82^nd. Caitlyn Johnston took an excellent 46^th in the under 23 women’s race and Bryn Lawrence placed 81^st in the under 23 men’s competition.

In the senior women’s race the Bury quartet of Sophie Whittaker (61), making a very welcome return to racing, Sinead Taylor (74), Rachel Marshall (98) and Jennifer Clayton (144) were run away winners in the Red Rose team race. Bury’s other finishers were Sophie Hill, Fiona Lynch, Susan Wheeldon-Gorst, Afroditi Kalambouka, Zara Hudson and Sarah Withers. In the senior men’s race, Martin Clark produced an excellent run, placing 53^rd in the quality field. However, he wasn’t counting for the team. The counting six were James Brown (99), Declan Tattersall (207), Jack Griffiths (254), Ed Hunt (283), Paul Johnston (300) and Patrick Babb (364). The other club finishers were Seb Poma, Anthony Hallahan and Ian Warrington.