Clapton is club's cream at county championships

Eleven club members competed in the Yorkshire Athletics Cross Country Championships which was held at Lightwater Valley.
Emma Clapton on the chargeEmma Clapton on the charge
Emma Clapton on the charge

The championships attracted a record number of athletes and the standard of competition was very high.

The most successful Scarborough athlete was Emma Clapton who finished eighth in the Women’s Under-20 Championship in her first year in the age group.

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The second highest placed was Hannah Mainprize who finished in ninth place

The first race of the championship meeting featured the Under-13 Girls championship and included five of the club’s youngest athletes, four of who were making their championship debut.

Issy Nicholls, who was competing for a second time, led the team when finishing up in 12th place.

The next of the four debutants was Georgia Wood, who was 60th, while Laura Dove, in 82nd, completed the scoring team that was 19th of 26.

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The team was backed up by Scarlet-Rose Kemment in 91st and Ella Butttery in 94th.

In the Under-15 Boys Championship, Christian Mummert bettered his previous championship result when finishing up in 13th and Harry Butterworth made a good championship debut when finishing in 47th.

Sacha Butterworth, who moved up to the Under-17 group this season, had a solid race and finished up in 23rd .

For the first time in many years the club fielded a competitor in the Senior Men’s race.

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Phil Markham made his championship debut and the 46-year-old, who was recently selected to represent England at a Veterans International Marathon later this year, finished in 179th and notably ahead of 108 mostly much younger runners.

A record 27 club members competed in the fourth of six fixtures in the East Yorkshire Cross Country League, which was held at Sledmere on a tough course, which at seven miles was the longest in the league.

The club’s women runners achieved the best team performance with a close up fourth and are now third overall for the season.

They were led for a fourth successive time by Clapton, who finished second woman overall which was a most notable achievement as this was less than 24 hours after she had competed in the Yorkshire Cross Country Championships.

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The team was completed by club newcomers Anna Martin who was 18th and Sarah Casey who was 20th.

Chris Duck led the men’s team for the second time this season after finishing 22nd and third Over-40.

Dr Tom Cassidy, who was competing for only the second time in the league after joining the club last year, was next in 33rd.

He was followed by Richard Maw 37th and third over-45, Dale Hepples 44th, Owen Willis 46th and Glyn Hewitt, who closed in for the team which was seventh and is now sixth overall

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Other female finishers: Fay Hethershaw 24th, Lisa Bourne 28th. Jayne Graves 33rd, Lorraine Hewitt 35th, Carina Pelluci 43rd, Lisa Baker 44th , Shirley Field 49th and 1st L55.

Other male finishers: Andy Curtis 63rd, Dave Shipley 64 and 3rd M60, Dave Fox 71st and 1st M65, Del Hand 72nd, Mark May 81st, David Field 82nd, Chris Bourne 92nd, Mally Sweetlove 96th and 2nd M65, Glen Shelton 99th, Paul Chapman 102nd, James Boak 107th.

Five club members took on the bi-annual Scarborough Winter Challenge races of 15 and 25 miles.

In the 25-mile event which started and finished at Scalby and which had 2,500 feet of climb, Sue Louth and Jane Hamp finished together in joint-33rd of 170 entries in 5 hours 25 minutes.

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Melanie Padgham and Dave Parke finished together in joint 66th in 6 hours 6 minutes.

Danny Walls competed in the 15-mile race and was seventh in 2 hours 31 minutes.

Three of the club’s top fell runners competed in the fifth race in the renamed Dave Parry Winter Series of races.

The race was the Commondale Clart which was held near Guisborough and consisted of a 5.2 mile course with 722 feet of climb.

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Rhona Haslam finished fourth woman and her mother Sue Haslam was first Over-60.

Neil Scruton was the first Over-65.

The off-road distance specialist Joanne Abbott competed in the latest race in the Hardmoors series of races which consisted of a 30 miles course around Whitby.

Abbott finished 170th in 7 hours 11 minutes and ahead of 47 finishers and six failing to complete the course.

Fifteen club members took part in the latest Dalby Parkrun.

Dave Fox was the first for the club in 19th and the first Over-65 with a personal best time.

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He was followed by Ruth Rutt who was fourth female overall and first Over-55.

Other men: Simon Valente 25th and second Over-60, Brian Rutt 34th,

Other women: Juliette Pilgrim 10th, Sally Elwick 15th, Jemma Casson 16th and 1st 11-14, Paula Morris 20th, Katie Webster 30th, Sue Renwick 37th, Jill Grinstead 38th, Avril Metcalfe 41st, Sharon Parsons 44th, Jenny Marshall 46th, Denny Stubbs 67th.

Alfie Tozer, seven, was 57th male and second Under-10 boy, while Florence Tozer, six, was 69th female and second Under-10 girl.

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A total of 13 club members competed in the latest Sewerby Parkrun.

Michael Dowson was the first home for the club and 14th.

He was followed by Jennie Trown who was 12th female.

Other men: Warren Foster 17th, Pete Barnard 31st, Mike Padgham 63rd.

Other women: Emma Foster 16th Liz Dawn Trown 17th, Sharen Corden 18th, Lesley Bayes 21st and 2nd Over-65, Ciara Harper 33rd and 2nd 11-14, Sophie Vaughan 35th, Liz Jones 47th and 2nd Over-60, Liz Cremer 59th.