Scarborough Athletic Club's Rhona Marshall impresses at Tour of Pendle Fell Race

After a record fourth McCain Yorkshire Coast 10-Kilometre Race win, Rhona Marshall took on the challenge of a top class fell race at the South West Pennines, writes Mick Thompson.
Scarborough Athletic Club's Hester Butterworth in action at the cross country league meeting at Croft Park

Photo by Karen Harland PhotographyScarborough Athletic Club's Hester Butterworth in action at the cross country league meeting at Croft Park

Photo by Karen Harland Photography
Scarborough Athletic Club's Hester Butterworth in action at the cross country league meeting at Croft Park Photo by Karen Harland Photography

The Tour of Pendle fell race consisted of a 16.8 mile course with 4,833 feet of climb.

Rhona finished seventh female, fourth Over-40, 86th overall of 342 in 3 hours 9 minutes, and significantly an above average of 17 who failed to finish.

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After five Club Summer Handicap races over a variety of surfaces including a race at Filey Beach, the overall winner on handicap was Sharon Parsons

The other top-placed were; 2nd Linda Hinchliffe, 3rd Shannon Fletcher, 4th Michael Whiteley, 5th Mike Padgham.

The overall fastest female was Katy Rawnsley and fastest male Jackson Smith

After several events in the area had been cancelled due to extreme adverse weather, the Sewerby Parkrun survived and three club members braved the strong coastal wind.

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Ruth Rutt was second overall of 15 females and the first Over-60.

Brian Rutt was the third Over-60 and Elsa Lees first 11-14 years.

In the previous weekend, senior club members competed in the third round of the North Yorkshire and South Durham Cross Country League fixture, which was held on a course adjacent to The Croft Racing Circuit near Darlington.

The course was mildly undulating with just two short hills, but the runners had to cope with some very strong cold winds over this exposed landscape, which is more suited to motor racing!

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For all five at the meeting, this was their fifth cross-country race of the season, and the most by any other club members this season so far.

Four of the five competed in the mainly Senior Women’s Race, which for many seasons has incorporated Over-65 male runners.

The first finisher of the quintet was Hester Butterworth who was up in 31st overall of 124 females and the third Over-50.

Brenda May, who competes this season in the Over-55 age group, headed 12 females overall.

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Mike Padgham finished 10th Over-65 and Mick Thompson was the second Over-80 for the second time after earning a first place at Acklam.

In the Men’s Senior Race, Mark May who competes in the Over-55 age group, was 100th overall of a mainly strong field of 159.

Five club members, all of whom bar one are in the Over-45 age group, competed in the Tadcaster 10-Mile Road Race, which consisted of a fast course that incorporated a loop around the town centre, and then a route around local villages.

The first finisher for the club was Adrian Atkinson who was 306th overall of 654 in 81.57.

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He was followed by Claire O’Neil in 86.24, and two club members making their 10-Mile race distance debut. Caroline Metcalf clocked 87.43 and headed Linda Hinchliffe who competes in the Over-50 division and finished in 94.22.

Jennie Kettlewell completed the club’s entry in 95.26.

Paul Thompson competed in the Wooler Trail Half-Marathon which consisted of an extremely tough course over 14 miles, which had an overall climb of 2,600 feet, and was made even harder with driving sleet during the race and lots of boggy ground underfoot.

He completed this challenging event in 33rd of 263 finishers in 2 hours 19 minutes.

On November 20,there was both another increase in the total entrants and that of Scarborough AC, for the fifth staging of the Cinder Track Whitby Parkrun.

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Glyn Hewitt finished a very close up second overall of the record 144 finishers, and was first Over-50.

Katy Rawnsley was second female overall of 62 and came within seven seconds of the Over-45 course record with a Parkrun PB.

Other results in gender order, Male: D.Hepples 2nd Over-45 PB; B.Rutt 4th Over-60 PB; M.Thompson 1st Over-80.

Female: R.Rutt 1st Over-60 PB; S.Parsons 9th Over-55; A.Metcalf 5th Over-60.

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