Buxton Athletic Club athletes fair sizzled their way through last week’s collection of races, and were rightly rewarded with rock-solid results underpinning the Club’s excellent athletic reputation and Club of the Year status.
It’s not always those who are at the top end of the field who are the “stars” – there are many who turn out to race, week in, week out, and through their determination, earn credit and respect from fellow Club Members. Take Pete Bailey, for example. Pete is a massive fell running enthusiast, and his infectious passion for all things fell spreads throughout the Club, and many “road” runners have been converted to the fells with great results. Pete practices what he preaches and only this last week has taken part in two local fell races – Sheldon and Bamford – with strong results, 76th and 100th respectively. He’s a bit of a Parkrun nut too – but then most parkruns are off-road with mud, grass and hills involved, so unsurprising. His 63rd placing from a field of 305 at Macclesfield Parkrun last weekend is a more than satisfactory result. This year, Pete has handed over the Race Director reins for the Carnival Race after several years at the helm, after doing a cracking job of organizing, and his contribution to the success of the race can’t be under-estimated. Pete – we salute you!
To spare Pete’s blushes, on to a few race results ….
“Light” of the Staffordshire Moorlands Summer Series penultimate race at Oakamoor last Thursday was Ben Light, who stormed home in second place, his best placing in the series so far. Eight other Buxton runners took part, with Charlie Aucott having completed all of the series so far, the only female in the Club to have done so. The last race in the series is at Leek on 2 August, with a little trip up Gun Hill as a “sting in the tail” finale.
Buxton had three runners in the top 20 at the Sheldon Fell race, with Junior Stuart Diamond taking 10th place, Rick Aldred 14th and Chris Rushworth 19th. Tania Wilson was first Buxton female home in 50th place. At the hilly Bamford race, nine runners from Buxton turned out, with Jason Bennett first home for the Club in 19th place. Jo Bednall was first female home in 71st position.
Amy Clark did battle against father-in-law Jon Sewell at the Kegworth Long Lane 5 mile Dash, and although his 17th placing won the day, Amy claimed second female home overall in the race, in 22nd place overall, so a fine result for the pair of them.
Lyme Park Parkrun is really a fell race, with hills galore, and Junior Sam Soles did the Club proud when he gained second place from over 140 runners, closely followed by Jason Brunnock in 4th, Dan Latham in 8th, Matt Hawtin 19th, Amy Whelan 38th and Mark Thorogood in 50th. Glossop Parkrun is almost as tough so Paul Wardman’s 18th place was well-earned, while newbie Kathryn Dobson put in a strong performance to finish in 73rd position.