LEIGH Harriers made a good start to the cross country season at Leigh Sports Village on Saturday as the Harriers hosted the first Red Rose Cross Country League match winning 4 races and two team races. Over 700 athletes competed in eight races with runners from 8 years old to 70 year olds running distances from 2km to 10 km.

The Leigh senior ladies were outstanding with Laura Riches winning the senior women’s 5km race; leading from the gun she recorded a winning time of 19:44 leading the team of Olivia Stones 3rd 20:30 and Courtney Donald 10th 22:53 to first team place. Good supporting runs came from Brenda Wane 65th 27:44, Susanne Smith 70th 28:22, Marjorie Leigh 85th and 2nd O65 in the race 29:51, Caroline Corless-Carter 88th 30:15 and Dianne Denney 120th 36:38.

Fifteen year old Keely Hodgkinson running in the U17 Ladies race over 5km was never headed, running a well judged race to finish well clear of the field in a time of 20:14.

The U17 ladies also took the team prize with Eve Williams in 4th place 23:38, Ciara Treanor running her best race over the country won 6th place 24:43 and Joanna Smith in 15th 26:57 place completing the winning team.

In the under 13 girls races over 2.5km, Melissa Ince started the season with a well earned win against some top opposition, racing round in a time of 10:52 winning her first race of the season. Megan Short crossed the line in 6th place 11:17 with Lily Edwards giving good support 14th 11:37 winning 2nd team place. Good performances in the race saw Kiera Donaldson 12:09 31st, Grace Craddock 34th 12:13, Olivia Galvin 40th 12:46, Eva Murphy 44th 12:56, Chloe Abbott 58th 13:40 and Elizabeth Sharrock 13:49.

Josh Swift running in the U13 boys 2.5 km race finished a very well earned 2nd place showing lots of potential and recording a time of 10:15; Callum Charleson also running well was 6th 10:48, Dillon Walton 26th 11:42, Dan Senior 28th 11:47 and Louis McPherson 38th 12:10.

The senior men’s race run over a 3 lap course attracted over two hundred runners. Neil Pendlebury was first in for Leigh in 4th place, Dave Smith in 5th place winning the O/40 race 37:05, Rob Thorpe 11th 38:03, Phil Williams 14th 38:57, Alistair Goulding 32nd 41:18, John Indricks 74th 45:07, Mark Gornall 86th 45:58, Andy Howarth 112th 48:28, Duncan McCarrick 123rd 49:55 and Andy Brewer 145th 52:24 completing the team finishing in 3rd place.

Both under 11 boys and girls won team prizes; Ethan Davies 3rd in the 2km Boys race finished in 7:35 with Sam Barlow hot on his heels 8th 7:54, William Cooper 13th 8:10, Eddie Sanderson 15th 8:13, Edward Short 19th 8:19, Cillian Clarke 34th 9:13, Aaron Fredrickson 81st 10:16 and Alex Reason 85th 10:46, the team winning 2nd place. The U11 girls team won 3rd team prize with Olivia Southwell running a fantastic race for 8th place 8:48, Gracie Patrick 13th 9:01, Jessica Hodgkinson 17th 9:09, Jasmine Barlow 30th 9:33, Nina Renda 31 st 9:33, Freya Cash 33rd 9:34, Gracie Galvin 39th 9:44, Katie Watson 47th 9:58 and Annabelle Turner 81st 11:45.

The Girls U15 team also won 2nd team prize, Katie Morley just out-sprinting Rebecca Pollitt in 5th and 6th places respectively both recording times of 15:22; Jessica Barlow crossed the line in 20th place in a time of 16:51, Charlotte Kilgallon 28th 17:23, Megan Ridge 39th 19:34 and Annabelle Sharrock 40th 19:44.

Kristian Wade made a welcome return to form in the under 17 men’s race over 5km winning 3rd place in 19:44, Joseph Wane 6th 20:10, Nathan Myers 11th 21:26 and the team winning 2nd place. In the under 20 ladies 5km race Olivia Stones won 2nd place with Maria McPolin 5th in 24:23.

The boys U15 race of 3km saw Josef Short 15th 14:06 just out-sprinting Owen Reason to the line also in 14:06; Joel Denton finished in 28th 14:44, Shea Mellor 30th 14:47, Sam Wade 33rd 15:01, Benjamin Ayres 35th 15:12 and Josh White 37th 15:34. The team finished in 6th place.