Today is Ron Barlow's big day for he is already in Belgium all set to compete to the Martini Trophy cross-country race at a venue near Brussels.
This is a grand climax with which to end this year's cross-country season; with perhaps the
chance of earning an international vest on the track during the summer. Barlow ran a 3-mile race on the track last year inside 14 minutes, which he should be able to beat this coming season. With that in mind he should have the strength and determination to come to the fore in middle distance track running and give a serious challenge to our international track representatives.
The National Schoolboys' Championship event at Colchester, was rather a disappointment in that neither the course nor the conditions suited the two Wallasey A.C. ahletes chosen to represent Cheshire schools in this event. Both Dave Lockley and John Jones are fast runners, especially on light ground or road, but the bad weather conditions combined with heavy ground slowed them much more than one would have expected. A field of 500 young athletes started the course, setting a good pace in the arduous conditions. By the finish Dave Lockley was in 96th place and John Jones was 210th. In the Northern Schoolboys' Championships two more Wallasey A.C. members, Pete Emery; who finished 123rd, and Bob McCaig, a little further down the field, also faced arduous conditions of heavy going and bad weather.
The Sutton Road Race was a little better for the boys, as their 2¼ mile course was on good firm roads and all they had to contend with was bad weather, with the non-appearance of one of the boys' team, only three Wallasey boys' ran. Paul Spencer put in a very creditable performance to finish 7th in 10 mins. 39 secs., Les Watcham and Dave Adair recorded 11 mins., 15 seconds and 11 mins. 40 seconds to bring them into 23rd and 26th places respectively. Only 44 athletes finished the course.
Club training is now switching over to shorter faster work, for the track, one night a week being devoted to sprint work and one night to hard training over the sandhills. For the rest of the week training goes on as in the winter, somewhat longer type of run taken in a more leisurely fashion. This year we have some promising young athletes, so it is hoped that they will carry their training through into the track season and make names for themselves in track athletics.
Netball: This Saturday sees the final of the girls' Netball knock-out competition, Wallasey A.C, girls won the league without being beaten, but with everyone, out to do their best our girls will be hard-pushed to retain their reputation. Whatever the outcome, a good time should be had by all who play.
Ends
Source - Wallasey News - Saturday, 27/03/1965
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