Some athletes from Wallasey travelled on a beautiful sunny day to compete in the annual Easter Road Races and relays at Redditch.
The journey was well worth the time and expense of the athletes for the competition did much to give the athletes the encourage-ment to carry on with the training.
The Colts relay, 3 x 2½ miles of twisting road and hard hills, was the most rewarding. Pride of place must go to the up and corning Mike King. His second leg run saw him return in second place and record the fastest time of the day among the Colts.
Paul Backhouse had run an excellent first leg and had returned in fourth place recording a time of 13 min 17 secs. Mike was full of determination and stormed off. He returned second, having pulled back some 300 metres to overhaul the two in front. His record time was 12min 43secs. Nigel Thompson was in equally determined mood to remain second; this he did convincingly increasing the gap and returning in 13min 38secs.
The boys' and youths' teams, running over the same course did not fare so well as the colts and did not win any trophies; they did, however, run as well as expected of them.
Mark Cooper ran first for the 'A' team boys and Timmy Carr the 'B' team. Their respective positions and times were 6th in 12.40 and 24th in 15.19. They handed to Ian Wiggins and Huw Samuel, who returned 8th in 13.31 and 21st in 13.38. Unfortunately, holi-days had played a part in the number competing and there was no third runner for the 'B' team. Neil Henfrey ran the final leg of the 'A' team relay and returned in 7th place 12min 47secs later.
Pete Doyle has been out with glandular fever for two months or so and little was expected of him. He turned out, however, showing commendable determination and helped the youths' team to their 13th placing.
Steve Henfrey ran first, returned 13th but only some 200 metres down, on the leaders in 12.52. Dave Pendleton had agreed to make up the team a couple of days before and ran the second leg in the club's fastest time of 12.37, returning 10th. Then it was up to Pete Doyle to complete the team effort. Obviously affected by his long lay off and lack of training, he performed well to return 13th in 13.40.
One senior man from the club had made the journey to compete in the five-mile open race. He had set himself a personal time target and was far from happy when race marshal's sent them all the wrong way and added on some extra distance, estimated at around one mile or so. Tommy Cooper did continue to the finish, however, recording a position of, 52nd and a time of 37min 57secs.
Doug Hanna, who coaches all except Dave Pendleton and Tommy Cooper, was more than happy with his athletes' performances and it is now even more certain that his athletes will have a good, record breaking track season with plenty of worthwhile victories. Many have already 'smashed1 last year's track time and are now well on the way through a carefully planned summer's season.
Ends
Source - Wallasey News - Saturday, 05/05/1984
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