The return to cross-country running and competition was marked last weekend with some excellent performances from members of Wallasey Athletic Club.
Saturday saw the first of the three Liverpool & District League races which was staged at Sherdley Park in St. Helens.
The first 'unofficial' race was for athletes under 11 year of age.
In their first club competition Dave Dasher and Dave Ellis, performed well over a tough one-mile lap, which included plenty of downhill and uphill work.
More experience should prove beneficial here and will almost certainly see Wallasey Athletic Club having a very strong colts section in the not, too distant future.
Two Wallasey Colts, 11 and 12-year-olds, rap in the next race over an equally tough and demanding course of one and three quarter miles. Nigel Thompson and Geoff Nuttall again ran very well in their first club cross-country experience again being the only missing factor leading to an enhanced performance.
The boy's age group, 13 to 14-year-olds, ran the same gruelling course.
Ian Wiggins has shown a marked improvement since he joined the club in the summer and was well pleased with his perfor-mance. Alan, Peckham was a victim of his age. He can run better but had to give in to his loss of strength due to a spurt of growth.
The youths and the seniors were in for shocks in their races. Expecting three miles, the youths found themselves racing over four, while the seniors, expecting five, needed to summon up extra effort to complete the six-and-three-quarter-mile course. They coped well, however, and again, the results were certainly encouraging.
It was the first outing for Jimmy Ennis in the senior race and one which gave all in the club much to talk about. He surprised many, including himself, and can look forward to a future with some success.
Sunday saw a Merseyside versus Dublin cross-country fixture at Clarkes Garden in Liverpool.
No fewer than five club members had been selected to represent the county in various age groups.
Two relatively new members of the colts section were selected because of their Merseyside School League performances and the three female members because of their past record of competing for the county and their present fitness.
Members and their parents are advised that from Monday next, it is hoped to start an earlier session from 6.30 pm from Leasowe.
This is for the younger members now that the evenings are drawing in. It is hoped that parents will find it beneficial to them also.
This is not a compulsory change but will offer more security for the youngsters should parents be feeling anxious about the present situation.
RESULTS
LIVERPOOL & DISTRICT LEAGUE
Under 11 race (1 mile): Dave Dasher, 4th, 6 min 51 secs; Dave Ellis, 16th. 7 min 49 secs.
Colts race (1¾ mile): Nigel Thompson, 15th, 13 min 32 secs; Geoff Nuttall, 27th, 18 min 58 secs.
Boys race (1¾ mile): Ian Wiggins, 4th, 11 min 56 secs. Alan Peckham, 27th, 15 min 58 secs.
Youth race (4 miles): Dave Hooker, 12th, 25 min 24 secs; Mike Vile, 16th, 26 mins 12 secs.; Mike Hughes, 24th, 27 min 23 secs.
Senior men (6¾ miles): Bob Brimage, 25th, 34:39; Jimmy Ennis, 73, 36:56; R. Hamby, 103, 38:03: Phil Dutton, 109, 38:18: Alan Johnson, 122, 38:38f; Pete Smith, 146, 39:32; Bob Phillips, 157, 40:22; James Downey, 159, 40:31.
MERSEYSIDE V DUBLIN
Paul Backhouse (under-12), 3rd. 1st for county.
Michael King (under-12), 6th. 2nd for county.
Lynne Kennedy (under-16), 9th. 7th for county.
Francesca Philllips (under-19), 10th. 4th for county.
Ends
Source - Wallasey News - Saturday, 06/11/1982 by DOUG HANNA
Ref 1964