Race report by Gareth:
An amazing Saturday morning at the Rivington Trail Half Marathon 💚🖤.
Six Lostockers took on the challenging course which is always long! I clocked 13.5 miles 🤮.
But what a great event & course, a proper challenge and test of a runner on what turned out to be a glorious sunny Rivington morning.
The challenges began before we’d even started, Brian had been registered in his sisters brother in law’s name 🙅♀️ & had no pins in his envelope, I made my usual no reading glasses balls up of tying my race chip to my shoe and needed help..so it could only get better…couldn’t it..?
This is a cracking race, basically a fund raiser for Chorley Women’s football team, not affiliated to UK athletics etc but organised with care, friendly marshals and semi regular water stations.
Starting and finishing at Rivvi High School with a lap of the football field bookending a stunning, tough, undulating, sometimes extremely wet and muddy circuit of Lower Rivvi, Upper Rivvi, Yarrow and Anglezarke reservoirs and an out and back at White Coppice thrown in to make sure we got a good stretch of ankle deep water and mud under our belts. Throw over 1300ft of elevation into the mix and you’ve got yourself a great race.
The first mile is horrible, I mean who would choose to start a half marathon with 330 feet of climbing on pointy rocky paths?! 🤣. King of the trails, Andy, soon disappeared from sight at the head of the Lostock pack and was not seen again until the finish on his way to a hugely impressive 1:59. Nikki, Brian and myself battled it out for second place, Brian came sauntering past me down Sheephouse Lane in less clothes than he started and it took a good couple of miles to reel him in before a pulled calf muscle meant he finished in pain. Nikki and me had a great tussle for second Lostocker , it took 11 miles to finally catch up to her, every time I got close she just left me for dead on any technical sections of the course! We swapped places a few more times over the last couple of miles, it was great fun! Kath ran strongly and looked great at the finish and Katie came in with a big smile on her face with her daughters (I think?!) alongside her (really sorry we managed to miss you off the photos!)
Big thanks for great on course support from David, Jon, Matt, James & Cathy 💚🖤.
For the record..
Andy Laycock 1:59:16 53/204
Gareth Pratt 2:06:25 79/204
Nikki Hamerton 2:07:55 85/204
Brian Halton 2:16:05 122/204
Kath Orrell 2:21:16 141/204
Katie Edern 2:37:54 182/204
Well done everyone, what a great way to spend a Saturday morning.
