Grand Prix runners earn their rewards

The climax of a gruelling summer of running was reached with the annual Pendle and Burnley Grand Prix presentation night.
Pendle and Burnley Grand Prix Grand Slam medal winnersPendle and Burnley Grand Prix Grand Slam medal winners
Pendle and Burnley Grand Prix Grand Slam medal winners

Runners who had featured in the 14 race series earned their rewards at the end of a long, hot summer– with a special Grand Slam medal for those who completed all of them.

The Grand Prix has been running for more than three decades.

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And although some of the races may have changed, the spirit among the runners remains the same with many forming lasting friendships on the roads, fells and trials of the local race scene.

Junior runners at the presentation and partyJunior runners at the presentation and party
Junior runners at the presentation and party

The races offer a wide variety of challenges, from 5k sprints around the Steven Burke Sports Hub in Colne and Padiham Greenway to the ultimate test, The Legendary Gerry McCabe Hendon Brook 13.5 Miles Race.

The season started in early May with the Hameldon Hill Fell Race which was quickly followed by trail races at Pinhaw and Wholan Nook.

The first road run came with the Burnley Lions 10k event around Colne and then the series moved on to West Craven for the Kelbrook and Weets Fell Races.

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The fastest race of the series, the Barrowford Grand Prix 5k at the Steven Burke Sports Hub, was followed by a return to trail racing in both Sabden and Trawden, precursors to the Hendon Brook race which is the signature event of the whole Grand Prix.

After that testing event, the remaining four races were the Towneley Park 10k road race, the Padiham Greenway 5k road race, the Worsthorne Trail Race and the season-closing Boulsworth Fell Race.

As well as prizes at each event for overall winners and age category winners, there were also overall grand prix prizes.

To have a chance of winning these, runners had to complete a minimum of nine events, that dropping to six in the over-60s age categories, and those prizes were handed out at the presentation evening along with the Grand Slam medals.

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Those medals were awarded to Trawden AC pair Chris Rowlands and John McDonald for the fourth time along with Chris Lawrence (ClayHarriers, 2), Cloey Mason (Barlick Fell Runners), Craig Nicholls (Clayton Harriers), David Greenwood (Trawden AC), David Sagar (Accrington Road Runners), Diane Ford (Trawden AC), Fred Green (Accrington Road Runners), Graham Denney (Trawden AC), James Austin (Barlick Fell Runners, 2), James Dunderdale (Clayton Harriers, 2), John Wilcock (Clayton Harriers, 2), Karen Windle (Trawden AC), Kirk Butler (Trawden AC), Lee Ford (Trawden AC), Liam Moden (Accrington Road Runners), Linda Ensby (Trawden AC), Lisa Ellis (Clayton Harriers), Louise Preston (Trawden AC), Lucy Scott (Clayton Harriers, 2), Luke Turner (Clayton Harriers), Mark Walsh (Trawden AC), Maurice O’Brien (Holcombe Harriers), Mick Hughes Clayton Harriers, 2), Neil Hargreaves (unattached), Pamela McCullagh (Accrington Road Runners), Pamela Moriarty (Holcombe Harriers), Peter Sagar Hyndburn AC, 3); Rebecca Bradshaw (Clayton Harriers), Robert Morrison (Clayton Harriers), Ronnie Turner (Rossendale Harriers), Sean Constantine (Holcombe Harriers), Simon Moriarty (Holcombe Harriers and Stephen Hartley (Trawden AC).

The presentation night and party was followed two days later by the junior presentation and party at the Prairie Sports Village in Burnley.

The majority of the main grand prix events had a junior version on the same day with runners clocking up points towards the overall prizes.

Special mention must go to Jack Villiers of Barlick Fell Runners who won all the races in the Under 15s Boys and, again, there were Grand Slam medals for all the runners who completed each race.

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Bella McCredie of Barlick Fell Runners and Emily Nicholls of Clayton Harriers were picking up a repeat prize having completed each race the previous year.

And Grand Slam prizes were also awarded to Ava Grace Grimshaw (Hyndburn AC), Betsy Pickles (Barlick Fell Runners), Caleb Tregay (Burnley AC), Freya Birtwistle (Running4CF), Georgia Tregay (Burnley AC), Jack Villiers (Barlick Fell Runners), James Galloway (Trawden AC), Toby Birtwistle (Running4CF) and William Nicholls (Clayton Harriers).

Plans are already being made for the 2019 Grand Prix, see www.pendleandburnleygrandprix.co.uk for updates.

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