Back to year calendar - Full results - Vets, teams and statistics - Fun Run
Victory for Hill junior
EUROPRINT BLACKBURN 10K
22nd August 1999
(Words by Andy McAllister. Picture by Lancashire Evening Telegraph staff photographer.)
(This report appeared in the Lancashire Evening Telegraph, Thursday 26th August 1999. Many thanks to L.E.T.)
THREE'S GLEE: Third placed Darren Hale (Rotherham), left; winner Graham Hill centre (Stockport) and second-placed Jason Parker (Preston), took the honours in the Blackburn Road Runners' Europrint 10k race.
"It's good to be back on my dad's old stamping ground" smiled Graham Hill after the Europrint 10k.
Hill knows by now that, whatever he achieves, he will always be first and foremost Ron Hill's son. But his victory and course record, in Blackburn Road Runners' flagship event, confirmed his own status as an athlete from the top drawer.
The race from Witton Park begins with a climb of nearly two miles. Last year's winner Mark Brown (Clayton) and Neil Tattersall (Hyndburn) were the early pacesetters, but briefly turned off course.
They lost little distance, but their rhythm suffered which allowed an opportunist move by Preston's Jason Parker to give him a lead of around 200 metres by 2.5 miles.
Having joined the two local athletes in the chasing group, Hill started to run down Parker's lead as they started the long gradual descent. He cought him at the four-mile mark and went straight past as the Preston man temporarily lost his form. By the time Parker regained his composure the race was lost and Hill powered through to the finish to win by over 30 seconds in 32.26 with Blackpool policeman Darren Hale (Rotherham) a similar distance back in third. Parker and Hale will run for Lancashire in the inter-counties 10k at Bradford on September 12.
Only two weeks after running the Blackpool marathon, Brown was strong enough to withstand a powerful challenge from Wigan's John Worthington for fourth, with Tattersall sixth. Alan Clarkson was the leading veteran in eighth place just ahead of M45 winner Evan Cook (Blackburn Harriers). Clayton took the team prize by a single point with Brown, Clarkson and 10th-placed John Wieczorek.
Chris White of Rossendale was the leading junior in 38.15 from David Riley in 40.36 and John Riley 42.28, both from Pendle. At the other end of the age scale, M60 winner Ted Orrell (Clayton) defeated Bill Atkinson (Northern Vets) by two seconds and Padiham's Richard Packer (Red Rose) was top M65.
After finishing second last year, Vanessa Peacock (Clayton) was first lady in 39.27. It was a round of the Club Championship for Accrington Road Runners and among their 28 entries were Gill Craske, Sue Pickup and Jacky Wright, who comprised the winning ladies team, and Valerie Robinson and Barbara Bassett, winners in the F55 and F50 age groups. Sheila Gudgeon of Darwen Dashers took F40 honours.
To promote extra interest for the mid-field runners, four Darwen Dashers ran the race with signs on their backs offering spot prizes to the runners who finished a single place ahead of them. This resulted in a series of hectic sprint finishes.
Back to year calendar - Full results - Vets, teams and statistics - Fun Run