Sixteen Toddies headed over to the Lancashire coast on a bright Sunday morning to take on the first counter in the Club’s 2022 Road Championships. Fortunately, the wind had abated somewhat since Storm Malik passed through the day before, although there’s a windmill in Lytham for a reason!
A chance to put that winter speedwork to the test, this was a dead flat out-and-back route. First back for Tod was Alex Whittem in 6th place in a blistering 57:07. Dan Taylor set a 5-minute PB with a seriously impressive 62:54, and Ben Blosse wasn’t too far behind completing his first road race in a Tod vest in 63:29. Katie Samuelson was just seconds away from a top-ten finish, having to settle for 11th lady in 76:13.
So that’s January done already, the 2022 Grand Prix has seen some great participation so far with 50 runners notching at least one race on each of the trail, fell and road this month. Five runners (Dan Taylor, Duncan Ritchie, Michelle Fuller, Katy May and Paul Brannigan) have ticked off all three races. Next weekend is the turn of the Wadsworth Trog which will be a somewhat different challenge to the flat tarmac and fish and chip aromas of St Anne’s…
Toddie results in full:
6 Alex Whittem 57:07
22 Dan Taylor 62:54
26 Ben Blosse 63:29
28 Dom Leckie 64:21
44 Dave Garner 67:34
62 Duncan Ritchie 71:50
78 Stuart Wolstenholme 73:56
89 Andy Carroll Snr 75:58
93 (11th lady) Katie Samuelson 76:13
103 Simon Anderton 77:40
106 Sean Lindsay 77:59
136 Chris Pickens 82:48
139 Andy Carroll Jnr 83:20
168 (45th lady) Michelle Fuller 86:48
188 (55th lady) Katy May 89:25
225 Paul Brannigan 98:44
(Photo: L-R: Andy Carroll Jnr, And Carroll Snr, Sean Lindsay, Katy May, Katie Samuelson)