RESULTS 2015-16
Race 7: 27th April 2016 – Ffrith Park, Prestatyn
276 runners made up the field for the season’s finale. Such has been the participation level this season that this proved to be well under the season’s average of 311. Despite the threat of hail immediately before the start of the race, the runners avoided the worst of the weather on what was roughly a 7K out-and-back course along the coastal embankment.
The Mens race saw the two best performers over the season confirm their dominance. Deeside’s Ricky Challinor moved into the lead at an early stage with Wirral’s Phil Robertson in pursuit, Challinor holding onto his lead to win by a 13 second margin. This gave him the Mens Overall championship as well as that of his (Senior Mens) age group, with his Wirral rival second in the same categories.
It was a similar story in the Womens race, where Chester Tri’s Gill Mead had an 18 second margin of victory over Prestatyn’s Amy Bagnall – Mead’s win likewise confirming her as Womens Overall champion.
In respect of the Mens Team competition, the strength of Wirral AC‘s top athletes proved decisive in warding off Wallasey AC’s title challenge – providing 5 of the top 10 finishers. This was sufficient for victory on the day over West Cheshire AC, who produced their best performance of the season.
At the other end of Division 1, Chester Tri were already doomed to relegation, and Abergele Harriers‘ attempt to escape by overhauling Helsby RC fell short.
Their replacements in next season’s Division 1 – Deestriders and Prestatyn RC – had been pretty much decided before this race. The only issue was whether the Shotton club could maintain their lead at the top of Division 2 to take the League title. This they duly did, with a season’s best performance on the night.
In the Womens Team competition, Chester Tri already had a near-unassailable lead at the top of Division 1. Led by Gill Mead, they duly clinched their title, taking second place on the night. Winners on the night were Wirral AC – hitherto in the relegation zone – and who were so convinced they hadn’t done enough to avoid the drop that they went home early. Instead it was Tattenhall RC who went down along with an already-doomed Ellesmere Port.
In Division 2, Wallasey AC did their best to make up for their Mens team disappointment. Starting level on points with hosts Prestatyn RC at the top of the League, a strong performance on the night enabled a 12 point victory over the host club (also promoted) and gave them the League title.
Veterans champions were Wirral AC; the dominance of Deestriders in Division 2 guaranteed them the Mens Improvers title by a huge margin, while the renaissance of Eryri Harriers’ women was rewarded with the Womens Improvers title.
Finalised results and standings can be found using the links below.
Individual: Race 7 Results
Team: Race 7 Team Results
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Race 6: 17th April 2016 Mold
This race saw 293 runners take on the familiar challenge of the hilly Nercwys course – a remarkable tunout for the Sunday before VLM; even more so in view of the number of other local events taking place on the same day.
Both Mens and Womens races saw a fifth different winner this season. For the men, Deeside’s Ricky Challinor came home 21 seconds ahead of Wirral’s Phil Robertson. In doing so, he recorded his 9th BL victory overall – more than 4 years after his last win at Birkenhead Park in late 2011.
Eryri’s Lizzie Irvine reached the culmination of a remarkable sequence of results – her previous finishes this season having been, successively, 42nd, 19th, 12th, 4th and 3rd – with a first-ever BL win, by a margin of 29 seconds, ahead of Chester Tri’s Gill Mead.
Wallasey AC (winners on the day) took 79 points out of second-placed Wirral AC‘s lead at the top of the Mens Team competition to keep alive their slender hopes of defending their title. At the other end of the table, Chester Tri now look like relegation certainties, with Abergele Harriers in 6th place now 358 points behind Helsby RC and struggling to stay up. Meanwhile in Division 2, runaway leaders Deestriders and Prestatyn RC took first and second place on the day once more to assure themselves of promotion.
In the Womens Team competition, winners on the day Helsby RC, along with Tattenhall RC, took a small bite out of champions-elect Chester Tri‘s enormous lead. At the other end of the table, Ellesmere Port RC are as good as down, with Wirral AC and West Cheshire AC battling to avoid the other relegation spot. Division 2 saw Prestatyn RC win on the day from Wallasey AC to draw level in the race for the championship, with Abergele Harriers now likely to miss out on promotion.
The Veterans’ competition saw Wirral AC‘s lead whittled down slightly, but a lead of 325 points means they are still unlikely to be caught. Deestriders’ men and Eryri Harriers’ women now have very sizeable leads in their respective Improvers competitions.
Finalised results and current standings can be found using the links below.
Individual: Race 6 Results
Team: Race 6 Team Results
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Race 5: 20th March 2016 Tattenhall
Turnout for this race – at what is normally one of the most popular Borders League venues – was a little less than expected; in the end only 273 crossed the finish line. Those who stayed away missed a race run in perfect conditions under pleasant Spring sunshine.
Eryri’s Alun Vaughan recorded his 11th BL victory (in 13 finishes) in the Mens race with a comfortable margin (39 seconds) over Deeside’s Ricky Challinor in the Mens race.
In the Womens race, Chester Tri’s Gill Mead returned after missing race 4 to once again record a comfortable win by more than a minute over Helsby’s Jane Ashbrook.
Groundhog Day once more in the Mens Team competition – Wirral AC and Wallasey AC bringing their respective teams home in the first 57 finishers. Wirral’s 5 in the top 11 ensured them another victory on the day, to extend their Division One lead to a not yet decisive 311 points.
Ashbrook’s performance in the Womens race spearheaded Helsby RC‘s best performance of the season, with victory on the day over Chester Tri (who tied for 2nd with Tattenhall RC) in Division One. However, this took just 26 points out of the triathletes’ 300 lead.
The ding-dong battle between Deestriders and Prestatyn RC continued at the top of Division Two of the Mens league, the former’s win today taking them back into the overall lead. The Womens Division Two remains a three-way battle, with Wallasey AC‘s victory today from Prestatyn RC just enabling them both to pull away slightly from Abergele Harriers in third place.
Wirral AC‘s enormous lead in the Veterans competition was extended slightly, Deestriders are all but confirmed as Mens Improvers champions, while the renaissance of Eryri Harriers’ women has seen them take the lead in their respective Improvers competition.
Finalised results can be found using the links below.
Individual: Race 5 Results
Team: Race 5 Team Results
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Race 4: 24th January 2016 Pensarn, Abergele
A mild, windy day saw another large Borders League turnout – 334 runners completed the 5 mile Pensarn course.
Once again, the Mens race saw a new winner – on this occasion, it was Wrexham AC’s James Mills, on his third BL outing . He was followed home by Prestatyn RC’s Paul Jones – making his BL debut.
The Womens race saw a Wirral AC 1-2, with Sophie Hunt finishing 8 seconds ahead of club colleague Sarah Kearney and recording her third BL victory overall.
Business as usual in the Mens Team competition, with both Wirral AC and Wallasey AC bringing home all ten of their team in the first 68 finishers. With three top 10 finishers to Wallasey’s none, however, the Bebington club guaranteed themselves another victory on the day, and a slight extension to their Division 1 lead over their rivals.
Wirral AC‘s much-strengthened Womens team also took victory on the day in their Division 1 competition, just ahead of Tattenhall RC. However, this made next to no impact on Chester Tri‘s huge overall lead in the division.
Three finishers in the first 6 helped to ensure a massive Prestatyn RC victory in Mens Division 2 – sufficient to take them to the top of the table, ahead of Deestriders, who were second on the day. Both clubs now appear to be odds-on favourites for promotion.
Eryri Harriers were the surprise package in Womens Division 2 – a much-strengthened team taking victory on the day from Prestatyn RC. Leaders Wallasey AC finished 3rd on the day and saw their lead cut to 5 points.
Wirral AC‘s lead in the Veterans competition was extended to over 300 points by another comfortable win.
Confirmed results can be found via the links below. Note that these include two corrections (of misidentified runners) and one disqualification (the outcome of failing to comply with BL rules on moving from one BL club to another).
To ensure the correct version is displayed, you may need to refresh each results page via “F5”.
Individual: Race 4 Results
Team: Race 4 Team Results
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Race 3: 6th December 2015 Caernarfon
Miraculously, the torrential rain and high winds desisted just as runners began to arrive at Coed Helen, and, notwithstanding one or two deep puddles on the usual Caernarfon 10K course, the race took place in unexpectedly benign conditions. As in April, however, the course was run clockwise, in anticipation of the high winds.
Despite the weather conditions, time of year and relative remoteness of venue, the 262 runners who finished set a new League record turnout for this course.
The Mens race developed into a very close struggle between Wrexhams Daniel Weston and Wirrals Phil Robertson and Phil Langan. The Wirral pair got away in the last kilometre, with Robertson just edging out his team-mate to become Wirrals first BL race winner since 2006.
The Womens race produced a more clear-cut victory, with Chester Tris Gill Mead finishing more than a minute clear of Wirrals Sarah Kearney to record her first win of the season and her third in the BL overall.
Wirral ACÀús dominance at the head of the Mens field extended further down, with their 10th counter home in 55th position. This enabled them to finish 141 points ahead of West Cheshire AC on the day, and open up a significant lead over Wallasey AC at the top of the Division 1 Mens Team table.
Meads win spearheaded another dominant performance from Chester TriÀús women in their Team competition 27 points better than Helsby RC, second on the day and they now hold a lead of 247 points over West Cheshire AC.
In Mens Division 2, Prestatyn RCÀús win on the day helped consolidate their position in the second promotion spot, behind Deestriders RC, who remain comfortably top of the table. Womens Division 2 remains a close fought battle. Notwithstanding Eryri Harriers victory on the day, the main contenders Wallasey AC, Prestatyn RC and Abergele Harriers all recorded similar scores, and remain within 19 points of each other at the top of the table.
In the Veterans Team competition, Wirral AC extended their lead to 220 points from their nearest rivals, now Buckley RC.
Results below have now been corrected and finalised. Due to an age category error concerning one runner who also ran in race 1, it has also been necessary to retrospectively apply corrections there too.
Individual: Race 3 Results
Team: Race 3 Results
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Race 2: 8th November 2015 Birkenhead Park
The rain stayed off (just about) but the records continued to tumble on a breezy autumnal morning in Birkenhead Park. Another new mark was set for number of finishers overall 370. The 118 women who ran also set a new participation record (see below).
Five clubs fielded more than 30 runners and Wallasey AC, the hosts, managed 50.
The race got under way after an impeccably observed Remembrance silence, with Wirral ACs Phil Langan making the early running in the Mens race, only to be overhauled by Eryris Matthew Roberts, and subsequently Deeside ACs Ricky Challinor. The former eventually won by a convincing 30 second margin.
Meanwhile, Chester Tris Sarah Roberts improved on her debut last month, by winning the Womens race by a 17 second margin from her clubmate Gill Mead.
The duel between Wirral AC and Wallasey AC continued, with the Bebington club taking the honours on the day, by a sufficient margin to overtake their rivals in the Mens Team competition.
In the Womens Team competition, the Chester Tri 1-2 above helped ensure another comfortable win on the day, this time from Tattenhall, and extended their overall lead to a margin that already looks very difficult for the others to recover.
Division 2 of the Mens Team competition saw Prestatyn RC take the honours on the day from Wrexham AC though Deestriders in third place did enough to hold onto an overall lead. Meanwhile, Wallasey ACÀús win on the day in the Division 2 Womens competition was by a margin sufficient to take them to the top of the table with Prestatyn RC and Abergele close behind.
In the Veterans Team competition, a second successive win for Wirral AC has given them a commanding lead over Wallasey AC.
Individual results: results2015-16R2
Team results: teamresults2015-16R2
N.B. The penalty score for missing team members in the Womens competitions has been increased from 100 to 150. Note that this has been applied retrospectively to the Race 1 scores also.
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Race 1: 11th October 2015 Capenhurst
The start of a new Borders season on a mild day at one of its most popular venues resulted in a record number of runners toeing the start line at the end of Rectory Lane in Capenhurst. In the end, 367finishers completed the modified and newly measured 5 mile course.
The sharp end of the Mens race was dominated by Eryri Harriers, with a 5 second margin separating the victor, Matthew Roberts, from his clubmate John Spill.
The Womens race saw a home club victory, with Liz Renondeau celebrating only her second ever Borders win from Chester Tris newcomer Sarah Roberts.
It was business as usual in the Mens team competition, with Wallasey AC winning on the day by a narrow margin over Wirral AC. In Division 2, a very strong turnout from Deestriders saw them win by a convincing margin from Wrexham AAC.
Chester TriÀús women, newly promoted to Division 1, made their strength in depth count to secure victory ahead of Wirral AC, while Prestatyn RC made the early running in Division 2 fromAbergele Harriers.
Individual results: results2015-16R1
Team results: teamresults2015-16R1