Thank goodness we went to Manchester!!  Far too cold to be outside.

The first outdoor track meeting was taking place at Blackpool & Fylde AC on the same day, a meeting usually attended by the Horwich RMI athletes, but on this occasion sense prevailed and 10 athletes turned up at the Indoor meeting at Sportcity.

For many it is the last indoor meeting of the season and the performances of the Horwich athletes show that the hard work of winter has really been worthwhile.

Many of the athletes achieved PB’s and Bruce Pilkington gained a new club record for the U17 60m in a time of 7.42 secs.

Becky Buchanan just missed out on equalling the U15 60m record by running a PB of 8.75 secs.

All the athletes put up really creditable and gutsy performances, especially those coming back from injury, namely Sam Gough and Lexi Cochrane.

The Results

Meanwhile in Loughborough, at an indoor sports meeting for athletes involved with Spar Sprints, Jack Thomas won his heat of the 60 metres with a time of 7.5 sec coming 3rd overall for U17’s boys and in the 100m achieved a very creditable 11.6 secs.

Jack had been invited to participate in the indoor event as a result of achieving particularly good times in his training sessions with the Spar Sprint squad in Manchester.

The performance of all the Horwich athletes from U11’s to Seniors are becoming a force to be reckoned with in the athletic arenas of the North, Bruce Pilkington, Becky Norris and Jack Thomas are now extending Horwich RMI’s reputation for producing quality athletes to the National Arena, with all getting good times in the National Indoor Championships at Birmingham.  Bruce got to the finals of the 400 metres and came 5th overall but was unfortunately hindered by a runner who fell, forcing him to run wide; otherwise who knows where he could have come!!!

Lesley Cochrane
29th March 2006