RADCLIFFE AC kicked off their 2003 Road Race Championship with a trip to the Trafford 10k at Partington, last Sunday.

On an excellent day for a run, and on a reasonably flat course, Eileen Royle did the club proud by winning the ladies' over-55s section.

She was 33rd among all the female runners with a time of 49 minutes 17 seconds. Another note of success was sounded by Adrian Harris, third over-45 and 31st man overall, in 35.09.

David Bartlett and Mark Jackson both had good runs. David clocking 39.28, and well pleased to get under 40 minutes, against Mark's 40.57.

They ended up 77th and 90th.

Mark has stopped playing rugby now and will presumably become lighter and hence quicker over the coming months, now that the weightier requirements of the "gentlemen's game" no longer apply.

He did well to finish in front of Mark Emmett, the over-45 going at a reasonable lick to finish 93rd in 41.04. Just ten places and a mere 24 seconds behind was Steve Hamer, another Radcliffe over-45 making his impression on the event.

Alan Sumner, now over 55 but still trundling steadily along, was 158th in 45.42, with Steve Higginbottom one place and two seconds adrift of him. Into 207th place, after 50 minutes and 20 seconds of putting in no less effort than anyone else, came Iain Harris, establishing himself as first of the club's over 50s at the start of the year's road championship. No pressure there then.

And finally, timed at 53.33, Linda McDonagh, was 33rd lady, happy with a nice steady run before Sunday breakfast.