FOR the the boys and youths of St Helens Sutton AC the track season proper started with the first match of the McDonalds' Track League held at Pendle.

The small numbers that the club has in these groups made it impossible to cover all the events and the field events in particular were poorly covered.

In the under 13 years group, M. Dean ran the 200 metres in 31.8 secs and long jumped 2.08 metres.

Ryan Tapley ran the 100 metres in 15.5 secs, the 200 metres in 37.4 secs, and put the shot 4.92 metres. Richard Robinson ran 100 metres in 17.1 secs, the 800 metres in 3 mins14 secs, and put the shot 4.28 metres. Mike Burke ran the 1500 metres in 5 mins17.8 secs and long jumped 3.54 metres.

The four boys combined to run the 4 x 100 metres relay in 64.6 secs.

Four youths represented the club. Tom Cheetham ran the 100 metres in 13.5 secs. Tom Griffiths ran the 100 metres in 15.4 secs, the 1500 metres in 5 mins 39.3 secs, threw the javelin 17.94 metres, and long jumped 3.46 metres.

John Appleton ran 400 metres in 80 secs, the 1500 metres in 6 mins 2.07 secs, and long jumped 3.09 metres.

Running together, the boys ran 58.7 secs. in the 4 x 100 metres relay.

One of the best-supported mixed terrain running races in the Merseyside area is the Waterloo 15km event. Starting and finishing at the ground of the well-known rugby union club, the race includes road, path, sand dunes and riverside promenade.

Because of the foot and mouth epidemic the course had to be altered this year and the sand dune portion increased to about 3 km.

First for the club, finishing in the top eighth of the field, was John Appleton with the good time of 61 mins 32 secs. Next was over-50 years veteran Richie Bradshaw with a time of 67 mins 5 secs, just ahead of Gary Freeman, 68 mins 47 secs.

John Irwin was pleased to get the better of his sister Janet Holmes for the first time for a while, finishing 48 secs in front of her time of 81 mins 11 secs. Alan Davies recorded a time of 88 mins17 secs.

In the 5km race, run in conjunction with this event, Luke Benyon ran 22 mins 36 secs, Sara Green 28 mins, Dot Fairhurst 30 mins 10 secs and Janice Lawson 36 mins 7 secs.