Distance Running News, 1-7 July 2019

08 July 2019

Dom James produced an excellent performance to set a new personal best at the Highgate Night of the 10000m PBs event in London. Competing in the E race in a meeting where the A race was the European 10000m cup, James lined up for 25 laps of the track with the aim of beating his road 10km best of 31:38. After passing through halfway outside the top dozen places, the Dave Newport coached athlete moved through the field in the second half to finish fourth in an impressive 31:11.49 in a race won by Serpentine’s Will Green in 30:50.38.

At the Midland League division two fixture in Rugby Rachel See ran well to set a personal best of 10:55.7 as she finished second in the 3000m. In the men’s 5000m Dan Thomas took fourth place as he lowered his PB to 15:51.0 whilst Chris Picken set a PB of 4:55.1 in the 1500m.

Earlier in the week the Harriers hosted the first of the Midsummer Open Track meetings with the mile the featured distance event. Luke Pennington took third in the A race in 4:36.8 whilst Dan Schofield (5:01.4) and Jonathan Floyd (5:12.6) placed ninth and eleventh respectively as Avon Valley’s Max Davis claimed the win in 4:18.6. Ella Burfitt (5:44.2) was the fifth fastest lady overall as she finished fourth in the C race.

Three Harriers competed in the England Masters Area Challenge in Coventry. Kathryn Morton won the LV60 1500m 6:05.86 and followed this up with a third place in the 800m in 3:03.91 as she helped the Midland team to overall victory. Representing the South West in the 3000m, Nick Holliday placed second in the V60 age group in 11:00.47 and Caroline Cotterell took third in her LV45 category in 11:53.52.

On the roads Fee Maycock struck gold at the British Masters Championship that was held within the Ashbourne Half Marathon. Finishing the very demanding peak district course in a time of 91:48 Maycock finished third lady overall as she dominated the LV50 age group.

Phil Wylie was also in good form as he travelled to Wales for the Porthcrawl 10k where he finished as first veteran and third overall in an impressive time of 30:41.

Richard Dare enjoyed a fine tactical win at the Gloucester 10k. Tracking Stroud’s Alister Cambell for the opening 7km, both athletes then took turns on the front before Dare pulled clear in the final half mile to take a 33:37 win. Campbell took second seventeen seconds as he finished over a minute clear of Gloucester’s Steve Kenyon. Mark James finishes as second veteran in seventh place overall in 37:28

Earlier in the week there was veteran success for the club at Frampton 10k where Dave Rantell won the V50 category in 37:35 and Nick Holliday was first 60 runner home in 39:45. Gareth Edwards (37:20) led the Harriers home in twentieth place with Dan Schofield (37:36) and Rantell filling the next two place before Matt Lambourne (38:18) placed 26th. Kayla Garland ran well to lower her PB to 46:49.

The weekend’s parkruns saw Beth Hawling (17:55) finish as first lady and third overall at the Highbury Fields event in London whilst Kaitlyn Sheppard (18:46) set a new ladies course record in Tewkesbury where she finished second overall in an event where her sister Chloe (21:11) finished as third lady. Doug Wight (17:03) led the field home in Cheltenham where Matt Wood (19:43) also had a run out. Ellis Woolley (22:23) was the first lady home and fifth overall in Tetbury where Gareth Edwards (19:39) placed second whilst Chris Cleary (17:52) took third position at the Worcester Pitchcroft parkrun.