Distance Running News, 12-16 September 2018

18 September 2018

Martin Ford continued to enjoy success at the second week of the World Masters Championships in Malaga. Having claimed 10k road race gold and cross country silver the previous week, Ford added to his medal tally in the v75 category. On the track he claimed 5000m silver with 21:11.63 before completing his haul with a third silver medal in the half marathon where he posted a time of 1:42:49 despite the hot and humid conditions.

The Harriers enjoyed a successful evening at the Yeovilton 5k road race where Dan Owen sprinted clear in the final 300m to take a win in a new road PB of 15:04 for a seven second winning margin over Tavistock’s Jim Cole. Arguably a more impressive performance though, came from the rejuvenated James Bingham who took over 20 seconds off his PB with 15:56 as he finished as first veteran runner in eleventh place overall. Fellow veteran Mark James ran his fastest road 5k this year with 16:32 whilst Russell Forsbrook produced a pleasing 17:10. There was also a win for Graham Rush at the Tadcaster 10 mile road race in Yorkshire as he posted a time of 54:00. At the Worcester City 10k Marcus England and Eliot Taylor were in the lead pack at the halfway point before having to settle for third and fourth place in 33:28 and 33:33 respectively as Birchfield’s Kadar Abdullahi (32:21) and Nott’s Sam Mitchell (32:31) claimed the top two spots. Naomi Eaton was the fifth lady home in 40:55 whilst Matt Lambourne posted a time of 37:01 and wheelchair athlete Ed Grazier led the field home with 31:22. In the accompanying half marathon event Jon Barnes posted a time of 76:54 for ninth position. At the Apperley Quarter Marathon Nicola Whiteman was the third lady home in a time of 46:15 whilst at the Berlin Half Marathon Paul Wade crossed the line in 3:20:39.

The weekend saw Cheltenham athletes enjoy parkrun success at a wide variety of locations. Phil Wylie (15:13) was first home at the Exeter Riverside event whilst Oli Mott (15:31) produced the fastest ever time on the new course at the Worcester Pitchcroft parkrun. Beth Hawling (18:08) was first lady and eight overall at Highbury Fields in London whilst Luke Pennington (17:30) enjoyed a first place at Cirencester and Kaitlyn Sheppard (20:24) was the first lady at Tewkesbury. Alex Doherty (17:44) led the way home in Evesham as did Edd Charlton-Weedy (18:30) at the Gloucester North event. In Cheltenham Rich Dare (17:00) crossed the line first as Joe Willgoss (17:14) set a PB and Dave Aubrey (17:28) completed an all HaISRrriers top three. Dan Minors (18:12) and Simon Critchley (19:49) followed before Georgia Palmer (21:03) was the second lady home.