Distance Running News, 19-22 April 2019

22 April 2019

It was certainly a Good Friday for Chris Booth as he enjoyed his first road race win at the Easter Victoria Park 10k in London. After just a kilometer of the race, the 20 year old found himself alone at the head of the field as he pushed the pace to reach the 5km in 16:20. Trying to chase a new personal best with a lack of company was always going to be a challenge and Booth’s pace inevitably dropped slightly in the second half of the race. However, he continued to run well and remained unchallenged to claim the win with a 32 second margin over Matthew Dickinson of Clapham Chasers. Stopping the clock at 33:20, Booth’s time was just two seconds outside the PB he set in January’s Speedway 10k.

The same day also saw new recruit Joe Turner in good form as he contested his first race as a Harrier at the Chippenham 10 mile road race. The former Cambridge and Coleridge athlete, a 2:25 marathon runner, showed good form as he recorded 53:30 for second place, Turner’s impressive time was 40 seconds inside the old course record on a day when Stoke’s Alex Brecker showed his class with a 50:52 victory.

Bank Holiday Monday saw nine Harriers in action as Tewkesbury Running Club hosted the Bushley Mile road race. Dan Owen was the class of the field as he took the win with a new course record of 4:35 as he finished fourteen seconds clear of Herne Hill’s Jack Dickenson. 2010 race winner Andrew Kaighin wisely decided not to chase the top two and instead kicked clear into third place in the final 200m to stop the clock at 5:05. Jonathan Floyd ran well for sixth in 5:14 before Kaitlyn Sheppard finished ninth overall and second lady home in 5:29, just eight seconds behind leading lady Kaya Dee of Highworth. V60 runner Nick Holliday posted 5:41 and Chloe Sheppard was fifth lady in 6:03 before veterans Caroline Cotterell (6:19), Kathryn Moreton (6:59) and Christina See (10:28) completed the Cheltenham contingent. Further afield Will New made it two wins from three track races as he won the 3000m at the Springfield College Invite in 9:24.71 on a day when atrocious weather conditions meant times were slow.

Weekend parkruns saw two Harriers run their fastest ever parkruns whilst claiming first place finishes. Doug Wight (15:50) led the field home at the Perth event in Scotland whilst Kaitlyn Sheppard (18:41) was first lady at the Worcester Pitchcroft parkrun where younger sister Chloe (21:57) was also had a run out. In Cheltenham there were second places for Henry James (17:29) and Ella Burfitt (19:54) who both posted personal best times whilst Martin Soakell (19:07), Amber Watson (20:49) and Millie Foster (21:59) also contested the Pittville Park event. Mia O’Connell (19:10) made a welcome return to action to finish second lady at the Cannon Hill event in Birmingham whilst Matthew Dwerryhouse (17:19) ran his fastest ever parkrun to take second place at the at the Newborough Forest event in Anglesey. Rachel See (20:08) and Caroline Cotterell (21:35) were second and fourth ladies respectively in Cirencester, Andrew Kaighin (18:40) finished fifth at the Gloucester City event and Ellis Woolley (22:02) had a run out in Edinburgh.