Distance Running News, 2-3 February 2019

04 February 2019

Jon Barnes has been rewarded for his fine recent form with England selection for next month’s Anglo-Celtic Plate 100km race. The Cheltenham Harrier received the call up this week after posted a time 10 minutes inside the selector’s guideline mark when finishing second in the recent Gloucester 50km road race. After going through the marathon distance in an impressive 2:34:42, Barnes went on to complete the additional 8km and cross the line in a time of 3:06:56. The international event in Perth will see Barnes tackle the 100km distance for the first time as England take on the other home nations in Scotland.

At the British Universities Cross Country Championships in Exeter Rachel Longstaff showed good form with a fine 35th place finish for Cambridge University in the ladies race, whilst in the men’s B race Jacob Pickering excelled to finish 19th for Birmingham and Loughborough student George Watson placed 58th. In America Rhys Park recorded a time of 4:10.85 for the mile at the North Arizona University indoor meeting whilst over in Ireland Liam Roarty made a welcome return to race action with 13th place in the National Intermediate Cross Country Championship. Phil Brush meanwhile made the trip to Cheshire for the Alsager 5 mile road race where he recorded a time of 28:59 for 59th place in the high quality event.

In Sunday’s May Hill Mayhem Simon Critchley finished second in the 15 mile multi-terrain race after James Wilkinson had placed 14th in the previous day’s 9 mile May Hill Massacre. Kaitlyn Sheppard again showed great form at the Tewkesbury parkrun as she took a single second off her own ladies course record with a 19:25 clocking. Not only did Sheppard finish as the first lady home for the 23rd time, but by finishing eleven seconds ahead of the first man home, she also became the first woman to place first overall at the event. Younger sister Chloe again finished as the second lady with a time of 22:56.