Distance Running News, 28 May - 2 June 2019

03 June 2019

John Parker returned to winning ways as Cheltenham Harriers hosted the Cleeve Cloud Cuckoo 5.5 mile multi-terrain race on Cleeve Hill. The V45 athlete established a lead over Southville’s Simon Marchant in the early stages of the challenging event, which he then extended to over a minute and half by the finish for a comfortable victory.

Andrew Kaighin also ran well to take third place just 27 seconds later before a 25th place finish from Mike Ede saw him finish as leading V60 athlete and also ensure a team win for the Harriers.

On the track the focus for the club’s athletes was the Midland Championship in Nuneaton where strong winds faced the runners in Sunday’s 3000m. Unsurprisingly, a tactical race therefore developed with the lead group that included Dan Owen going through 2000m in 5:58. As they approached the bell the Bristol pair of Jack Bancroft and Callum Jones led with Owen in third. Jones then made his move with 400m remaining and opened a gap whilst Owen too went past Bancroft. Despite Owen’s 59 second last lap, he made no headway into the gap to Jones who crossed the line to take gold in 8:38.97. Owen claimed silver with in 8:41.64 before Bancroft finished third in 8:44.76.

Weather of a different kind made life tricky in the previous afternoon’s 5000m where rising temperatures made things uncomfortable for the athletes. Whilst a three man pack of Chris Perrin (Cannock), Louie Boot (Tipton) and Felix McGrath (Newcastle) headed off at sub 15 minute pace schedule, the Harriers athletes of Richard de-Camps and George Watson stayed within the second pack. With the front trio slowing in the final two kilometers, the Cheltenham pair started to reduce the gap. A big last 200m from de-Camps brought him level with third placed McGrath with 40 metres remaining, but the Newcastle athlete responded to claim the bronze by just 0.07 seconds. Fourth placed de-Camps’ time of 15:21.49 in such hot conditions was a fine performance, as was Watson’s fifth position in a new personal best of 15:25.58. Dom James found the conditions tough and had to settle for seventh in 15:49.23 whilst Charlie Jones took eighth in 15:55.59

Earlier in the week Watson was also in excellent form over 1500m in a university match in Loughborough where he recorded a new personal best of 4:01.69. At the Milton Keynes Open meeting Chris Booth finished second in the 5000m where he recorded a time of 16:13.1. Competing in the 1500m C race at the Exeter Open, veteran Russell Forsbrook recorded a time of 4:40.02 for second place.

Fee Maycock made the trip to Surrey for the Dorking 10 mile road which included the British Masters Championship. Finishing as twelfth lady home in a time of 67:53, Maycock finished as third LV50 athlete home which earned her the silver medal within the BMAF championships. Mark James finished as second veteran at the Pomphrey 5k in Bristol with a time of 17:00 whilst teammates Dan Schofield and Alex Lindfield recorded 17:26 and 17:47 respectively.  

The weekend’s parkruns saw the Harriers provide the first man and first lady home at the Cheltenham parkrun as Doug Wight (16:24) posted a course PB and Amber Watson (20:27) returned to action. James Bingham (17:19) placed second, Steve Hall (18:57) had a good run out and Kayla Garland (22:59) finished as ninth lady. Caroline Cotterell (21:14) was the first lady home in Cirencester where Nick Holliday (19:43) placed sixth whilst there were also first place finishes for Alex Doherty (17:05) in Evesham and Eliot Taylor (17:36) in Hereford. Ellis Woolley (21:58) was the third lady home at the Killerton event in Exeter and Andy Prophett (18:45) joined over a thousand people at the Southampton parkrun.