Distance Running News
29 October 2016
Will New produced an impressive performance to set a new personal best at the Aztec West 5k road race in Bristol. The 25 year old was happy to follow the group through the opening mile in 4:59 before completing the second mile 5:02. As the leaders picked up the pace on the final circuit New dug deep to cross the line in ninth place in 15:48, his first sub sixteen minute clocking on the road and nine seconds quicker than the 5000m track PB he set back in 2010. Ahead of New, the first Cheltenham runner home was Alex Lee who was in the lead group until the final half mile when the Bristol pair of Luke Evans (15:13) and Jarlath McKenna (15:15) pulled clear with North Somerset’s James Rodgers (15:17). Crossing the line in fourth place Lee lowered his road PB to 15:26; although his time was seventeen seconds down on the track PB he set in July. Just two seconds adrift of Lee in sixth place was Ben Price who recorded 15:28. The Harriers had the two leading veterans in the race as Darren Jordan posted 16:49 and Andy Prophett made a welcome return to action with 17:00. Mike Gray followed in 17:20 before Megg Brinley finished as the fourth lady home in 18:22.
Fee Maycock enjoyed a race win at the Calne Clock Challenge 10km road race in Wiltshire where she was the first lady home in 40:11. Moving up into second place after two miles, Maycock then took the lead half a mile later before extending her winning margin over the second placed woman to 55 seconds. At the Tewkesbury parkrun Phil Beastall took ten seconds off his own course record as he claimed the win in 16:09. There was also a win for Ben Price at the Cheltenham parkrun where he trimmed his best time on the course by five seconds, with his 16:06 clocking moving him up into fifth place on the all-time rankings for the course. Mark James (17:40), Matthew Dwerryhouse (18:11) and Gavin McCaugherty (18:37) followed in second, third and fourth places respectively before Isabel Ovens (22:22) and Ella Burfitt (22:33) were the fifth and seventh ladies across the line.