Distance Running News, 8-12 August

14 August 2018

Charlie Jones produced a great performance to lower his personal best at the Milton Keynes 5000m meeting. Rather than having to endure the recent high temperatures, wet and cold conditions met the five Harriers in their various seeded races. The pacemaker for the D race was hitting a 15:30 schedule, so Jones followed coach Dave Newport’s advice to sit at the back for the first few laps before working his way through the field and gaing places as the race progressed. By half-way Jones had settled in the second pack as the group worked well together to maintain the strong pace. With a strong last lap Jones moved up into fifth place in the final straight to lower his PB by fourteen seconds as he stopped the clock at an impressive time of 15:33.52.

In the A race Graham Rush was placed in the lead group from the start, as he passed the opening kilometre in 2:50 before the pace slowed to 5:44 by the 2000m mark. Once the pacemaker had dropped out it was Rush and Ollie Lockley (Manx) who did the work on the front as the lead group gradually diminished. The Cheltenham athlete led into the final kilometre before Jack Crabtree (Shaftesbury Barnet) and Oliver Fox (Wells) kicked away at the bell for times of 14:07.74 and 14:11.20 respectively before Rush crossed the line third in 14:13.85. In the C race Alex Lee was looking to break his 15:09 PB and put himself in the sub 15 paced group. Goung through 3km in 8:56 and 4000m in 11:57 it looked like the PB was on before Lee faded to a still credible 15:12.01 for fifth place. Dan Owen placed tenth in 15:06.35 in the B race whilst Rachel See posted a time of 19:25.22 for fourth place in the J race.

Earlier in the week Dom James and Amber Watson made the trip to the Yeovil 5k road race where they both put in impressive performances. James gained places throughout the first 3km to move up into his finishing position of seventh, taking 25 seconds off his personal best with an excellent 15.41 clocking. In her first proper race since October, Watson finished as third lady home in a pleasing 19.15. The same evening saw five Harriers contest the Bugatti 10k on a testing course starting at the Prescott Hill Climb. Mark James took second place in 36:39 as Black Pear’s Neil Laurenson (35.:04) took the win. Dave Rantell (39:16) was the second over 45 runner home before Fee Maycock (40:07) finished as third lady behind Helena Youde (Almost Athletes) and Shona Crombie-Hicks (Tewkesbury). Further success came as Mike Ede (44:44) was second V60 and Martin Ford (47:46) was the leading V70 runner. Dave Tomlin meanwhile finished third in the Standish Woodland Chase multi-terrain race. Weekend parkruns saw James Bingham (16:59) win the Cheltenham event for a ninth time, almost four years since he last crossed the line in first place. It was also his first sub 17 clocking since 2014 as he finished fiftyour seconds clear of teammate Doug Wight. Dan MInors (18:16), Gareth Edwards (19:11), Matt Lambourne (19:25), James Wilkinson (19:42) Matt Evans (19:46) and William Holdsworth (19:54) all soon followed Hannah D’Ambrosio (19:44) was the first lady home whilst Amber Watson (20:04) and Ella Burfitt (21:23) finished second and sixth respectively. Elsewhere Beth Hawling (18:06) was the first lady and sixth overall at Highbury Fields and Jon Barnes (16:49) won the Cwmbran event. Dave Tomlin (16:49) placed second at the Kingsway parkrun in Gloucester whilst Alister Brown (18:25) was eighth over the line at the Worcester Pitchcroft event.