Podium event in Leicester kicks off our weekly road running round-up from around the UK
SPORTSSHOES PODIUM FESTIVAL 5km, Leicester, March 15
Daniel Kimaiyo got away from Aldershot’s Will Barnicoat’s 13:30 to win overall in 13:27 as Birchfield’s junior refugee seeker Aron Gebremariam took a close third in 13:32.
It was Barnicoat’s first outing of the year and saw the European under-23 cross-country champion hack 13 seconds from his previous 5km best.
Inter-Counties cross-country winner Brett Rushman was back in eighth, albeit in a personal best 13:38.
The women’s elite race saw Katie Snowden come out on top of a similarly close outing and the Herne Hill won in 15:20 from Swansea’s Verity Ockenden.
It was a three-second personal best for 2021 Olympian Snowden, while Ockenden’s time of 15:22 was four seconds outside her best effort set when finishing eighth in the 2023 world 5km road championships in Latvia.
Daniel Kimaiyo (Ewelina Skupień)
Elite Men: 1 D Kimaiyo (KEN) 13:27; 2 W Barnicoat (AFD) 13:30; 3 A Gebremariam ( Bir, U20) 13:32; 4 A Langat 13:33; 5 J Kavanagh (Holl Sp) 13:34; 6 O Perrin 13:34; 7 C Elson 13:36; 8 B Rushman (Herts P) 13:38; 9 W Battershill 13:38; 10 A Butchart (Cent) 13:41; 11 M Pearce 13:42; 12 A Riley (B&H) 13:43; 13 T Bridger (C&C) 13:43; 14 B Maggnusson 13:45; 15 S Hart (NEB) 13:46; 16 M Ramsden (B’burn) 13:46; 17 O Conway (U20) 13:49; 18 C Morgan (Candoour TC) 13:50; 19 K Ottfalk (U20) 13:50; 20 J Young (Morp) 13:50
U20: D Van Aardt 13:54; B Kebede (CleM) 13:58
Elite Women: 1 K Snowden (Herne H) 15:20; 2 V Ockenden (Swan) 15:22; 3 G Gregc (Herne H) 15:25; 4 I Fry (Newb) 15:27; 5 I Weir (TVH) 15:27; 6 A Quirk (Brack) 15:32; 7 E Haggard-Kearney (Warriors) 15:35; 8 H Dixon 15:38; 9 E Parker (Poole) 15:43; 10 M Waldmann (Read) 15:48; 11 T Zimovjanova 15:49; 12 H Weedell (Vale R) 15;50; 13 I Jones (W&B) 15:52; 14 M Gadsby (Norw) 15:54; 15 S Tarver (Wirr) 16:02; 16 B Gunn (Bir) 16:02; 17 C Dannatt 16:03; 18 S Dufour-Jackson (Vale R) 16:03; 19 A Morton 16:04; 20 E Strevens (U20) 16:07
U20: 3 J Leggate (C&C) 16:24; 4 A McAndrew 16:27; 5 R Flaherty (Bing) 16:34
U17: 1 L Williamson 16:34;
U15: 1 C Muzio 16:34
Note: no veteran categories stated in B and C elite races
ESSEX 20, Saffron Waldon, March 16
James Connor went second on the Power of 10 all-time veteran M40 rankings when winning in 1:44:00 to set himself up nicely for a fast London Marathon outing next month.
The Havering runner said: “It was a good test at target marathon pace. I led from start to finish running solo, however I knew that Jonathan Escalante-Phillips would be close. I felt strong throughout, despite the wind picking up in the latter laps. It was nice to run a PB for 20 miles too, and help the Essex team win the Inter-Counties match.”
Women’s race winner Gaby Reynolds improved her personal best by two minutes 2:02:11.
Overall: 1 J Connor (Hav’g, M40) 1:44:08; 2 J Escalante-Phillips (C&C) 1:44:43; 3 D Smale (S’end) 1:45:40; 4 A Gladley (C&T) 1:46:33; 5 P Coates (Brain, M40) 1:48;18; 6 T Beedell (WG&EL) 1:49;42; 7 C Smith (Hunts) 1:49:46; 8 R McGavock (B’fleet) 1;50:40
M50: 1 C Holmes (S’end) 1:58:58; 2 H Mizon ((Witham) 2:02:14
M60: 1 O Dare (Witham) 2:05:41
M70: 1 D Butler (Bill’cay) 2:24:05
Inter-County TEAM (5 to score): 1 Essex 5:16:14; 2 Cambs 5:33:32; 3 Herts 5:42:55
James Connor (Steve Wilkin)
Women: 1 G Reynolds (Herne H) 2:02:11; 2 H Hann (St Alb) 2:03:46; 3 N Hanekom (S’oaks, W45) 2:04:40; 4 C Brooks (E Ex Tri) 2:06:39; 5 K Woodward (Ware, W40) 2:07:18; 6 A Klucnika ((C&C) 2:08:16
W40: 2 K Creak (Col H) 2:11:48
W45: 2 N Woodward (S’field) 2:14:02
W50: 1 E Prideaux (S’field) 2:16:34; 2 V Sesto (Lym) 2:16:48
W60: 1 C Brown (Wym) 2:36:02
Inter-County TEAM (4 to score): 1 Herts 6:21:57; 2 Essex 6:44:43; 3 Kent 6:34:58
GetPRO BATH HALF-MARATHON, March 16
Jake Smith interrupted the usual battle that Omar Ahmed and Dewi Griffiths have had over the past six months to score a narrow victory in 62:20.
It was the Pontypridd runner’s best outing since a third spot in London’s Big Half in September 2022 when he ran 62;10 but that was after a couple of big wins in Vitality Big Half and Cheshire Marathon in April 2021 where there was a 2:11:00 return.
However, the previous year, Smith had posted his 60:31 personal best when placing 18th in the World Half-Marathon Championship in Poland. Ahmed followed home three seconds down with Griffiths third in 63:03.
Abbie Donnelly won the women’s race in 69:54, a little down on her time in Barcelona in February this year, where the Lincoln Wellington runner posted her 69:05 personal best, in the Spanish city in 2024.
Dundee Hawkhill’s Natasha Phillips was two minutes down in second spot in her first outing of the year which followed the setting of her personal best in Valencia at 70:18 last October.
Third placed Annabel Gummow has been posting a series of good time in recent months and a 72:26 personal best clocking was the Herts Phoenix runner’s return here.
More on the Bath Half here.
Dewi Griffiths, Jake Smith, Omar Ahmed (LM Events)
Overall: 1 J Smith (P’pridd) 62:20; 2 O Ahmed (Bir) 62:23; 3 D Griffiths (Swan) 63:03; 4 D Nolan (Croy) 64:49; 5 A Milne (HW) 64:51; 6 S Branwell (Herne H) 64:53; 7 P Le Grice (B&W, M40) 65:08; 8 C Avery (Morp) 65:11; 9 L McCourt (Morp) 65:15; 10 A Lawrence (VP&TH) 65:32; 11 J Dee (SB) 66:03; 12 K Doherty (Derry) 67:30; 13 M Parker (Hales) 67:32; 14 D Rigby 67:33; 15 D Soltys (Corn) 69:00
M40: 2 J Hotham (VP&TH) 70:52
M50: 1 A McCarron (Queen’s P) 73:17
M60: 1 A Blair (Les C) 80:54
M65: 1 P Reddaway (Ware) 84:25
M70: 1 D Gibson (Tri Hard) 86:54; 2 A Whitehouse (Totley) 92:09
Natasha Phillips, Abbie Donnelly, Annabel Gummow (LM Events)
Women: 1 A Donnelly (Linc W) 69:54; 2 N Phillips (Dund H, U20) 72:06; 3 A Gummow (Herts P) 72:26; 4 O Tsim (P’pridd) 73;27; 5 K Wood (York) 73:36; 6 C Taylor (B&W) 74:07; 7 A Domville (T Bath) 74:16; 8 D Bruce (B&W, W35) 78:01; 9 M Wilson 78:33; 9 H Wilkinson 78:34; 10 K Knowles (Corn) 78:52
W50: 1 G Pearson (Yeo) 81:28; 2 S Gillings 84:58; 3 K Walker 88;13
W55: 1 A Purnell 83:41
W65: 1 J Thomson (T Bath) 98:02
COLCHESTER HALF-MARATHON, Essex, March 16
Overall: 1 B Felton (Chelm) 68:44; 2 J Nixon (C&C) ^8:56; 3 O Adedeji (NEB) 69:37; 4 K Seyed (Lon H) 59:50; 5 M Elbayan (Col H) 70:11; 6 J Morley (Col H) 71:03
M40: 1 D Rock (Felix) 71:59
Women: 1 S Bird (Ips J) 84:31
W45 1 H Weir (Col H) 87:44
W50: 1 K Smith (Boxted) 94:38
DEBDEN 10km, Saffron Walden, Essex, March 16
Overall: 1 C Charlston (AFD) 30:56
Women: 1 K Williams (Royst, W35) 40:37
FLEET HALF-MARATHON, Hampshire, March 16
Dean Williamson won overall in 67:41 but there was a British masters age group best a little deeper in the field.
The Colchester Harriers runner also took the Army and Inter-services title which was held in conjunction, as second placed Adam Baker scored for the RAF.
Nina Griffith added the women’s title in 74:36 while second placed Megan Davis was just outside her best when taking the Inter-Services title for the Army in 85:37.
Not too far back, Karima Harris finished fifth overall in 77:50 to claim a British and probable W55 World Masters best ever time of 77:50.
The time was more than three minutes inside the previous mark of Anne Luke that has stood for 13 years and also betters the existing British Masters W50 best of 78:01 held by Kate Rennie.
Harris had posted a 79:10 time in the Oxford Half-Marathon last October but as the race was not licenced and had no known distance certification was discounted. That situation has now been satisfactorily rectified with this 77;50 effort.
Harris said: “It was hiller than I expected and I ran slightly faster than the plan as it felt good. The last mile was very hard but seeing the timer at the end made it absolutely worthwhile.”
A little further back, Elsbeth Turner was second W55, just two days before her 60th birthday, in a time of 83:42 that would have been a British W60 best if set just two days later.
Overall: 1 D Williamson (Col H) 67:41; 2 A Baker (Leeds) 68:35; 3 C Davies 68:37; 4 M Duffett 68:39; 5 T Foster (G&G) 68:44; 6 K Bowling 69:03; 7 B Stephenson (Dart, M40) 69:20; 8 G Wright (Fleet) 69:47; 9 I Bailey (AFD) 69:54; 10 W Ewens 70:02
M45: 1 M Blair (Mansf) 72:36
M50: 1 A Spooner (best A) 75:26
M55: 1 S Ramek (Chess) 79:33
M60: 1 S Plummer (ESM) 89:55; 2 K Miyazaki (AFD) 84:15
M70: 1 R Burton (BMH) 87:39
Women: 1 N Griffith (WSEH) 74:46; 2 M Davis (Corn) 75:37; 3 L Small (AFD) 76:39; 4 S Holt (Strag) 77:44; 5 K Harris (High, W55) 77:50; 6 S Carter (THH) 79:20
W45: 1 L Locks (AFD) 80:45
W50: 1 J Cook (Shrews) 84:39; 2 A Granger (B^W) 85:07; 3 V Buck (Kent) 87:05
W55: 2 E Turner (Horsh BS) 83:42
W60: 1 D Hier (Avon VR) 98:14; 2 L Tyler (Farn R) 98:30; 3 L Clements (Bide) 98:03
W70: 1 J Radford (Win) 1:50:32
GREAT WELSH MARATHON & HALF, Pembury, South Wales, March 16
Overall (26.2M): 1 I Griffiths (Peak P) 2:35:02; 2 G Williams (Swan, M40) 2:35:43
Women: 1 H Weston (Roms, W35) 3:04:40
Overall (13.1M): 1 D Cole (DC Tri) 69:55
W40: 1 D Morris (Builth, W40) 79:36
W55: 1 T Jenkins (P’cawl) 86:52
W60: 1 M Anthony (TROTS) 1:40:15
MILTON KEYNES RUNNING FESTIVAL 20, Buckinghamshire, March 16
Overall: 1 S Tuttle (Mil K) 1:49:06; 2 A Buchanan 1:52:56
M40: 1 S Buckle (L Buzz) 1:54:43
M70: 1 J Skelton (Mil K) 2:38:35
Women: 1 A Barton (Higham) 2:08:19; 2 R Doherty (Higham, W35) 2;20;21; 3 B Raftery (Tring, W35) 2:10:54
W45: 1 Z Kemp (Human E) 2:18:54
W55: 1 C Wilkinson (Spa) 2:35:29
NANTWICH 10km, Cheshire, March 16
Overall: 1 A Moore (Bangor U) 31;26
M50: 1 P Vale (B&R) 35:49
Women: 1 K Latham (Nant, W35) 37:00
W50: 1 J Stanfield (Trenth) 39:13
RETFORD HALF-MARATHON, Nottinghamshire, March 16
Edward Buck, who was seventh in the Midland cross country, was 36 seconds outside his best when winning overall in 65:59 as the Newark runner also annexed his Nottinghamshire County title.
Overall: 1 E Buck (Newark) 65:59; 2 A Watson (Notts, M45) 66:08; 3 L Milburn (Roth) 67:47; 4 J Holland (Notts) 69:58; 5 R Brailsford (Wake) 70:54; 6 K Swainson (Sheff RC, M40) 71:25
M55: 1 A Taplin (Beest) 76:47
M60: 1 J Lowe (Mansf) 83:08
M65: 1 M Walters (HolmeP) 86:25
M75: 1 C Mason (S Derb) 1:46:32
Women: 1 N Drakeford (Barns) 77:43; 2 K Pearson (CoH, W40) 83:05
W50: 1 N Neville 86:50;2 H Effingham 87:31
W55: 1 J Rooney (Kimber) 93:16
W65: 1 B Stevens (Mansf) 1:41:10
SURREY HALF-MARATHON, Woking, Surrey, March 16
After a close race, it was Belgrave Harriers’ Sam Gebreselassie who narrowly got the verdict over Jonathan Cornish in a tick outside his personal best with a 65:41 clocking.
Overall: 1 S Gebreselassie (Belg) 65:41; 2 J Cornish (HW) 65:44; 3 J Millar (B&W) 65:52; 4 A Penney (HW) 66:52; 5 P Roddy (THH) 66:54; 6 J Sanderson (G&G) 66:56; 7 S MacAulay (Lon H) 67:13; 8 J Hoad (THH) 68:08; 9 J Wootton (Shett) 68:10; 10 U Altan (Belg) 68:15; 11 P Martin (M40) 68:22; 12 O Garrod (Belg) 68:34’ 13 J Cook 68:57; 14 R Banias (Vets) 69:31; 15 R McTaggart (B’mth) 69:35
M40: 2 J Eves 71;27
M45: 1 P Martelletti (VP&TH) 72:21
M50: 1 S Egan (Wok) 76:23
M60: 1 N Rackham (Metros) 80:01
M65: 1 C Finill (Harrow) 87:16
M70: 1 P Sanderson (G&G) 1:40:28
Women: 1 I Clark (W35) 79:19; F Papaugant 80:53
THIRSK 10, North Yorkshire, March 16
Overall: 1 N Edmonson (Ilk) 50:10; 2 A Theaker (Loftus & W) 51:50; 3 J Ridding (Sund) 51:57
M40: 1 J Anderson (NSP) 52:33
M50: 1 T Leahy (Ripon) 58:45
M60: 1 M Hall (Ilk) 60:01
M70: 1 S Dunbar (Saltaire) 63:32
Women: 1 D Ellis (Harr’gate, W40) 60:40
W40: 2 H Cross (Knaves) 62:09
W50: 1 D Edmonson-Booker (Bing) 67:39; 2 M Fowler (R’hay) 68:20
W60: 1 A Keys (Pudsey) 70:15
WAKEFIELD HOSPICE 10km, West Yorkshire, March 16
Overall: 1 M Bostock (Wake) 30:35
Women; 1 H Ansell (Stadium, W35) 38:20
WEYMOUTH HALF-MARATHON, Dorset, March 16
Overall: 1 T Corbin (Poole) 71:25
Women: 1 P James 83:52
FRIDAY NIGHT UNDER THE LIGHTS 5km, Battersea Park, London, March 13
Once again, the event moved forward a day to Thursday and, in the second race, it was Sebastian Lewis who just pipped Peter Chambers as both were given the same 14:33 time.
Race 1, Wave 1: 1 O Copping (Camb U) 15:26
M50: 1 C Blackburn (Holl Sp) 16:03
Race 1, Wave 2:
M55: 1 T Booth (G&G) 16:58
Women: 1 R Carter (HW) 16:46
Race 2, Wave 1: 1 S Lewis (VP&TH) 14:33; 2 P Chambers (High) 14:33; 3 S Jinks (High) 14:46; 4 H Wells (VP&TH) 14:52; 5 A Bampton (High) 14:53; 6 D Shaw (Herne H) 14:54
M40: 1 J Poole Serp) 15:16
U20: 1 I Moore (C&C) 15:00
U17: 1 I Mezey (ESM) 15:19
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