Leading results from around the UK over the past few days including the Elswick Harriers Good Friday Relays, Battersea Park Top Flight 5km, Maidenhead Easter 10 and Fast Friday 10km in Exeter
ELSWICK HARRIERS GOOD FRIDAY RELAYS, April 18
The North East clubs seem to be the keenest advocates of relay running as Elswick Harriers put on another event that attracted some of the best and it was 2024 Inter-Counties winner Calum Johnson who anchored his Gateshead club to victory in the men’s race.
This was over four 2.2-mile laps and it had been Houghton’s Chris Coulson who had taken the first leg lead, with a 9:27 clocking, before his club fell back. This let in Morpeth whose Chris Parr had just been pipped for second on the opener by Gateshead’s Lewis Liddle, as George Lowry and Josh Fiddaman then saw Morpeth to a useful lead.
Johnson had other ideas and sealed it for Gateshead with that fastest stage time of 9:10.
Elswick Harriers Good Friday Road Relays (David Hewitson)
The women’s race over three legs saw before Lydia Turner came through on the final stage to secure the victory for Birtley, with a 10:52 effort.
Further back on the last leg, Sophie Pikett made inroads for Elswick, after recently returning to racing in March following the birth of a baby and just edged the fastest lap time with a 10:51 clocking.
Lydia Turner (David Hewitson)
Earlier, it had been Charlotte Dillon who gave Houghton a first leg lead with an 11:13 clocking that was to end up the third quickest effort.
The best of the masters age groups, saw hosts Elswick take the W40 title after leading throughout but Justina Heslop took more than a minute out of the rest with the quickest effort of 11:52.
Sophie Pikett (David Hewitson)
Men (4×2.2Mkm): 1 Gateshead 39:19 (L Liddle 9:40, D Alexander 10:14, J Cripwell 10:15, C Johnson 9:10); 2 Morpeth 39:33 (C Parr 9:40, G Lowry 9:50, J Fiddaman 9:53, A Brown 10:09); 3 Middlesboro Mandale 40:04 (M Creasey 9:35, J Brown 10:09, Z Gribbon 10;12, A Dumez 10:08); 4 Morpeth B 40:15; 5 Tyne Bridge 40:15; 6 Houghton 40:35
Fastest: Johnson 9:10; C Coulson (Houghton) 9:27; Creasey 9:35
M40 (4×2.2M): 1 Sunderland 43:32 (S Potts 11:40, N Barker 10:44, S Rankin 10:20, J Taylor 10:49); 2 Morpeth 44;10; 3 Tyne Bridge 44;58
Fastest: A Swinburn (Morp) 10:11; Rankin 10:20; P O’Mara (Tyne Br) 10:31
M50 (4×2.2M): 1 Elvet 45:37 (D Milligan 11:04, L McEwen 11:31, W Pearson 11:27, M Littlewood 11:35); 2 Morpeth 47:28; 3 Elswick 48:58
Fastest: Milligan 11:04; J Butters (Morp) 11:18; Pearson 11:27
M60 (4×2.2M): 1 Morpeth 54:03 (S Land 14:35, G Bayne 13:13, T Horsley 13:26, A MacDonald 12;48); 2 J&H 54:55; 3 Houghton 55:42
Fastest: M Salkeld (J&H) 12:20; MacDonald 12:48; R Barker (Sund Str) 12:52
U15 Boys (1.66M): 1 G Bryce (Blyth) 7:34; 2 J Lodge (NSP) 7:44; 3 E Watson (NSP) 7:47
U13 Boys (1.66M): 1 N Penfold (NSP) 7:44; 2 T Hale (NSP) 8:19; 3 R Gormley (NSP) 8:29
Birtley AC (l to r): Lydia Turner, Katie Francis, Chloe Bailes (David Hewitson)
Women (3×2.2M): 1 Birtley 34:37 (K Francis 11;17, C Bailes 12;29, L Turner 10:52); 2 Houghton 34:43 (C Dillon 11;13, K Pye 11:46, A Pigford 11;45); 3 Elswick 35:45 (I Bungay 12:09, E Blight 12:45, S Pikett 10:51); 4 Sunderland 35:43; 5 Tyne Bridge 36:15; 6 J&H 36:20
Fastest: Pikett 10:51; Turner 10:52; Dillon 11:13
W40 (3×2.2M): 1 Elswick 38:25 (F Smith 13:08, J Nutt 13:25, J Heslop 11:52); 2 Birtley 39:40 (L Graham 13;20, H Arrowsmith 13;22, T Millmore 12:59); 3 Sunderland 41:04
Fastest: Heslop 11:52; J Pescod (Sund) 12:53; Millmore 12;59
W50 (3×2.2M): 1 Ponteland 43:21 E Stephenson 14:33, E Stroud 14;27, E Turnbull 14:21); 2 Sunderland 46:34; J&H 49:00
Fastest: Turnbull 14:21
Elswick Harriers Good Friday Road Relays (David Hewitson)
W60 (3×2.2M): 1 Heaton 51:47
Fastest: E Waters (Heat) 14:56
Note: Relay times may not add up due to rounding
U15 Girls (1.66M): 1 H Wilkinson (Morp) 8:41; 2 J Gould 8:51; 3 K Graham (Birt) 8:53
U13 Girls (1.66M: 1 A Penfold (NSP) 8:20; J Blight (Elsw) 8:45; 3 R Collins (Gosf) 8:54
EASTER BUNNY 10km, Yeovil, Somerset, April 21
Overall: 1 T Webb (Wells, U20) 30:55
M60: 1 P Parry (B&W) 37:21; 2 I Middlebrook (Eg H) 38:25
M70: 1 M Sparks (Yeo) 44:38
Women: 1 H Blundy (Wells) 35:53
W55: 1 S Davies (B&W) 44:25
EASTER MONDAY MT 10km, Lewes, East Sussex, April 21
M45 veteran James Baker notched up his 1180th career victory in this multi-terrain event held on tracks and footpaths to the south of Lewes.
Overall: 1 J Baker (Chich R, M45) 35:06
Women: 1 I Coomber (Lewes, W35) 40:19
CREWE 10km, Cheshire, April 20
Katie Ward, the 2022 Midland cross-country champion was a minute outside her best when finishing third overall in 33:27.
Overall: 1 T Jordan (Stoke) 32:29
M55: 1 M Lynas (Macc) 37:20
Women: 1 K Ward (Vale R) 33;27
W50: 1 K Readman (Macc) 41:33
W55: 1 S Taylor (Trenth) 41:49
W60: 1 C Skellern (Staff) 46:30
Kirsty Longley
HALE VILLAGE 5, Merseyside, April 20
Women’s winner Kirsty Longley ran her fastest time for seven years when winning the women’s section in 27:49, her fourth victory in the race.
Back in 2018, Longley had won this event in 27:51 and the Liverpool Pembroke & Sefton runner’s gun time here matched the 27:49 time set by Zina Marchant in 1995 to set a new British W45 best mark. The Power of 10 list Marchant’s time as Chip but your correspondent is not so sure.
Longley’s chip time here was 27:48 and said: “I am 50 next year, so I am very pleased as coming to end of the category.”
Explaining the difference between gun and chip time, she added: “ I had a slow start as I do not start at the front as I got pushed once and that was awful.”
Overall: 1 R Malone 26:04
Women: 1 K Longley Liv PS, W45) 27:49; 2 L Fairclough (St Hel Sut) 28:37
W45: 2 L Blizzard (Warr) 32:36
W50: 1 J Nemits (Warr) 33:48
W55: 1 J Zdrenka (St Hel St) 35:39
W60: 1 J Hickman (W Chesh) 35:43
W65: 1 B Cahill (St Hel St) 41:15
BATTERSEA PARK TOP FLIGHT 5km, London, April 19
Omah Ahmed, Tom Hoogeboom, Nathan Mapperley and Ollie Lockley battled it out before Ethiopian refugee Ahmed came home to win in 14:20.
Overall (Top Flight): 1 O Ahmed (Bir) 14:20; 2 T Hoogeboom (NED) 14:24; 3 N Mapperley (C&C) 14:25; 4 O Lockley (Leeds) 14:26; 5 B Moore (WSEH) 14:30; 6 O Newman (C&C) 14:39; 7 D McCluskey (Mald, U20) 14:41; 8 J Trangmar (St Ed, U20) 14:44; 9 J Noblett (Lut) 14:46; 10 J Hancock (Belg) 14:46
M40: 1 C Loudon (Camb H) 15:29
M45: 1 P Martelletti (VP&TH) 15:26
M50: 1 M Waller (S’end) 16:50
U17: 1 L Moore (TVH) 15:09
Women: 1 E Overgsdahl (NOR) 16:48; 2 S Tooley (Herne H) 16:51; 3 R Carter (HW) 17:02
U17: 1 S Coppola-Johansen (E&E) 17:49
Open 5km
Selected Women: 1 H Maher (Norw) 18:11
W50: 1 R Taylor (Morn) 21:04
W65: 1 J Harrison (B&W) 22;25
EASTER COAST 5, Redcar, North Yorkshire, April 18
Overall: 1 L Gamble-Thompson (N Marske) 25:12
M50: 1 D Smithers (Knaves) 28:07
M60: 1 P Clough (Crook) 29:47
M65: 1 P Milburn (Sedge) 32:54
Women: 1 C Williamson (Loftus, W40) 30:12
W50: 1 L Horrell (Vegan) 33:34
W55: 1 K Neesam (N Marske) 32:38
W60: 1 P Brown (Darl) 37:01
FAST FRIDAY 10km, Exeter, Devon, April 18
Overall: 1 C Hewitt (Tiv) 32:18
M50: 1 J McConnell (Taunt) 35:04
M60: 1 M Robinson (B&W) 36:15; 2 P Monaghan 38:30
M70: 1 J Shapland (Bide) 43:36
Women: 1 A Gidey (Ex’mth) 35:16
W50: 1 L Kipling (Rane) 41:41
W65: 1 A Engledew (Ermw V) 49:36
FOLKESTONE 10, Kent, April 18
Marshall Smith won overall in 51:23 but women’s winner Helen Gaunt went fifth on the over-45 all-time lists with a 57:33 clocking that was the fastest W45 age group time for 15 years.
Overall: 1 M Smith (Ashf) 51:23; 2 B Stephenson (Dart, M40) 53:04
M45: 1 R Lang (Kent) 56:18
M55: 1 A Green (Dart) 60:06; 2 D Gillett (S Lon) 61:18
Women: 1 H Gaunt (Ton, W45) 57:33; 2 B Morrish (Padd W) 61:47
W55: 1 J Holford (Tun W) 71:17
W60: 1 R Baker (Camb H) 76:25
MAIDENHEAD EASTER 10, Berkshire, April 18
Whilst Blake Moore won overall in 50:34, the 70th running of this classic race yielded a British women’s over-60 best ever time for Sarah Gee at 63:49.
The 61-year-old has been threatening a revision of the record books since returning to the sport late last year after a 14-year sabbatical.
The time took nearly a minute from Treena Johnson’s widely respected time of 64:36 and there is clearly more to come from the Reading Roadrunner.
Gee finished fifth in the women’s race, which was won by Anna Harrold in 57:23 and also led her club to the team award.
It was a personal best, by over a minute for W40 Harrold who ran 2:42:43 in last year’s London Marathon.
Gee, who won this trace overall three times between 2008 and 2010, said: “The conditions were perfect and it was partly sunny with a much lighter breeze than I had anticipated. The last time I ran this course was in 2010 and it hadn’t changed. It is a flat course and fast course, with only a small section on pavements,”
The new owner of the British W60 10-mile best was targeting the previous mark and added: “I went off at 6:10 for the first mile, so pulled the pace back a little as that was slightly too quick, but I was always 30 seconds ahead of the target.
“I felt positive about that once I settled at mile three. I went through five miles in 31.38, 10km in 38.57 and 15km at 59.52. At that point I knew I could do the time. I just needed to get to the line.”
Overall: 1 B Moore (WSEH) 50:34; 2 D Brookling (WSEH) 51:37; 3 N Jones (VoA) 51:28; 4 G Suthon (Read) 53:10; 5 S Millett (WSEH) 55:40; 6 A Lee (S’oaks, M50) 55:53
M40: 1 K White (Mil K) 57:10
M50: 2 S Winder (E&E) 57:51
M55: 1 T Booth (G&G) 58:07; 2 T Webb (Kent) 59:30
M60: 1 M Turney (hilt) 63:14
M70: 1 G Ruffle (Hart) 70:18; 2 I Kitching (S Lon) 72:37
TEAM: 1 WSEH 8; 2 Chiltern 79; 3 Abingdon 98
Women: 1 A Harrold (Truro, W40) 57:23; 2 M Gibson (Ealing E, W40) 58:36; 3 C Davies (Preston, W40) 59:36
W40: 4 C Firth (WSEH) 62:29
W50: 1 C Hoskins (Read RR) 66:32
W60: 1 S Gee (Read RR) 63:49; 2 M Davis (Strag) 77:05
W75: 1 J Davies (E&E) 87:41
TEAM: 1 Read RR 301; 2 Datchet 609; 3 Windle 610
SALFORD 10km, Greater Manchester, April 18
Overall: 1 J Griffiths (Swan) 30:28; 2 H Johnson (Hali) 30:42; 3 N Barry (Sale) 31:08; 4 J Moores (Salf) 31:11; 5 D Byrne (Hallam) 31:15; 6 T Charles (Chorl, M40) 31:25
M45: 1 J Bretherton (B’burn) 32:46
M55: 1 R Felton (Spect) 34:49; 2 A Porter (Bramhall) 35:12
M60: 1 J Convery (Bing) 36:17
M70: 1 G Crewe (Wilm) 43:03
Women: 1 L Candioli (Chesh Dr) 35:24; 2 E O’Dea (Dees) 35:32
W40: 1 F Hughes (Wirral) 37:33
W45: 1 R Marshall (Bury) 38:30
W50: 1 K Geelan (Bury) 39:40
W55: 1 A Spencer (Vall St) 40:12
W65: 1 S Burns (CleM) 44:30
W70: 1 D Broom (Peni) 44:24
SUDBURY 5, Suffolk, April 18
Overall: 1 J Elston-Carr (C&C) 26:12
M60: 1 C Ridley (Col H) 30:25
Women: 1 D Glover (Fram) 27:12
W40: 1 S Williams (Grange F&D) 30;35
W50: 1 O Robson (St Ed) 32;47
W60: 1 J Morgan (St Ed) 38:10
VICTORIA PARK HALF-MARATHON, London, April 18
Overall: 1 L Burthem (Liv) 70:46
M55: 1 J Jansen (BEL) 82:22
Women: 1 H Evans (Best A) 77:41
W55: 1 A Barber (Kent) 98:10
WESTONBIRT HOUSE EASTER 10km, Gloucestershire, April 18
Overall: 1 J Pickering (W Tempo) 31:29
Women: 1 I Brinsden (CC) 37:27
WESTON PROM 5, Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, April 17
Overall: 1 J Williamson (S’burn) 25:14
M50: 1 K Summers (Weston) 27:56
M70: 1 J Malone (Nailsea) 35:42
Women: 1 A Smith (Weston, W40) 32:05
W60: 1 S Capstick (R f’ever) 36:04
CHASE THE SUN HYDE PARK 10km, April 16
Overall: 1 O Garrod (Belg) 32:01
Women: 1 A Clements (Kent, W40) 35:26
CSAA 10km, Battersea Park, London, April 16
Three days after helping his Bristol & West club to the National 12-Stage title, Jack Millar was back in action to take this title and commemorate 160 years of the Civil Service Athletic Association.
Overall: 1 J Millar (Sparta) 30:56; 2 J McRae (Land Reg) 31:16
M55: 1 R Ginn (DEFRA) 31:13
M65: 1 P Jones (DEFRA) 31;28
M75: 1 M Anglim (CS) 51:12
Women: 1 E Antcliffe (DWP) 39:02
W60: 1 M Noel (MoD) 46:37
W70: 1 M Statham-Berry (Minerva) 49:55
GREAT YARMOUTH PROMENADE 5, Norfolk, April 16
Overall: 1 M Eccles (Bure) 26:21
U17: 1 B Eccles (Bure) 26:48
Women: 1 S Barrett (Norw) 29:15; 2 L Finch (Bure) 29:26
W50: 1 J Andrews (Bung) 29:43
W60: 1 S Roberts (Colt) 26:13
STILTON 7, Leicestershire, April 13
Overall: 1 M Hussein (R’hoggs) 35:35; 2 M Scarsbrook (Badgers) 36:04; 3 A Adie (Desf) 37:04
M50: 1 C Horton (Badgers) 39:48; 3 M Makin (Herm) 40:46
Women: 1 C Nurse (W End) 42:34; 2 R Nealon (Hunc) 43:16
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