19 November 2014

Scott Overall (coach: Alan Storey) and Emma Stepto (Alan Rowling) were crowned the overall winners of the 2014 runbritain Grand Prix as the series concluded at the Age UK Leeds Abbey Dash on Sunday 16 November.

The top of the women’s standings were only decided at the final race in Yorkshire as the athletes battled for the final places and their share of the £18,800 prize money.

Stepto’s superb fourth position at the final race meant she maintained her position at the top of the Grand Prix leader board finishing with 991 points in total. She went into the event as the overall leader and claimed a new personal best with a time of 33:02 to continue her good current form. Emily Wicks (Keith Donkin) was second and only ten points behind Stepto in the rankings despite not competing in Leeds.

One of the biggest movers in the women’s standings was Rachel Felton (Christopher Frapwell) who was just outside her personal best in 33:44, finished ninth in the race on the streets of Leeds. Her result moved her into joint third spot overall in the standings alongside Jenny Jagger (Bruce Tulloh).

Overall had already won the men’s competition after three wins plus a third place and four hundred bonus points for fast times earlier in the series. He did not compete in Leeds but there were plenty of challengers to take the remaining podium positions.

Nick Torry was second in the Grand Prix rankings before the 10k in Leeds and his eighth place finish and one hundred bonus points for running under thirty minutes secured his second position on the men’s leader board.

John McDonnell (John Stoker) was tipped to be the significant threat to the podium positions going into the weekend and he did not disappoint as he moved from ninth to third in the men’s overall rankings. He ran a lifetime best of 29:28 to take his overall points tally to 1156 points. Jack Martin (David Turnbull) also propelled himself up the standings from tenth to fourth as the Stockport Harrier finished narrowly behind McDonnell recording a PB of 29:30.

The final results show that fifty-two men ran under 31 minutes for the 10k distance and twenty-seven women under 36 minutes. This is believed to be the first time in almost twenty years that more than fifty British runners have run under 31 minutes in a UK road 10k (previously forty-eight at Bupa Great Manchester Run 2007) although detailed records have only been held since 2006.

At all six events that make up the runbritain Grand Prix, points are awarded for the first 250 finishing positions. 250 points are awarded for the first British finisher, down to 1 point for the 250th British finisher with time bonuses also available.

For full details on the runbritain Grand Prix standings, click here.