2 November 2009

ECCU Relays, Mansfield, 31 October

THE senior men’s event was won by Bedford & County in 1:01:12.75 from Blackheath & Bromley 1:01:35.65 Blackheath & Bromley Harriers AC and  Bristol & West 1:01:37.15. The fastest time of the day was recorded by Mike Skinner (Blackheath & Bromley) 14:47.90 while the next three fastest were only separated by around half a second! Next fastest was Scott Overall (Blackheath & Bromley) 14:58.30 with Mitch Goose (City of Norwich) just a fraction slower 14:58.50 and Ricky Stevenson (New Marske) also a similar amount behind 14:58.95.

IN the senior women’s event Steph Twell (Aldershot, Farnham & District) returned to top form with the fastest time of the day on the final leg with 9:35.85 which was a massive 20 seconds faster than the second fastest, Jessica Sparke (Woodford Green with Essex Ladies) 9:55.40 with Faye Fullerton (Havering Mayesbrook) clocking 9:56.00 for the third best of the day. Charnwood took the title recording a comfortable victory with 30:19.05 from Bristol & West 30:33.45 and Woodford, Green with Essex Ladies 30:40.15.

THE junior men’s race saw Leeds City take the gold medals in 27:14.10 from Aldershot, Farnham & District 27:24.70 and Luton 27:46.50. Fastest leg was by James Wilkinson (Leeds City) 8:45.50 with Daniel Clorey (Luton) second fastest 8:47.40 and Jonathan Hay claiming third best with 8:58.20.

IN the junior women’s event Aldershot, Farnham & District took the gold medals in a time of 25:48.50, well ahead of runners-up City of Norwich 26:37.15 and Birmingham University 26:40.20. Fastest leg was by Charlotte Purdue (Aldershot, Farnham & District) 8:11.25 with Jessica Coulson (Stockport) returning to form with the second fastest time of 8:24.60 and Alison Leonard (Blackburn) 8:34.05 recording the third fastest leg.

THE U17 men’s event was won by Shaftesbury Barnet in 27:58.25 from Aldershot, Farnham & District 28:06.40 and Ipswich 28:12.25. Richard Goodman (Shaftesbury Barnet) recorded the fastest leg of the day 8:53.15 with Stephen Webb (Ipswich) clocking 9:09.70 for second fastest and Charlie Hulson (Sale Harriers Manchester) clocking 9:10.60 for the third best leg.

IN the U17 women’s race Aldershot, Farnham & District took the gold medals, winning by almost 1½ minutes in 25:53.25 from Marshall Milton Keynes 27:20.25 and Rugby & Northampton 28:05.00. Fastest was Emelia Gorecka (Aldershot & District) 8:31.30 with Georgia Peel (Aldershot, Farnham & District) clocking 8:37.25 and Katie Holt (City of Stoke) recording 8:40.50 for the third best of the day.

THE U15 boy’s event saw Shaftesbury Barnet take the title in 19:53.75 from Windsor, Slough, Eton & Hounslow 20:05.20 and Tonbridge 20:17.45. Fastest leg was by Michael McKeown (Coventry Godiva) 6:17.20 from Nick Jones (Wirral) 6:20.10 and Harvey Brown (Halesowen) 6:23.55.

IN the U15 girl’s event Aldershot, Farnham & District won in 22:07.85 from Leicester Coritanian 22:31.35 and Kingston upon Hull 22:40.60. Fastest overall was S. Rankin (Aldershot, Farnham & District) 7:10.60 with R. Straw 7:15.70 running the second fastest and Codie Marsh (Rotherham) 7:16.60 the third best of the day.

THE U13 boy’s event was won by Tonbridge in 21:53.95 from Tamworth 21:59.85 and Chiltern 22:03.05. The fastest leg was recorded by George Duggan (Tonbridge) 6:57.20 with Jack Crabtree running 6:58.45 for second best and Jivendra Singh (St.Mary’s Richmond) 7:05.00 the third best of the day.

IN the U13 girl’s event Aldershot, Farnham & District took the gold medals with 22:22.65 from Bracknell 23:27.55 and Chiltern 23:30.25. Holly Brown (Taunton) recorded the fastest leg of the day 7:30.45 from Jessica Parsons (Vale Royal) 7:33.05 and Leigh Chapman (Aldershot, Farnham & District) 7:36.40.

ING New York City Marathon, 1 November

PAULA RADCLIFFE finished in fourth place in the New York Marathon after leading for most of the race. The final 5km proved to be her undoing as she faded to finish in 2:29:27. After passing halfway in 74:05 the leading group was down to of five and by 37km the pack was down to four with Lyudmila Petrova (Russia), Christelle Daunay (France) and Deratu Tulu (Ethiopia) beginning to force the pace which left Radcliffe off the pace. Daunay then lost  contact with the leaders at 39km as Petrova forced the pace with Tulu lurking ominously on her shoulder and with 400m remaining the Ethiopian’s superior speed proved decisive.

The New York course  remains one of the most punishing wheelchair marathon courses, but Shelly Woods triumphed finishing as runner-up, in second place behind winner Edith Hunkeler. With each year, Woods gets closer to defeating Hunkeler, this time finishing seven seconds behind the Swiss athlete, who is also paralympic champion, in 1hr 58min 22sec.