Massive Kenilworth Runners turnout at Ryton 5 rewarded with team success

Ben Taylor led them home, running well to finish second behind Hinckley Running Club’s Simon Birch (26:33) in a time of 26min 46sec, with Stanley Doxey fifth in 27:32.

These two along with George Crawford (28:10), Andrew Siggers (29:12), Oliver Lunn (30:13) and Ryan Baker (30:25) were the first team in the Warwickshire Road Race League.

Kenilworth Ladies also took the team honours, with Marie Matthews second lady in 31:46.

The next three Kenilworth ladies all finished within nine seconds of each other - Emma Ford (33:52), Laura Pettifer (33:56) and Rachel Miller (34:01) - to complete their team counters.

Spa Striders’ men’s captain Chris Mckeown was seventh overall and third M35 in 27:54 as the club finished runners-up behind Kenilworth in the team competitions.

Ian Allen (ninth in 28:07), Neil Smith (13th in 29:06), Adam Notley (16th in 29:36) Chris Liddle (30:13) and Simon Ludford (31:21) completed their men’s counters.

Striders’ women were tightly packed with Mairi Walker (33:12), Michelle Hutton (33:51), Fiona Edwards (34:07) and Laura Peake (34:11) helping pip Leamington C&AC for second.

Leamington did have the honour of winning the women’s race, however, Megan McDonald producing a superb run of 30:18 to take top spot.

C&AC newcomer Hannah Thorne made a superb debut for the club, earning third place in 32:17.

Clubmate Paul Okey was six seconds behind and followed it up three days later with a strong run at the Humber Bridge 10k in East Yorkshire.

Okey clocked 40:19 to finish second M45 and 17th overall.

Leamington C&AC’s Sue Harrison claimed the runners-up spot at the Pitchcroft 10k in Worcester - her fourth race in three weeks.

A congested start to the race, which comprised three circuits around the outside of the city’s racecourse, left Harrison back in sixth place after the first mile.

However, she settled into a strong rhythm and had moved up to second approaching the final lap.

She was unable to catch Tipton AC’s Lynne Hill who finished first in 38min 50sec but her time of 40:08 put her well clear in second and gave her the W45 prize.

Kenilworth Runners’ Rachel Miller ran a new personal best of 42:14 to finish seventh lady.

The race was won by Ben Toye of Gosport in 32:52.

At the Buxton Half Marathon, Spa Striders’ Kevin Baskerville finished in 1:53:23, while Ben Parkinson was a fine tenth in 5hr 19min at the Marlow Classic Half Iron Distance Duathlon.

Leamington C&AC’s Monica Williamson finished first W55 at the hugely popular Vitality London 10k.

However, despite her victory, she felt she could have run quicker than her time of 40min 40sec.

She said: “Because of the huge numbers it was frustrating not to be able to stride out and I never got running properly until around the 6k mark.”

Monica’s daughter Megan Rothman finished in an impressive 38:55.

Martin Dorrill was the first of ten Kenilworth Runners, coming home 34th in category in a time of 39:04.

Clubmate Simon Corley clocked 39:10, with Emma Ford 102nd lady in 39:15.

Mo Farah won the race for a seventh time after clocking 28:14, with Steph Twell retaining the women’s title in 31:55

Also in the capital, Spa Striders’ David Chantrey finished the Vitality London Westminster Mile in 6:01.

Returning from injury, Kelsey Wiberley clocked 6:17, while Pete Soley finished a second behind his five-year-old son Bromley in 9:55.

Meanwhile, Spa Striders’ Claire Rawbone completed her first trail race, the Cannock Chase Forest 10k, in 70:43, with Alison Gibbons clocking 1:23:04.