Sunday was chockablock with fast road races across the UK including the Preston 10, Brampton to Carlisle 10M and lots more.
This week’s UK round-up is supported by SOAR running, who are offering an exclusive 25% discount to club runners. Find out more about the offer here.
The hugely popular Preston 10 saw a fantastic seven runners dip under 55 minutes on a perfect day for racing on Sunday (November 18).
Organisers declared it a ‘result worthy of the race’s history’, and with the leading lady dipping under the hour, it certainly puts the event up there with one of the fastest 10m courses in the country.
Blackburn Harriers’ Tim Raynes emerged as the overall victor, crossing the line 52:10 in his first attempt at the distance. Raynes beat off fine competition from Wesham Runners’ Rob Danson and Sale Harriers’ Adam Sciacca, who recorded times of 52:37 and 52:43 respectively.
Lytham St Anne’s Liz Abbott ran a superb 59:30 to win the women’s race, a massive PB for the V35 athlete. Sale Harriers’ Katherine Wood joined her club mate Sciacca on the podium with a 60:25 result to take the second prize, while Halifax Harriers’ Sarah Cumber took third place in 63:48.
Will Strangeway added another prize to Lincoln Wellington’s increasingly crammed trophy cabinet when he took the win at the Long Sutton 10k (November 18) in 31:55.
It was a clear victory ahead of club mate Thomas North’s 33:30 and Ryston Runners’ Callum Stanforth’s 33:41.
Great Yarmouth’s Colleen Mukuya took the women’s title in 37:38, a PB by nearly a minute for the 2:57 marathon runner.
Fellow sub-3 hour marathoner and top trail runner Bushfield Joggers’ Tracy McCartney made a welcome return to road racing with a 39:12 result in second place.
Former club mate, top V50 veteran and England masters international Phillipa Taylor put her recent Achilles operation behind her in style with a superb 39:51 clocking for Nene Valley Harriers. Incidentally, Taylor’s marathon PB is 2:48:44.
Cambridge & Coleridge’s veteran prodigy Vicky Knight made a storming return to form following an injury break with victory at the St Neots Half Marathon (November 18) in 76:22. She finished 12th overall on the undulating course, a promising result for the athlete with a 74:42 best.
Knight beat off competition from another top masters athlete, Johanna O’Regan from the race’s home club, Riverside Runners. O’Regan ran a scintillating 2:45:31 to win the Chester Marathon in October, and recorded a two minute-plus PB here to finish runner up in 79:19.
Trent Park RC’s Emma Rowley just beat off stiff competition for the final podium spot from Ramsey Road Runners’ Lisa Marriott, running 83:37 to Marriott’s PB 83:44.
Sunday also saw the latest edition of the classic Brampton to Carlisle 10M, with more fast times recorded in the ever competitive event.
Salford Harriers’ Tom Cornthwaite and Marc Brown enjoyed a close battle for the title, with Cornthwaite just edging out his club mate with a 50:13 clocking to Brown’s 50:17.
The host club Border Harrier’s brought home the third prize when James Douglas ran a still fast 50:53 that would have won most 10m road races in the UK most weekends!
North East international Alyson Dixon was a convincing winner of the women’s race in 55:01 for Sunderland Striders.
Fife AC’s Annabel Simpson was also a clear second in 57:03, while Jarrow & Hebburn’s Georgia Campbell’s 59:57 ensured she just beat the hour mark for third.
The Brighton 10k saw hot competition for the top honours, with Hastings’ classy Adam Clarke coming out a clear winner in the end in 30:24.
It was closer call for the second prize but Brighton Phoenix’s Ross Skelton just held off Southampton’s Jonny Roberts, his 30:44 just beating Roberts by three seconds.
Brighton Phoenix also provided the women’s victor when Beth Kidger broke the tape in 34:35, well ahead of her nearest rival. Springfield Striders’ Liz Davies was second lady in a speedy 35:19, while Shaftesbury Barnet’s Victoria Pritchard was never far behind in third, crossing the line in 35:44.
The Rother Valley Half Marathon saw wins for Salford Harrier’s Stuart Robinson and Ackworth Road Runners’ Sarah Hunter on a sunny Sunday morning (November 18).
Robinson took the men’s top prize in 72:50 while Hunter’s winning time was 89:03.
Hallamshire Harriers’ Matt Craig and Birchfield Harriers’ Thomas Beasley were second and third men in 73:00 and 73:47 respectively.
Knowle & Porridge RC’s Rosie Marsh was the women’s runner up in 90:18 while Steel City Striders’ Ashleigh Barron was third in 92:43.
A little further afield, Joshua Cheptegei broke the world 15km record with 41:03 (unofficial) at the Seven Hills Run in Nijmegen (November 18).
While the world 10km record stands at 26:44, the 15km mark compares favourably, with credit due to the Ugandan for continuing the blistering pace for a considerable distance further.
There were impressive performances by Mark McKinstry and Michelle Sandison amongst many others at the British and Irish Masters Cross Country International on Saturday (November 17) to kick the weekend’s racing off in style.
The full report can be found here.
There were blisteringly fast parkrun times across the UK this weekend too, with the top honours going to Dewi Griffiths and Hayley Carruthers.
The full report on the UK’s top 10 parkrun times can be found here.
Are you a fan of Fast Running? Then please support us and become a patreon. For as little as the price of a monthly magazine you can support Fast Running – and it only takes a minute. Thank you.