Brilliant in Berlin – Weekend Round Up

An excellent morning for Calli Hauger Thackery and Philly Bowden on the streets of Berlin are amongst the highlights of a busy racing weekend. James Rhodes runs through the action in the weekend round up.

Brilliant in Berlin

The BMW Berlin Marathon is well known for delivering fast times and often near-perfect conditions. This year’s edition – the 50^th – was no different, with the top ten British all-time list having some reworks.

A late decision to enter proved to be an excellent one for Calli Hauger-Thackery. After disappointment at the Olympic Games, which ended with a DNF, Calli took to the streets of Berlin for her third attempt at the marathon. It is less than a year since her first, where she ran 2:22:11 to become to second fastest British woman in history.

Today, she cemented her position on the all-time list, running 2:21:24 to finish seventh. It was an impressive way to do it, too. Calli crossed the halfway split in fifteenth, in a time of 1:11:05. That means she pulled together a notably faster second half. She moved through the field well; thirteenth at 30k, eleventh at 35k and eighth at 40k.

She now sits ninth on the European all-time list, one behind Ingrid Kristiansen. Only Paula Radcliffe has run faster amongst British women. Not bad company to be amongst.

Fast Philly

Also racing was Philly Bowden, who’s PB rewriting was perhaps even more impressive. Her best of 2:29:16 in Houston at the start of the year is no longer. Almost three and a half minutes were taken off, with a finishing time of 2:25:47. That moves her to ninth on the British all-time rankings; not many ahead or around her on that list will have raced over everything from 1500m to the marathon in the space of four months!

She finished fifteenth overall and, like Calli, had a faster second half (1:13:40 at halfway). The elite field also contained Georgia Malir and Rachel Hodgkinson, who finished in 2:36:38 and 2:36:44 respectively. Georgia’s time takes over three minutes off her PB (2:39:44 in Valencia last year). Rachel ran the second fastest of her career.

Running in the mass start, five more women ran inside 2:45; Alice Braham (2:39:42), Emily Robbins (2:40:44), Christa Cain (2:42:12), Sarah Hunter (2:43:22) and Luisa Candioli (2:44:36).

No British men featured in the elite field. The fastest time from the mass start came from Norman Shreeve, who’s 2:17:13 is his fastest since 2021. Belgrave Harrier Henry Hart (2:18:45) improved his PB by almost five minutes, whilst Stephen Blake (2:19:05 PB) improved his by five seconds.

Lee Davies (2:19:25 debut), Nick Bester (2:19:45 PB) and another Belgrave Harrier Hugo Fry (2:19:58 PB) all ran under 2:20. A further twenty-eight ran sub-2:30.

Tigist Ketema (2:16:42) and Milkesha Mengesha (2:03:17) won the elite races.

Closer to Home

There were half marathons a-plenty this weekend, despite the torrid weather across much of England in recent days. One of the fastest times of the weekend came from Adam Hickey (65:42) at the Tonbridge Half Marathon. He was joined on the winner’s podium by Nicolene Hanekom (79:54). Adam’s time is faster than at the Pleshey Half Marathon two weeks ago, which was found to be short.

Jonathan Escalante-Phillips’ time of 65:59 at the Windsor Half Marathon was not far behind Adam’s. It was a particularly competitive competition, with Tewelde Menges (66:10) and Alex Milne (67:47) completing the top three. Less than a minute separated the top three women. Lesley Locks (84:29) finished ahead of Catherine O’Connor (85:02) and Holly Anderson (85:28).

Hattie Freeman ran her second fastest half at the Ealing Half Marathon, crossing the line in 75:27. That time is over one minute faster than she was at The Big Half at the start of the month. Local athlete John Fielding (67:55) took over half a minute off his previous best, set in 2022.

David Bishop (68:18) and Olivia Bates (79:19) took the honours at the Robin Hood Half Marathon in Nottingham. The respective podiums were completed by George Phillips (69:19) and Alastair Henry Watson (69:34), and Amy Lowe (80:19) and Molly Uren (83:25).

There were wins for Chelsea Baker (85:11) and Ben Kruze (72:19) at the Bourton Half Marathon, whilst a revised course for the Folkestone Rotary Half Marathon provided Keith Fairbank (77:38) and Manda Gurung (91:29) with wins.

Still Going

Nat Rowland (72:26) and Alice Robinson (83:54) took victories at the undulating Barns Green Half Marathon. Ben Rawlins (72:03) and Jessie Sanzo (85:22) did the same at the Forest of Dean Autumn Half Marathon, as did Kat Alpe (90:55) and Steven Pennington (86:44) at the Wimbledon Trail Half Marathon.

Further north, Tom Adams (69:35) and Lauren Cooper (80:55) set the fastest times at the Humber Bridge Half Marathon. Ellanor Pitcher (82:49) and Sam Juson (71:45) won the Pareto FM Shrewsbury Half Marathon.

Finally, Paul Howard (71:31) and Imogen Trinder (84:11) crossed the finish quickest at the Run Aintree Half Marathon. Ruth Cunliffe (34:54) and Adam Fowler (34:44) won the associated 10k.

Shorter Distances

Competitive times were witnessed at both the Baxters Loch Ness 10k and Barclays Knutsford 10k on Sunday morning. The former saw Fife’s Logan Rees run his first road 10k since 2017, having been based at Boise State University in the USA for recent years. Unexpectedly he took a considerable chunk off his PB with 28:52. Max Abernethy (29:55 PB) and Lachlan Oates (31:00) completed the top-three.

In the women’s field, Caitlyn Heggie (35:48) finished almost half a minute ahead of second placed Robyn Pinder (36:17) and improved her best by 18 seconds in the process. Robyn too set a PB, as did third placer Molly Rasch (36:21). At the time of writing, results for the associated Baxters Loch Ness Marathon have not been published online.

Just three seconds separated Martha Tibbot (34:23) and Lianne Milner (34:26) at the Knutsford 10k. Both set PBs in the process, with Kirsty Longley (35:25) third. Marathon specialist Jonny Mellor (29:44) was a clear victor amongst the men racing. The next eleven athletes all running inside 32 minutes. Nathan Postill (31:13) and Ben Mcintosh (31:14) completed the top-three.

West of Knutsford, the Sheffield Mutual Sheffield 10k saw Andrew Heyes (29:44) and Martha Hanby (39:25) set the fastest times. Mitchell Bunn (33:46) and Marie Duhig (36:59) won the Run Sandringham 10k. The associated 5k provided victories to Charley Rodgers (21:00) and William Tucker (16:54).

RunThrough’s plentiful racing opportunities included two midweek races. Ben Fish (33:02) and Paula Lloyd (39:40) won the Run Media City 10k, and Jess Tyers (37:25) and Ryan Keane (33:20) the Gately Chase the Sun Battersea Park.

Almost two minutes separated Jonathan Kearsley (32:35) from the rest of the field at the Morecambe 10k. Charlotte Corrigan (41:13) was the fastest female competing. Hayley Carruthers (38:34) and Ryan Simms (34:04) won the Shenstone 10k Fun Run.

More Races

Elsewhere, Abdinasir Mohamoud (31:02) and Vicki Ingham (36:37) won the Poole Round the Lakes 10k, and Jonathan Sangster (36:09) and Sarah Watton (41:59) the Team Deane 10k. Laura Pether (40:59) and Simon Thatcher (35:16) were victorious at the Tadley 10k. Jack Simpson (33:19) and Julia Morgan (41:34) were the same at the Beck Busters 10k.

In Leeds, Dom Carter (34:22) and Becky Penty (39:2) finished first at the Track Restoration Fund 10k. Charlotte Baker (42:48) and Joe Crutchley (34:21) did the same at the Bournville Leafy 10k. Scott Hargreaves (36:30) and Krista Crowther (40:54) won the Kilham Multi-Terrain 10k.

Over ten miles, there were wins for Rebecca Moore (61:53) and Callum Bowen-Jones (52:46) at the Bure Valley 10, Pascal Bouttier-Butler (55:32) and Helen Gibbs (65:52) at the Leighton 10, and Daniel Hawkins (53:56) and Emily Shepherd (72:40) at the Tadley 10.

Given recent (and in some places current) weather conditions, not all races went ahead as planned. The Torbay Half Marathon / 10k and Stratford Big 10k / Half Marathon were notable cancellations.

The Shortest

Ending with three shorter races this weekend, all over 5k. Serpentine RC’s ever-popular Last Friday of the Month in Hyde Park saw Tom Rehal (15:51) and Mary James (19:00) take victories.

Wins at the September edition of the Leeds 5k went to Jane Grant (18:00) and Ben Rothery (15:14), whilst George Christmas (15:56) and Georgina Schwiening (16:04) won the Shelford 5k. Georgina’s return is a happy place to end. This was just her third ‘race’ since the Valencia Marathon in December 2022 (one of those being parkrun last weekend). Happier still, that time is a 29 second PB!