PHIL CHRITCHLOW completed an excellent four-race performance to win the overall title at the 2008 Holme Pierrepont Grand Prix Series.
In the opening race of the series held on Tuesday 24th June at the National Water Sports Centre - Chritchlow followed his fine runners-up position at the recent Man v Horse event in Llanwrtyd Wells by winning the Holme Pierrepont 10km.
The 40-year-old representing Beaumont Running Club, a former Derby Runner Cross Country League champion, crossed the line in a time of 33mins 02secs taking victory ahead of Long Eaton’s Paul Lewis by a winning margin of 20 seconds, with Leicester Coritanian David Miles third in 33:35.
In the Women's race Jessica Macrory prevailed in a time of 38:03, with Formula One’s vastly experienced Verity Butler taking second in 38:45. Charnwood's Beverley Gray secured third in 38:47.
Chritchlow followed his win in the opening race with a runners-up place at the second event in the series, a 5k race in the beautiful surroundings of Nottingham’s Wollaton Park on Thursday 26th June - clocking a time of 16mins 42secs to finish second to Cardiff athlete Rowan Axe (16:28). Hermitage Harrier Alastair Watson was third in 16:43 with Leicester Coritanian David Miles fourth (16:48).
The Women’s race was a repeat of the opening event with Jessica Macrory once again taking victory winning in 18:52, Verity Butler finished second in 19:15 and Charnwood’s Beverley Gray taking third with 19:46.
The third race staged at the Rushcliffe Country Park on Tuesday 1st July witnessed Chritchlow consolidate his position at the top of the overall standings with victory over the four mile course in a time of 21mins 13secs - ahead of Long Eaton’s Paul Lewis (21:21) and Leicester’s David Miles; third in 21:36. Alastair Watson (Hermitage) claimed fourth in 21:50.
Jessica Macrory was equally dominant in the Women’s race completing a hat-trick of victories in the series clocking a time of 24:24 to edge clear of Charnwood’s Claire Wilson (24:58) and Formula One’s Verity Butler (25:10). Loughborough student Katie Lomas also representing Charnwood finished fourth in 25:31.
The overall title success for Chritchlow was completed at the fourth and final race on Thursday 3rd July at the Colwick 5 mile event winning with a time of 26mins 28secs to take his third victory ahead of Miles (27:19) as the Leicestershire duo claimed the top two positions in the series standings.
Jessica Macrory confirmed her position as the Women’s title winner taking a fourth straight victory in a time of 30:22 to defeat Verity Butler (Formula One) and Charnwood’s Beverley Gray, returning to the series to claim another well-deserved third place with a consistent set of performances clocking 31:22.
NICKI NEALON, just 48 hours after winning the British and Midlands Masters 10km titles at Prestwold in Leicestershire, underlined her dominance of the 2008 East Midland Road Running Grand Prix Series by taking a comfortable victory at the final race, the Milton Keynes 10km.
Having already secured a remarkable eighth overall title success - her third in the eight race series having won at Rugby and Bedford, the 40-year-old Huncote Harrier placed the icing on the cake with a fine victory in Milton Keynes finishing just over one minute ahead of the field in a time of 37mins 16secs.
Home athlete Imogen Thornburgh (Marshall Milton Keynes) finished runner-up in 38:17 ahead of the ever-consistent Wootton Road Runner Kirsty Wigham (38:28).
In the absence of overall champion for this year, Tipton’s Nigel Stirk, Coventry’s Scott Hazell took advantage to win the Men’s race in a time of 32:38, finishing out on his own ahead of Wootton’s Phil Melling (33:21) and Marcin Fudalej of the host club Marshall Milton Keynes.
CHRIS DAVIES, the flying postman representing Telford AC, completed a fine 25 second victory to defeat Tim Hartley to take victory at the second edition of the Prestwold Hall 10km.
Davies (31), who finished 12th for Team Wales in the final of the 5,000m at the 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games gained his nickname ‘Flying Postman’ as he decided that the best way of training and working to fund his athletics career would to be a postman – an early finish meant he was free to train in the afternoon.
Here on the outskirts of Loughborough over a slightly altered course from twelve months ago around the Prestwold Hall airfield Davies was a class apart showing his international class to secure the win in a time of 30mins 40secs to out pace the inform Tim Hartley (31:05) and Cardiff’s third placed Alex Haines (31:36), with Loughborough-based Newham & Essex Beagle Ian Grime, winner of last year’s Edinburgh Marathon and Charnwood’s Leicester Half Marathon champion James Douglas fourth and fifth respectively.
For Hartley, having recently set a lifetime-best 24:17 for five miles in his first year competing at veteran level, second place did however, secure the 40-year-old, who also competes for the host club Barrow Runners as second-claim, both the British Masters, Midlands Masters and Leicestershire & Rutland 10km road titles that were incorporated into the event this year.
Nicki Nealon is already a well-established British Masters international with a running CV that many at this level could match, and so it would be again as the Huncote Harrier added yet another title to her impressive career list that includes World, European and domestic titles.
Having recently secured a remarkable eight overall title success in the East Midlands Road Running Grand Prix Series Nealon completed a hard fought victory following a very tight battle with one of Leicestershire’s brightest talents Gemma Steel of Hermitage Harriers - the two only separated by a margin of just three seconds at the finish line as Nealon claimed the win in a time of 36:21. Reading’s Liz Hartney secured third in 36:49.
A bumper field of 704 runners took part in the race this year well up on 2007 inaugural running mainly due to the event incorporating the Leicestershire Road-Running Summer League, the British & Midlands Masters Championships and Leicestershire & Rutland 10km Championships swelling the numbers.
CHRIS SOUTHAM and Larraine Porter secured fine individual victories in the second edition of one of Leicestershire’s newest events on the annual race calendar at Roadhoggs Glooston 10km.
Southam completed a comfortable win over the undulating two-lap course to add to his fine victory at the (LRRL) West End 8 at the beginning of the month as the 43-year-old representing Stilton Striders crossed the line in the village of Glooston in a time of 34mins 20secs finishing well over two-and-a-half-minutes ahead of second placed Leicester Coritanian John Grindley (37:00) and fellow marathon specialist Mark Chamberlain of the host club Roadhoggs (37:12).
Southam’s time was just one second outside of the course record set by Garry Payne in the inaugural event twelve months ago.
West End’s Larraine Porter won the women’s race with ease in a time of 43mins 10secs finishing one minute twenty-four seconds clear of former Leicester Owls Debbie Napier (44:34) with Trinity Booth representing Hogweed Trotters securing third in 45:12.
Former British Steeplechase record-holder Tara Krzywicki, who has recently returned to racing, course record of 36:27 was never under threat.
TIPTON’S Nigel Stirk and British Masters international Nicki Nealon completed fine performances to take victory at the Harborough 5 and guarantee the overall individual 2008 East Midland Road Running Grand Prix Series titles.
Stirk held off the challenge of the Owls Gordon Lee to take victory in a time of 25mins 20secs, whilst Huncote’s Nicki Nealon completed a comfortable win out pacing Milton Keynes Imogen Thornburgh by a margin of 18 seconds, clocking a time of 29:36 to win a remarkable eighth title success.
BRITAIN’S Liz Yelling finished in third place behind Gete Wami as the Ethiopian superstar completed a 16 second victory ahead of Bahrain's Nadia Ejjafini at a slightly shortened BUPA Great Women’s Run in Sunderland.
World Marathon Majors jackpot winner Wami, the reigning Berlin champion and winner of the Sunderland race in 2006, appearing in her first competitive outing in the UK following the fall that ruined any chance of winning April’s Flora London Marathon an injury that forced her to miss three-weeks training, cruised to a fine victory over a slightly curtailed 10km course due to high winds and waves that affected the Roker seafront section which resulted in a course change.
The 33-year-old Ethiopian sat in with the pace until the final mile where she simply sprinted away to take victory in a time of 29mins 20secs, with Nadia Ejjafini of Bahrain securing second in 29:36.
Wami will now look towards the Beijing games where she will hope to renew her rivalry with world record-holder Paula Radcliffe following their epic battle on the streets of New York last November where the Brit prevailed.
For Liz Yelling, the 33-year-old former Loughborough resident competing in her final race in the United Kingdom before travelling to Florida on Thursday for a spell of warm weather training funded by a grant from the Flora London Marathon Limited ahead of the Beijing Games, this performance was another excellent display of consistency for the Bedford & County athlete, having led over the early part of the race she maintained her pace to cross the line in a time of 29:20.
The 2006 Commonwealth bronze medallist over the marathon distance is undecided to race in America whilst at the Florida training camp at the high profile Peachtree 10km in Atlanta prior to travelling to Beijing.
Yelling as with Dan Robinson who will also be representing Great Britain in the marathon in Beijing is not currently funded by UK Athletics.
Rutland's Felicity Milton clocked 32:15 as the 21-year-old Durham University student in her first race since winning the BUSA 5,000 metres title in Bedford five weeks ago finished in 13th place.
Leading Results:
1 Gete Wami 29:20; 2 Nadia Ejjafini 29:36; 3 Liz Yelling 29:56; 4 Alessandra Auguilar 30:11; 5 Caroline Cheptonui Kilel 30:33; 6 Karalina Jarzynska 31:04; 7 Tatyana Filonyuk 31:19; 8 Rebecca Robinson 31:28; 9 Paula Todoran 31:32; 10 Allyson Dixon 31:40; 11 Fatna Maraoui 32:08; 12 Banuelia Katesigwa 32:10; 13 Felicity Milton 32:15
TIM HARTLEY held off the challenge of fellow Notts AC clubmate Martin Whitehouse and Leicestershire county team member Mark Powell to take a well-deserved victory at the Long Eaton 5 mile, clocking a new course-record time of 24mins 17secs.
Hartley, a recent addition to the Vet40 category secured a fine 26 second win ahead of the field with Whitehouse second in 24:43 and the Owls Mark Powell third (25:02).
In the Women's race Ashfield's Claire Woolis won in a time of 27:50, with Julie Briscoe of Wakefield second in 28:07.
In fourth place and making a welcome return to action following foot surgery back in January was Charnwood's former British Steeplechase record-holder Tara Krzywicki, the 34-year-old clocking a time of 28:55.
GEMMA STEEL produced a fine performance to out pace Milton Keynes Imogen Thornburgh securing a 22 second winning margin to take a second consecutive victory in the 2008 East Midland Road Running Grand Prix Series at the Banbury 5 in a dramatic race where overall Men’s leader Nigel Stirk was narrowly edged out following a sprint finish over the line as Oxford University student Garrett Ash prevailed by a margin of just one second.
Having won at the Weedon 10km last week, Gemma Steel, running in the colours of Hermitage Harriers continued her impressive run of race victories as the ever-improving 22-year-old eased to victory clear of the field crossing the line in a time of 28mins 59secs to take a confident and well-deserved victory ahead of Milton Keynes Imogen Thornburgh (29:21) and the current series leader and seven-times defending champion Nicki Nealon (Huncote).
The British Masters international with a third place finish in 29:51 consolidating her position at the top of the overall standings.
In the Men’s race Tipton’s Nigel Stirk looks the firm favourite to win the overall series title, this despite losing in Banbury by just one second as Garrett Ash, the 24-year-old Oxford University student - a 5th place finisher at the BUSA 10,000m championships in Bedford last month, produced a strong determined performance to narrowly defeat his more experienced opponent clocking a time of 25:25.
Coventry’s Scott Hazell finished third in 26:05, with Beaumont’s former Derby Runner Cross Country League champion and winner of the recent Buxton Half Marathon, Phil Chritchlow, securing a top ten finish in 6th place (26:36).
Two races now remain in the eight-race series beginning with the Harborough 5 mile (17th June) and the Milton Keynes 10km on July 1st.
ASHLEY SABIN raced to success by winning the opening race of the Peterborough Grand Prix 5km Series on a warm evening at ferry Meadows taking the victory in a time of 15mins 31secs.
The 21-year-old Leicester-based athlete representing Notts AC eased away at the half-way point to finishing fourteen seconds clear of the Newham & Essex Beagles duo of Andy Barber and John Pike.
Sabin reflecting on his victory commented: “I always felt there was a lot more there if needed, my next race will be the Banbury 5 (East Midlands Grand Prix) next Tuesday were I will be attempting to regain the advantage over Nigel Stirk who won the Weedon 10km in my absence.
“I have had a good winter and feeling very strong and am a more confident athlete now than last year.”
Sabin’s father and coach Craig was also in the race representing Leicester Coritanian’s finishing in 16:57 just two-seconds adrift of the Owls Simon Cotton.
TIM DORAN won the weekly Bushy Park 5km Time Trial in the capital by a margin of eight-seconds ahead of the field.
The 29-year-old London-based athlete representing the Leicester Owls having been part of the successful Leicestershire team that won the Inter-Counties 10km title last month in Coventry, clocked a time of 16mins 10secs to out pace Morpeth Harrier Andrew Toward (16:18) to take the victory. Kent's Anthony Jackson secured third place in 16:46.
The event is a weekly time trial race that takes place in the Royal Park north of Hampton Court Palace, which includes the famous Arethusa 'Diana' Fountain.
NIGEL STIRK regained the advantage by securing his third straight victory of the 2008 East Midland Road Running Grand Prix Series by winning the Weedon 10km as Gemma Steel's fine race win continued Leicestershire’s impressive run of success in the competition.
Tipton’s Nigel Stirk returned to the race series having missed the previuos two fixtures following work commitments to complete his third straight victory having won the opening two races at Silverstone and Rugby - the 36-year-old Leicestershire Fire Officer completed a fifteen second victory outpacing Coventry’s Scott Hazel to cross the line in the village of Weedon in a time of 32mins 39secs.
With Notts Ashley Sabin, winner of the previous two races absent in Weedon, Stirk now gains the advantage in the overall standings with three races to go.
Two previous and reigning champions of the Derby Runner Cross Country League, Beaumont’s Phil Chritchlow (3rd in 33:56) and Chris Jordan of Hinckley (10th in 35:54) combined with the Leicester Owls Steve Platts (7th in 34:13) all secured top ten finishes in the field of 305.
Current Women’s title-holder in the Derby Runner League, Hermitage’s hugely promising Gemma Steel, showing no ill-effects of her second place performance at the Coventry Northbrook 10km last Sunday where the 22-year-old finished runner-up to Salford’s Rachel Jones as the Leicestershire team collected the Inter-Counties title, completed a fine victory to finish clear of Huncote’s British Masters international and seven-time reigning series champion Nicki Nealon, herself a race winner at the weekend at the LRRL West End 8.
Steel clocked 37:25 with Nealon runner-up by a margin of 17 seconds in 37:42 as Milton Keynes Imogen Thornburgh claimed third in 38:28.
Nealon’s solid performance consolidates her position at the top of the overall standings as she now chases a remarkable eighth overall title success with three races remaining in the series beginning with the Banbury 5 mile on Wednesday 10th June, Harborough 5 mile (17th June) and the Milton Keynes 10km on July 1st.
MARK POWELL’S excellent race winning performance spearheaded a superb effort from Leicestershire & Rutland athletes as both the Men’s and Women’s squad's claimed well-deserved team gold success at the Inter-Counties Championships held in conjunction with the Coventry Northbrook 10km.
Over the undulating course surrounding the Warwickshire village of Allesley, Mark Powell, the 29-year-old reigning Leicestershire County 10,000m track and half-marathon champion, led home the field in a time of 31mins 27secs to take overall race victory.
His excellent performance combined with third placed Owls club mate Gordon Lee (31:52), Beaumont’s Phil Chritchlow 10th position (33:09) and the third Owls athlete competing in the race Tim Doran in 17th (33:39) completed the squad’s fine performance to take Leicestershire to the overall team title.
A similar story unfolded in the Women’s race where the highly promising 22-year-old Gemma Steel from Hermitage Harriers finished runner-up to Salford’s British Masters international Rachel Jones (36:22) clocking a time of 36:59.
Steel was followed home by Stilton’s ever-consistent Nicola Clay finishing in 5th place in 37:46 combined with the 2007 county 10,000m track gold medallist Debbie Marsden (Beaumont) in 7th with a time of 38:32 to take Leicestershire to an unprecedented double team success.
Fourth member of the team, Clare Wilson (Hermitage), on her debut over the distance recorded a solid 39:20 to finish in 11th place.
BRITISH and World Masters champion Nicki Nealon continued her recent superb race winning streak by completing a comfortable victory at the West End 8 Mile, the second race in the (LRRL) Leicestershire Summer Road-Running League campaign.
With a selection of Leicestershire’s top athletes competing at the Inter-Counties 10km in Coventry on the same day, Nealon (40), representing Huncote Harriers, having won the World Masters Half-Marathon earlier this year, completed her fifth straight victory in the space of a month crossing the line in a time of 48mins 9secs finishing just over three minutes ahead of Wreake's fell-running specialist Sally Newman (51:14) and fellow GB Masters Kate Ramsey of Barrow (52:46) making a welcome return to racing.
Nealon success followed her victories in the East Midlands Road Running Grand Prix Series at Rugby, Bedford and Corby combined with the British Masters 10,000m track metres title at Oxford.
Stilton's Chris Southam completed victory in the Men's race, having won the Oaks-in-Charnwood Cross-Country race the previous week the 43-year-old finished in a time of 43:31 over half-a-minute clear of Yorkshireman James Metcalfe (44:06), with Hermitage Harrier Alastair Watson securing third in 44:36.
ASHLEY SABIN and Nicki Nealon completed for the third consecutive race - a superb Leicestershire double victory in the 2008 East Midland Road Running Grand Prix Series following convincing individual performances at the Corby 5 mile race.
As with the previous race in Bedford, Sabin representing Notts AC gained further advantage ahead of fellow Leicestershire athlete Nigel Stirk, winner of the opening two races absent due to work commitments, by completing a commanding victory over the five-mile course.
Running solo ahead of the field of 276 Sabin claimed victory by a huge margin of 43 seconds clear of second-placed Michael Aldridge (Wootton), in a time of 26mins 03secs with Highgate Harrier Ryan McKinlay taking third in 27:28.
This victory combined with his previous win at Bedford and second place at Rugby now lifts the 21-year-old to the top of the overall standings as the race series reaches the half-way point.
British Masters international Nicki Nealon, the seven-time series defending champion, has hit a rich vein of form over recent weeks having secured gold at the BMAF 10,000m championships in Oxford at the weekend and following on from her victories at Rugby and Bedford, the 40-year-old running in the bright yellow vest of Huncote Harriers, as with Sabin in the men’s race, completed a comfortable solo victory in a time of 29:52.
Finishing clear of Wootton's ever-consistent Kirsty Whigham (31:14) and fellow Leicestershire athlete, Wreake’s Sally Newman (32:17), Nealon’s fine individual performance consolidates her position at the top of the overall standings as she now chases a remarkable eighth overall title success with four races remaining in the series beginning with the Weedon 10km next Tuesday (June 3rd), followed by the Banbury 5 mile (10th June), Harborough 5 mile (17th June) and the Milton Keynes 10km on July 1st.
KENYA'S Micah Kogo won the inaugural Bupa London 10,000 metres road race on despite atrocious rain-soaked conditions in the capital.
Kogo fought a close battle with reigning world road running champion Zersenay Tadese before powering ahead of the Eritrean to win by 10 metres in a time of 28 minutes eight seconds.
Britain's former European cross country champion Mo Farah, the training partner of Kogo, finished third despite competing at double his usual distance of 5,000m. Club mate and training partner Moumin Geele clocked 29:44 to finish 7th.
Irina Mikitenko, winner of last month's Flora London Marathon, returned to the capital to secure another impressive victory in an time of 32 minutes two seconds.
The German dominated the race after breaking away from Britain's Beijing-bound marathon specialist Mara Yamauchi (32:26) for a comfortable win, with Hungarian Aniko Kalovics taking third ahead of Britain's other Beijing representative Liz Yelling (33:14).
Leading Results:
Men
1 Micah Kogo 28:08; 2 Zersenay 28:15; 3 Mo Farah 28:39; 4 Martin Lel 28:58; 5 Jose Manuel Martinez 29:37; 6 Sergiy Lebid 29:41; 7 Moumin Geele 29:44; 8 Viktor Rothlin 29:50; 9 Tomas Abyu 30:14; 10 Dan Robinson 30:18
Women
1 Irina Mikitenko 32:02; 2 Mara Yamauchi 32:26; 3 Aniko Kalovics 32:59; 4 Liz Yelling 33:14; 5 Birhan Dagne 33:52; 6 Hayley Haining 33:56; 7 Michelle Ross-Cope 34:16; 8 Miriam McGinty-Lowe 34:17; 9 Vicki Gill 34:40; 10 Louise Damen 35:08
An Olympic bronze for Paula Radcliffe would be an "awesome achievement," Liz Yelling commented after the Bupa London 10,000m.
Radcliffe, 34, was favourite to win Olympic marathon gold in Beijing but now faces a fight to be fit after suffering a stress fracture to her leg.
"She wants to win the gold," said Yelling. "But it would still be an awesome achievement if she came away with the bronze medal.
"People shouldn't give up on her and ask her to throw in the towel."
Radcliffe's plans for a fourth Olympic Games suffered a major setback when she was diagnosed with a stress fracture in her left thigh last week.
Despite medical experts saying the injury could take six to eight weeks to heal, the marathon world record holder plans to start running again in a fortnight.
Radcliffe insists she is "90-100%" likely to run in Beijing and has returned to her French training base in Font Romeu to continue her preparations.
And Yelling says her former training partner must be allowed to make her own decision about whether she could compete in China.
"I think everyone should just give her room to make her own decision," said Yelling, who will be making a second successive Olympic marathon appearance.
"She needs a chance to prove her fitness and that she can get there.
"She'll know next month where she stands and only Paula can answer that question."
Radcliffe is determined to make up for her Athens heartache, when she was forced to pull out of the Olympic marathon at the 23-mile mark.
However, if she is not fit enough to compete in Beijing, Scotland's Hayley Haining has been nominated as a reserve to join Yelling and Mara Yamauchi in Britain's female marathon squad.
The women's Olympic marathon in Beijing is on 17th August and starts from Tianamen Square to the finish point in the National Stadium.
ASHLEY SABIN and Nicki Nealon completed for the second consecutive race a Leicestershire double victory in the 2008 East Midland Road Running Grand Prix Series following fine individual performances at the Bedford 6.
With series leader and winner of the opening two races, Tipton’s Nigel Stirk, absent due to work commitments with the Leicestershire Fire Service, Notts Ashley Sabin took full advantage to improve on his second place at Rugby seven days ago by holding off the challenge of Coventry Godiva Harrier Scott Hazell, winner of the race twelve months ago, to take a 16 second victory as the 21-year-old crossed the line in a time of 30mins 52secs.
Wootton’s Michael Aldridge secured third place in 31:26 with Beaumont’s Phil Chritchlow fourth (32:01).
With Stirk unlikely to race at the next fixture at Corby, Sabin now has a further opportunity to improve his position in the overall standings when the race eight race series reaches the half-way point.
In the Women’s race following her fourth place finish at the opening race at Silverstone - reigning series champion Nicki Nealon having completed her second consecutive victory by retaining the Rugby title the previous week the 40-year-old British Masters international representing Huncote Harriers repeated the feat by taking victory at Bedford in a time of 35:46 to move to the top of the overall standings finishing clear of Beaumont’s Debbie Marsden (36:07) as Leicestershire athletes completed a superb 1-2 over the line.
For Marsden, the reigning Leicestershire 10,000m track champion, this was another step on the road to recovery having returned to the sport with victory at the recent Langtoft 10km following two months of illness. The ever-consistent Kirsty Wigham (Wootton Runners) was third in 36:19.
There was a field of 256 runners that took part in this event, which reflected a good turnout of entrants considering that the race clashed with the all-English UEFA Champions League Final between Chelsea and Manchester United which would have kept many away from entering, preferring to stay at home and watch the drama unfolding at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow on television, the venue where at the 1980 Olympics Sebastian Coe and Steve Ovett produced their epic encounters.
GREAT BRITAIN’S Jo Pavey became the first woman to successfully defend her BUPA Great Manchester Run title following a convincing and well-deserved victory.
Pavey showed the benefits of a recent high-altitude training spell in South Africa for a battle with Rose Cheruiyot as she headed off the Kenyan's challenge in the final kilometre of the 10km race by 10 seconds in time of 31mins 58secs.
The 34-year-old Commonwealth 5,000 metres silver medallist was ecstatic after her victory ahead of a field which featured World Marathon Champion Catherine Ndereba and two-time Olympic 10,000m gold medallist Derartu Tulu.
Michelle Ross-Cope in 9th place with 33:01 and Commonwealth Marathon bronze medallist Liz Yelling 10th in 33:09 were the other top placed British representatives, this after Yelling had led the race in the early stages pushing out a very respectable pace over the first two kilometres which was quick enough to drop off Ndereba and former London and New York Marathon champion Margaret Okayo, also from Kenya.
Austrian Gunther Weidlinger won a superb Men's race in a time of 28mins 10secs. The steeplechase specialist pulled away over the final 200m to beat Sergiy Lebid and Mustafa Mohamed. The tight finish saw him out pace the seven-time European cross-country champion Lebid by just a second.
Leading British athlete was Loughborough-based Chris Thompson returning to racing following a long injury lay-off the 27-year-old crossed the line in 28:49 just one second adrift of Somalian-born Moumin Geele (28:48).
Leicestershire was represented by a selection of top county athletes as the Silverstone Half Marathon champion Tim Hartley finished in 26th place in 30:17, two places behind Loughborough graduate Joe McAllister, the Irish international from Belfast clocking 29:56.
Birmingham University student Clare Mensley led a trio of Charnwood runners over the line finishing in 22nd place in 37:04, followed by Katie Lomas, 26th in 38:15, and Amber-Sian Magee, 28th in 43:06.
Leading Results:
Men
1 Guenther Weidlinger (AUT) 28:10; 2 Sergiy Lebid (UKR) 28:11; 3 Mustafa Mohamed (SWE) 28:12; 4 Jose Manuel Martinez (ESP) 28:19; 5 Luke Kibet (KEN) 28:21; 6 El Hassan Lahssini (FRA) 28:22; 7 Juan Carlos De La Ossa (ESP) 28:27; 8 Moumin Geele (SOM) 28:48; 9 Chris Thompson (GBR/LSAC) 28:49; 10 Anthony Ford (GBR) 29:02; 24 Joe McAllister (GBR/LSAC) 29:56; 26 Tim Hartley (GBR/Leics) 30:17
Women
1 Jo Pavey (GBR) 31:58; 2 Rose Cheruiyot (KEN) 32:08; 3 Bezunesh Bekele (ETH) 32:33; 4 Aniko Kalovics (HUN) 32:37; 5 Nadia Ejjafini (BHR) 32:54; 6 Catherine Ndereba (KEN) 32:55; 7 Derartu Tulu (ETN) 32:56; 8 Alessandra Auguilar (ESP) 32:59; 9 Michelle Ross-Cope (GBR) 33:01; 10 Liz Yelling (GBR) 33:09; 13 Katie Ingram (GBR/LSAC) 34:16; 22 Clare Mensley (GBR/Leics) 37:04; 26 Katie Lomas (GBR/LSAC) 38:15; 28 Amber-Sian Magee (GBR/Leics) 43:06
LEICESTER CORITANIAN'S Men's team claimed a superb silver medal in the 40-49 age group category at the 21st edition of the English National Masters Road Relays held at Birmingham's Sutton Park on Saturday (17th May).
The squad led by Welsh Masters international Rob Sheen (15:18) combined with Craig Sabin (16:44), Dave Pearce (16:14), Dave Miles (15:32), Phil Makepeace (14:54), Joey Masterson (17:36), Robin Brookes (17:26) and John Grindley (16:49) crossed the line in a combined time of 2hrs 10mins 33secs as Bristol & West claimed the title in 2:05.28 with Clayton-le-Moors Harriers third in 2:10.59.
NIGEL STIRK and Nicki Nealon completed a fine Leicestershire double victory at the Rugby 6, the latest round of the 2008 East Midland Road Running Grand Prix Series.
Tipton’s Nigel Stirk, having won the opening race at Silverstone the previous week continued his fine winning form in the Men’s race as the 36-year-old Leicestershire Fire Officer completed a close victory by a margin of just eight seconds ahead of fellow county athlete, Notts Ashley Sabin, crossing the line in a time of 30mins 46secs to take a well-deserved and hard fought win.
Sabin, as with his performance in the race twelve months ago secured second place in 30:54 with Scott Hazell in the colours of Coventry Godiva Harriers finished third in 31:11.
Leicestershire athletes Phil Chritchlow of Beaumont Running Club (5th in 31:36) combined with Steve Platts representing the Owls (6th in 31:40) and Hinckley’s Derby Runner Cross Country League champion Chris Jordan, (10th in 32:49) all achieved top ten places in a highly competitive race.
In the Women’s race following her fourth place finish at Silverstone - reigning series champion Nicki Nealon representing Huncote Harriers returned to winning ways retaining the Bedford title in fine style as the 40-year-old British Masters international comfortably out paced Coventry’s Myshola Kirkham to take victory by a gap of 40 seconds in a time of 36:04.
Kirkham finished runner-up in 36:44 edging out Rugby & Northampton’s Sally Baker by just six seconds.
MARK POWELL and Beth Eburne showed cool heads to defy the heat wave that has affected the United Kingdom over the weekend and ease to comfortable victories and collect the Leicestershire County individual titles at the 2008 edition of the Hinckley Dog & Hedgehog Half Marathon held in sweltering conditions on the country roads surrounding the Bosworth Water Park.
With the event having suffered from bad weather over the past few years the athletes were presented with a real taste of summer running, quite appropriate as the race doubled up as first fixture of the LRRL Summer League campaign, with temperatures in the high 70s.
Mark Powell has been in great form of late having carried his fine winter performances over the cross country, notably with his successful defence of the high profile Birmingham League title, into the spring and early summer races having won his second consecutive Leicestershire 10,000m track title at the beginning of the month.
This was evident again here in Hinckley as the 29-year-old running in the famous black and white colours of the Leicester Owls dominated the men’s race - looking strong, confident and running with his usual determined focus Powell cruised to a well-deserved solo victory crossing the line in a new life time best of 1hr 11mins 09secs to lead home the huge field of over 862 runners by a margin of over two minutes ahead of second placed Jeremy Bradley of Cheltenham and County Harriers (1:13.15) and third placed Sheffield Hallamshire Harrier Rob Baker (1:14.03).
Beaumont’s ever-consistent Phil Chritchlow finished in fourth place overall in 1:15.58 to take the Vet 40 prize just one place clear of the senior 2006 race winner and Vet 50 category champion this year, Garry Payne of George Eliot Striders (1:17.48).
Similarly in the women’s race British international marathon runner Beth Eburne, who as with Powell has equally been in top form on the roads in 2008 having recently won a selection of high profile 10km races around the UK in Sheffield and Derby plus finishing runner-up to Aldershot’s Suzie Bush at the opening round of the East Midlands Road Running Grand Prix at Silverstone in the week leading up to this race, the 26-year-old representing the host club Hinckley out paced last years defending champion Nicola Clay of Stilton Striders to regain the title she last won in 2006 in a winning time of 1:19.03.
Clay finished runner-up over four minutes adrift in 1:23.53 as Huncote’s British Masters international Nicki Nealon, also in action defending her series title at Silverstone, secured third place in 1:25.42.
In the three-mile fun run support race there was a double success for the host club Hinckley as Dan Halliday (16:38) and Katie Silke (19:39) crossed the line in first place respectively in the Men’s and Women’s events in a field of 176 runners.
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4 July 2008 – Stockholm, Sweden – A clash between Usain Bolt, Jamaica’s World record holder in the 100 metres and his fellow countryman, the former World record holder Asafa Powell, is set for the DN Galan - IAAF World Athletics Tour - on 22 July at Stockholm’s Olympic Stadium.
4 July 2008 - Nairobi, Kenya - Commonwealth Games Champion Lucy Wangui Kabuu won the 10,000 metres final on a cool sunny morning during the first day of the Kenyan trials for the Beijing Olympics today at the Nyayo National Stadium in Nairobi.