|
(click image to enlarge)
| Despite the conditions on Sunday morning the battle between Telford’s Chris Davies and Phil Wickes (Belgrave) produced a cracking run to set two of the four fastest times ever recorded over this course.
A heavy rain shower greeted the runners as they set out from the Madeira Drive towards Black Rock before they turned to head out to Hove into a strong southwester.
The race really livened up as the runners took full advantage of the tail wind as they headed back to the finish with the Telford runner pulling well clear of Wickes to finish in 29:04 just five seconds outside Rob Denmark’s 26 year old course record of 27:59.
Wickes clocked 29:31 to record the fourth fastest time ever.
Jean Adayisenga from the Birmingham Club, Birchfield took third place in 30:07.
In a tremendous battle for Sussex honours a trio Josh Guilmant (Phoenix) Worthing’s Matt Dumigan and Ben Warren (Hailsham) were locked together for most of the race and all three ran faster than they had ever done but it was the previous weekend’s winner in Preston Park, Josh Guilmant who crossed the line in 15th place more than one minute faster than last year when he finished 14th. Just one place and six seconds later Worthing’s Matt Dumigan crossed the line while Ben finished 17th in 31:27.
Brighton & Hove’s Chris Thomson, who finished 11th last year, placed 22nd despite running nine seconds faster in 32:08.
One of the best runs by a Sussex runner came from 27th placed James McCarthy who removed two minutes off his time of last year to clock 33:09, the first Under 20 runner to finish.
Finn McNally (Phoenix), 34th in 33:34, was the third Under 20 runner across the line.
In the women’s race Jo Wilkinson from Bedford set a new course record of 33:48 after breaking clear of Arena 80’s Caroline Hoyte who was the second woman across the finishing line clocking 34:04 just three seconds outside of her best for the course which she set thirteen years ago.
Arena 80 club mate Fiona Clark, who won the women’s title last year chopped more than one minute off that time but was squeezed into fourth place in 34:46.
There were local victories in both team events with Brighton & Hove City just easing out Phoenix in the men’s event scoring 126 to 129 points with London Heathside scoring 259 in third place.
Arena 80 romped away with women’s event with 38 points well clear of Brighton & Hove’s 181 points and Phoenix’s 263 in third place.
|
|
|
