Local athlete Oliver Josephson of Chiltern Harriers won this years Pednor 5 mile road race in a time of 26m:58s, this Bank Holiday Monday. It was, by a long way, his personal best time for the race.
This was the eighteenth Pednor 5 road race. It is organised by local club Chiltern Harriers and is always run at 7:00pm in the evening of May Bank holiday. This year the race was also serving as the Bucks Amateur Athletic Association short course championship. So Ollie Josephson is now the Bucks short course champion for 2004.
Claire Pusey of Burnham Joggers won the women's race, finishing 28th over-all in a time of 31m:38s. She is also the Bucks women's short course champion for 2004.
Chiltern Harriers' Stuart Ellerby won the men's junior (under eighteen) race, finishing well up in eighth place over-all and an excellent time of 28m:34s, also a personal best time for him. (James Drinkwater, a junior from Luton United AC, came third in 27m:29s and so took over-all third prize in place of first junior.)
The weather was perfect for running. The rain earlier in the day had cleared, leaving a still, fine evening with cool but not cold temperatures. This meant some very good times were run. It was also a record field for the race with 155 finishers, many of whom stayed for the prize-giving at Chesham Tennis Club. All prizes were sponsored by Fox's Outdoor Store of Amersham, who were thanked personally by race organiser Howard Cave. Kevin Fox, Fox's store manager, was there to hand out the prizes and also drove the race lead vehicle - his own Harley-Davidson motor-cycle.
The men's team race, consisting of the first four finishers from each club, is always a close-fought contest and this year was no exception. Vale of Aylesbury, comprising Andrew Rolt (5th), Nick Taylor (6th), Martyn Summerfield (9th) and Mark Fallaize (10th) were winners, beating Chiltern Harriers by just two points. The Chiltern Harriers team comprised Ollie Josephson (1st), Stuart Ellerby (8th), Fabian Downs (11th) and Chris Penn (12th).
Burnham Joggers won the women's team race. Burnham's team of three comprised Claire Pusey (1st), Tamsin Neale (4th) and Ita Kelly (12th.) Again, Chiltern Harriers were pipped into second place with the team of Cath Holloway (5th), Tracey Halstead (8th) and Claire Stubbings (10th).
Of the Vets:- Nick Taylor won the prize for first Vet 40. (Andy Magnall a vet from Shaftesbury Barnet came second in 27m:15s and so took over-all second prize in place of first vet.) Tony Richardson of Chiltern Harriers was first vet 50. Chiltern Harriers' Cath Holloway was first women's vet (35). She finished 50th over-all in a time of 33m:34s. She also collected the medal as women's vet champion in the Bucks AAA short course championship.
'We were very pleased to field a record number of runners in the race this year', said race organiser Howard Cave. 'The race was a great success.'