Wycombe Half Marathon

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A great turnout of twenty-four Chiltern Harriers club runners enjoyed an unexpected dry morning for Sunday's Grant & Stone Wycombe Half Marathon. And again it was the ladies who were victorious with an exceptional show of strength in depth.

There were a total of 883 finishers in this highly rated race organized by Handy Cross Runners, the anticipated rain holding off to leave warm, quite muggy, conditions. The first mile of the race winds up Marlow Hill through Wycombe Abbey School paths leaving several runners warm by the top.

The winning Chiltern ladies team consisted of Debbie Wenman, first Chiltern lady home in 5th place in 1:34:11. Close behind were Sandra Reynolds, 7th in 1:35:29, Barbara Ralph, 9th in 1:36:34, and Isabelle Winter, 11th in 1:38:18. Barbara was first vet 50. The winner of the ladies race was Burnham Joggers' Claire Pusey in 1:25:24.

Amazingly, the 2nd placed ladies team was Chiltern Harriers next four runners with Laura Butt, running beyond her favoured race distance, 12th in 1:38;33, Kate Loach, 15th in a PB of 1:40:32, Shareen Hallas, 39th in 1:49:43 and Beky Hughes 93rd in 2:02:37. Kate was also awarded the vet 45 prize.

In the men's race the individual winner was Vale of Aylesbury AC's Paul Gregory in 1:14:15. For Chiltern, Eddie O'Gorman had to retire when well placed, but Kingsley Nanton was 9th in 1:20:19, Robert Burton 11th in 1:20:25, Michael Turney 48th in 1:31:30 and Adrian Dale 53rd in 1:33:11, to give Chiltern 3rd place behind a strong Serpentine Running Club squad, and hosts Handy Cross Runners.

The next wave of Chiltern runners saw David Hill 106th in 1:39:18, Paul Horwood, 108th in 1:39:24, Steve Perkin 129th in 1:40:41, Steve Field 130th in 1:40:50, Doug King 148th in 1:42:15, Scott Clarke 197th in 1:45:56, Mel Folkard 224th in 1:47:05, Jonathon Coutts 256th in 1:48:50, Garry Page 277th in 1:50:39, and David Holmes 336th in 1:54:56.

Steve Perkin