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| Katie Royals setting a new course record on the girls 2 mile walk |
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Click on photos to enlarge - use browser back button to return Pictures by Martyn Loach and Steve Perkin |
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| Katie Royals setting a new course record on the girls 2 mile walk |
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Click on photos to enlarge - use browser back button to return Pictures by Martyn Loach and Steve Perkin |
A warm and sunny Bank Holiday evening drew out a record attendance at Chiltern Harriers' first host event of the year - the Pednor 5 Mile Road Race. A field of 196 runners tackled the attractive undulating country lane course featuring a challenging hill around the halfway point and a fast downhill finish.
Chiltern 's runners were out in force and won both men's and women's team events. The individual winners were Chiltern's Stuart Ellerby, winning his first Chiltern race in 27.11 after many second and third places, and Tamsin Neale of Burnham Joggers in 31.10.
Chiltern's strong quartet of Stuart, Tom Beedell, Eddie O'Gorman and Kingsley Nanton settled into a fast early pace. It was Stuart who carried his speed right through the race to come home home thirteen seconds ahead of Tom, second in 27.24. Kingsley was third in 28.08 and Eddie completed the scoring in fourth place in 28.17. Second team in the men's race were Watford Harriers and third were Tring RC.
First veteran 40 was Burnham Joggers' Pete Summers, sixth overall in 29.31 and the veteran 50 prize went to Watford Harriers' Mikk Bradley, overall 16th in 31.00. First junior home was Chiltern's Elliott Mocharrafie, 14th in 30.39.
Behind Tamsin Neale were Chiltern's Laura Butt, second woman home in 32.47 and third was Hillingdon Triathletes' Melissa Arkinstall in 32.58. Chiltern's winning women's team was composed of Laura, along with fourth placed Alison Young in 33.19 and Sarah Quantrill, fifth in 33.34. Second in the women's team race were Vale of Aylesbury with Burnham Joggers in third place.
Age category prizes in the women's race went to Barbara Ralph of Chiltern Harriers in 6th place (veteran 45) in 34.09 and Julia Austen of Vale of Aylesbury in 9th place (veteran 35) in 35.31. The first junior woman was Rachael Card of Vale of Aylesbury in 12th place in 36.30.
With a strong start, Chiltern Harriers can anticipate a promising summer road racing season.
Next Chiltern event to look forward to is the Chiltern Junior Triathlon, to be held at Chesham Leisure Centre on Sunday July 6th.