Harry races into club record books
The absence of competitive racing during the summer has not stopped some of Chichester’s top runners keeping up their fitness levels – as impressive performances in recent weeks demonstrate.
The most outstanding run has come from 24-yearold Harry Leleu who has smashed his PB twice in recent weeks over 5k on the road.
His first sub 14.30 clocking of 14.26 came at the Mid Cheshire 5k in August, a time he obliterated at the Mallory Park festival last week.
In a quality field, Leleu used his new speed to good effect to win the race outright by a couple of seconds with a time of 14.07, a new club record and a time which puts him just outside the UK top 20 rankings.
Leleu is also a promising triathlete and this new level in the final discipline for that event will give Leleu added confidence when triathlons resume.
The past few months have been the longest gap between races that local distance runner James Baker has had to endure for more than a quarter of a century.
With more than 900 career wins over a variety of distances and terrains ranging from 400ms relay legs on the track through to road races from 5k to the marathon, as well as some of the toughest hill and fell races in the south, Baker has always used frequent racing as a sharpener to his fitness.
The hiatus seems not to have affected his competitive edge as he added another race win over the weekend at the Queen Elizabeth multi terrain half marathon. On a hilly course, his winning time of 78mins 33sec was worth a time several min-ute sf aster on flat terrain and in some way made up for not being able to add to his unbeaten run in the chi chester Half which should have taken place a a few weeks ago.
Lelei and Baker were among Chichester athletes who gales at the Goodwood motor circuit in September although both had to settle for runners-up spots against fierce opposition. Leleu re-corded 31.19 over 10k, just 18 seconds off his PB and was beaten by jo em or wood from Aldershot & Farnham.
Baker ran a brave 1hr 56 min 33 sec over the 20 mile course, having to battle the teeth of the wind for more tha neight laps of the circuit.
While the chi chester athlete was five minutes outside his best, he was unlucky to meet south London harrier Ollie Garrod, who ran a new PB of 1.53.08.At the same event, Aleksandra Vargin was first over-40 woman in the 5k in 20.03 while Mikey Neville was 21st in the half marathon.
Joining Leleu in the 10k were Mike Houston ( 9th overall and first over-40 in 34.11), Chris West (24th in 36.14) and Rob de Lacy (38th in 38.42).