Wenk’s on song to claim second
Folkestone 10 miles
Classical musician Stefan Wenk (Maidstone Harriers) had to play second fiddle to veteran Howard Bristow (M40 Brighton AC) in the 33rd Folkestone 10-mile race on Good Friday morning, writes Alan Newman.
The traditional distance attracted 650 starters to the seafront course from Hythe Green and it was the 41-yearold Sussex athlete – 30th in the National Inter-Counties cross-country last month – who crossed the line 30 seconds clear in 52min 58sec.
Wenk (53.28) chased hard in the sunny but windy conditions and finished well clear of the pack led by Medway and Maidstone’s Adrian Lowther (55.17).
There were 21 men inside the hour, including Sam Proctor (Dartford Road Runners, 56.06), Mark Wilkins (Medway & Maidstone, 58.08), Terry Reeves (Dartford Road Runners, 58.45), Craig Chapman ( M40 Tunbridge Wells Harriers, 59.06) and Barry Royden (M45 Medway & Maidstone, 59.48), who set his best of 49.07 when winning this event in 1997.
Leading higher age-group results were achieved by M50 David Weekes (Folkestone, 58.49) and M60 James Graham (Sevenoaks, 1.05.01).
On a day of success for master athletes, Paddock Wood’s outstanding W45 runners Maria Heslop (1:01.09) and Tina Oldershaw (1:03.43) dominated the women’s race. Heslop moved to second on the UK W45 ranking list and Oldershaw remains fifth.
Elspeth Turner (W45 Horsham Blue Star Harriers, 1:04.38) ensured a clean sweep of the podium places by over-45s. Claire Day (W35 Paddock Wood, 1: 05.46) claimed the lower age-group prize in a personal best, one There were 106 finishers in the University of Kent 10k at Canterbury and all completed the course along part of the Crab and Winkle Way within 60 minutes. There was a home club winner in Simon Jones (M40, Canterbury Harriers) with 35min 26sec from Guernsey Islander Carl Holden (36.04). Lloyd Catley (Maidstone Harriers, 44.06) was the leading local club athlete. Fiona Tester (W40 Canterbury Harriers, 46.54) led first W55 master Vicky Talbot-Rosner (Invicta, 47.05) and Katherine Smith (Dragons Running Club, 47.30) in the women’s race. Angela Holmes (Larkfield) finished in 52.09 with Maidstone-based Dragons also represented by Clare Fullager 55.28.