Runfit’s top-three lockout
Parkrun
There was a clean sweep for Runfit club members, led by Tewelde Menges, at Great Lines last Saturday, writes Alan Newman.
Fourth-placed Barry Royden (Runfit) took the age-graded result and Amber Ebanks was first in the women’s category.
Tom Heslop (Cambridge University) made a second successful visit to Maidstone and saw off 376 other runners on the Medway towpath. Tom Carpenter (Maidstone Harriers) was the best of the local athletes in pursuit.
Charlotte Bates was under 20 minutes again in the women’s run and Paul McAuliffe (M60, Larkfield) was well clear in the age-graded table.
Tonbridge produced the fastest women’s time of the weekend as Nicole Taylor blasted round Haysden Park in 17min53sec, only beaten to the finish line by William Hobbs. Taylor comfortably led on age-grading.
Malling saw visitor Mark Smallwood (Hedge End) finish 30 seconds clear of Medway and Maidstone junior Callum Brooks. Sarah Dand (W35, Istead and Ifield Harriers) was more than a minute clear of the women’s field.
Sittingbourne’s parkrun was led by unattached runner Ben Comery and Jennifer Coleman (Sittingbourne Striders). SELECTED RESULTS: Great Lines: Men: 1 Tewelde Menges (U20 Runfit) 16min25sec; 2 Simon Habtom (U17 Runfit) 16.58; 3 Filmon Teclemichael (U17 Runfit) 17.19. Women: 1 Amber Ebanks (U20) 21.51; 2 Lucy Nicholson 21.56; 3 Abigail Jordan (U15 Medway & Maidstone) 22.06. Age-Grade: Barry Royden (M45 Runfit, 17.29) 83.70%. 314 ran. Maidstone: Men: 1 Tom Heslop (Cambridge University) 16.12; 2 Tom Carpenter (Maidstone Harriers) 16.25; 3 Max Read (U20 Medway & Maidstone) 17.51. Women: 1 Charlotte Bates 19.51; 2 Sarah Saputo (W35) 21.49; 3 Nicola Tynan (W35 Friends That Run) 23.23. AgeGrade: Paul McAuliffe (M60 Larkfield, 19.26) 82.50%. 377 ran. Tonbridge: Men: 1 William Hobbs (U17) 17.40; 2 Wayne Balmer (Paddock Wood) 18.06; 3 Oliver Dunn (U17 Tonbridge) 18.11. Women: 1 Nicole Taylor (Tonbridge) 17.53; 2 Ali Farrall (W40 Wadhurst Runners) 21.12; 3 Lucy Pitcairn-Knowles (W50 Tonbridge) 21.26. Age-Grade: Taylor 82.76%. 375 ran. Malling: Men: 1 Mark Smallwood (Hedge End) 18.41; 2 Callum Brooks (U17 Medway & Maidstone) 19.11; 3 William Jeffery 19.20. Women: 1 Sarah Dand (W35 Istead & Ifield Harriers) 21.29; 2 Tracy Townsend (W50 Orpington) 22.45; 3 Hayley Humphrey 24.53. Age-Grade: Nick Brown (M55 Dulwich, 20.32) 77.44%. 135 ran. Sittingbourne: Men: 1 Ben Comery 17.42; 2 Lee Simpson (Sittingbourne Striders) 19.06; 3 Stuart Jasnoch 19.35. Women: 1 Jennifer Coleman (Sittingbourne Striders) 22.03; 2 Karen Seymour (W50 Sittingbourne Striders) 22.45; 3 Karen Coleman (W45) 25.22. Age-Grade: Seymour 75.53%. 134 ran. third from 700 runners morning.
The event, voted the sixthbest race in Britain, was dominated by runners from Sussex as Hastings’ Rhys Boorman (1hr28min53sec) and M40 Jeff Pyrah (1:30.17) took the top prizes ahead of Cole (1:30.43).
Local club men included Tonbridge athletes Dan Bradley (1:33.12), Julian Rendall (1:33.57) and Greg Cole (1:37.27) in the top dozen. Paddock Wood had Steve Chalklen (1:52.12) and M55 David Sampson (1:59.33) home inside two hours.
There was an all-Sussex podium in the women’s race as former winner Tina Oldershaw (W45 Paddock Wood, 1:55.31) had to settle for fourth. Also impressing for Paddock Wood was W40 Emma Hollands (2:01.10). more than on Sunday from Tonbridge (590), M&M (556), Ashford (421.5), Bexley (390.5), Cambridge Harriers (362.5), Blackheath B (342) and Dartford Harriers/Swanley (342).
The Division 2 match saw the composite teams of Paddock Wood/Folkestone (524) and Medway Park Phoenix/Invicta East Kent (457) dominant, followed by Thanet (381), Swale Combined (361), Tonbridge B (292) and Sevenoaks (129).
Medway and Maidstone’s results in the under-13 boys’ section featured a sprint double for Michael Uzozie in the 100m (13.7) and 200m (27.8). Ben Lineker supported in the sprints and, with Finn Rodgers and Keiran Isaac, made a strong 4x100m relay team that finished just three-tenths behind Blackheath in 56.7.
Ben Blake won the javelin (32.95m), 80m hurdles (13.6) and high jump (1.65), with Bashiri Ryan (1.45) in a virtuoso display in the under-15 boys’ events.
Blake was joined by Alex Donnelly, Ben Hughes and Ben Townend for second place to Tonbridge in the 4x300m relay (2:51.4).
Summer Salter (18.22) and Gypsy Nash (17.05) doubled in the under-13 girls’ hammer for the best results in that age group. Billie Rouse (third, 4:10.7) and Erin Hughes (second B, 4:29.7) were the highest scorers on the track, competing over 1,200m.
The under-15 girls’ events included double victories for Kaliyah Young (12.4) and Lucy Maunders (12.9) in the 75m hurdles, Young (1.51) and Abigail Walters (1.40) in the high jump and Mayong Tabe (5.44) and Lauren Farley (4.96) in the long jump.