Terrific Tyler puts coach Royden in the shade
Parkrun
Maidstone saw Ben Tyler (Runfit) fastest of the local events as his 16 min 06 sec took him more than a minute clear of his coach, Barry Royden (M45 Runfit), whose own reward was top age-grading.
Charlotte Bates (Maidstone Harriers, 19.43) was just three seconds slower than her previous week’s time to lead the women’s run.
Tewelde Menges (under20, Runfit) ran to his fourth win at Great Lines this year, 52 seconds ahead of Runfit training partner, Simon Habtom, who was the leading age-graded runner.
Abigail Jordan (under-15, Medway and Maidstone) ensured youth prevailed by taking the women’s run from W50 Mo Fazakerley (Runfit).
Tonbridge again produced the fastest women’s time as Lucy Thompson (under-17, Tonbridge) finished first in 19.29. There were 438 finishers led by Andrew Mercer (M40 Tonbridge) but it was under11 Imogen Hepden who set the best age-graded score (90.78%) in 21.31.
Carrie Hitchman (W35 Larkfield) was a local winner at Malling, where Shaun Lawson (Easingwold RC) led the men. Selected results: Maidstone: Men: 1 Ben Tyler (Runfit) 16min06sec; 2 Barry Royden (M45 Runfit) 17.20; 3 Chris Patey (Larkfield) 18.11. Women: 1 Charlotte Bates (Maidstone Harriers) 19.43; 2 Claire Cremer (W40 St Albans Striders) 19.55; 3 Hannah Mitchell (U15 Medway Tri) 20.27. Age-Grade: Royden 84.42%. 345 ran. Great Lines: Men: 1 Tewelde Menges (U20 Runfit) 16.18; 2 Simon Habtom (U17 Runfit) 17.10; 3 Will Munday (Medway Tri) 17.50. Women: 1 Abigail Jordan (U15 Medway & Maidstone) 22.37; 2 Mo Fazakerley (W50 Runfit) 23.04; 3 Eva McIntyre (U15) 23.15. Age-Grade: Habtom 81.07%. 292 ran. Tonbridge: Men: 1 Andrew Mercer (M40 Tonbridge) 17.27; 2 John Terry (Oakhampton) 18.15; 3 David Weston 18.52. Women: 1 Lucy Thompson (U17 Tonbridge) 19.29; 2 Imogen Hepden (U11) 21.31; 3 Elise Rendall (W35 Paddock Wood) 21.33. Age-Grade: Hepden 90.78%. 438 ran. Malling: Men: 1 Shaun Lawson (Easingwold) 17.41; 2 Richard Keating (Manchester Frontrunners) 18.03; 3 Adam Hunt (Dartford Harriers) 18.42. Women: 1 Carrie Hitchman (W35 Larkfield) 24.32; 2 Leanne Brocklehurst 24.33; 3 Megan Ormiston (U15) 25.00. Age-Grade: Lawson 72.95%. 133 ran. Sittingbourne: Men: 1 Darryl Phillips (Bristol & West) 18.35; 2 Stuart Jasnoch 19.26; 3 David Stevens 19.47. Women: 1 Karen Seymour (W50 Sittingbourne Striders) 22.37; 2 Louise Howard (W40) 24.41; 3 Karen Coleman (W45) 24.59. Age-Grade: Seymour 75.98%. 144 ran.
Schools International
Alfie Scopes (Tonbridge AC) achieved his finest result to date when he won the Schools International under-17 discus at Ashford last Saturday.
Scopes’ 51.82m was not the 16-year-old’s furthest, as he has a PB in excess of 55m, but it was his most significant victory in an unbeaten 2016 season.
Scopes helped England (253 points) to a commanding lead over Ireland (160), Scotland (121) and Wales (119) in the boys’ match, while Holly Page, 15, of Dartford Harriers, was arguably even more successful as she won the 1,500m steeplechase in a new best to add to England’s success (266.5) over Ireland (180.5), Wales (127) and Scotland (109) in the girls’ match.
Page improved to 4.53.94 – two seconds faster than her English Schools title-winning effort just seven days earlier.
Harry Kendall, 19, of Tonbridge won the South of England senior decathlon at Horspath, Oxford with a personal best 6,230 points.
Kent Masters League
M&M rallied after a shaky season to win their final Kent Masters League match on home ground at Medway Park last Friday night and will remain in Division 1 for 2017.
M&M took the match by three points from Dartford Harriers, who topped the table with 34 points from Cambridge Harriers (25.5), M&M (23.5) and Bexley (15).
Ashford (15) and Blackheath & Bromley (13) were relegated.
Scott Craddock (12.3) equalled Peter Davey’s time in the M35 100m but was judged to have finished second. Alex Beech (12.7) took full points from the B-string and Martyn Corbishley (14.0) was fourth M50.
Mark Wilkins ( 2.20.2), was fourth in the M35 800m, allowing Nigel Rumsey (2.11.5) to become the second to miss out after drawing level with Stuart Waterman (Dartford).
Beech, Craddock, Rumsey and Marco Ronchetti made no mistake in the 4x200m relay (1.45.9), Bob Fursey (2.33.5) was third in the M50 800m and a resurgent Steve Hesketh (2.46.9) was a close third in the M60 800m.
The long jump saw Beech third in M35 (4.79), Paul Newton fourth at M50 (4.20) and Rob Sibley (3.98) second M60. Stuart Earl (24.07) made fourth in the M35 discus and Corbishley (24.18) was fourth M50.
M&M will be joined by Tonbridge and Paddock Wood next year after the west Kent rivals finished first and second in Men’s Division 2 this season.
The women’s Division 1 champions are Dartford Harriers while Bexley & Bromley Veterans face the drop. Division 2 champions Tonbridge were promoted at their first attempt.
Cranbrook 10k/5k
High Weald Academy, Cranbrook was the venue for last Friday’s 5k and 10k races.
Junior unattached athlete, Billy Hobbs, led the way in the 10k with a return of 36.17.
Local men on the leaderboard included Maidstone Harriers’ M40 Adrian Perkins (40.35), Kevin Barnes (42.17), M65 David Thornby (42.44), M40 Jason Gardiner (43.15), M50 Keith Dean (43.15), M50 Paul Holland (47.53) and M40 Darren Eastman (49.30).
Maria Heslop (W45 Paddock Wood, 40.21) was well clear in the women’s race. W60 Sally Musson (Tonbridge, 46.41) was second and W35 Suzanne Parr (51.21) third.
Vanessa Hollamby (W55 Paddock Wood, 54.14) was fourth as master athletes dominated.
The 5k was won by Jon Wells (Ashford & District, 20.02).