Barden finds another gear

Parkrun

Following his third place two weeks ago, Craig Barden moved to the head of affairs in last Saturday’s Maidstone parkrun.

Barden finished in a time of 18min50sec, with Stephen Turpie a close second in

19.00 and Tim Williams running a personal best of 19.16 to take third place. Megan Ormiston (JW1517) was the leading lady to finish with a time of 20.13, Charlotte Bates had to settle for second spot in 20.39 with Gillian Maisey coming third in 24.28.

As he was two weeks ago, Tony Rea (Dragons Running Club VM75-79) was the top age-graded performer scoring 79.52% for finishing 55th in 24.15 from the 291 runners who took part. At Malling, Kieran McAuliffe took the honours in 18.41 with first-time visitor Simon Wells a close second in 18.46. William Watts took third place in 19.04.

Last week’s leading lady, Rebecca Lednor, ran another personal best this time in 21.07 to lead the field again. Nicola Morris was second in 22.14, holding off Luciana Anderson (JW15-17) in third place by one second after the latter recorded a personal best of 22.15.

Not to be outdone by his son Kieran, Paul McAuliffe (VM60-64) took the top age-graded spot by scoring 79.95% after finishing ninth in 20.47 from the 220 runners who took part.

There’s just no stopping Medway & Maidstone’s Tom Collins at the Ditton Turkey Run.

Collins made it 14 wins in Sunday’s annual 6.5-mile festive race – and has won every year he has entered since 2005.

This year’s event, the 27th edition, began as usual at West Malling Research Centre but took in a new route with more countryside and mud to tackle.