Kentish Express Ashford & District
Athletes take third spot and seal top-half finish
Athletics
Folkestone....... 6. 5. 1. 0. 14. 4. 16 Dorking.Wdrs... 6. 4. 2. 0. 17. 5. 14 Corinthian.C..... 6. 4. 1. 1. 10. 4. 13 Faversham....... 6. 4. 1. 1. 8. 3. 13 Hastings.......... 6. 4. 0. 2. 16. 8. 12 Herne.Bay........ 6. 3. 2. 1. 11. 7. 11 Walton.&.H...... 5. 3. 1. 1. 10. 7. 10 Ramsgate........ 6. 3. 1. 2. 8. 8. 10 South.Park....... 4. 3. 0. 1. 6. 3. 9 Molesey........... 6. 3. 0. 3. 11. 9. 9 Chatham.......... 6. 3. 0. 3. 10. 8. 9 Worthing.......... 6. 3. 0. 3. 8. 7. 9 Sittingbourne... 6. 3. 0. 3. 8. 11. 9 Three.Bridges.. 6. 2. 2. 2. 9. 7. 8 Guernsey......... 5. 2. 1. 2. 7. 7. 7 Peacehaven..... 6. 2. 1. 3. 7. 12. 7 Whyteleafe...... 4. 2. 0. 2. 5. 5. 6 Tooting............ 5. 2. 0. 3. 6. 9. 6 Carshalton....... 5. 2. 0. 3. 6. 10. 6 E.Grinstead...... 6. 1. 1. 4. 5. 9. 4 Walton.Cas...... 6. 1. 0. 5. 8. 13. 3 Hythe............... 6. 0. 2. 4. 3. 11. 2 Whitstable....... 6. 0. 1. 5. 4. 13. 1 Chipstead........ 6. 0. 1. 5. 3. 20. 1
Dorking.5.Chipstead. 0,.Faversham.2.Chatham.0,.Folkestone. 3.Hythe.0,.Molesey.0.Corinthian. Casuals.1,.Peacehaven.0.Worthing.2,. Ramsgate.1.Sittingbourne.3,.Three. Bridges.1.East.Grinstead.1,.Walton. Casuals.0.Hastings.2,.Whitstable.2. Herne.Bay.2. Corinthian........ 4. 4. 0. 0. 11. 6. 12 Hollands.&.B.... 5. 3. 1. 1. 12. 6. 10 Ashford............ 4. 3. 0. 1. 5. 4. 9 Lordswood....... 5. 2. 2. 1. 7. 6. 8 Greenwich....... 3. 2. 1. 0. 12. 6. 7 Sevenoaks....... 5. 2. 1. 2. 7. 9. 7 Erith.Town....... 3. 2. 0. 1. 6. 4. 6 Canterbury....... 4. 2. 0. 2. 5. 5. 6 Erith.&.Bel....... 4. 2. 0. 2. 6. 6. 6 Tun.Wells........ 5. 1. 2. 2. 5. 5. 5 AFC.Croydon.... 3. 1. 1. 1. 7. 5. 4 Beckenham..... 3. 1. 1. 1. 9. 9. 4 Fisher.............. 4. 1. 1. 2. 4. 10. 4 Deal................. 3. 1. 0. 2. 4. 3. 3 Cray.Valley....... 3. 1. 0. 2. 3. 4. 3 Holmesdale...... 3. 1. 0. 2. 7. 10. 3 Rochester........ 3. 1. 0. 2. 4. 7. 3 Crowborough... 4. 0. 2. 2. 6. 9. 2 Croydon........... 4. 0. 0. 4. 3. 9. 0
Hollands.&.Blair. Gravesham...... 7. 5. 2. 0. 31. 5. 17 Lydd................ 5. 5. 0. 0. 13. 6. 15 Bearsted.......... 4. 4. 0. 0. 11. 5. 12 Kent.F.Utd........ 6. 3. 2. 1. 11. 8. 11 Glebe............... 4. 3. 1. 0. 14. 3. 10 Sheppey.......... 6. 3. 1. 2. 12. 10. 10 Orpington........ 5. 3. 1. 1. 7. 5. 10 APM.Contrast... 5. 3. 0. 2. 16. 10. 9 Crockenhill...... 5. 2. 1. 2. 11. 8. 7 AC.London....... 4. 2. 0. 2. 7. 4. 6 Seven.Acre...... 4. 2. 0. 2. 8. 7. 6 Sutton.Ath....... 3. 2. 0. 1. 3. 2. 6 Meridian.......... 5. 1. 2. 2. 5. 7. 5 Bridon.Ropes... 5. 1. 1. 3. 6. 7. 4 Phoenix.Sp.R... 5. 1. 0. 4. 5. 12. 3 Eltham.Pal....... 5. 1. 0. 4. 3. 27. 3 Forest.Hill........ 5. 0. 1. 4. 6. 11. 1 Rusthall........... 5. 0. 1. 4. 6. 17. 1 FC.Elmstead.... 4. 0. 1. 3. 6. 14. 1 Lewisham........ 4. 0. 0. 4. 1. 14. 0
APM.Contrast.2. Bearsted.3,.Bridon.Ropes.1.Crockenhill. 1,.Gravesham.Borough.1.Forest.Hill.0,. Lewisham.Borough.0.Meridian.1,.Lydd. 3.Phoenix.Sports.Res.0,.Orpington.0.AC. London.3,.Rusthall.1.Kent.Football.Utd. 1,.Sheppey.5.FC.Elmstead.1,.Sutton.Ath. Ashford AC wrapped up their Southern League season with third place in the final match, at Lee Valley Athletics Centre in north London.
The women’s team were weakened by the match coinciding with the Southern area under-15 and under-17 championships, leaving stand-in team manager Becky Dyer with only six female athletes to cover a full programme of events.
With gentle persuasion and juggling, however, most of the women’s events were contested and there was the frequent sight of Ashford athletes running from one event to another.
Happily, the men’s team were far better represented.
Ashford were in last place for much of the match but eventually took third place and were not far off second.
They finish the season in the top half of the division and team management have made it clear that they expect more members to turn out to meetings next term.
Prior commitments meant team manager Pete le Rossignol was unable to travel with the team but he was able to see the team off and name the club’s athletes of the season.
These were Natalie Whiskin in the women’s team and Matt Harris in the men’s. Ten of the club’s athletes competed in the Ashford 5k parkrun on Saturday, August 22.
First back out of the 154 runners was Matt Hogben in 18.25 and not far behind was Marshall Smith in 18.44.
The first lady back for Ashford AC was Niamh Donohue (u-15), clocking 29.37 in only her third parkrun.
There was a good contest for fifth place, with Andy Robertson (19.09) beating Gerard O’Sullivan in a sprint finish by a second.
A special well done to O’Sullivan for achieving the highest age grade out of all the Ashford AC runners (75.13%) and getting a fastest time on this course with a time of 19.10, not far behind his overall 5k PB.
Le Rossignol completed his 14th parkrun, coming 35th, while not far behind was Andrew Huxley in 25.07.
Chris Hobbs race walked the 5k, achieving an impressive 26.20 and coming 55th.
Sam Pearson was the next back, clocking 27.51 and Ronan Donohue ran as well, not long after his 100-mile race.
Five members of Ashford & District Road Running Club competed in the Canterbury Half Marathon on Monday.
Rik Holden, running his first race for the club and using the race as preparation for the Berlin Marathon later this month, was first home for the Road Runners in 38th place in a time of 1hr 37min 18sec.
Keith Haynes finished in 46th place in 1:38.22.
The other finishers were Dexter Hogben (1:41.12), Steve Hickman (1:57.22) and Rhian Shrimplin, who was the 15th lady home in 1:58.01.
Jon Wells took part in the Sevenoaks seven-miler around Knole Park on Monday. He finished 45th in 48.09.
Paul Moses finished second in the Ashford parkrun on Saturday in 19.03. Mark Attenborough smashed his personal best time as he came home sixth in 20.01.
Robert Carpenter finished eighth in 20.16, while Paul Brassington ran 21:17 as he finished 11th.
Scott Lynch came home in 22.45, Jon Fidge finished in 24.34 and Stu Nunn ran a PB as he came home in 24.49.