Promotion confirmed

Athletics HALF MARATHON

Ashford Athletic Club’s under-17 and under-20 team have finally had confirmation they have won promotion to the Southern England Track and Field Premier League.

This is the first time Ashford AC have been in the top flight for almost 55 years.

Ashford AC, part of a composite team with selected athletes from Thanet AC, Invicta AC and Paddock Wood AC, won the league by just one point.

The team of 37 young athletes broke several club records during the season and team manager Tina Tappenden said: “This result just highlights one of Ashford AC most successful seasons to date and shows the determination and commitment throughout our club.

“The team are looking forward to competing with the top clubs next season especially with a number of exciting and talented athletes moving up to these age groups.”

In preparation for the coming cross-country season, Ashford & District Road Running Club’s Jon Wells came home victorious in the Oliver Fisher 10k, finishing in a time of 40.53.

The challenging two-lap off-road route in and around Capstone Farm Country Park, Gillingham, proved to be a difficult test with some steep inclines throughout the course.

Dean Bracken completed the Weymouth Ironman 70.3 in 5hr 55min 41sec.

The half Ironman event consisted of a 1.2 mile sea swim, a 56-mile bike ride and a 13.1-mile run. Bracken finished in 679th position.

He will now on competing Ironman in year.

Becky Hodgson completed the flat and fast Kew Gardens 10k as part of the Richmond Runfest weekend, be focusing in a full Austria next Folkestone Rotary Club will be holding their annual half-marathon on Sunday (10am start). The course, which starts at the Grand, on the Leas, takes runners along the seafront from Folkestone to Hythe and back again. Entries on the day are subject to availability. A children’s race starts at an earlier time this year of 9.30am. The winning man and lady will receive £100 each and there will be prizes and medals for various categories. finishing in a personal best 1:01.45.

The following day, Anthony Brown and Rhian Shrimplin competed for the club in the Richmond Half Marathon.

Shrimplin finished in a personal best 1:44.56, while Brown, returning from injury, came home in 1:46.24.

Ashford & District runners dominated the top 10 places at this week’s parkrun with Trevor Kay winning the event in 17.55, followed by Julius Samson in 18.58, with Paul Moses in 19.08 taking third spot.

4 Scott Lynch 19.12, 9 Mark Attenborough 20.12, 11 Keith Haynes 2.30, 27 Stuart Nunn 22.03, 28 Terry Sellen 22.04, 35 James Chapman 22.50 PB, 64 Whittington 24.35, 168 Jeremy Chambers 33.08.

Bracken completed the Weymouth parkrun in 29.19, while Wells narrowly missed out on winning his second event of the weekend, finishing second by eight seconds in a personal best time of 18.39 at the Maidstone event. Gary Sage also competed for the club and finished in 23.04, 52nd overall.

It was a family affair at the Great Run Ashford on Sunday as Dan Green won the 5k event in 18.32, while his son, Tom, was victorious in the 2k event in 8.01.

Julius Samson finished third in the 5k event in 22.30.