Harriers dominate

CLUBMATES TOM MILLARD AND SIMON JONES TAKE TOP-TWO PLACES

Canterbury Harriers stole the show at the Canterbury Half Marathon on Bank Holiday Monday.

Tom Millard raced home in first position in 1hour 16minutes 21seconds, followed home by clubmate Simon Jones (1:18.02) in second.

Robert Laing, of Kent AC, completed the top three 54 seconds behind.

Harriers claimed the team prize with Jacob Hussey crossing the line in 16th position in 1: 31.00, while clubmate Paul Elderton gained a personal best in a time of 1:40.15.

Invicta East Kent AC’S leading runner was Lee Rogers in eighth (1: 25.35).

Folkestone RC’S Deborah Jeffery won the women’s race in 1: 32.20 – good enough for 22nd overall.

More than 375 runners turned out in warm sunshine for the rural run south of the city to Petham and Waltham from a start and finish at Merton Farm.

Harrier Dave Bowden represented Great Britain at the European Long Distance Triathlon Championships in Poland.

The event in Poznan comprised a 2.4km open water swim followed by a 180k bike ride, and finishing with a 42.2k run.

Bowden was sixth in Europe and the first Brit over the line in his age group and was delighted with his performance, finishing in an overall time of 10hr 3min after a 1: 05 swim, 5: 30 bike and 3:17 run.

His time gained him automatic qualification for next year’s European and World Championships.

Bowden said: “It was a tough day in 28 degrees with high humidity and a real step-up in class racing with the best in Europe but wearing the GB kit spurred me on.”

Clubmate Yiannis Christodoulou is off to compete in Mexico on September 14 in the World Aquathlon Championships, aiming for a top-20 finish out of roughly 60 competitors.

Pictures: Wayne Mccabe FM4483787 Buy this picture from kentonline.co.uk Canterbury Half Marathon race winner Tom Millard, left, and Canterbury Harriers clubmate Simon Jones, right, who was runner-up in Monday’s race

FM4483818 Runners get into their stride at the start of the race