NO OVERALL VICTORY ...
City of Portsmouth runnersup in team categories
City of Portsmouth AC were runners-up in both the men’s and women’s team categories in the 75th staging of the Victory 5 mile road race.
Paul Navesey, Sam Charig and Robbie Carson were CoP’s three male scorers with Cassie Thorp, Roanna Vickers and Emma Jolley the first three women to finish.
Navesey was CoP’s highest placed finisher, sixth in 24:43 - 40 seconds behind winner Alex Teuten (Southampton AC). In windy conditions, this was only six seconds off Tueten’s personal best.
Teuten won by 12 seconds from Jonathan Cornish (Hercules Wimbledon) with Jack Woods (Worthing Harriers) 19 seconds adrift.
The Southampton pairing of Jonathan Roberts and Ben Brown completed the top five in a race where 11 runners from eight different clubs ran under 26 minutes.
With three in the top six, Southampton AC easily took the men’s team prize. Ryde Harriers were third.
Charig (26:06, 13th) and Carson (27:34, 28th) also finished in the top 30.
The leading veteran was Sebastian Hoenig (Lordshill Runners, male 40, 26:33, 18th place) while there were age category wins for City of Portsmouth pair Martin Williams (Over 60, 30:46, 112th) and Mark Hargreaves (Over 65, 31:56, 158th), Michael Welland (Over 75, 38:33, 336th) of Stubbington Green and Howard Wright (Over 80, 59:24, 660th) of Victory AC.
First woman to finish was Nicole Taylor (Tonbridge AC) in 27.00, just ahead of team-mate Lucy & District) in third.
Abigail Woolaston (Andover), Thorp and Jen Granger (Southampton) completed the top six.
Harriett Woolley joined Taylor and Reid to win the team race from Portsmouth with Southampton third.
Thorp (28:33, 40th), Vickers (29:39, 78th) and Emma Jolley (30:51, 117th) gave Portsmouth runners-up place in the team category.
The leading veteran was Lesley Locks (Over 45, 28:45, 46th) of Aldershot, Farnham & District. Penny Forse (Stubbington Green Runners) won the Over 70 category (38:59, 382nd) while Chichester Runners’ Helen Dean won the Vet 65 category (34:54, 264th).
The first Havant AC runner to finish was Craig Berryman (27:46, 31st) with Tim Rolfe (27:56, 35th) the first Stubbington Green member back home.
Emlyn Hughes (Male Vet 45) was the first Fareham Crusaders entrant across the finishing line - 54th in 28:55 - while Luke Willis (29:31, 67th) and Gianni Shipp (29:32, 68th) were first back representing Gosport Road Runners and Portsmouth Tri respectively.
Daniel Bailey (29:36, 75th) was first home for host club Victory AC on a day when 673 runners completed the course.
The Victory 5 mile was the fourth event, out of 10, in the 2021/22 Hampshire Road Race League.
The Overton 5 mile, Lordshill 10 and Gosport Half had already taken place, with the first event of 2022 scheduled for January 16 - the Stubbington 10k. That is followed by the Ryde 10 mile (February 6), Salisbury 10 mile (April 3), Alton 10 mile (May 8), Netley 10 (May 15) and Alresford 10k (June 19).