The Peterborough Evening Telegraph
Lunn holds off his son to win the Langtoft 10k ATHLETICS
PAUL Lunn of Nene Valley Harriers warmed up for tomorrow’s Majorca 70.3 Half-ironman triathlon with victory in the Langtoft 10k.
It was the perfect confidence booster for Lunn, whose son Josh also impressed when finishing third.
Everything seems to be going to plan for Lunn, who had won on two wheels just days earlier when the Fenland Clarion member took the opening race of the Bluebell 10-mile time trial series.
Having also won his age group at both the Cambridge Duathlon and Lincoln Sprint Triathlon recently as well as earning selection for the World Duathlon Championships in Nancy, Lunn is currently in a rich vein of form as his personal best of 34.49 at Langtoft proved.
He said: “My goal was just to run even splits and give my legs a good spin prior to Majorca.
“I haven’t run a straight 10k for a year so I was very happy with my time and I’m delighted with my fitness levels at the moment.”
Lunn will now bid to make the top three in his age group tomorrow in a bid to earn selection for the World 70.3 Half-ironman Championships in Las Vegas.
A decent early pace saw the two Lunns, Olly Slater and former Cambs Road League and Peterborough 5k Series champion Ashley Allen - making his comeback after a three-year absence - setting the pace.
Slater was the first to drop off the pace around 2.5k with Josh Lunn losing ground soon after as his dad and former Peterborough Athletic Club member Allen opened up a 20m gap.
A climb at halfway saw Allen, who has a best of 33.04, begin to struggle and it then became a Lunn one-two as Paul forged ahead and Josh moved up to second place on his way to a personal best of 34.56.
Meanwhile, Sleaford’s Greg Southern was going well after a steady start and he moved into second at 8k and, having caught one Lunn, he set off in pursuit of the other.
But there was no denying Lunn senior victory. Despite Southern and
WERRINGTON Jogger Paul Halford finished third in the mass race at the Hawassa Half-marathon in Ethiopia in 78.07.
The Welsh international was in Ethiopia to report on the elite race for Athletics Weekly magazine, where he is deputy editor.
PACTRAC’S Wendy Gooding won the women’s race at the Titchmarsh 10k, finishing 17th overall as Nene Valley Harrier John Nash crossed the line in sixth place. Local results - 6 John Nash (Nene V) 36.40; 17 Wendy Gooding (PACTRAC) 42.35; 31 Tony Huck- steeplechaser Lunn junior chasing hard in the final kilometre, he held on to win as just seven seconds separated the first three.
Although not catching his dad, Josh was delighted to take two minutes off his personal best. He said: “At the start I’d have been happy with anything below 36 minutes but we went through 5k in about 17.15, which I knew was perfect for a sub-35.
“When Greg passed me at 8k I couldn’t hang on to him and I thought he would catch dad, but he didn’t seem to make much more progress. The last kilometre was a fast finish with us both chasing dad down but we couldn’t catch him.”
Lunn, who turns 20 on Tuesday, will represent Nene Valley Harriers in Sunday’s Eye 10k which is the second race of the Cambs Road League champion.
Ruth Jones, showing good powers of recovery after her personal best of 3.13.38 at last month’s London Marathon, gave Nene Valley a double when taking the women’s race. Her time of 40.26 saw her finish 18th overall.
Bourne Town Harrier Joe Howells won the fun run with Werrington Jogger Katie Green the first girl in 10th. lesby (BRJ) 45.31; 34 Terry Fone (Eye) 45.56; 35 Paul Jephcott (Bushfield) 45.59; 98 Ian Frisby (Thorney) 52.57; 117 Becca Brown (Stamford) 55.37; 120 Sam Brown (BRJ) 56.24; 122 Petra Otto (Thorney) 56.35; 140 Michael Barker (Yaxley) 64.31; 145 Laura Porter (Bushfield) 65.51.
MARTIN Stevens led a Werrington Joggers contingent in the Geneva half-marathon in Switzerland.
Stevens, who sneaked inside three hours at last month’s London Marathon, clocked 1.28.35 while Phil Hamlyn recorded a personal best of 1.34.42. Werrington Joggers results Half Marathon - Martin Stevens 1.28.35; Phil Hamlyn 1.34.42; Calvin Searle 1.35.32; Simon Gilby 1.36.59; Kelvin Chilvers 2.00.25; Tim Cook 2.04.14; Rowena Homan 2.06.51. 5k - Carol Cook 30.52; Katherine Turner 30.52.
TOM Pope of Hunts Athletic Club finished 13th in the Fen Drayton 10k in 42.16. Local results - 13 Tom Pope (Hunts, MV35) 41.32; 16 Tim Neals-hope (BRJ, MV40) 42.17; 41 Jackie Wren (BRJ, LV50) 45.25; 46 Peter German (Hunts, MV60) 45.48; 67 Graham Walker (Hunts, MV50) 47.51; 81 Lynn Summerfield (March, LV35) 49.22; 96 Mia Mead (BRJ, SL) 50.59; 99 Amanda Roland (BRJ, LV35) 51.01; 110 Lisa Braybrook (BRJ, LV45) 52.02; 125 Caroline Smurthwaite (BRJ, LV35) 53.58; 203 Timothy Hyde (Hunts) 60.47; 214 Rosalind Cobbold (Bushfield, SL) 61.42.