The Peterborough Evening Telegraph
Vernau wins in rare 10k outing
IT’S been a great month so far for Nene Valley Harriers youngster James Vernau.
Last week the 21 year-old smashed his 5000m personal best (PB) at the Olympic Stadium and on Sunday he followed up by taking two minutes off his previous best to win the Eye 10k.
Vernau’s victory even took him by surprise as his training had been geared towards the track with last week’s British University and Colleges Sport (BUCS) Championships at the Olympic Stadium and the forthcoming British League season being his main targets.
After winning in 33.13, Vernau said: “I was really pleased with my run. To be honest it surprised me as I haven’t done a 10k in about three years so I didn’t really have any clue what to expect.
“I knew I had been training well and had been getting a few miles in, but I was more concentrating on 5000m for track due to the BUCS Championships and the British League
“I’ve had my exams over the last couple of weeks at university (Brunel) so I’ve been concentrating on them and I forgot to enter the Cambridgeshire Championships (which were held on Saturday)
“Since my injury late last year I’ve wanted to start racing more so I entered the Eye 10k at the last minute for a run-out.
“I’ve been training a lot lately with Josh Lunn so we both decided to race on Sunday as a good way to enhance our training and mileage.
“I wasn’t expecting to win at all with not having done a 10k in ages and knowing Paul Halford and Michael Moore had both been running well, so I just went out quite cautiously.
“I just wanted to see how I felt but I ended up just feeling stronger throughout the race and leading from start to finish, which took by surprise.
“I’m pleased with my good start to the season and hope to keep it up throughout.”
Vernau led Nene Valley to a dominant victory as reigning Cambs Road League champion Michael Moore finished third, in-form youngster Lunn followed up last week’s third place in the Langtoft 10k with another solid showing in fourth and Adam Birch sneaked inside his year-old PB to finish seventh.
Former Welsh marathon champion Halford of Werrington Joggers and PACTRAC’S John Murray offered resistance to the Nene Valley domination, the former repeating his second place of two years ago.
England veteran international Philippa Taylor gave Nene Valley a men’s and women’s double, less than 24 hours after recording a PB in the 1500m at the Lincolnshire Championships.
Taylor was second senior woman and first veteran at Grantham on Saturday a PB of 4.55.7 which placed her third on the UK rankings for her age group.
She then followed with victory at Eye in 38.26, finishing 21st overall.
She said: “Saturday was only the second time I’ve done a 1500 and I really enjoyed it - its much easier than the marathon!
“I’m still learning how to pace it so having someone ahead of me helped. I’d like to think that I could improve on that time by a few seconds but it will depend on whether I can get the pacing right.
“I just used the 10k on Sunday as a good tempo training run as I’m still only three weeks post-marathon and it was the day after the 1500m.
“It’s an enjoyable course but not a PB course so I was just happy to get the same time as last year and of course very happy to win it.
“I’ve managed to get myself an elite place in the Manchester 10k this weekend so will have to work a bit harder on that race as I’ll be right at the back of the field for it, with nowhere to hide!”
EYE Community Runner Mike Wright finished the Notts 10 in 78.06. Stamford Striders had three members in action, Algie Audas finishing in 73:02; Dave Aust 79.08; Becca Brown 91.18 and Ian Hovell 1.40.28. Stamford also had two members in action at th RAF Cranwell 10k, Celina Silver flying high with a PB of 55.19 for 25th position Nicholas Smith crossing the line in 13th in 46.59.
JON Barlow and Roger Holliday of BRJ crossed the line together at the Cambridge Parkrun 5k to lead the local challenge.
BRJ also had three members in action at the Bedford Parkrun 5k - with Andy Barber 21st in 20.37, Esther Cotton 102nd in 30.29 and husband Tony 119th in 33:51
Local results from Cambridge - 43 Jon Barlow (BRJ, MV40) 21.46; 44 Roger Holliday (BRJ, MV45) 21.46; 62 Jeff Chapman (Hunts, MV55) 22.38; 63 Andy Matson (BRJ, MV45) 22.38; 78 Sarah Hall (BRJ, SL) 22.52; 137 Deborah Rostant (BRJ, LV45) 25.39; 162 Noah Bradford (BRJ, SL) 27.05; 189 Nicky Barlow (BRJ, LV40) 28.21; 190 Julie Holmes (BRJ, SL) 28.24; 250 Michelle Finnegan (Hunts, LV40) 31.07; 265 Linda Crook (BRJ, LV45) 31.48; 266 Sue Yendley (BRJ, LV45) 31.49.