Family fortune as husband and wife both win British bronze

Athletics - British Masters Indoor Championships

Nene Valley sprinters Clare and Julian Smith were left with feelings of unalloyed joy after both won 400m bronze medals at the British Masters Indoor Championships.

Clare picked up her medal in the Over 40s race, running a cracking time of 64.97, while her husband Julian clocked 56.95 for his Over 45 bronze.

Julian took the race by the scruff of the neck, leading most of the way, but he ran out of steam on the final straight and was passed by two athletes.

“I was British champion at 390m but unfortunately the medals are given out for 400m,” quipped the 49 yearold speedster. “I’ve got no complaints though. The pair who beat me just had that extra bit of endurance which I lacked.”

Nene Valley throwers Hazel Gearing and Simon Achurch were also in medal winning action.

Gearing, competing in the Over 45 category, won silver in both the hammer and weighted throw with with new personal bests (PBs) of 19.95m and 5.78m respectively.

Achurch is a one man medal machine and won two Over 40 golds along with two silvers.

His brace of golds came in the javelin, with a throw of 41.86m, and the weighted throw in which he achieved 10.83m.

A hammer throw of 37.19m and discus distance of 34. 67m were enough for silver.

CROSS-COUNTRY

Twenty Nene Valley youngsters were in action at Loughborough on Saturday in the Inter-Counties Cross-Country Championship.

Having qualified for the race through their performances in the county championships in January, the young athletes were spread between Cambridgeshire and Lincolnshire teams.

There were some fine performances from the talented squad with Molly Peel the cream of the crop, finishing 68th in the Under 17 girls race wearing a Lincolnshire vest.

Flo Brill running for Cambridgeshire came in 96th in the girls Under 15 race.

Lincolnshire’s Aaron Hunt was the pick of the boys with his 101st place finish in the men’s Under 20 race.

Ben Heron of Peterborough AC crossed the line 102nd in the senior men’s race, with clubmates Chloe Finlay in 127th and 189th placed Sarah Caskey acquitting themselves well in the senior ladies event.

Nene Valley Harriers results:

U13 Boys: 198 Alex Roberts (Cambs).

U15 Boys: 120 Sam Hughes; 179 Harry Hewitt (both Lincs).

U17 Men: 146 Owen Wilkinson; 169 Archie Rainbow, 264 Matt Downing. (all Lincs).

U20 Men: 101 Aaron Hunt, 153 Rob McAndrew. (both Lincs).

U13 Girls: 169 Eliza Marsden (Cambs); 181 Aoife Glasswell (Cambs); 233 Evie Hemmings (Lincs).

U15 Girls: 96 Flo Brill (Lincs); 198 Ellie Rainbow (Lincs); 246 Chelsie Bole (Cambs).

U17 Girls: 68 Molly Peel (Lincs); 162 Katie Tasker (Lincs); 168 Hannah Knight (Lincs); 211 Olivia Mead (Cambs).

U20 Women: 123 Josie Fortune; 140 Ellie Piccaver (both Cambs).

Clare Smith won a bronze medal.