Late entry leading contender for Half
Great Britain international Chris Thompson will start as favourite for the Bath Half Marathon on Sunday after a late decision to enter the race.
Thompson called race director Andrew Taylor for a place on the s-tart line barely 48 hours after fin ishing fifth in the Vitality Big Half m-arathon on Greenwich on Sun day, when he clocked a time of 63mins 41secs for fifth place in a race won by Olympic hero Mo Farah.
Thompson has been one of Britain’s leading distance runners for m-any years now and boasts life time bests of 61:00 for the half and 2hrs 11:19 for the marathon and has represented his county on the track, road and cross country.
■■ Ben Fish has waited a long time to defend his Bath Half Marathon t-itle but a late decision to enter sug gest the Blackburn Harrier fancies his chances in Sunday’s race.
Fish claimed a notable win two years ago when the race was last held with the heavy snow forcing r-ace director Andrew Taylor to can cel the 2018 event.
Fish claimed one of the best wins of his career that day, clocking a personal best of 65:16. He hasn’t got anywhere near that since so will be determined to show it wasn’t a flash in the pan.
He’ll need to be in that sort of shape if he is to defeat one of the most improved runners in the West Country this past year in Bristol & West AC’S Pete Le Grice.
The Cornishman, who owns a hotel near Penzance, notched up PBS of 66:22 to win the Great West Run in Exeter and 2:21:08 for second in the Jersey marathon last year and has continued that form w-ith a successful cross country sea son and a recent PB of 29:39 in the Chichester 10k.
If he is in that form he has a great chance of making the podium.
The most intriguing entry in the women’s race is le Grice’s Bristol & West clubmate Kate Reed.
The 2008 Beijing Olympian has suffered terribly with injuries since that high point of her career, racing rarely, but she did record a useful time of 73:43 for her debut in the half in Florida last year.
Reed has yet to race this year but if she turns up it will mean she is in good shape and confident of delivering a performance.
At the very least there will be a new champion as the 2017 winner, R-uth Barnes of Avon Valley Run ners, is injured so hasn’t entered.
But the 2015 champion and former GB international Emma Stepto from Cornwall will line up along with Stroud’s Rachel Felton, who finished third in 2017 and 2015.
Team Bath’s Eilidh Bell has the ability to figure prominently and f-ormer international ironman tri athlete Chrissie Wellington is also entered.