Woods crosses the 10k line in splendid isolation
contd from back page
With his confidence sky high following a 14.31 parkrun clocking over 5k the previous weekend, which was the fastest parkrun time in the UK, Jack Woods decided he would make the pace hard from the off.
Covering the opening 4k in a fraction over 12 minutes, the Worthing man was clear when the course went on to the surrounding roads. Some 20 seconds later the chasing pack emerged with Chichester’s Will Boutwood among the group of a dozen.
Going up to the turnaroundpointjustbeforefordwater at the 7k mark, Woods showed no sign of slackening and strode in splendid isolation to break the tape at 30min 17sec, just outside the coveted 30-minutebarrier – a great result fromasolo runin windy conditions.
Simonheathfrombrighton Phoenix grabbed second spot in 30.40 followed by Western Tempo duo Stephen Derrett and Phil Wylie, the latter a regular in Chichester over the years and leading over-45 with a fine 30.56, equal fastest in the UK.
Chichester’s Boutwood came in a superb 6th in 31.08 and spearheaded a good Chi quartet with Mike Houston 54th in 33.18, 8th over-40, Wesley Adams 90th in 34.33 and Mikeey Kwoka 92nd in 34.37, those being PBS for the latter pair. With team results not finalised as we went to press, a score of 242 points gives Chichester’s men a provisional top-three team place after Brighton Phoenix and Aldershot Farnham & District. The women’s race was always going to be closerun with top GB international Gemma Steel making the journey from Charnwood, having won the Midlands Cross Country Championships the previous weekend.
Against her was in-form Lauren Hall from Aldershot & Farnham, a top 10 finisher in the World Cross Country trial at Parliament Hill aweek earlier.
Hall started the faster and latched ontoagroupofsenior men. Not relenting her pace, Hall came into the finish in 33.20, the fastest women’s time in the UK in 2024.
Steelbattledtotheendand was rewarded with the British Masters title in 33.40 with Hall’steam-mateemilymoyes close behind in 33.46.
Last year’s winner, Cassie Thorp, was just outside the 34-minute barrier in 34.05 while first local female athlete to finish was Charlotte Reading in 41.03, 23rd senior woman.
The race had the honour of hosting the British Masters Championships, so it was unsurprising there were some astounding age group times set – which runners in their 20s would be proud of. There was a battle among the over-55 women with Lucy Elliott just pipping Maria Heslop of Tonbridge by six seconds in 37.11.
Adecadeolder, Jennyreay ran 42.06 to win the over-65 age group, a time which lifts her above Chichester’s Helen Dean to third best of all-time in UK in the age group.
The men were equally as impressive, Colchester’s Adrian Mussett winning the over-50 race in 31.40 – in 15th place overall. Andrew Leach of North Herts was first over 60 in 34.05, while David Maclean of Sphinx AC showed age is no barrier to be crowned UK over 70 men’s champion with 41.12.
Picture gallery at SussexWorld.co.uk