Cuckoo cheer Parker back to winning ways at Cleeve
JOHN Parker returned to winning ways as Cheltenham Harriers hosted the Cleeve Cloud Cuckoo 5.5 mile multi-terrain race on Cleeve Hill.
The V45 athlete established a lead over Southville’s Simon Marchant in the early stages of the challenging event, which he then extended to more than a minute-and-a-half by the finish.
Andrew Kaighin also ran well to take third place 27 seconds later before a 25th place finish from Mike Ede saw him finish as leading V60 athlete and also ensure a team win for the Harriers.
On the track the focus was the Midland Championship in Nuneaton where strong winds faced the runners in the 3,000m.
The lead group included Dan Owen going through 2,000m in 5:58. As they approached the bell the Bristol pair of Jack Bancroft and Callum Jones led with Owen in third.
Jones made his move with 400m remaining and opened a gap and despite Owen’s 59-second last lap, Jones crossed the line to take gold in 8:38.97. Owen claimed silver with in 8:41.64 before Bancroft finished third in 8:44.76.
In the 5,000m a three-man pack of Chris Perrin (Cannock), Louie Boot (Tipton) and Felix Mcgrath (Newcastle) headed off at sub 15 minute pace schedule, the Harriers athletes of Richard de-camps and George Watson stayed within the second pack.
The Cheltenham pair started to reduce the gap and a big last 200m from de-camps brought him level with third placed Mcgrath with 40 metres remaining, but the Newcastle athlete responded to claim the bronze by just 0.07 seconds.
Fourth placed de-camps’ time of 15:21.49 in such hot conditions was a
fine performance, as was Watson’s fifth position in a personal best of 15:25.58.
Dom James had to settle for seventh in 15:49.23 whilst Charlie Jones took eighth in 15:55.59.
Watson was also in excellent form over 1,500m in a university match in Loughborough where he recorded a personal best of 4:01.69.
At the Milton Keynes Open meeting Chris Booth finished second in the 5,000m in 16:13.1, while in the 1500m C race at the Exeter Open, veteran Russell Forsbrook recorded 4:40.02 for second place.
Fee Maycock made the trip to Surrey for the Dorking 10 mile road which included the British Masters Championship and was the 12th lady home in 67:53, which meant she finished as third LV50 athlete home which earned her the silver medal within the BMAF championships.
Mark James finished as second veteran at the Pomphrey 5k in Bristol with 17:00 whilst Dan Schofield and Alex Lindfield recorded 17:26 and 17:47 respectively.
Parkruns saw the Harriers provide the first man and first lady home at the Cheltenham parkrun as Doug Wight (16:24) posted a course PB and Amber Watson (20:27) returned to action.
James Bingham (17:19) placed second, Steve Hall (18:57) had a good run out and Kayla Garland (22:59) finished as ninth lady.
Caroline Cotterell (21:14) was the first lady home in Cirencester where Nick Holliday (19:43) was sixth whilst there were also first place finishes for Alex Doherty (17:05) in Evesham and Eliot Taylor (17:36) in Hereford.
Ellis Woolley (21:58) was third lady home at the Killerton event in Exeter and Andy Prophett (18:45) joined more than 1,000 people at the Southampton parkrun.