Hand and Dendy lead the way in opening cross country race

A SIZEABLE contingent of Almost Athletes made the journey to Cirencester for the start of the cross-country race season.

In the men’s race Josh Hand was first home for the club, followed by club XC manager Dave Mcgrath, Gary Farquharson, men’s team captain Mike Kennedy, John Johnson, Matt Proome, Ben Brewin, Peter Mitchener, Neil Tring, Michael Smith, Ian Coggin, Shaun Carr, David Garnett, Piotr Michalski, and Jason Hulance.

In the women’s race, captain Patricia Dendy was first home for the club, followed by Joanne Johnson, Katie Coleman, Issy Ravenhill, Hester Coggin, Ingrid Harris, Victoria Willoughby, Aline Buckley, Nicole Hope, and Catherine

Mason.

Almosts ran in parkruns at Kingsway, Oxford, Horsham. Wimpole Estate, Cheltenham, Maidenhead, Burnham and Highbridge, Tewkesbury, Lydney, Gloucester City, Volksgarten (Germany) The Old Showfield, Mundy (where Ben Taylor was first finisher), Stratford Park (Stroud), King George V Playing Field, and Peel.

In the first New York marathon open to overseas runners since 2019, Matt Hampton finished in 4:45 and Sandra Stuart crossed the line in 5:50.

Mark Soo ran the Berlin Marathon in 3:11:12, while Allan Green ran the Cornish Marathon in 5:15, collecting first place in the

MV70 category as he did so.

The main event for many Almosts last weekend was the Guy Fawkes 5 in Tewkesbury. There were first places in age categories for Joanne Johnson (LV40, in 33:52:02) Karen Galpin (LV60, in 38:08:07) and Desiree Beer (LV65, in 41:06.06).

Not all Almosts were in Tewkesbury though. Kath Haig took part in the Marlow 7, Steve Phelps completed the Malvern View 10k, Karla Cleverley braved a flooded course (three laps of London’s Regent’s Park) to run the Mornington Chasers 10k while Peter Blakeman finished the Hope Valley Run in 1:16:07, while Lesley Cottle finished the Sidmouth 10k in 54:54.