Heslop leaves rivals trailing with triple whammy

Staplehurst 10K

Peter Tucker (Blackheath Harriers) and Maria Heslop (W45, Paddock Wood) raced to Kent titles as 500 runners took to the streets of Staplehurst for the Kent 10k road race championships on Sunday. Heslop trebled her rewards by claiming the W45 masters gold and team gold. Tucker (33min44sec) always had too much pace for Kent silver medal winner Richard Newsome (M40 South Kent Harriers, 33.55) and bronze medallist Sam Begg (Tunbridge Wells Harriers, 34.07). Locals in the top 20 included Dan Bradley (Tonbridge, 34.38), Mike King (TWH, 36.41), David Lee (Sevenoaks, 36.49), Craig Chapman (TWH, 37.18), Wayne Balmer (Paddock Wood, 37.20), Keith Mitchell (TWH, 37.27) and Alexander Lindfield (Maidstone Harriers, 37.35). Daniel Grimwood (Paddock Wood, 39.59) was the 43rd athlete to finish inside 40 minutes while Tunbridge Wells Harriers were the Kent team champions. Higher age-group medal winners were M50 Christian Poulton (Cambridge Harriers, 36.39) and M60 Alan Newman (Paddock Wood, 41.43), while Martyn Rouse (M70 Veterans AC, 46.36) can look forward to next year when an over-70 category will be added to all Kent road race championships. Rouse did pick up a prize in the open race, however, along with M75 David Moorekite (Larkfield, 48.13) and M80 Ramon Saiz (Maidstone Harriers, 1hr07min59sec). Heslop (37.24) ran a season’s best for fifth in the UK W45 rankings, three minutes ahead of Georgina Bennett (W35, 40.44). Shauna Paice (Tonbridge, 41.11) and Emma Hollands (W40 Paddock Wood, 42.11) won championship minor medals and Becky Morrish (42.18) completed the winning Paddock Wood women’s team. The over-55 champion was Sally Musson (W60 Tonbridge, 43.29) and the leading W65 Sue James (Paddock Wood, 51.29). Thanet Roadrunners (196). M&M’s winners in the under13 boys’ section were Michael Uzozie (13.3sec) and Ben Lineker (13.6) at 100m but the 4x100m relay team of Finn Rodgers, Kieran Isaac, Lineker and Uzozie were a good second to Blackheath Harriers in 57.7. The best results in the under15 boys’ events came in the 2,000m race walk with a double victory for Jack Childs (11.06.2) and Reece Perkins (13.28.0). Ben Blake won the high jump (1.55m). Gypsy Nash (23.32) was a winner in the under-13 girls’ discus and second in the javelin (17.86). Summer Salter was runner-up in the shot (6.85) and B discus (12.49) and the leading track event was the 1,000m walk with seconds for Katie Stringer (6.03.6) and Annabel Young (6.26.6). For the under-15 girls there were double successes for Lauren Farley (4.89) and Zara Edeleanu (4.20) in the long jump and Farley (10.40) and Hollie Newman (8.93) in the shot. Farley (30.29) and Newman (18.83) were also runners-up in the javelin. In the 75m hurdles, Lucy Maunders (12.6) was second and Nika Najjar (12.8) won the B-string. In the relays, Kaliyah Young, Maunders, Farley and Edeleanu (54.6) were second in the 4x100m.

Rebel Runners Sam Brown and Jimi Hendrick ran back-toback marathons last weekend. At the Viking Coastal, they both finished in 4: 53.36. At the Reculver Coastal, Hendrick finished in 4:46.41 and Brown in 4:47.52. Sarah Palmer joined them at Reculver, with 4:46.40.

Medway Runners Phil Hodsdon and William Wakeman took part in the Edinburgh Marathon, the latter finishing his first marathon in 3: 36. Stephanie Wadsworth, Helen Motton, Kelly Payne, Andrea Jordan and Debbie Mantle (PB) took part in the Edinburgh Half-Marathon. Kent Masters League, Norman Park, Bromley. www. scvac.org.uk Charing 10k, Charing Primary School. www.nice-work.org. uk parkrun 5k, various venues. www.parkrun,org.uk Kent Schools Championships, Julie Rose Stadium, Ashford. www.ksaa. org.uk South of England U20/Senior Championships, Lee Valley Stadium. www.seaa.org.uk Medway 10k, Great Lines, Gillingham. www.nice-work. org.uk Maidstone River Run, Barker Road, Maidstone. www. runningandriding.co.uk Eltham Park 5, Eltham Park South. www.nerunningclub. co.uk Orpington 10k, High Elms Country Park. www. orprunners.com South of England U20/Senior Championships, Lee Valley Stadium. www.seaa.org.uk