Athletics

Anthony Brown was first home for Ashford & District Road Running Club in the North Downs Run on Sunday. He completed the mixed terrain trail race over 30 kilometres in an excellent time of 2hr 46min 38sec, finishing 122nd. Mark Attenborough, back to his best after injury problems, was second home for the club, finishing 185th in 2:58.34. Clubmate Neil Buckley completed the race in a time of 3:17.51. Ashford & District RR’s Lisa Gordon competed in her first 10k event, the Race for Life in Hackney. In hot conditions on Saturday, she recorded 57.34. Meanwhile, the club had several runners taking part in the Hamstreet 10k on Sunday. The challenging course, mainly off-road, comprised two circuits of Hamstreet Woods. First back for the club, continuing his impressive running this year, was Dean Bracken. He finished sixth in 40.56. Ingvild Firth (female, vet40) was first in her age category in an excellent time of 51.02, closely followed by Rachel Grout – the club’s first senior lady – in 51.18. Helen Weeden, female vet45, finished in 57.47 and second in her age category. Steve Hickman clocked 57.48, and was fifth in his age category, male vet-55. The main race was won, in a time of 38.37, by unattached Darren Tickner, followed by Ian Peachey (39.25), another unattached athlete, and Martin King, of South Kent Harriers, who clocked 39.32. Invicta East Kent’s Vicky Talbot-Rosner, a vet-55, was the quickest female, crossing the line in 49.49.

Ashford AC’s Candy Hawkins took first place in the vet-40 category 10,000m at the Kent Championships at Dartford in 45min 38.7sec The following weekend in the Southern Athletics League meeting at Eltham, she helped Ashford AC to second overall with three season’s-best times. She came third in the 800m in 2.44.94, repeating that position in the 3,000m, clocking 12.12.78. She then came second in the 2,000m steeplechase in 9.13.56 . The next day (Sunday, June 21) Hawkins ran the Podplus 3 lakes 5k and was the third lady home in 21.53, finishing 13th place overall from a field of 86 runners.