Runners warm up for the club’s big birthday bash

THE penultimate Couch to 5K event before the third birthday bash was attended by an average number - despite the early morning downpour which abated a couple of hours before the start.

There were just three pairs taking part in the 1.5K distance; two eleven-year-olds, Grace Bond and Imogen Phillips who were side-by-side throughout to a joint finish of 8.50.

Keira (11) and Jamie Carney reduced their joint time to 15.05 and a PB of 10 seconds; with a 13.41 finish for Becky Hinton and Sophie (4).

Four-year-old twins, Oliver and Jessica Grimes along with mother, Gina trailed along to a finish spread around 18.40, over the 2.2K route and a couple of minutes from their record.

Runnerws in the 5K were led by John Green who soon pulled ahead and increased the gap slightly on each lap, finishing three-dozen seconds ahead of Dan Knowles who tried his best to make up the deficit. His effort wasn’t totally in vain as he reduced his last week’s PB by four seconds; however, the former was two-score away from his, in an even 22 minutes.

Dave Hinton was more than happy to follow in their wake for the most-part, but he seemed to pay the price for his early surge, eventually overtaken to end up 16 seconds adrift of James Lockett’s 23.49.

Dan Frewer (14) returned for a slower 24.18 than his usual standard, with Paul Goldstraw passing several along the way to finish three seconds behind to consolidate his previous, event time.

V55, Chris Hinton trailed v60, Dave Edge before pulling ahead to gain an 18-second lead at the line in 24.36; the latter chipping a dozen off his previous time as he edges near his long standing best.

Mid-week training night and event partners, Charlotte Statham and John Lagan, pulled away from early follower, Suzie Noble, to cross the line almost 80 seconds ahead in an even 25.00 minutes; the pair almost 20 from their best with their follower half that.

There was a reduction of over 40 seconds for Paul Cope to 26.50; whereas, Karl Birch has begun to assert himself in the full distance once again to clock a 27.33 time; with v70, Bill Mould unable to match his previous week’s best, 40 off pace in 28.05; with Thomas Turner (16) a further two dozen adrift and a handful ahead of an inaugural event finish for Michael Debelan.

Vivien Ross’ finish of 28.36 reduced the gap between her and partner Richard Warrilow to two-dozen seconds on this occasion; gaining a PB of 34 seconds and the latter seven off his; with Jo Phillips a further 66 behind and 12-year-old James Cope another 16.

Sarah Garde’s crossed the line almost 50 seconds from her previous week’s record in 32.49; while Dawn Brown returned to the full distance with a slower time and 44 in arrears with Lisa Soutart alongside.

Karen Avery’s off-beat 35.16 could be attributed to a Killer 10K trial run the previous Thursday; with Heather Lyons two minutes behind but reducing her last event and inaugural time by over a minute; while v60, Suzanne Mellor followed a score later, and a dozen or so from her fourmonth-old last event time in 37.30.

Claire Williamson dropped down to the 3.6K distance and led the bunch with a PB of 15 seconds in 20.34; followed halfa-minute later by Ian Frewer who returned after three-weeks’ absence.

Alex Poulton returned to this event to gain a PB of 20 seconds in 21.30, and 100 ahead of Lydia Alcock who was over a minute slower than her last event record.

Two twelve-year-olds, Joshua Woodcock and Lewis Warrilow, entered their first event and finished almost alongside each other in 23.36; with Isaac Spry (12) upping his distance and finishing 80 seconds behind.

V50, Sheila Alcock improved her four-week-old last time by over 40 seconds to 27.04, but a good two minutes from her best; with Wendy Waddell 30 from hers in 31.10.

Harry Durber (16) returned to the 2.2K distance a minute from his best in 9.57, slightly more than that ahead of Edward Dodd (10) who also returned after an absence but only 10 from his record.

Lucas Rowley (9) chipped halfa-dozen from his last event’s record in 11.30, whereas Scarlett Bestwick was only 10 behind on her return after a few months absence, and just a dozen from her best.

Noah Phillips (7) was 40 from his long-term PB and three dozen ahead of Joseph Locket’s improvement, with three sevenyear-olds following;

Luke Mcmullen and Laurie Hinton crossed the line together in 12.53 after pulling ahead of Joshua Eames by 30 seconds.

Two six-year-olds, Finley Gee and William Dodd were escorted to the cut off point, where they went on to finish in 13.54 and 14.22, with Harry Cope (6) just two seconds behind; all recording slower times.

Dan Bartram improved her last week’s time by over a minute in 15.26, as she heads back to her best.

Connie Statham (7) and Jack Grimes (7) paced around together to finish seven seconds apart from 15.26; with Toby Poulton (10) and father, Lee a couple of seconds behind and 30 from their record.