HRRL Gosport Half Marathon

Gosport Half Marathon

Farnham Runners sent a strong team to the 30th staging of the popular Gosport Road Runners’ half marathon. The weather forecasters didn’t get it wrong when they forewarned of gales for the coast that day. Runners faced a strong headwind for the first three miles of each of the two laps but gained little benefit on the return. Leading runners predicted their times would be slowed by three minutes, yet remarkably eight club members gained personal best times.

Unperturbed by the wind, Sarah Hill triumphed for the ladies with her third win this series to stay top of the individual ladies table. “The second lady was only 30 seconds away at the half way point” she noticed, so she then pushed on to finish in 1 hour 20 minutes 26 seconds, two minutes ahead of her nearest rival.

Second Farnham lady, Susie Chan (1:35:43) and Shaun Marsden sportingly attempted to shield triathlete Charlotte Hanson (1:35:44) from the worst of the wind in her first half marathon. These three ladies clinched fourth in the competitive Hampshire Road League “A” Division One, keeping them fifth on aggregate. The fourth Farnham lady was Eloise Stradling in 1:41:16. Her result gave the ladies third team place in the race, in which four ladies count.

The men’s A team were delighted to go up to top of A Division Two, two points ahead of the next club Portsmouth Joggers. Men’s road captain Rob Gilchrist led in his troops, 44th of almost 1600 finishers and 10th M40, to post a new personal best by a minute, 1:20:35. Next Curtis Anderson improved by an amazing 8 minutes for 1:21:46. Stuart Taylor (1:25:35) and Stuart Haig (1:27:40) were delighted with new PBs and complete the A team.

The B squad of Jason East (1:28:56), Colin Addison (1:32:17), Shaun Marsden (1:35:44) and Neil Ambrose (PB 1:35:43) placed twelfth in B Division Two (fourth on aggregate).

Tim Cummins (1:37:46) led in the “C”s followed by John Phillips (1:37:32), Jeremy Skedge (1:39:20) and Steve Bailey (PB 1:40:21) for sixth slot in B Division Two to stay top on aggregate.

After Eloise Stradling, Jane Georghiou (1:43:48,1st F60) was next for the ladies B team with Lindsay Bamford (1:47:21, 5th F50) third. This team was second in B Division One, taking them up from ninth to sixth on aggregate.

In support were Greg Strutton (PB 1:44:15), Chris Beattie (1:53:27), Mary Denise Fitzgerald (PB 1:58:48) and Tina Harrison (1:59:23).

Other races

Just three days later Sarah Hill went on to finish second lady in the Police Sport UK/Fire service/ Prison Service cross-country in the West Midlands.