HRRL Victory 5

HRRL Victory 5

Farnham Runners’ men’s “A” team are getting more confident of promotion back to Division One of the Hampshire Road Race League after their performance at the Victory Five. “There’s now clear daylight between us and Portsmouth Joggers” announced a jubilant road captain, Rob Gilchrist, as the local club crept up another point above their rivals for the top spot in Division Two. The third team are seven points behind but it’s still early days as the event was just fifth of the twelve race series.

The lady’s squad are having their best season since 2008, when the league was less competitive. They stay safe in the top flight taking sixth on the day but staying fifth on aggregate out of the ten clubs in Division One.

Runners from a wide area target this race as a fast flat course. However, strong winds predicted to be over 25mph were a blow to hopes for personal bests. It was remarkable then, that out of 21 Farnham Runners, ten surpassed their previous time for the distance.

The Farnham men’s “A” squad were all inside 30 minutes. Curtis Anderson led them in with an impressive personal best of twenty eight minutes 22 seconds for 37th place overall out of 650 finishers. Not far back was Rob Gilchrist in a PB 28:40, 4th M40 in this competitive race. Richard Lovejoy (PB 29:16) and Ian Carley (29:45, 5th M45) completed the “A” score for the top ranking in Division Two.

Stuart Morel headed the B team in 30:01 (6th M45), followed by James Clarke (30:23), Mike Walberton (31:31, 2nd M55) and Stuart Haig (PB 31:34). They came fifth in B Division One on the day (4th on aggregate). Steve Payne (42:15) was delighted to qualify for the C team that was headed by Tim Cummins (PB 32:49), along with Neil Ambrose (PB 33:00) and John Phillips (PB 34:20). They came seventh but still lie top of B Division Two on aggregate.

Sarah Hill was fifth lady and first F40 with a splendid time of 29:16, third Farnham Runner home in her first 5 mile race. This puts her joint fourth on the UK F40 ranking table for this distance for 2015 and tenth on the F40 Run Britain National ladder, which takes into account all recent races.

Next, Eloise Stradling improved again for 36:22 with Jane Georghiou final A scorer in 36:56 (1st F60). Tara Hunt (debut 40:01), Mary Denise Fitzgerald (PB 42:27) and Tina Harrison (PB 42:31) comprised the B team for ninth in B Division One (6th on agg). Vicki Clarke (45:31), Douglas Blyth (47:24, 6th M70), Jenni Rayner (debut 49:13) supported the teams.

Other races

Tim Cummins won the 2014-15 Men’s Points league at the Alice Holt parkrun, while Douglas Blyth was one of three volunteers of the year.

Sean Smith clocked a fine 3:05:02 for 11th place of 258 in the Lanzarote International Marathon.