Rock musician Peter Giles runs 22:29 in the M80 age group as Sarah Roberts clocks W75 British best of 22:31
BRITISH MASTERS 5km Championships, Battersea, London, December 1
In wet and breezy conditions, rock musician Peter Giles broke Steve Charlton’s 17-year-old UK M80 best of 23:41 with a time of 22:29. His chip time was 22:28.
The world masters 5000m, cross-country and 10km champion actually beat all the M75 competitors too and went faster than the M80 track record of Charlton’s 22:44.55.
Giles finished just ahead of another multiple world champion, Sarah Roberts, who set a W75 British best of 22:31 with a chip time of 22:29.
That time took over a minute off of Angela Copson’s 23:47 time from this race last year but it was clear she was targeting a much faster time as she ran a 21:24 parkrun in November and her last two 10km races have been 44:33 and 44:39, which is a faster pace than she achieved here.
Her first kilometre was close to four minutes and she was initially well ahead of Giles.
She remarkably beat all the M75 men despite her slowing second half and would have won the W70 event and won a medal in the W65s.
A day after winning the Kent masters cross-country title, Clare Elms continued her unbeaten age group record this year as she held back for 4km but blasted the last kilometre to win the W60 title by two minutes in 18:57.
That time would have earned medals in the W40, W45, W50 and W55 age groups.
The overall women’s race saw W40 Gabriel Carnwath (17:18) lead home W35 Jenny Bannerman (17:25).
British Masters 5km (Cliff Hide)
The pick of the men’s performances in terms of quality was the M60 race, where world champion Andrew Leach won in 16:38 to go equal third all-time, with world 800m and 1500m champion Andrew Ridley second in 16:56.
Such was the quality, former world masters 5000m champion Ben Reynolds, former masters international cross country winner Steve Watmough and former Commonwealth Games marathoner fourth-placer David Taylor were out of the medals and the first 10 on this age group would have made the top five in the younger M55 age group.
Other quality winners who have won big international track events this year were M45 Kojo Kyereme and M55 Mark Symes.
Kyereme, who hits the M50s this month, won gold in 15:32 while Symes won in 16:25.
Leeds’ Adam Baker, who ran 14:44 in November’s Podium 5km, was the overall men’s winner in 15:00 and took M35 gold.
Adam Baker (Cliff Hide)
M35: 1 A Baker 15:00; 2 M Revier 15:05; 3 C Loudon 15:22; 4…
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