It wasn’t all about London last weekend as we bring you a round-up from the endurance running scene around the UK
ADIDAS MANCHESTER MARATHON, April 27
Josh Griffiths came out on top of a close battle as this Northern marathon offered an alternative to the London event.
Along with Matt Sharp, Kevin Campbell and Seyfu Jamaal, the Swansea Harrier finished inside the 2:20 barrier with 2:16:56, a time some five minutes outside his 2022 personal best.
Second-placed Sharp was given 2:17:22 as third home Kevin Campbell massively improved his eight-year-old personal best to 2:18:03 and this follows a 48:37 ten-miler in the Tom Scott race in Motherwell.
Half-a-dozen runners had broken clear of the rest by the 10km mark, passed in 32:24 and this stayed the same through to the half-distance where Will Strangeway just showed in front.
Thereafter, Daniel Connelly began to fall back as Strangeway too lost contact by 30km.
This left Griffiths to narrowly lead Sharp, Campbell, and Jamaal though 30km in 97:33, before the final shoot out.
Tessa McCormick ran 2:33:45 in Valencia at the end of 2023 and here found 2:34:53 enough for a comfortable victory over Olivia Tsim, albeit by less than a minute at the line.
The pair had gone through 10km together in 36:19 before Tsim dropped back. McCormack then went on to go through the half-distance in 76:31, 22 seconds clear.
Third finisher Nia Griffith had lost contact before the 10km mark but held on well to finish in 2:36:46 and claim the W35 prize.
The mass start race was won by Jake Guest in 2:25:47 as Clare Frankland was top woman in 2:47:50
Overall (Elite): 1 J Griffiths (Swan) 2:16:56; 2 M Sharp (Ryde) 2:17:22; 3 K Campbell 2:17:38; 4 S Jamaal (Lon H) 2:18:03; 5 W Strangeway (Linc W) 2:20:07; 6 D Connolly (Mercia) 2:20:48
M40: 1 T Charles (Chorl) 2:28:07
M45: 1 A Wallace (St Cocas) 2:26:42
In Mass start
M50: 1 J O’Brien Ballymore) 2:40:38
M55: 1 M Lynas (Macc) 2:47:48
M60: 1 V McCaffery 2:57:45
M65: 1 R Whitelegg 2:57:08
Women (Elite): 1 T McCormack (Vale R) 2:34:53; 2 O Tsim (P’pridd) 2:35:43; 3 N Griffith (WSEH, W35) 2:36;46; 4 M Gibson (Ealing E, W40) 2:41:30; 5 L Hall (AFD) 2:44:00; 6 S Antell (Bide, W35) 2:44;32
W50: 1 A Granger (B&W) 2:59:45
In Mass start
W40: 1 J Hinton (Lon H) 2:52:08
W45: 1 K Kendall 2:53:25
W50: 1 A Donoghue (M’ton) 2:58:36
W65: 1 S Lockhart (Ips J) 3:40:11
BERKELEY 10km, Gloucestershire, April 27
English Schools steeplechase fourth placer Erin Musty won the women’s race in 36:35, as right at the…
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