SAC Running Report 18/4/11

Having achieved the championship category for the London Marathon, after both running sub 75 minutes for a half marathon, Shrewsbury School masters, Ian Haworth and Pete Middleton, both comfortably beat the three hour barrier for the London event, with Ian, 156th out of the 36,000 plus field in 2/39/58, a personal best by 31 minutes and Pete 203rd in 2/42/19, a personal best by 18 minutes. The duo had previously comprehensively prepared for the event, by storming to 1st and 2nd places respectively around the tough terrain and conditions ofthe Milford 21 mile race on Cannock Chase in times of 2/19/24 and 2/19/41, and to 4th and 5th places respectively in the Stafford 20 Mile Road Race in 2/00/01 and 2/00/25. Four other Club runners completed the 26 mile course on Sunday, Ben Calder 4331st in 3/32/55, Steve France 5489th in 3/40/56, Dan Fleetwood 6483rd in 3/46/58 and Ashley Sutton 23164th and 6556th in the Womens’ category in 4/58/22.

Telford Athletic Club staged the Lilleshall 5 Mile Race, the opening event in the Sexarathon Road Race Series, with the majority of Shrewsbury AC entrants improving on their previous year’s times. Pete Middleton lead the squad home in 5th place in 27/16, with Kevin Francis 17th and 2nd Veteran over 45 in 29/26 and Ben Calder 29th and 4th Veteran over 35 in 30/41. Claire Burgoyne commenced her campaign to defend her Senior Womens’ title, continuing the trend of improvement by taking over two and a half minutes off her time for last year, finishing 31st and 1st Senior Woman in 30/57.
Other Lilleshall Results:
34 Paul Clark 34th in 31/12(2nd Vet over 50), 43 Chris Wakeman 31/51(5th Vet over 50), 50 Grant Lloyd 32/21, 105 Nick Jones 34/51.

On the fell running scene, the last of the Winter Fell Race Series took place with the staging of the Wrekin Fell Race, with Welsh International, Anna Bartlett, first Lady home in 20th place in 45/59 and first in the Lady over 40 category for the Series, while Chris Wakeman , until now an accomplished veteran on the road race scene, made a successful venture into fell running, achieving 37th place and 3rd veteran over 50 in 51/47