Racing in the Sun – Home and Away!
In Brighton conditions could not have been any better for the marathon and 10k on Sunday with glorious sunshine and a very light, cool breeze.
More than 13000 runners completed the marathon which starts at Preston park, goes into the city, out to Rottingdean before heading back to a spectacular seafront finish. Angela Kerr was running her seventh Brighton and incredible 45th marathon. She completed it a 4:28.02, third F65, comfortably within the current London’s Good for Age criteria.
Martin Kerr had been planning to run it to celebrate his 70th birthday but the pandemic interfered so today, at aged 72, he completed his fourth Brighton marathon in 6:15.16, ninth M70.
Earlier in the 10k Carol Austin competed in her first race for nearly three years due to a series of injuries and then Covid last month. More than 2600 finished the 10k with Carol happy to finish in 52:04 (622nd) and third W60 (from 46).
On Saturday, five AVRs took part in the Exeter Epic Trail 10k at Escot in perfect weather conditions. It was a tough hilly trail with 700 foot climb with more than 400 finishers. First AVR home was Matt Frost, third overall in 44.49 and first M30. After leading until the halfway point, Ellie Dominey also took third place in the women’s race and first F30 in 47:46.
Kelly Nickels and Cath Brenton ran together finishing 157th and 158th in 1:03.11. Heather Simmmons completed the AVR contingent in 1:05:29, 182nd.
Earlier in the week Matt Frost had also competed in the Run Exe 5k along the riverside in Exeter. It was the first race of the series and he finished 24th with an impressive personal best of 18:16.
Tim Sibley travelled to Turners Puddle for the Dorset Ooser marathon which attracted 159 competitiors. It winds its way through beautiful, rolling Dorset countryside in the Piddle Valley between Bere Regis and Dorchester. The lovely route meanders through fields, tracks, trails, woods and past crystal clear streams and shows off Dorset in spring at its best.
Given its undulating route and more than 2000 feet of elevation Tim finished in an impressive 4:21:49 coming in 31st.
Haydn Boehm completed the Exeter Sprint Duathlon at Escot on Sunday. It began with an early and rather chilly 5k run around the spectacular scenery of the estate followed by a 20k bike on the rural roads surrounding the estate, before a second 5k run leg. Haydn completed it in 1:32.51 coming ninth M40.
At Seaton parkrun on Saturday, Joel Seward was third finisher in 18:52 while Maxine Sweetman smashed her personal best completing it in 28:32. Eleanor Wood was third woman in 22:29 with a huge age-grade of 91.55%.
Picture: Ellie Dominey third woman at Escot
