Race wins flood in for Leamington C&AC

Runners had to contend with bog-like conditions for much of the Newbold Comyn course, with the under-11s and under-13s having first use of the saturated conditions.

Racing over one short lap, which included the notorious Beacon Hill, Leamington C&AC’s Will Eadon led home the under-11 boys in 10min 46sec.

Club-mate Cian McKeaney was second in 11:21, with Ben Hibberd from 365 third in 12:17.

Alex Ibbs claimed victory in the under-13 boys’ event, which took in a longer lap, finishing in 14:17.

Kieran Chahal was second, with Molly Gibbins finishing just three seconds behind her Leamington club-mate to claim the under-13 girls’ title.

The in-form Phil Gould (Kenilworth Runners) and Andrew Savery (Leamington C&AC) battled it out at the head of the field in the senior men’s race, run over three laps.

Eventually it was Savery who broke clear to record victory in 37:19, with Gould 18 seconds further back and a big gap to the host club’s Callum Hanlon (42:07) in third.

Running two laps of the course, Monica Williamson was the first female home in 29:04.

Competing in the under-17 event, teenager Megan McDonald (32:03) was her nearest female challenger, with Angela Chahal (35:44) the next senior lady home.

Spa Striders’ only two female representatives, Caroline Dittum and Fiona Ferguson found conditions tough, coming home in 37:02 and 38:13, respectively.

Under-15 boy Dean Mawby was the first two-lap finisher in 28:06.

Meanwhile, Kenilworth Runners’ Rich Simkiss took victory in the fifth and final Threshold Winter Series 10k race at Ilmington, while his club team-mate Paul Andrew took third position and with it the overall series first prize.

The race was held in mostly cold and misty conditions - the sun only appearing when first V65 finisher Pauline Dable crossed the line in 60:18.

At the front of the race, Simkiss took the lead halfway up the climb of Larkstone Hill and from there on was not troubled, coming home in an impressive 36:05.

Andrew, celebrating his birthday with third position and a time of 36:58, was the deserved recipient of a night’s stay in the hotel of his choosing for winning the overall series.

He finished in the top three of all five races.

Spa Striders’ Will Johnson, who a day earlier took part in the Leamington Club Championships, took fourth place in 38:53.

He was followed by fellow Striders Hartwig Busch (43:45), Greg Harris (45:29) and Helen Wilkinson whose 47:49 was good enough for the third ladies’ prize.

The other Kenilworth Runner to finish was Tom Dable, who finished in a respectable 53:36.

There were 156 finishers and the 54 who took part in all five races won a hoody for their efforts.

Spa Striders’ Jennie Spillane took first place in the ladies-only 7k which formed part of the Stourbridge Stagger.

Spillane finished more than two minutes clear of the second-placed finisher, Kenilworth’s Marie Voice.