Runners rule but Striders women show their strength in depth

The men took the top three positions, had seven of the top ten and 14 finishers inside the top 20, leading to a comfortable victory in the team competition.

The ladies had an excellent showing, with Nardia Poole finishing second and the team finishing just 20 points behind a strong contingent from Spa Striders.

Spa Striders were hosting the event this year and they chose to base it in Stoneleigh, with the constantly undulating course taking in a particularly tough off-road climb in the closing stages of the 5.75-mile course.

Using a mixture of trails and public footpaths across fields for around a quarter of the course meant that there were gates to negotiate that slowed the going.

The biggest factor that hampered many runners, however, was the weather which was sunny, hot and humid, with temperatures still in the high twenties even as the race began at 7pm.

With the field strung out after the first mile-and-a-half, the blue-shirted Pete Hawkins - the only runner not wearing club colours - comfortably led the race from a trio of Kenilworth Runners.

Fortunately for Kenilworth, his exuberant start got the better of him and he was eventually hauled in by three marauding green-vested runners.

It was Andrew Siggers who came home first in 32min 53sec, 22 seconds clear of Rich Simkiss, who was around the same distance ahead of an impressive Phil McCorquodale.

Hawkins held on to finish in fourth, with the Kenilworth quartet of Stuart Hopkins, Jim Sawle, Paddy Roddy and Martin Dorrill placed fifth to eighth.

Behind Spa Striders’ Rich Merrell it was the unfortunate Andrew Cockerill who was the first Stratford runner to finish.

Cockerill was in eighth place until he took a wrong turn before the final climb of the race, dropping two places, and then suffered badly with the heat, performing heroically despite being clearly disorientated.

The first lady to finish was Kate Wright of Stratford AC in 38:10, followed by Kenilworth Runners’ Nardia Poole, who ran excellently to finish second a minute later.

She was followed by Jennie Spillane of Spa Striders, who finished in 40:03.

For Kenilworth Runners, Jayne Mumford was second home in 43:03 and Ros Matthews was the club’s third lady finisher in 43:54.

In the team competitions, 23 men from each club scored in the men’s race, and eight in the ladies’.

Leading runners (Kenilworth Runners unless stated): 1, Andrew Siggers (32:53); 2, Richard Simkiss (33:15); 3, Phil McCorquodale (33:36); 4, Pete Hawkins (Spa Striders, 34:19); 5, Stuart Hopkins (35:01); 6, Jim Sawle (35:07); 7, Patrick Roddy (35:14); 8, Martin Dorrill (35:53); 9, Rich Merrell (Spa Striders, 36:18); 10, Andrew Cockerill (Stratford AC, 36:25); 11, Matthew Kingston-Lee (36:30); 12, Peter Bryan (36:42); 13, Henry Morrison (Stratford AC, 36:44); 14, Andrew Holbrook (37:17); 15, Roger Holmes (37:25); 16, Pete Matthews (37:50); 17, Richard Steel (37:53); 18, Dave Battersby (Stratford AC, 38:02); 19, John Husie (38:05); 20, Kate Wright (Stratford AC, 38:10); 21, Michael Warner (Stratford AC, 38:17); 22, Ben Linfield (38:29); 23, Keith Hawkes (Stratford AC 38:37); 24, Mick Williams (38:48); 25, Felix Langley (Spa Striders, 38:55); 26, Haydn Davies (Stratford AC, 39:03); 27, Nadia Poole (39:12); 28, Philip Fusi (39:22); 29, Sean Mitchell (39:28); 30, Stephen Page (39:36); 31, Dave Ramus (39:38); 32, Warren Bell (39:42); 33, Robert Ford (Stratford, 39:43); 34, Patrick Taylor (Stratford AC, 39:51); 35, Jon Mettyear (40:01); 36, Jennie Spillane (Spa Striders, 40:03); 37, Carolyn Wilkinson (Spa Striders 40:08); 38, Paul Edwards (Spa Striders, 40:14); 39, Kieran Tursner (Stratford AC, 40:17); 40, Mel Venables (Spa Striders, 40:45).

n Neville Chapman took advantage of a smaller-than-usual field to record his eighth Leamington parkrun win, clocking 18:32.

Leamington C&AC’s Simon Shepherd was second (19:24), while Kenilworth Runners’ Stephen Page (19:30) ran well to finish third just outside his course PB.

He came home ahead of team-mate Mick Williams, who ran a course-best 19:40 to finish fourth.

Jo Clare Pulsford (Rugby & Northampton AC) was fifth overall and the third lady in 19:48, with Leamington C&AC’s Monica Williamson seventh in 20:32.

Spa Striders’ Jennie Spillane was the third lady in 20:59.

Additional Spa Striders finishers: Paul Quinney (21:34, PB); Andy Roach (22:31); Julie Heaton (25:21); Gary Perkins (27:29); Helen Tudge (37:31).

Glyn Clarke was the sole Kenilworth Runner at Brueton parkrun 106, coming home 24th in 21:09.

Phil Fusi was the first Kenilworth Runner to finish at Coventry parkrun 127, coming home fifth in 18:40.

5, Phil Fusi (18:40); 21, Marcus Leek (20:01); 30, Mark Hall (21:16); 37, David Pettifer (21:43); 43, Martin Belcher (22:07); 65, Gary Dilnot (23:22); 86, Anton Raath (24:31).