Simkiss in pole position as Elite dominate Grand Prix opener

Chris McCarthy and Rich Simkiss with recent McCarkiss Elite Project additions Matt Adcock and Chris Jordan at Silverstone. Picture submitted

The race, the first of the East Midlands Grand Prix Series, was run in difficult conditions with strong winds on parts of the course and an intense hailstorm over the second lap which caused flooding to some parts.

McCarthy, Simkiss and fellow Elite Project runner Matt Adcock led the pursuit of Hermitage Harriers’ veteran Jason Williams who went through half-way in 16:30 and had opened up a 40m gap at the 6k mark.

Adcock led the initial attack but fell away, leaving McCarthy and Simkiss to battle a strong headwind and close the gap to five metres with a kilometre remaining.

Simkiss then produced a strong kick, clocking close to four-minute mile pace on the finishing straight to overhaul Williams and win the race in 33min 13sec.

Williams (33:19) held on to second, with McCarthy six seconds further back in third and Adcock (33:44) fourth.

The final member of the McCarkiss quartet, Chris Jordan, was tenth in 34:43.

Junior Jack Savage continued his good form to lead home a 14-strong Leamington C&AC contingent in 37:29 (41st).

He was closely followed by training partners Garrath Schule (47th in 37:46), Kieran Chahal (55th in 38:15) and Jonathon Brown (38:19).

Nick Tawney ran strongly to record exactly 40 minutes for 100th and second MV55, with Chris Hitchman (106th in 40:11) and Brian Miller (119th in 40:36) close behind.

Graham Garlick, coming back to fitness, was 141st in 41:25.

Susie Tawney was the first FV55 home in 43:30, with Jenny Jeeves third in the FV45 category in 45:00.

Other C&AC members to make the trip to Northamptonshire were Alex Montgomery (45:50), Roland Hancock (47:05), Duncan Loveday (48:32) and Rupe Chahal (49:42) who dipped under 50 minutes for the first time.

Dave Ramus was the first of Kenilworth Runners’ finishers, coming home 68th in 38:39.

He was followed by Peter Bryan who was 72nd in 38:44.

Next home was Chris Simkiss in 98th position in 39:48, with Dave Pettifer 162nd and first VM65 in 42:12.

Tom Dable (682nd in 53:39), Rod Goodwin (708th in a 54:09) and Pauline Dable, who was 831st and second LV65 in 57:02 completed the Kenilworth turnout.

A handful of Spa Striders also took part, with Paul Edwards (57th in 38:20), Chris McKeown (71st in 38:45) and Andrew Graham (74th in 38:49) all dipping below 40 minutes.

They were joined by fellow Striders Oliver Brown (126th in 40:43), Luca Tomaselli (128th in 41:03), Dave Lindsay (309th in 45:15) and Kevin Pantling (690th in 53:28).

There were 1,067 finishers.