Beth Potter back in running action with 31:18 win at Pulford 10km – AW

Triathlon star returns to her roots with victory over Verity Ockenden, as Logan Rees takes men’s race in our weekly road racing review

PULFORD 10km, Cheshire, March 23

Fife AC’s Logan Rees headed Falkirk’s Scott Stirling to win overall in 28:38 and claim the £500 first prize over what is claimed to be one of the fastest routes in the UK.

Rees, the Scottish cross-country champion, was just outside his personal best, a fate that also fell for Stirling, the 2024 Inter-Counties bronze medallist.

Beth Potter, the 2024 Olympic triathlon bronze medallist, took the women’s race and top prize money in 31:18, as runner-up Verity Ockenden ran 31:35.

For Potter, her Paris Olympics medal came eight years after a run out in the Rio Olympics in the 10,000m, but her international career began long before that and featured a 10th-place finish in the 3000m at the 2007 World Youth Championships in Ostrava.

Potter’s 31:18 was comfortably a personal best and, according to The Power of 10, is her first outing in a mainstream running event for four years.

Ockenden, who was second in the 2024 UK 5000m championship and who won here last year, was also well inside her previous best.

Overall: 1 L Rees (Fife) 28:38; 2 S Stirling (Falk) 28:44; 3 A Manthorpe (Hallam) 28:58; 4 A Hayes (Hallam) 29:24; 5 E Sjerps (NED) 29:26; 6 A Fife (Belg) 29:31; 7 D Evans (SB) 29:32; 8 C Johnson (Gate) 29:33; 9 J O’Connell (AFD) 29:37; 10 J Gray (C&C) 29:38; 11 F Ross-Davie (Gars) 29:41; 12 N Martin (Sale) 29:41; 13 J O’Farrell (Liv) 29:46; 14 F McGrath (B&W) 29:51; 15 T Ter Haar (NED) 29:59

M40: 1 K Darcy (Salf) 31:44

M50: 1 M Green (Merr’ydd) 33:52

M65: 1 A Clark (Osw) 40:02

M80: 1 E Davies ((Rhedyr) 50:37

Women: 1 B Potter (VP Glas) 31:18; 2 V Ockenden ((Swan) 31:35; 3 P Anderson (Herne H) 32;17; 4 J Nesbitt (P’pridd) 32:19; 5 A Quirk (Brack) 32:28; 6 H Irwin (C&C) 32:31; 7 A Bell (P&B) 32:48; 8 E Haggard-Kearney (Warriors) 32:52; 9 M Gadsby (Norw) 33:26; 10 B Gunn (Bir) 33:30; 11 C Dannatt (Camb’ly) 33:34; 12 S Dufour-Jackson (Vale R) 33:53; 13 E Davies (Bord) 34:06; 14 S Samuels (Sale, W45) 34:14; 15 J Walsh (Leeds) 34:30

W50: 1 L Tait-Harris (W&B) 39:50

W55: 1 S Avery (Chesh Dr) 39:57

READING HALF MARATHON, Berkshire, March 23

Swedish national David Nilsson, whose best is 61:40 from 2020, took this race in 64:59 but recent outings for this event are well below those of previous years.

In second place, Windsor’s Blake Moore, the 2024 England 5000m runner-up, ran 65:07 in his debut over the distance.

Overall: 1 D Nilsson (SWE) 64:59; 2 B Moore (WSEH) 65:07; 3 J Davies (Read) 65:10; 4 C Davis 66:12; 5 G Grassley (Belg) 68:08; 6 P Matthews (M45) 68:14; 7 H Abrha ((Read) 68:28; 8 N Kevern (Brack) 68:37; 9 G Suthon (Read) 68:37; 10 A Miell-Ingram (Radley) 68:52; 11 C Newnham (Ryde) 69:07; 12 T Holliday (VP&TH) 69:08

M40: 1 L Jolly (Read) 70:06

M50: 1 M Thomas 74:07; 2 C Compton (Kent) 74:34; 3 M Couldwell (Charn) 74:44; 4 A Rennie (Read) 75:56

M65: 1 S Sincock (Oke) 88:25; 2 M Bower 89:50

Women: 1 K Eastlea-Morris (AFD) 74:15; 2 S Weddell (St Alb) 75:19; 3 A Braham (Ealing E, W45) 76:02; 4 J Robertson (Newb) 77:41; 5 E Warren (Read J) 77:43; 6 E Apsley (THH) 78:22; 7 N Lee (Read) 80:06; 8 J Hinton (Lon H, W40) 80:58

W50: 1 C Quinn (Newb) 89:24; 2 A Emmerson 91:19

W55: 1 C Hoskins (Read RR) 92;29

W60: 1 D Steer (St Alb) 1:43:04

ASHBY 20, Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Leicestershire, March 23

Overall: 1 D Narborough (Mickle) 1:52:22; 2 S Marks (R&N) 1:53:39; 3 T Shaw (Worksop) 1:54:18

M50: 1 H Davies 1:58:40

Women: 1 E Pick (Peel) 2:03:18; 2 A Bourne (R&N) 2:06:29; 3 A Wright (Sale) 2:08:59

W60: 1 K Wright (Strat) 2:18:41

BANBURY 15, Oxfordshire, March 23

Overall: 1 M Lock (Wit) 84:53; 2 J Bolton (W’stock, M50) 86:31

Women: 1 R Weston (Banb) 99:04

BERKLEY 20 & HALF FISSION, Gloucestershire, March 23

Overall (20M): 1 S Juson (Croft A) 1:49:28; 2 T Evetts (W Tempo) 1:50:54; 3 N Pegg (Stroud) 1:55:10

M50: 1 J Jones (Llis) 1:58:28

Women: 1 N Frith (Chelt) 2:13:12

W45: 1 D Wright 2:20:59

W55: 1 T Hill (Stroud) 2:55:47

Overall (13.1M): 1 A Grigg (B&W) 72:19

M40: 1 R Matthews (P Bryn) 72:22

Women: 1 C Merwood (Cdf) 81:10

BRENTWOOD HALF-MARATHON, Essex, March 23

After two wins over the distance late last year, Adam Hickey continued his foray into half-marathons with another victory, this time in 65:33.

Overall: 1 A Hickey (S’end) 65:33; 2 O Adedeji (NEB) 68:51; 3 S Strange (Ton) 69:32

M50: 1 B Glasgow (orion) 77:04

M55: 1 R Thorpe (B Stort) 79:29

M60: 1 N Rankin (B’fleet) 86:08

Women: 1 L Reed (Hav’g, W40) 78:18; 2 K O’Neill (Hav’g) 78:54; 3 K Kite (Lon H, W35) 80:22

W50: 1 C Jennings (TRA) 88:50

W60: 1 L Butler (B’fleet) 1:51:34

BTR LIVERPOOL HALF-MARATHON & 10, Merseyside, March 23

Overall (13.1M): 1 I Lawton (Prime Tri, M40) 68:42; 2 A Clarke (Herne H) 69:30; 3 J Boden (Wall’sy) 70:25

M50: 1 D Wilkinson (S’port W) 78:04; 2 P Reilly (Marsh L) 78:21

M60: 1 R McGrath (S’port W) 80:12

Women: 1 L Fairclough (St Hel S) 78:22; 2 I Jones 78:45; 3 K Brown (Lon H) 79:19

W50: 1 L Horrell (Vegan) 94:29

Overall (10M): 1 P Edwards (Mikkeller) 55:24

Women: 1 E Hunter (BAD Tri) 67:27

EASTLEIGH 10km, Hampshire, March 23

Overall: 1 J Copeland (SC Vets, M40) 30:41; 2 A Lennan (Soton) 30:47; 3 D Studley (B&W) 31:01; 4 P Hart (Soton) 31:22; 5 S Tyas (Belg) 31:30; 6 J O’Hara (Soton) 31:53

M40: 1 A Greenleaf (Win) 32:08

M50: 1 W Green (Serp) 33:08

M55: 1 T Booth (G&G) 35:42

Women: 1 S Winstone (Soton, W354) 35:12

W40: 1 E Willmers (Win RC) 36:32

W45: 1 K Mardle (End Hub) 37:40

HILLINGDON 20, inc Herts Champion ship, Ruislip, Middlesex, March 23

Jack Millar, who was fifth in the Inter-Counties cross-country two weeks earlier, won overall in 1:47:00, but the Hertfordshire championship went to 10th-placed Oliver Hill.

It is highly unusual for an over-55 woman to win a race but that was the case here as Karima Harris ran to a 2:06:22 clocking, a time that is more than nine minutes better that the previously listed British W55 all-time best according to the Power of 10 website.

The London Marathon now beckons for the Highgate runner and a British best is on the cards and Harris said: “I tried 3:55 pace per kilometre here and it was okay and Hillingdon is not flat.”

In second spot, Catherine O’Connor took the county title.

Overall: 1 J Millar (B&W) 1:47:00; 2 S Gebreselassie (Belg) 1:48:57; 3 C Sandison (HW) 1:48:58; 4 T Payne (S Lon) 1:49:11; 5 M Parker (Hales) 1:49;12; 6 J Brockman (THH) 1:49:30; 7 S Renfer (High) 1:51:54; 8 J Poole (Serp, M40) 1:51:54; 9 C Haywood (High) 1:52:07; 10 O Hill (Wat J) 1:53;46

M40: 2 J Eves (Bed C) 1:56:08

M50: 1 K Sambridge (Ware) 1:59:31

M60: 1 N Rackham (Metros) 2:06:22

Women: 1 K Harris (High, W55) 2:06:14; 2 C O’Connor (St Alb) 2:14:32

W40:  A Gabb (Dac) 2:17;15

W50: 1 T Beloou (Best A) 2:26;48

W60: 1 H Bolt (Datch) 2:46:16

KEITH HALL MEMORIAL 10km, Thorney, Cambridgeshire, March 23

Overall: 1 D Rock (Felix, M40) 31:55

M60: 1 M Cann 36:09

Women: 1 E Leggate (C&C, W45) 34:44; 2 G Steel (Charn, W35) 35:25

SHEFFIELD MUTUAL HALF-MARATHON, Yorkshire, March 23

Overall: 1 T Power (Hallam) 68:22; 2 E Smales (Roth) 69:05; 3 S Flannagan (Leeds) 70:06

M40: 1 T Bailey (Hallam) 72:57

M50: 1 S Pope (Totle) 79:46

Women: 1 C Frankland (W End) 77:52; 2 L Smith (Hallam) 78:52

W50: 1 C Jackson 86:32

STAFFORD HALF-MARATHON, March 23

Overall: 1 J Bnnett (Bir) 70:13; 2A Miles (Vale R) 70:31; 3 C Gidlow (Stoke) 70:43

Women: 1 C Hawkins (Stoke) 84:24

WILMSLOW HALF-MARATHON, Cheshire, March 23

Kenyan Robert Mwei, who ran 60:21 six years ago, got the better of Jonny Mellor after a 62:35 clocking as the Liverpool Harrier ran 63:10.

Mellor had run 2:11:22 in November’s New York Marathon and then 28:15 10km in Holland in February.

In third, John Gilbert proved himself the one to beat in the veteran ranks with a 65:21 clocking, which was just three second shy of his lifetime best set back in 20:18.

It was another Kenyan, Sharon Kimchumba who won the women’s section with a 70:50 clocking two minutes clear of Birchfield Harriers Lily Partridge, who had run a 70:29 in Barcelona one month earlier, which followed a 2:30:55 marathon in New York.

Overall: 1 R Mwei (KEN) 62:35; 2 J Mellor (Liv) 63:10; 3 J Gilbert (Kent, M40) 65:21; 4 G Cunliffe (R’dle) 66:28; 5 J Sagar (Leeds) 66:34; 6 A Davis (Maldwyn, M45) 66:51; 7 J Carnelly (K&C) 66:55; 8 M Campion (B&W) 66:56; 9 J Hall (Leeds) 67:03; 10 P Robertson (Sale) 67:57; 11 G Beardmore (Sale) 68:00; 12 J Martin (Hallam) 68:10; 13 J Guest (Stoke) 68:12; 14 A Doyle (Vale R) 68:13; 15 F Davies (Heaton) 68:13

M45: 2 D Hawley (L Eaton) 71:38

M50: 1 R Keal (Beest) 70:10

M55: 1 A Porter (B’hall) 77:28

M60: G Davies (Hoad H) 86:24

Women: 1 S Kimchumba (KEN) 70:50; 2 L Partridge (Bir) 72:56; 3 H Townsend (Leeds) 73:22; 4 N Mithell (BRAT) &4:07; 5 E Taylor (Stoke, W35) 78:55; 6 F Hughes (Wirral, W40) 80:06

W40: 2 A Hollingworth (Newc St) 81:20

W50: 1 J Johnston 88:53; 2 L Dixon (Newc St) 89:27; 3 J Bentley (Velo) 89:56

W55: 1 C Aryeetey 94:09; 2 S Taylor (Trenth) 94:13

W65: 1 J Moore (Wig) 1:51:53

W70: 1 H Todd (Stock) 1:59:23

WOLVERHAMPTON 10km, West Midlands, March 23

Birchfield’s Omah Ahmed won overall by well over two minutes in 29:23.

Overall: 1 O Ahmed (Bir) 29:23; 2 R Carpenter (Tip) 31:51

Women: 1 L Callaghan (Trenth, W50) 40:00

WYMONDHAM 20, Norfolk, March 23

Overall: 1 D Williamson (Col H) 1L47:40; 2 C Bowen-Jones (NEB) 1:52:01; 3 K Bowling (Col H) 1:52:25; 4 B Shearer (Camb H, M45) 1:52;36; 5 M Bath (Norw RR) 1:53:10; 6 M Westley (Harl) 1:56:59

M50: 1 S Mann (Norw) 2:04:25

Women: 1 E Grubb (Norw, W40) 2:10:57; 2 K Murrell (Norw RR, W40) 2:12:56

W45: 1 C Cummings (Norw) 2:17:19

WELSH ROAD RELAYS, Pembrey Country Park, Llanelli, Carmarthenshire, March 22

Dewi Griffiths anchored Swansea to another Welsh title with the fastest lap but, by the time of his 15:53 clocking for the 4.54km trip, his club were already minutes clear.

With each stage being run over two laps, Swansea eventually finished more than four minutes clear of rivals Cardiff.

A Swansea man led the oping stage as well but it was Jac Hopkins from the B team before Jonathan Butler took the A Team narrowly ahead mid-race.

Swansea made it a double as their women then won but it was closer as Parc Bryn Bach held them to 95 seconds and it was Lauren Cooper who gave her club the lead on the opener with a fastest time of 18:59.

However, her Parc Bryn were unable to hold on to the early advantage as Kate Roberts took Swansea ahead mid-race.

Swansea also took the Masters M35 title after their Marc Hobbs was faster than all but Griffiths with a 16:08 split on the opening stage, a time that was then topped by James Thie’s 16:04 on the second stage for M45 winner Pontypridd.

Talking about the men’s race, Swansea supremo George Edwards said: There was nobody to beat.”

Normally this event would also feature the junior age groups but Welsh athletics said: “It has become necessary to split the events due to the numbers competing in the senior race, where it now requires an additional race in the programme,” so the junior races will now take place in the autumn.

Men (4×5.4km): 1 Swansea 66:10 (M Verran 17:27, J Butler 16:36, D Jones 16:14, D Griffiths 15:53); 2 Cardiff 70:36 (H Evans 17:39, M Ward 16:29, E Esterban-Prothero 17:51, B Alainzay18:37); 3 Neath 71:40 (S Williams 17:45, J Perry 17:43, S Williams 17:58, T Loynes 18:14); 4 Swansea B 72:32; 5 Les Croupiers 72:50; 6 Swansea C 74:32

Fastest: D Griffiths 15:53; D Jones 16:14; Ward 16:29

M35 (3×5.4km): 1 Swansea 49:04 (M Hobbs 16:08, M Harvey 16:29, C Jones 16:27); 2 Swansea B 49:55; 3 Neath 53:25

Fastest: Hobbs 16:08; D Newton (Swan B) 16:23; R Everett (A’dare) 16:26

M45 (3×5.4km): 1 Pontypridd 49:34 (J Vanstone 16:55, J Thie 16:04, A Howe 16:35); Neath 54:12; Swansea 54:50

Fastest: Thie 16:04;

M55 (3×5.4km): 1 Les Croupiers 55:53 (A Mason 18:02, C Granger 18:47, A Blair 19:04); 2 P Bryn 56:22; 3 TROTS 62:25

Fastest: L A’Hearne (P Bryn) 16:45; Mason 18:02; P Lloyd (3M) 18:24

M65 (3×5.4km): 1 3M 73:45

Fastest: D Hardie (3M) 21:06

Women (4×5.4km): 1 Swansea 78:14 (M Gold 19:17, K Roberts 19:43, S Howells 19:55, G Tutton 19:49); 2 P Brun Bach 80:19 (L Cooper 18:59, E Clesielska 20:29, L Stockley 20:29, E Mattey 20:22); 3 Les Croupiers 82:24 (L Flynn 19:53, A Beyon-Thomas 19:49, R Young 21:22, A Griffiths 20:52); 4 Swansea B 83:59, 5 Swansea C 90:03; 6 P Bryn B 89:52

Fastest: Cooper 18:59; M Williams (Swan B) 19:06; Gold 19:17

W35 (3×5.4km): 1 Swansea 54:28 (J Callan 19:03, M Kowal 18:02, C Edwards 17:23); Les Croupiers 55:39; 3 Aberdare 59:07

Fastest: Edwards 17:23; L Flynn (Les C)/A Benyon-Thomas (Les C) 17:52

W45 (3×5.4km): 1 Les Croupiers 62:31 (C Goddard 21:00, M Amblin 23:43, L Morgan 17:48; Swansea 62:46; 3 Bridgend 64:09

Fastest: Morgan 17:48; G Dando (B’end) 19:53; J Hartley-Green (Swan) 20:23

W55 (3×5.4km): 1 TROTS 65:05 (M Anthony 21:30, M Holliday 22:42, L Gayer 20:53); 2 Swansea 67:51; 3 Les C 76:24

Fastest: Hayer 20:53; Anthony 21:30; A Delaney (Swan) 21:39

W65 (3×5.4km): 1 TROTS 86:08

Fastest: M Colbourne (TROTS) 27:18

WESTON PROM RUN 5, Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, March 20

Women’s race winner Charlotte Taylor improved her personal best to 26:43 with a repeat win along the Weston Promenade.

Overall: J Williamson (S’burn) 25:18

M50: 1 K Summers (Weston) 28:13; 2 S Wood (Cleve) 28:18

M70: 1 J Malone (Nailsea) 36:20

Women: 1 C Taylor (B&W) 26:43

W60: 1 S Capstick (R Forever) 37:25

CHICHESTER CORPORATE CHALLENGE West Sussex, March 19

Overall (4.5km): 1 C Walker-Powell (Solent End) 13:06; 2 P Navesey (Solent End) 1;16; 3 T Beasley (Solent Enf) 13:25

Women: 1 M Smithers (Chich R, U17) 14:52; 2 R Laurie (Chich R) 14:54; 3 C Jones 15:46

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