Uttoxeter Half & 10k & the Birmingham 10k

Club’s women lead the way!!!
The early marathon season is done and dusted but the Burton and District Summer Road Running League carries on with the second race in the series, the Uttoxeter Half Marathon, taking place on Sunday. In what is recognised as one of the most challenging road races in the region South Derbyshire Road Runners had an excellent turn-out of 15 runners on the start line. It was the Club’s women who were to the fore with the team of Kelly Knight (1:36:42), Lisa Wright (1:46:33), Becky Atkins (1:48:04) and Tracey Glover (1:54:38) securing an excellent 2^nd place in the women’s team race. Good support was provided by Hannah Wintrip who finished alongside Tony Richards in identical times of 02:05:25.
With many of the Club’s men recovering from spring marathons it was left to Club Captain Andy Hawtin to lead by example by scorching round in 01:25:02 for an excellent 10^th place finish overall. Christian Glover, who is experiencing a real running purple patch at present, stopped the clock in 01:27:13 for 24^th place. Andy Orme, who gives everything for the vest, ran well for 01:33:57 with ironman bound triathlete Dave Eyre showing his training is having a positive impact recording 01:34:14, in what was probably his best performance for years. The versatile Chris Gunstone, in a week he competed with distinction in the 800m at an open track meeting, ran well here for 01:34:34 with Tom Eyre recording 01:36:38 an identical time to his effort in last year’s race. Phil Daws, returning after injury, learnt all about this most challenging of races recording a respectable 01:39:09. The consistent Paul Glover ran well for 1:46:39 with James Cobb giving everything to complete the Club’s finishers in the men’s race in 02:09:00
Uttoxeter Road Runners now organise a festival of running which, in addition to the half marathon,  includes a 10k run. Four of the Club’s runners took part in this with Barry Saunders, who battled around the streets of London last weekend, first back here in 51:16 for 21^st place. Mark Murkin was next in 58:20 with Becky Lenaghan not far behind in 60:51. The redoubtable Pauline Cooper gave her usual maximum effort as she completed the course in 69:32.
Two of the Club’s more recent recruits were in action with thousands of others in the televised Simply Health Birmingham 10k. Ross Clarke’s 40:03 was agonising seconds outside the club runner benchmark of sub-40 minutes but that will surely come as it will for James Gough who recorded an excellent 41:59