Shelton Striders 10k, Chester, Tamworth, Beacon Hill & Chicago

Stuart on top of his game!!!!
MV55 Stuart Halsey continued his season long good and emphasised his status as one of the top runners regionally in his age group as he led the Club’s contingent of 23 runners home in this year’s Shelton Striders 10k. In good running conditions, over a flat, fast course Stuart’s chip time of 38.14 also secured him 1^st place in his age category. Nathan Fagan, showing no ill effects from his first marathon in Reykjavik, ducked under the 40 minute benchmark for the first time with 39.57 and Matt Clemson showed his racing pedigree with 40.34. The often unheralded Andy Orme with 42.08 was good enough for a popular 3^rd place in the very competitive MV50 category. Romain Chambard was close behind in 42.37 with Barry Saunders, after an enforced absence with Achilles problems, showed he is on up with 43.57. The determined Katie Dennis was the first of the Club’s women home in 46.23 followed by Kev Clarke in 47.04, Tony Richards in 47:21 and Ross Ballinger in 49.32. Kat Smith was one of a number of the Club’s runners to take advantage of the conditions to record a well-deserved PB of 50.15 with Robin Thorne and Karen Wilks in close finishing proximity in 50.40 and 51.01 respectively. Gary Price and Seran Bradley both ran well for 52.40 and 52.46 with John Pegg and Emily Atkins virtually inseparable in 53.32 and 53.36. Colin Sharp stopped the clock in 54.49 before Becky Atkins battled well for 57.21. Mary Sharp ducked below the 60 minute benchmark with 59.23 before Emma Sharp, Pauline Cooper and Helen Clarke gave their usual maximum effort to complete the Club’s finishers in 62.48, 66.15 and 67.15 respectively.
A number of the Club’s runners were also competing at locations both near and far on Sunday. Tim Rhodes managed a terrific 10k PB of 39.31 at Tamworth while Jenni Laing also distance PB with 01.29.15 and secured the 3^rd female prize in the challenging Basingstoke Half Marathon. Sam Bassett made his marathon debut in the MBNA Chester Marathon and should be really pleased with his chip time of 03.22.38. Ellie Evans was 2^nd female in the Beacon Hill Trail Half Marathon in a superb time of 01.39.23 and Rob Eaton, a couple of weeks after smashing the Berlin Marathon, was 3^rd male in the Beacon Hill Trail 10k in 46.35.  Other chip times for those following Ellie home in the half marathon were Chris Hanman 01.40.26, Tracey Glover 01.52.22, Paul Glover, 01.53.07, Andy Windle, 02.01.11, Nikki Reeves  02.02.19,  James Cobb 02.04.45 (gun to tape time) and last but not least Sam Skidmore in 02.19.05.  The last word though goes to our intrepid globe trotters Simon Reynolds and Tony Phillips who completed the Chicago Marathon in 03.58.00 and 05.02.35 respectively and both, I think, completed participation in the full set of Abbott Major Marathons. Terrific effort.