Gate Gallop 10k, Isle of Barra Half & Long Eaton 5

Chapman minor to the fore!
The ever improving Shane Chapman put in his best performance yet in a yellow vest when he beat a number of the Club’s more experienced runners in closely following Andy Hawtin to the finish line in Sunday’s Gate Gallop 10k. On an off road, but mainly flat, dry course in warm conditions, competitors had the added challenge of having to negotiate a number of stiles at various stages of the race.  This did not deter Andy Hawtin who did as he’s done all season and set off very strongly and despite a bad patch in the middle of the race finished well in 28^thplace out of 288 in a time of 41.51. Shane Chapman finished ‘like a train’ as he first went past Colin Mee then Chris Mason to finish one place behind Andy in a time of 42.00. Chris and Colin were also separated by only one place in finishing in 33^rd & 34^th places in very respectable times of 42.17 & 42.21.
There was then another tight inter Club race with Andy Orme edging out Paul Chapman in 40^th & 42^nd places and times of 44.20 & 44.25 respectively. Roger Matthews, suffering slightly from a good run in the previous day’s Conker’s Parkrun, finished next in 45.40 and 47^th place followed by Steve Leafe in 56^th place and a time 46.21. Gary Price was next across the line in 89^th place in a time 50.03 followed by Malcolm Moore, making a very welcome return to championship action after a series of niggling injuries, next in 50.52, just inside the top 100 in 97^th place. There were then very creditable performances from 3 of the Club’s women athletes with Sam Skidmore leading the way in 55.54 from Inge Moore’s 61.19 and Carolyn Ife’s 63.46. Inge’s run was good enough to give her a well deserved victory in the WV55 age category. Another newcomer to the Club, Mark Skidmore, completed the finishers with a well run 70.47.
Chris Gunstone was much further afield in the Isle of Barra Half Marathon. Showing no ill effects, after the pilot of the plane that brought him to the island had successfully made a routine beach landing; he recorded a very creditable 1.38.08 for 27^th place out of 242 finishers over a scenic but challenging course.
The previous weekend Gary Price, Malcolm Moore, Inge Moore and Carolyn Ife were in action in the Long Eaton 5. All ran with distinction to record 37.30, 38.29, 42.40 & 45.30 respectively with Inge again amongst the prizes in her age category.