Harrier Men Take 1st Place In Hinckley Half Marathon
The weather could not have been much crueller for the beginning of the Leicestershire Road Running Summer League race on Sunday. What you need when you are running over 13 miles is cool or cold conditions, not 27 degrees and sunny, but thats how it was and the runners had to make the most of it.
The Harriers were full of confidence following their fantastic performance in the winter league and 40 of them went over to Market Bosworth Water Park to join a field of over 1000 runners in what is one of Leicestershires most popular race events. Hopes were high for the mens team but even they were exceeded when Ally Watson, John Terry, Paul Gregory and Lee Tomlinson all gained top 20 places to give them the Mens Team Award beating the OWLS into 2nd place.
Great performances by Ally Watson to take 6th place and John Terry in 15th, who ran his best ever race managing to beat his P B (one of only a few in Sundays heat!), were supported by Paul Gregory in 16th and Lee Tomlinson who was making a welcome return to road running following injury in 18th position in a time of 1.23.19. These 4 were followed by Jason Lavine in 32nd with Darren Wilson who had a storming run, less than a minute behind in 1.26.47.
Next home was the LRRL leading lady from the Winter leagues, Gemma Steel who finished in 1.31.55 just in front of vet 40 Shaun Coulton in 1.32.40. Eddie Myatt completed the LRRL mens team in 1.33.04 (In his new race shoes!!)
The ladies 1st team was once again led home by Gemma who was 6th lady home, followed by ever improving Hayley Burns in 2.01.52 and Su Moon in 2.07.01 just in front of Julie Grewcock in 2.08.29.
Sarah Maynard led home the ladies 2nds in 2.08.49 with Di Myatt 2.10.05 and Nike Mead 2.11.50 closely followed by the new ladies captain Dawn Waters who came home in 2.13.55.
Mike Ingram running in his debut league race for the Harriers ran well to come home in 2.11.55 as did Zoe Waistell who crossed the line in 2.24.05 and new member Judith Brand set a new ladies vet 50 record with a time of 2.27.18