First race proves popular with athletes (From Ledbury Reporter)

First race proves popular with athletes

8:30am Tuesday 30th June 2009

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MALVERN Joggers’ inaugural 10km race on Castlemorton Common proved to be a runaway success.

The evening event was blessed with perfect racing conditions for the field of 240 runners on a testing course that combined all kinds of terrain and some long climbs and descents.

The race was followed by a prizegiving event and social at the Pheasant Inn.

While the event attracted runners from near and far, the local competitors were able to rise to the challenge and finish in the prizes.

From the starter’s gun it was the trio of Dave O’Brien, Malvern’s Richard Walsh (both Worcester AC) and the Joggers’ Jon Newey who looked the strongest.

This trio had eased away from the rest of the field in the opening mile, leaving Malvern’s Matt Scriven (Mercia Fell Runners) and visitor Mark Pittaway (Portland AC) to lead a chasing group.

By the highest point of the course after 2.5 miles, Newey had pulled clear of O’Brien and Walsh, opening a gap that the two battled to close. Newey held off the challengers and continued to ease away, crossing the line after 38 minutes.

It was another 48 seconds before Walsh hit the finish, having shaken off O’Brien on the final flat run in to leave him another 13 seconds down. Pittaway took the veterans’ prize to finish in fourth place in a time of 39.33, leaving Scriven in fifth another 33 seconds down.

First woman home in 12th place was Cheltenham’s Laura Kent, with an excellent time of 41.48.

Jogger member Ruth Johnston was the next woman home in 30th place in a time of 45.20. Other times: Sixth Cliff Berry (Ledbury Harriers) 40.14; 7 Steve Rooke (Ledbury Harriers) 40.24; 8 Jon Bristow (Malvern) 40.53; 9 Mark Bayliss (Worcester AC) 41.01; 10 Marcus Tillotson (Bourneville Harriers) 41.02. Malvern Joggers: 13th Mark Cusack 41.56; 17 Jamie Patteron 42.56; 19 Nick Hitchings 43.04; 22 Jon Green 43.27; 33 Jim Apps 46.03; 40 Peter Wilson 46.31; 41 Mike Eglesfield 46.33; 44 Jon Ashley 46.54; 54 Carl Anthony 48.36; 58 Mark Gent 48.53.

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