ESSEX & SUFFOLK COUNTY RELAYS, Colchester, Essex, April 12
Mohammed Elbayan led Colchester Harriers to the senior men’s title but his time of 14:49 was bettered by Braintree’s Steve Foggo with a 14:47 clocking.
Both were, however, upstaged by top veteran James Connor, who started off well for M40 winners Havering with a 14:26 effort.
Colchester came out on top of the women’s race but Hannah Bolton was quickest overall for second placed Chelmsford. Second fastest overall was top veteran Kate Creak for Colchester’s top W40 team.
Among the junior age groups, it was Brentwood Beagles’ girls who came out on top with the first three teams overall. The under-17’s had Olivia Forrest in their side, who fastest with 8:41, but their two under-15’s Heidi Woodley and Summer Smith both posted 8:39 runs.
Inter-Counties champion Madison Kindler was, predictably, fastest under-13 with an 8:53 return.
Mohammed Elbayan and James Stewart (Essex & Suffolk County Relays)
Men (4x3M approx): 1 Colchester (Essex) 60:32 (M Elbayan 14:49, K Bowling 14:55, B Whyte 15:15, C Ryan 15:30); 2 Braintree 61:56; 3 Ipswich Jaffa (Suffolk) 64:43
Fastest: S Foggo (Brain) 14:47; Elbayan 14:49; J Stewart (Hav’g) 14:52
Suffolk: O Rees (Ips J) 15:02
M40 (3x3M approx): 1 Havering 46:59 (J Connor 14:26, B Smith 16:14, R Warner 16:17); 2 Newmarket J 48:15
Fastest: Connor 14:26
M50: 1 Orion 48:26 (N Shasha 16:14, S Reed 16:26, R Maidment 15:46); 2 Ilford 50:24
Fastest: Maidment 15:46
M60: 1 Colchester H 50:26
Fastest: C Ridley (Col H) 17:25
Under 17 (3×1.5M approx): 1 St Edmunds Pacers 23:18 (S Melero 7:32, S Blackwell 7:43, A Jeffery 8:02); 2 Basildon 24:02; 3 Southend 24:58
Fastest: Melero 7:32; Blackwell 7:43; D Curran (Bas) 7:50
Under 15 (3×1.5M approx): 1 Southend 26:12 (L Jopling 8:34, H Fairbrass 9:08, H Potter 8:29); 2 Basildon 26:14; 3 Colchester & T 26:25
Fastest: A Derrick (C&T) 8:25; J Gilbey (Bas) 8:26; A Doherty (Hav’g) 8:29
U13 (3×1.5M approx): 1 St Edmunds P 27:45
Fastest: D Marshall (St Ed) 8:24
Women (3x3M approx): 1 Colchester H 52:51 (V Primmer 17:50, J Sheekey 17:35, H Hogan-Steele 17:25); 2 Chelmsford 53:31; 3 Halstead 54:30
Fastest: H Bolton (Chelm) 17:12; K Creak (Col H) 17:16; Hogan-Steele 17:25
W40 (3x3M approx): 1 Colchester H 58:09 (M Lock 20:38, E Cumner 20:13, K Creak 17:16); 2 Springfield 58:44; 3 Grange F & D 59:49
Fastest: Creak 17:16
W50: 1 Colchester H 60:44
Fastest: A Oakman (Col H) 19:44
Under 17 (3×1.5M approx): 1 Brentwood Beagles 27:32 (E Warn 9:07, J Knightsbridge 9:43, O Forrest 8:41); 2 St Edmunds P 28:47; 3 Southend 29:45
Fastest: Forrest 8:41
Under 15 (3×1.5M approx): 1 Brentwood B 27:05 (H Woodley 8:39, I Forrest 9:46, S Smith 8:39); 2 Havering 28:50; 3 St Edmunds P 29:13
Fastest: Smith/Woodley 8:39
Under 13 (3×1.5M approx): 1 Brentwood B 27:50 (A Twydell 9:41, S Bickerstaff 9:15, M Kindler 8:53)
Fastest: Kindler 8:53
ABP NEWPORT MARATHON FESTIVAL, South Wales, April 13
The half-marathon saw veteran Ronni Richmond maintain his two-year unbeaten M40 streak and win overall in 66:54 as, further back, Ifan Lloyd went third on the M65 all-time lists with 80:40.
For the women, the half saw Grace Leyland win with a more than three-minute personal best of 77:53.
Asylum seekers Abdi Elmi and Omah Ahmed battled out the 10km but slower times were the order of the day, with more recent arrival Elmi prevailing in 31:17.
After three races in Spain this year, Beth Kidger won the women’s 10km in 32:55.
Overall (26.2M): 1 D Husbands (Shrews) 2:27:57; 2 S Humphrey (Penarth, M40) 2:32:15; 3 C Cook (Runhead) 2:32:34
M50: 1 J Moles (Chorl) 2:40:48
M60: 1 P Norris 2:56:06
Women: 1 M Gibson (Ealing E, W40) 2:38:31
W55: 1 F Carter (L Goat) 3:11:22
Overall (13.1M): 1 R Richmond (Bide, M40) 66:54; 2 T Morton (N&P) 68:16; 3 S Goodchild (Corn) 68:33
M65: 1 I Lloyd (Swan) 80:40
Women: 1 G Leyland (Herne H) 77:53; 2 R Robinson (Kendal, W40) 79:53
W55: 1 N Morgan (Chep) 90:04
W65: 1 A Engledew (Erme V) 1:52:37
Overall (10km): 1 A Elmi (B’mth) 31:17; 2 O Ahmed (Bir) 31:25; 3 L White (Tun W) 3:43
M45: 1 P Matthews (P Bryn) 31:48
M50: 1 R Jones (Llis) 33:58
Women: 1 B Kidger (Phoe) 32:55; 2 D Bruce (B&W, W35) 35:31; 3 S Antell (Bide) 35:39
W40: 1 D Morris (Builth) 36:25
W55: 1 T Jenkins 41:02
LITTLE BROMLEY 10km, Harwich, Essex, April 13
Adam Hickey won overall in 29:30, as Holly Archer took the women’s section in 34:10 but deeper in the field there was an attempt on the British W65 best time.
Claudine Benstead has been breaking previous best times of late and here got within two seconds of Angela Copson’s British best of 40:30 by improving to second on the age group lists with a 40:33.
Overall: 1 A Hickey (S’end) 29:30; 2 J Nixon (St Ed) 30:59
M50: 1 Mussett (Col H) 32:15
M55: 1 M Allen (Ips J) 36:07
M60: 1 C Ridley (Col H) 37:24
Women: 1 H Archer (C&C) 34:10
W50: 1 A Hayes (Ips H) 38:52
W65: 1 C Benstead (Oke) 40:33
YORK 5km SERIES, April 11
Overall: 1 K Walker (NE Proj) 15:08; 2 J Douglas (Border) 15:18; 3 P Kelly (Leeds) 15:21
M45: 1 J Brotherton (B’burn) 16:06
M60: 1 J Convery (Bing) 17:41
M65: 1 M Hall (Ilk) 17:53
Women: 1 B Penty (Knaves, W40) 71:21
W55: 1 T Fearn (Roth) 19:49
W65: 1 J Boynton (York A) 23:46
CHASE THE MOON OLYMPIC PARK 5km, Stratford, London, April 9
Overall (5km): 1 D Marsden (S’oaks, M50) 16:03
Women: 1 E Clarle (Lon H) 17:58
Overall (10km): 1 R Williams (Grange F&D, M40) 32:06
Women: 1 L Finch (Bure) 36:59
CHESTER SPRING 5, Cheshire, April 9
Overall: 1 B Taylor (Pensby) 25:36
M45: 1 J Arnold (Stoke) 25:53
M55: 1 R Felton (Spect) 28:30
Women: 1 F Hughes (Wirral, W40) 28:48; 2 N Reece (Wilms, W40) 30:40
W45: 1 L Blizzard (Warr) 32;32
W50: 1 J Stansfield (Trenth) 30:56; 2 L Callaghan (Trenth) 31:35
W55: 1 S Taylor (Trenth) 32:55
W60: 1 J Hickman (W Chesh) 36:00; 2 T Carr (Liv) 36:40; 3 Y Hill (Osw) 36:58
W65: 1 N Mowat (Wilm) 39:12
W70: 1 R Symms (Chester Tri) 41:51
Alex Sneddon (David Hewiston)
SAND DANCER MT 10km, South Shields, Tyne & Wear, April 13
Liam Taylor and Alex Sneddon conquered the beach run the best.
Overall: 1 L Taylor 34:24; 2 S Hamil (Durg, M50) 36:58; 3 S May (S Shields, M40) 37:15
Women: 1 A Sneddon (J&H) 39:56; 2J Z Krzewski (Durh, W45) 40:33; 3 J Murdy (S Shields, W55) 42:15
LAKESIDE 5km, Portsmouth, Hampshire, April 9
Overall: 1 t Beasley (Havant) 15:43
M45: 1 J Baker (Chich R) 16:06
Women: 1 E Willmers (Win RC, W40) 17:14
W60: 1 J Harrop (Chich R) 20:57
YEOVILTON 5km SERIES, Somerset, April 9
Overall: 1 Z Hurrell (Wells) 15:34
M60: 1 R Drage (Tav) 18:18
M70: 1 J Shapland (Bide) 20:55
Women: 1 S Nicholls (Wells) 17:12
W45: 1 Z Tucker (Bitt) 17:45
W55: 1 D Broom (Peni) 21:19; 2 N Rowbottom (Yeo) 21:38; 3 S Capstick (F’ever) 22:08
VETS AC 5km, Battersea Park, London, April 8
It was routine in the younger veteran age groups but competition was intense further down the field amongst the older runners, Steve Smythe reports
M50 Che Compton won overall in 16:14 but it was close in the M60 group where Graeme Moyse just got the nod on Steve Corfield, as both were given times of 17:54 and there were three M70s, led by Ged Ruffle’s 20:15, inside 21 minutes.
Women’s winner Zoe Oldfield went second in the 2025 UK W45 rankings with her 17:58. Finishing third woman overall, Clare Elms narrowly failed to add to the 26 British records or bests she currently holds on track and road, as her 18:24 fell two seconds short of Scot Fiona Matheson’s UK W60 best.
It was Elms’ first race since winning four individual and two team golds at the World Masters Indoor championships in Florida. Short of recent training she slowed in the fourth kilometre and, despite a strong finish, had to be content going second all-time and running an unofficial English best.
Although she was behind W60 Elms, Sarah Swinhoe’s 19:01 put her top of the W50 rankings for 2025.
W70 Anna Garnier (23:27) and W80 Penny Elliott (30:58) also produced ranking-topping performances while Pamela Whitter (21:16) went second on the W65 rankings this year.
High up in the men’s age groups, holder of the British M80 5km best – with 22:29 from December – Peter Giles clocked 24:11.
Overall: 1 C Compton (Kent, M50) 16:14
M55: 1 T Booth (G&G) 16:46; 2 T Webb (Vets) 17:25
M60: 1 G Moyse (Herne H) 17:54; 2 S Corfield (SoC) 17:54
M65: 1 K Murray (Serp) 18:04
M70: 1 G Ruffle (Hart) 20:15; 2 M Forder (Wimb W) 20:25; 3 D Pitt (Serp) 20:50
M75: 1 M Mann (Dulw R) 23:51
M80: 1 P Giles (HW) 24:11
Women: 1 Z Oldfield (Lought, W45) 18:00; 2 R Luxton (Chelm, W40) 18;23; 3 C Elms (Kent, W60) 18:24
W45: 2 C Nic Flogartaigh (Kent) 18:45
W50: 1 S Swinhoe (Lon H) 19:01; 2 G Stoneley (Rei P) 19:53; 3 R Taylor 19:58
W55: 1 K Ramsey (Charn) 19:03; 2 A Critchlow (W4H) 19:19; 3 P Major (S Lon) 22:43
W60: 2 L Woolhouse (Vets) 20:48; 3 C Shelley (Serp) 21;57
W65: 1 P Whitter Strag) 21:16; 2 J Harrison (B&W) 22:02
W70: 1 A Garnier (THH) 23:27
W75: 1 M Rayner (W4H) 28:01
W80: 1 P Elliott (Wav’ly) 30:58
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