The weather was virtually perfect for this years Race with the temperature around seven degrees and hardly any wind at all – the winning time of 29.33 by Marc Scott, followed in by two other athletes behind him also inside 30 minutes and the first ten athletes all inside 31 minutes was a testimony to the athletes themselves and the conditions. Emily Japp from Blackpool was a popular winner of the Women’s Race in a time of 34.35.
Thanks go to our Race Sponsors – Forbes Solicitors and Fogartys Insurance Services as well as Ken Smith & Northern Athletics for choosing to use the RV10k to incorporate the Northern Championships, to Race Referee John Temperton and Race Adjuciator Brian Porter.
Both photo’s of Marc Scott & Emily Japp – Courtesy of Runningpix
(2012 Olympic Silver Medalist & World Champion in the Modern Pentathlon – Samantha Murray – Starting the Race)
(Sponsors Forbes & Fogartys with Olympic Silver Medalist Samantha Murray)
Watch the Start of the Race ⇒ HERE
Watch the Finish of the Race ⇒ HERE
Full Results ⇒ HERE
All Category Winners ⇒ HERE
Winner Marc Scott being interviewed by Matt Wood ⇒ HERE
The Race also incorporated the Northern 10k Road Racing Championships which saw Marc Scott win the Men’s and Emily Japp win the Women’s. Richmond & Zetland won the Men’s Team Gold and Blackburn Harriers (Alison Leonard, Liz Greenwood and Rachel Wood) won the Women’s Team Gold. The Harriers also picked up Medals with the Senior Men (Ben Fish, Tim Raynes, Chris Arthur) picking up Silver in the Team Race and a Bronze Medal for Alison Leonard in the Women’s Individual Race.
(Blackburn Harriers Northern Women’s Champions) (Courtesy of Runningpix)
(Blackburn Harriers Northern Team Men’s Silver Medalists) (Courtesy of Runningpix)
Northern Champs Bronze Medal Winner – Blackburn Harrier Alison Leonard (Courtesy of Runningpix)
A great performance by the Harriers, not only organising and staging the Race which requires over fifty Marshals, Officials and Helpers, but also for having forty runners out in the actual Race who produced 17 new personal bests and two seasons best on the day.
Ben Fish (6th overall) and Alison Leonard (5th in the Women’s Race) made the top ten whilst Alison Leonard, Liz Greenwood and Rachel Wood made it a double for themselves adding the Women’s Team Title to their Northern Title. The Men’s Team of Ben Fish, Tim Raynes and Chris Arthur added the runner up Team place in the open Race to their Silver Medal in the Northern Championships. Liz Greenwood was the 1st Junior Female with Maddie Elliott 3rd in the same category and in the Junior Men’s Jack Hindle took 2nd place, whilst Chris Davies took 3rd place in the V40’s and combined with Paul Guinan and Shaun Livesey to win the Vets Team Race on the day.
Leading the Harriers home was Ben Fish placing 6th overall in a seasons best time of 30.18, followed in by Tim Raynes in 14th (31.18) who knocked out another new PB by 13 seconds and has had an excellent year.
The next athlete home for the Harriers was Chris Arthur who knocked off over three quarters of a minute from his previous best to finish with a new PB of 31.48 in 19th place – then came another massive new PB for Jack Hindle who cut a minute and twenty seconds off his previous best setting a new time of 32.30 in 36th spot. Chris Matthews, who hadn’t run a 10k since 2011 and had only run once previously on the road in the last two years knocked well over a minute off his previous best to post a new PB of 33.16 (51st) whilst another Chris – Chris Davies – was the next athlete to chop off a minute and twenty seconds for a new PB of 33.32 in 55th position.
Shaun Livesey set a seasons best in 72nd spot, posting a time of 34.10 followed by Paul Guinan in 35.30 (104th), U17 Harvey Griffin in his first ever 10k race coming home in a very good time of 35.58 (109th) and chasing him was International 800m athlete Alison Leonard in 110th with a new PB time of 36.08….it was 2009 when Alison last did a 10k and she beat that time by over two minutes!
More PB’s were being set when Derek Reilly went through the finishing line in 36.15 (113th) just over half a minute quicker than his previous best time and Liz Greenwood in 141st with a time of 37.10 which was nearly three quarters of a minute faster than her previous best time, also set on the RV10k Course. These were followed by Richard Stones in a time of 37.12, Karl Billington in 37.18, the same time as Richard Fogarty who ran 37.18.
Brothers – Leo and Joe Gebbie – were battling for bragging rights with Leo taking the honours in 164th spot (37.34) and U17 Joe in 174th place (38.04), both solid runs. In between the brothers came Rachel Wood in a time of 37.35 and Sean Proctor, with yet another new PB of 37.41 (169th). Mark Bleasdale (190th) just missed out on a new PB by seconds posting 38.27 followed by Beckie Taylor (40.28) in 245th and Craig Greenough 251st with a new PB time of 40.31 nearly three minutes faster than his previous best.
U17 Maddie Elliott is having a great year and her latest Race was no exception, knocking a massive two minutes off her 10k time to record a new PB of 40.41 (256th) and congratulations also to U20 Katie Buckingham who chopped off nearly two minutes on her time to set a new PB of 40.39 and John Cookson who also posted a new PB time of 40.41. Paul Slone set the 14th new PB of the day for the Harriers with his time of 42.13 (306th) and he was followed home in quick succession by Marco Maggio (322nd) in 42.36 and Bryan Searby (324th) in 42.44.
U17 Hannah Cookson made it a good day for the Cookson family setting a new PB for herself placing 336th in a new PB time of 43.02 which was over a minute and half quicker than she has ever run before. Reece Phillips made it new PB number 16 for the day in 384th place in 44.27 with Andrew Knowles just two places further back (44.41) in 386th. The biggest new PB of the day and number 17 in total for the Harriers came from Danny Teare in 424th place, cutting over five minutes off his previous best for a new time of 45.06. Next home came Carol Reilly (443rd) in 45.31, Freya Black in her first trip over the distance with a time of 47.12 (500th), Mick Nolan (519th) in 45.52, a seasons best, Anna Leigh in 578th (48.26), Jan Buckingham 635th in 50.25, Claire Bridge with a time of 55.14 in 795th spot, Sarah Toms (871st) in 57.15 and David Morris (977th) with 61.11.
♥
