It was another busy weekend in the distance running world across the UK as we bring you our latest round-up, which includes the British fell and hill relays.
JARROW 10km, Tyne & Weir, October 19
Birchfield Harriers’ Omar Ahmed was back to winning ways – he placed third at last week’s Manchester Half in 62:44 – and took the tape by over a minute with 29:35 in the men’s race at the Jarrow 10km.
This was over North East Project’s Joseph Wilson, who just got the better of Morpeth’s Peter Smallcombe in 30:43, a time just a tick outside his best.
The women’s race saw New Zealand’s Sophie Hicks first home in a personal best 34:08, eighteen seconds clear of Esme Davies, who has not quite regained the 32:44 form from last year’s Leeds Abbey Dash.
Overall: 1 O Ahmed (Bir) 29:35; 2 J Wilson (NE Proj) 30:43; 3 P Smallcombe (Morp) 30:49; 4 J Firth (Tad) 31:03; 5 A Brown (Hought) 31:32; 6 M Watson (High) 31:34
M40: 1 J Anderson (NSP) 32:05
M45: 1 D Heslop (NE Proj) 32:49
M50: 1 J Clifford (Darl) 34:56
M55: 1 W Pearson (Elvet) 36:00
U17: 1 M Utley (St Ed) 32:59
Women: 1 S Hicks (Belg) 34:08; 2 E Davies (Border) 34:26; 3 A Leadbetter (Newc U) 35:21
W40: 1 D Hodgkinson (Wallsend) 36:56
B Race (selected)
M70: J Caswell (NE Vets) 41:49
W60: 1 J Murdy (S Shields) 40:41
ABINGDON MARATHON, Oxfordshire, October 19
Overall: 1 T Hollis (M40) 2:29:24
M50: 1 M Green 2:36:21
M60: 1 M Rackham I(Metros) 2:46:55
Women: 1 L Flynn 2:46:53
W50: 1 A Granger (B&W) 2:53:48
W55: 1 A Riddell-Webster) 2:56:52
BATTERSEA PARK MARATHON & HALF-MARATHON, London, October 19
Overall (26.2M): 1 H Fry (Belg) 2:30:20
Overall (13.1M): 1 A Howard (Ton) 67:48; 2 R Hayle (Notts) 71:06
Women: 1 L Adamson (Anna) 76:27
W45: 1 C Davie 85:28
W50: 1 Y Dore (Dulw R) 91:44
BLICKLING HALF-MARATHON, Aylsham, Norfolk, October 19
Overall: 1 L Smith (Norw) 68:08
M55: 1 T Mardall (R Next Sea) 79:19
M65: 1 J Moore (Norf G) 86:49
Women: 1 T Crane (Norw) 89:41
CABBAGE PATCH 10, Twickenham, London, October 19
Joe Wigfield recorded yet another victory on the road after running 49:43 in the men’s race at the Cabbage Patch 10.
In the past few weeks Wigfield, who has now transitioned from the roads to the track, has won the Westminster Mile (3:59), Ealing Half Marathon (66:40) and Manchester Half Marathon (62:04).
Annabel Gummow took the women’s race by well over a minute from the Aldershot Jordan-Lee twins Millie and Maddie, but there was also a British best ever time in the W60 age group.
There, Sarah Gee continued the resumption of her running career after 14 years out and improved her own UK all-time best by 36 seconds to 63:13.
She said: “I was annoyed not to go sub-63 but Cabbage Patch were really nice to me. They gave me an elite late entry as I told them I wanted to improve on my Maidenhead time. They were a really great group of people and it was a great race and be consumed in a spirited atmosphere with other runners.”
Overall: 1 J Wigfield (Wirr) 49:43; 2 C Allan (Hough) 50:24; 3 A Penney (HW) 50:31; 4 T Butler (SB) 50:54; 5 J Hoad (THH) 51:32; 6 M Roberts (Herne H) 51:45; 7 S Stevens (Norw) 52;23; 8 J Poole (Serp, M40) 52:25; 9 T Rehal (Chelm) 53;38; 10 T Rowlands (S Lon) 53:38; 11 W Green (Serp, M50) 53:49; 12 J Gordon (Clap) 53:55
M40: 2 M Brown (Serp) 55:21
M45: 1 A Russell (Dulw R) 56:05
M50: 2 A Bond (Dulw R) 57:15
M55: 1 C Allen (Strag) 61:15
Women: 1 A Gummow (Herts P) 55:43; 2 Millie Jordan-Lee (AFD) 57:10; 3 Maddie Jordan-Lee (AFD) 57:29; 4 H Viner (High) 57:34; 5 S Holt (Strag, W45) 58:00; 6 T McCormick (Vale R) 5r8:30; 7 G Malir (Leeds) 58:42; 8 P Law (Strag) 59:01;9 R Whyte-Wilding (Belg) 59:47; 10 S Forbes-Smith (Clap) 60:15
W40: 1 N Douglas (Strag) 62;36
W45: 2 C Hammett (THH) 62;49
W50: 1 M James (S Lon) 63:46
W55: 1 S Swinhoe (Lon H) 65:28
W60: 1 S Gee (Windle) 63:13
GOODWOOD RUNNING GP, West Sussex, October 19
Overall: 1 A Goncalves 71:37
M55: 1 M Phillips 80:15
M60: 1 I Bennett 83:01
Women: 1 M Galea (W45) 88:55
GREAT SOUTH RUN, Portsmouth, Hampshire, October 19
Overall: 1 M Scott 47:21; 2 B Magnusson 47:39; 3 J Smith 47:53; 4 C Brisley 48:47; 5 S Jamaal 48:54; 6 B Moore 48:58; 7 K Taylor 49:12; 8 K Omar 49:5; 9 L Wellington 49:6; 10 R Richmond (M40) 49:42
Women: 1 V Ockenden 56:37; 2 K Estlea-Morris) 56:46; 3 B Kidger 56:48; 4 L Hall 56:53; 5 M Mulhare 57:02; 6 H Archer 57:18; 7 R Murray 57:25; 8 R Weston 57:35; 9 R Laurie 58:03; 10 K Natkiel 59:23
GREEN DRIVE 5, Lytham, Lancashire, October 19
Overall: 1 L Minns (BWF) 25:32
M70: 1 P Quibell (Wesh) 35:59
Women: 1 E Simm (BWF) 28:37
W65: 1 G Kinloch (Burnden) 36:38
HACKNEY HALF-MARATHON, London, October 19
Overall: 1 A Parcell 73:26
Women: 1 I Padfield (W Tempo) 76:56
RUGBY HALF- MARATHON, Warwickshire, October 19
Overall: 1 J Comerford (R&N) 69:12; 2 T Beasley 70:31
Women: 1 A Halcaraz (Ashby Ivanhoe, W35) 81:15
RUN NORTHUMBERLAND CASTLES HALF-MARATHON, Bamburgh, October 19
Overall: 1 C Avery (Morp) 70:02
Women: 1 R Price 89:23
TRAFFORD 10km, Greater Manchester, October 19
This part of the world proves a happy hunting ground for runners seeking a fast time and Newark’s Lewis Jagger led Matt Clowes home by eight seconds in the men’s race with 29:33.
For the women, Sarah Dufour-Jackson improved her personal best by 22 seconds when narrowly heading Charlotte Dannatt, who was also in new territory, to win in 32:47.
Overall: 1 L Jagger (Newark) 29:33; 2 M Clowes (Wrex) 29:41; 3 E Bovingdon Leeds) 29:54; 4 A Barber (Harb) 29:56; 5 G Taylor (Leeds) 29:58; 6 S Moakes (Unsanc) 30:01; 7 J Sagar (leeds) 30:02; 8 C Perry (Vale R) 30:09; 9 B McIntosh (Vale R) 30:12; 10 F Conway (Orion) 30:15; 11 T Roberts (Merr’dd) 30:17; 12 O Donkin (Barton) 30:18; 13 C Sarsfield (Helsby) 30:18; 14 S Flannagan (Leeds) 30:21; 15 C Jones (W Tempo) 30:30
M45: 1 R Coen (Wilms) 32:48
M50: 1 J Prest (Traff) 33;49
M55: 1 F Rafferty (S’port W) 34:03; 2 D Bennett (Roch) 35:42
M60: 1 R Evans (Alt) 37:55
Women: 1 S Dufour-Jackson Vale R) 32:47; 2 C Dannatt (Camb’ly) 32:50; 3 J Morgan (Liv) 33:20; 4 L Wellstead (Col H) 33:55; 6 L Hesketh (CleM, W40) 34:34; 6 F O’Hare (Liv) 34:50; 7 R Paton (W’bury) 34:52; 8 F Stapleton (Lough) 35:51; 9 S Taylor (Bury) 36:04; 10 O Stillman (Herne H) 36:06
W45: 1 E Renondeau (Vale R) 36:39
W50: 1 D Jepson (Fylde) 39:20
W60: 1 L Rix (Manch F) 47:56
W65: 1 S Burns CleM) 45:24; 2 G Holland-Jones (Styal) 47:10
WEYMOUTH 10, Dorset, October 19
Overall: 1 C Peck Eg H, M40) 56:35
Women: 1 E Allford (Eg H) 67:37
W60: 1 K Robson (Poole) 80:33
YORKSHIRE MARATHON, York, North Yorkshire, October 19
Edwards Buck, who was tenth in this year’s Inter-Counties Cross-Country championships, improved his personal best by more than ten minutes when winning in 2:18:15.
Overall: 1 E Buck (Newark) 2:18:15; 2 R Corney 2:20:15; 3 T Cornthwaite (Salf, M40) 2:23:47
M55: 1 J Walton (Leeds) 2:37:01
Women: 1 H Townsend (Leeds, W35) 2:38:58; 2 M Gibson (Ealing E, W40) 2:43:38
CHASE THE MOON BATTERSEA 10km, London, October 15
Overall: 1 C O’Neill 31:06; 2 H Hart (Belg) 31:38
WESTON PROM 5, Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, October 15
Overall: 1 B Robinson (B&W) 24:58
Women: 1 A Smith (Weston) 31:40
BRODIE CASTLE 10km, Forres October 19
Overall: 1 S Cumming (E Suth) 31:43; 2 S Melville (Metro) 32:24; 3 Alex Geddes 34:44; 4 B Evans (Forres) 34:46
M40: S Pringle (Dees R) 35:48
M50: R MacLean (Ross C) 40:55
M70: D Nicholson (I’ness H) 46:26
Women: L Cartmell (Moray) 38:36
W50: H Cameron (Forres) 43:17
W60: J Nicol (Forres) 47:14
W70: L Nicholson (Lass) 57:24
Cross-country
UNIVERSITY OF STIRLING SHORT COURSE CHAMPIONSHIPS, Stirling, October 15
Men (3km): 1 H Pagett (H-Watt U) 9:25; 2 R Taylor (H-Watt U) 9:30; 3 B Seath (S’clyde U) 9:36
TEAM: S’clyde U 16
Women: 1 G Whelan (S’clyde U) 11:00; 2 M Missala (A’deen U) 11:24; 3 I Curran (S’clyde U) 11:41
TEAM: S’clyde U 8
Multi-terrain
DRAMATHON TRAIL MARATHON, Dufftown, October 18
Overall: 1 J Adamson (Metro) 2:40:03; 2 Ian Russell 2:41:26; 3 T Murtagh (W Edin, M40) 2:54:54
W50: A Taylor (Gari) 3:27:59
W60: L Lovie (JogScot) 4:07:57
DRAMATHON TRAIL HALF MARATHON, Dufftown, October 18
Overall: 1 Shay Morain 73:10; 2 S Reid (Tow TGC, M40) 76:42
Women: 1 R Andrews (R&N) 81:09
W60: B Wallen (Kinross) 1:50:00
TENTSMUIR 8-HOUR CHALLENGE, Tayport, October 18
Overall (laps of 4.336M/85ft, age/gender not declared): 1 Aaron Partridge 7:36:03 (13 laps); 2 Rory McLaren 7:48:53 (13); 3 Maisie Baptist 7:48:54 (12)
Fell
GORMIRE GAMBLE, Sutton Bank, October 19
Overall (9.1km/250m): 1 S Gunning (V York) 40:56; 2 T Grimwood (Swale, M45) 42:38; 3 S Mcdougall (M&C) 42:54; 4 A Bushby (CoH, M55) 43:41; 5 Rory Bevin 44:06; 6 R Preston (Pick) 44:11
M60: J Rogers (CoH) 46:06
M65: N Ridsdale (Esk V) 50:29
M70: K Edwards (Hart) 53:32
Women: 1 J Bernand (W Ches) 50:46; 2 Katherine Davis (W55) 51:44; 3 V Braham (Nidd, W50) 53:05; 4 C Read (Knave) 54:04
W60: H Nicholson (Swale) 64:55
W65: M Mcbarron (Swale) 69:22
British fell and hill relay championships, Meirionnydd, October 18
Carnethy HRC male team and Ambleside AC female team claimed the gold medals at the 36th Fell & Hill Relays which were held in one of the most beautiful parts of Wales. Nestled among the rugged peaks and sweeping valleys of South Snowdonia, Dinas Mawddwy offers a landscape as breathtaking as it is bold and at 11am, the leg one runners representing 200 teams from all corners of the British Isles (including three from Northern Ireland and one from the Isle of Man) were on the start line. The event was hosted by Clwb Rhedeg Meirionnydd (Meirionnydd Running Cub) and sponsored by Pete Bland Sports.
Early morning cloud shrouded the mountain tops, but by the start time, this had cleared, and weather conditions were perfect for fell running. On the short first leg, Dan Haworth (Matlock AC) led on the steep climb up Cwm Rhiw-erch. However, he was overtaken on the descent by Ben Sharrock (Ambleside), finishing in 30:01, and by Sam Bentham (Ilkley Harriers). Ambleside also set the fastest on the long second leg through Tom Simpson and Oscar Subuh-Symons (1:00:11), opening up a lead of nearly two minutes over Carnethy.
The pairing of Harry Cooling and Alistair Thornton were quickest on the navigation leg (58:58) which moved Howgill Harriers into third place. Second fastest, Alistair Masson and Alexander Cheplin moved their club, Carnethy, to within thirteen seconds of Ambleside. The final leg matched Ambleside’s Jack Wright against Matthew Knowles of Carnethy; Matthew set the fastest time on this leg (26:57) to seal victory in 2:57:57 for last year’s runners-up, Carnethy. Meanwhile, Jack secured the silver medals for Ambleside, whilst Keswick moved ahead of Howgill to take third place.
Sara Willhoit (Mercia Fell Runners) set the fastest female time (35:58) on the first leg for the third consecutive year, ahead of Eve Pannone (Ambleside) and Abbie Pearse (Steel City Striders). Ambleside pairings were quickest on the next two legs through Sarah McCormack and Scarlet Dale (1:12:14) and Natalie Beadle and Celia Powell (1:13:08), establishing a lead of more than ten minutes over Black Combe Runners and Dark Peak Fell Runners. In 2024, the final Dark Peak runner, Emily Cowper-Coles, ensured that her club would finish as champion, ahead of Ambleside. Cowper-Coles set the fastest leg 4 time (33:45), whilst Bryony Halcrow’s second fastest time confirmed that Ambleside would take gold in 2025. Black Combe had to settle for third place.
In the M40 category, Calder Valley Fell Runners repeated their 2024 victory but were only 35 seconds ahead of Dark Peak with Shettleston Harriers taking the bronze medals. Mercia were the first W40 team, just over a minute ahead of Pennine Fell Runners with the 2024 winners, Ilkley, In third.
Overall (Leg 1 4.2km/513m; leg 2 1.1km/748m in pairs; leg 3 11km/719m approx., navigation in pairs; leg 4 4.34km/513m): 1 C’thy 2:57:57 (F Lydon 31:01, F Todd/E Narbett 60:55, A Masson/A Chepelin 59:04, M Knowles 26:57); 2 Amble 2:59:39 (B Sharrock 30:01, T Simpson/O Subuh-Symonds 60:11, M Elkington/G Greenhow 61:01, J Wright 28:26); 3 Kesw 3:01:59 (S Holding 31:46, H Bolton/G Foster 61:08, S Stead/C Tinnion 60:41, J Battrick 28:24); 4 Howg 3:04:04 (R Spalding 32:22, B van Dijk/F Roberts 62:08, H Cooling/A Thornton 58:58, S Fisher 30:36); 5 Dark Pk 3:08:38 (E Corden 31:10, N Lawson/D Lewis 66:32, T Saville/J Woodley 62:27, F Grant 28:29); 6 HHR 3:10:30 (M Irvine 32:40, A Gilmore/L Taylor 63:58, P Vokes/D Spencer 62:09, A Beaven 31:43); 7 Amble 3:12:26; 8 C’thy B 3:13:39; 9 Helm H 3:14:24; 10 Mat 3:16:04; 11 Mercia 3:19:44; 12 Edin U 3:20:04
M40: 1 Calder V 3:23:05 (A Whittem 35:51, G Roberts/M Roberts 64:25, B B Mounsey/K Gray 67:08, E Hyland 35:41); 2 Dark Pk 3:23:40; 3 Shett 3:26:41
M50: 1 Helm H 3:48:25 (J Millen 41:42, K Hodgson/W Acland 74:31, A Dunn/J Simon 74:34, C Burrow 38:38); 2 Calder V 3:50:13; 3 Kesw 3:50:23
M60: 1 Penn 4:20:50 (D Soles 44:49, S Watts/I Fraser 87:33, J Trueman/S Enwistle 85:19, R Houghton 43:09); 2 W’lands CC 4:23:34; 3 Bowl 4:23:55
Women: 1 Amble 3:37:47 (E Pannone 36:30, S McCormack/S Dale 72:14, N Beadle/C Powell 73:08, B Halcrow 35:55); 2 Dark Pk 3:47:29 (H Wingfield 40:05, P Wardley/L Watson 77:10, D Berdeni/L Robertson 76:29, E Cowper-Coles 33:45); 3 BCR 3:52:56 (A Lupton 41:41, K Maltby/L Browne 73:06, C Taylor/A Forster 77:45, V Russo 40:24); 4 C’thy 4:06:26 (M Hamilton 43:16, P Edwards/G Pow 81:43, A McCavana/H Fallas 81:05, R Fishburn 40:22); 5 Helm H 4:06:58 (C Lumsdon 41:35, G Culling/H Tait 83:54, J Oates/C Kennedy 80:51, A Boustead 40:38); 6 Eden 4:08:12; 7 Shett 4:09:56; 8 Amble B 4:10:21; 9 Eryri 4:11:41; 10 Mercia 4:16:54
W40: 1 Mercia 4:26:39 (M Price 42:45, H Stokes/J Toone 96:14, D Millington/N Richards 87:20, E Fowler 40:20); 2 Penn 4:27:45; 3 Ilkley 4:30:53
W50: 1 Dark Pk 4:29:18 (P Wilkie 47:19, H Elmore/N Spinks 87:27, K Bryan-Jones/J Crowson 94:17, L Batt 40:15); 2 Kesw 5:04:35; 3 Helm H 5:05:12
Mixed: 1 C’thy 3:49:19 (W Rigg 36:19, C Forsyth/H Ross 86:24, D Ashwood/F Wilson 61:37, C Moran 44:59); 2 C’nethy B 3:49:55 (T Morgan 34:10, E Knox/R Knox 84:42, B Stevens/J Brattle 70:01, K Webb 41:02); 3 ShUOC 3:55:57 (D Rennie 50:20, A Walker/M Hampshire 85:25, D Green/M Birkinshaw 69:55, J Daly 30:17); 4 HBT 4:14:33
Fastest – Leg 1: Sharrock 30:01, S Bentham (Ilkley) 30:05, D Haworth (Mat) 30:23
Women: S Willhoit (Mercia) 35:58
Leg 2: Simpson/Subuh-Symons 60:11, Todd/Narbett 60:55, Bolton/Foster 61:08
Women: McCormack/Dale 72:14
Leg 3: Cooling/Thornton 58:58, Masson/Chepelin 59:04, Stead/Tinnion 60:41
Women: Beadle/Powell 73:08
Leg 4: Knowles 26:57, B Rothery (Ilkley) 28:16, Battrick 28:24
Women: Cowper-Coles 33:45
