The Brit’s record-breaking mark leads our road and fell round-up from this past week.
FLEET HALF MARATHON, Hampshire, March 29
Adam Clarke won by a minute over Chris Davies with 65:43 in the men’s race, while Chelsea Baker took the women’s category in 73:23. There was also another new British W60 best further down the field.
Clarke’s best of 61:54 came two years ago in the Kagawa Marugame International event, and he had a run out in the Hastings event last week albeit for his second claim club Hy AC.
The event also again served as the Inter-Services championships, so many affiliations were not given on safety grounds but it was Chris Davies who was second in 66:44.
Royal Navy runner Baker, who took the Inter-Services women’s title was in new territory by setting a personal best by beating her time at Wokingham in February by 16 seconds in 73:53.
This denied Purdue, Clarke’s partner, victory by 39 seconds. The Aldershot runner also competed in the Kagawa Marugame International event where she ran a personal best 71:56, albeit nearly four minutes outside her best from 2024.
There has been a spate of W60 new best times over the past 12 months with Gee, Elspeth Turner and Clare Elms all involved in setting new marks on the road. Here, Gee removed one of Turner’s marks by slicing 14 seconds with 1:22.28.
This means that the W60 best has come down by more than two minutes in a little over two years, when Treena Johnson set the mark at 84:33.
Gee said: “After having come back from three weeks off in January and then running 84.10 at Wokingham, I thought I could go faster and, never done Fleet before, I found it a very fast course. It undulates only very slightly and you can make the most of the ups and downs.”
The former double London W45 age group winner timed herself through 10km in 39:38, 10-miles in 62:58 and said: “I knew that time if I simply maintained pace, I could run 82.30. it was my best run since returning in 2024.”
Does the London Marathon now beckon for Gee and a bash at another age group mark?
Overall: 1 A Clarke (AFD) 65:43; 2 C Davies 66:44; 3 M Walker 66:46; 4 T Loughlin (T Bath, U0) 68:15; 5 W Ewens 68:28; 6 R Wood 68:46; 7 J Hutchins (Wok, M40) 68:48; 8 A Rumball (UCL) 68:50; 9 R McTaggart (B’mth) 69:07; 10 E Denham 69:39
M40: 3 L Gatland 70:05
M45: 1 B Livesey 69:47
M50: 1 B Underwood (Poole) 71:36
M55: 1 N Grinnell 71:15
M60: 1 A Leach (NHRR) &4:44; 2 M Slaney (BMH) 83:59
M65: 1 C Boffin Hart) 91:48
M70: 1 R Burton (BMH) 93:53
Women: 1 C Baker (B&W, W35) 73:53; 2 C Purdue (AFD) 74:32; 3 L Morrison 75:49; 4 K Grinyer (G&G) 78:26; 5 K Phipkin (Herne H) 78:59; 6 V Duncan 79:19; 7 C Scobie (Ryde, W35) 80:08
W45: 1 L Locks (AFD) 82:05
W50: 1 A Granger (B&W) 81:51; 2 V Ryan (Wells) 85:53; 3 V Buck (Kent) 86:09
W55: 1 J Rockliffe (W tempo) 83:30
W60: 1 S Gee (Windle) 82:28; 2 C Searle (And) 96:37; 3 S Harrison (G&G) (8:48
W65: 1 L Taylor (Farn R) 95:33
W70: 1 J Georgiou (Farn R) 2:03:39
KEW GARDENS HALF-MARATHON, London, March 29
Overall: 1 O Garrod (Belg) 71:17
Women: 1 R Bunting (W40) 78:42
W50: 1 S Kedwards (Xempo) 86:00
W60: 1 M Howell 89:48
LYDD 20, Kent, March 29
Charlie Brisley lined himself up for a good crack at the London Marathon with a narrow victory over Mike Walsh in 1:40:38.
Overall: 1 C Brisley (INEB) 1:40:38; 2 M Walsh (Wolf) 1:41:04; 3 L Dargan (Hast R) 1:56:13
M40: 1 L Rogers 1:56:44
Women: 1 M Kane (Petts W) 2:15:59
OKLEY 20, Inc Bedfordshire Championships, March 29
Overall: 1 J Reep (W’boro) 1:51:11; 2 A Beaumont (B Stort) 1:53:32; 3 D Hudson (Hunts, M40) 1:54:36
M45: 1 D Ball (R&N) 1:57:55
Women: 1 J Gregan (St Neots, W40) 2:10:54
W45: 1 L McDonnell (Wym) 2:19:20
W50: 1 T Alcaraz (March) 2:25:38
OMAGH HALF-MARATHON, N Ireland, March 29
Overall: 1 S McCauley (L’kenny) 66:56; 2 M Fox L’kenny) 68:48; 3 J Speight (Dromore) 70:16
M40: 1 J Doherty (Finn V) 70:17
M45: 1 J Steed Glens) 72;26
M50: 1 D Reid Derry) 70:15
M55: 1 M Smith (N Belf) 75:49
M65: 1 P McGowan 88:38
Women: 1 A McGlynn (Strabane, W45) 74:10; 2 M McGee (Rosses) 76:53; 3 C Murphy (IRE) 78:49
W40: 1 C McGuigan (Strabane) 79;36
W50: 1 E Crawford (N Belf) 84:05; 2 J Butler 89:36
SAN DOMENICO 20, Merthyr Tydfil, South Wales, March 29
Overall: 1 M Verran (Swan) 1:55:32; 2 O Webb (Card Tri) 1:57:05
Women: 1 A Rose (Llis) 2:16:04
SHEFFIELD HALF MARATHON, South Yorkshire, March 29
Overall: 1 S Moakes (Unsanc) 67:57; 2 D Haworth (Hallam) 67:30; 3 J Martin 70:26
M50: 1 P Faucett (Hailsh) 70:22
M60: 1 D Pearce (R’hoggs) 84:39
Women: 1 C Frankland (W End) 78:57
W50: 1 C Lloyd (H’boro &R) 92:04
SWANSEA 10, South Wales, March 29
Overall: 1 M Roderrick (Tri Hard) 54:39; 2 N Gilford (R&N) 55:44
Women: 1 G Dunne 80:53
VALE OF YORK 10, North Yorkshire, March 29
Overall: 1 J Cummings (Ilk) 51:10; 2 J Wynne (Knaves) 53:02; 3 L Shacklock (H’gate) 53:27
M55: 1 J Walton (Leeds) 56:22
Women: 1 J Grant (St Ther, W35) 59:55
W50: 1 H Hall (Knaves) 66:53
WHITE HORSE HALF MARATHON, Grove, Oxfordshire, March 29
Overall: 1 J Ellis (Abing) 69:11; 2 J Davis (Dac) 70:26; 3 M Lock (Wit) 71:00
M40: 1 D Blake (Wit) 71:24
M60: 1 D Wilson (L’down) 87:56
Women: 1 N Roebuck (Wit) 82:46
W55: 1 K Wright (Strat) 86:55
W65: 1 R Hall (Eynsh) 1:43:26
WOLVERHAMPTON 10km, West Midlands, March 29
Overall: 1 O Ahmed (Bir) 30:18
Women: 1 A Hadley (Tip) 38:52
YEOVIL HALF MARATHON, Somerset, March 29
Overall: 1 S Reynolds 70:48
M50: 1 R Tew 80:09
Women: 1 H Blundy 78:07
MIDLAND COUNTIES YOUNG ATHLETES 5km CHAMPIONSHIP, Sutton Park, March 28
The young athletes challenge 5km saw three races where boys and girls ran together in each age group as a prelude to the senior relays which followed later in the day.
Top performer was Newcastle Staffs Charlie Brown whose 15:36 for the undulating Sutton Park course was quicker than that achieved by the older under-17s. Brown said: “We ran together for the first mile and then the uphill was against the wind.”
In a closer race it was Mansfield’s Jack Pares who narrowly took the honours from Noah Homer in 15:54. Pares said: “We were together all the was then when I got around the last corner and screwed it.”
The younger women and girls’ results also saw a faster time in the under-15 category as Evie Clifton of Mansfield ran out fastest with 18:17.
U17 Men: 1 J Pares (Mansf) 15:54; 2 N Homer (RSC) 15:58; 3 T Mumvuri Newc St) 16:00
TEAM: 1 Mansfield 15; 2 OWLS 35; 3 Daventry 38
U15 Boys: 1 C Brown (Newc St) 15:36; 2 J Mayneord (Swin) 15:52; 3 F Byrne (Swin) 16:47
TEAM: 1 RSC 37; 2 BRAT 40; 3 Mansfield 48
U13: 1 J Beeching (Notts) 17:52; 2 C Coleman (Here) 17:56; 3 F Evans (Newc St) 18:03
TEAM: 1 Mansfield 21; 2 Notts 29; 3 Tipton 43
U17 Women: 1 I Ciancio (Worc) 18:55; 2 F Collins (Hales) 19:01; 3 L Dundas (Stoke) 19:10
TEAM: 1 Halesowen 23; 2 Mansfield 29
U15 Girls: 1 E Clifton (Mansf) 18:17; 2 L Williams (Tip) 18:58; 3 E Griffiths (Corby) 19:02
TEAM: 1 Mansfield 11; 2 Tipton 18
U13: 1 S Brumfit (Mansf) 19:19; 2 Z Dushkina (Charn) 20:05; 3 R Tanassee (N’ton) 20:06
TEAM: 1 Mansfield 20; 2 Tipton 38
NORTH OF ENGLAND YOUNG ATHLETES 5km CHAMPIONSHIPS, Carlisle, Cumbria, March 28
Jake Norris took a close under-17 men’s race from Alfie Cook in 15:20 but it the women and girls’ races it was under-15 Gabrielle Pinder who was quickest with a 17:18 clocking.
This was well outside her 16:21 personal best set in Cheshire last May.
The North of England, unlike the other areas, did not offer an under-13 event for boys or girls.
U17 Men: 1 J Norris (Leeds) 15:20; 2 A Cook (Gate) 15:27; 3 P Hayton-Powell (NSP) 15:28
TEAM: 1 Blackburn 20; 2 Darlington 43; 3 E Cheshire & T 44
U15 Boys: 1 P Wayman (Border) 15:55; 2 H Shatwell (Stock) 16:01; 3 M Gaylor (Morp) 16:12
TEAM: 1 Darlington 27; 2 Border 40; 3 Elswick 65
U17 Women: 1 R Murphy (Liv) 18:18; 2 H Cross (Liv) 18:21; 3 O McManus (Salf) 18:36
TEAM: 1 Liverpool 10; 2 Salford 19
U15 Girls: 1 G Pinder (N Marske) 17:18; 2 O Murphy (Birt) 17:28; 3 B Soper (Sale) 18:08
TEAM: 1 Liverpool 22; 2 Sale 23; 3 Salford 32
SOUTH OF ENGLAND YOUNG ATHLETES 5km &3km CHAMPIONSHIPS, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, March 29
Ewan Piley and Daniel Wood made the long trip up from Jersey to Milton Keynes and came out on top of the under-17 men’s race, but there were only 18 other runners in their age group.
It was better in the under-15 boys’ event where Oliver McDonald was first home from the 36 competitors with a 15:36 clocking.
For the women and girls, the best performance came from Sutton & District’s Aaliyah Tharmakulasingam who took the under-17 women’s 5km by more than two minutes in 17:31.
Not much slower was under-15 girls’ race winner Sophie Bickerstaff who ran 17:41 for her 5km.
The under-13s ran just 3km and Madison Kindler kept her unbeaten winning streak with a 10:12 effort.
U17 Men: 1 E Piley (Jers) 15:30; 2 D Wood (Jers) 15:40; 3 L Hemmings (P’boro &NV) 15:46
U15 Boys: 1 O McDonald (Dac) 15:36; 2 F Williams (Bed C) 16:13; 3 L De Giovanni (Ports) 16:16
U13 (3km): 1 B Welch (WSEH) 9:42; 2 Z Evans B&B) 9:45; 3 N Mazieres (Read) 9:47
U17 women: 1 A Tharmakulasingam (S&D) 17:31; 2 C Bulloch (WSEH) 19:39; 3 S So (B’wood) 19:48
U15: 1 S Bickrstaff (B’wood) 17:41; 2 Z Tate (Wyc P) 18:07; 3 K McCrabbe WSEH) 18:12
U13 (3km): 1 M Kindler (B’wood) 10;12; 2 L Graham (St Mary’s) 10:22; 3 L Esterhuysen (B’wood) 10:48
DONCASTER 5km, Doncaster, South Yorkshire, March 27
Overall: 1 G O’Connor (Sheff U) 14:58; 2 M Jones (Sheff RC) 15:03
M50: 1 A Glossop (Hallam) 16:49
M60: 1 J Harlock (CoH) 17:53
Women: 1 L Skinner (Off Couch, W35) 16:41
W55: 1 N McNally (Peni) 20:42
LAST FRIDAY OF THE MONTH 5km, Hyde Park, London, March 27
Overall: 1 N Taylor 15:29
M50: 1 R Taylor (Serp) 16:58
M60: 1 J Barker (Hav’g) 18:41; 2 A Green (North Tri) 18:46
M70: 1 I McKie (E Lon) 21:03
Women: 1 P Henson (Leeds, U18) 17:03
W50: 1 a Farrell (Tun W) 20:17
W55: 1 J Kent (Barn) 20:46
W60: 1 R Hutton (S Lon) 20:38; 2 P Major (S Lon) 22:47
U13: 1 S Davies (B’wood) 17:23
CHICHESTER CORPORATE CHALLENGE, Race 3, West Sussex, March 25
Overall (4.5km): 1 O Sumba 13:29; 2 G Gathercole (THH) 13:39; 3 O Tipping 13:44
M45: 1 J Baker (Chich R) 14:08
Women: 1 A Klidjian 15:26; 2 E Hill (Chich R) 15:29; 3 B Naylor-Davis (Seaf Col) 15:34
INTER-SCHOOLS ROAD RUNNING CHALLENGE, race 3, Chichester, West Sussex, March 29
In the age group races, year nine and South of England Under-15 cross-country sixth placer, Jonah Tildesley broke the 2.8km course record with 8:15.
Boys Year 9 & 10 (2.8km): 1 J Tildesley (St Ed) 8:15; 2 J Stewart (B Luffa) 8:23; 3 E Galloway (Fareham) 8:26
Year 7&8 (2.1km): 1 S Liddiard (Meon) 6:41; 2 F Smith (Cams H) 6:41; 3 I Hatton (Durr) 6:43
Girls Year 9/10 (2.1km): 1 B Lendrum (B Luffa) 7:03; 2 I Shaw (Swanmore) 7:09; 3 F Fooks (Ports Col) 7:22
Year 7/8: 1 E Pemberton (Churchers) 7:04; 2 S Grainger (H Cort) 7:16; 3 A Adams (Ports) 7:32
CHASE THE MOON 10km, Battersea Park, London, March 25
Overall: 1 M Sanderson (B’wood, U20) 31:20
Women: 1 M Bryan (VP&TH) 35:14
Here are some further results, courtesy of Denis Shepherd
KILOMATHON, Edinburgh, March 29
Overall (13.2km): 1 M Smith (Ashf) 2:22:16; 2 B Holmes (S&SH) 2:26:14; 3 K Lecher (CoH, M35) 2:27:01; 4 S Cumming (E Suth) 2:27:28; 5 D Selman (Cors, M35) 2:28:08; 6 J Johnson (Bev, M35) 2:30:46
M40: E Cameron (VPH&TH) 3:32:23
M50: T Gavin (Edin) 2:47:20
M55: M Stewart (Keith) 2:53:16
M60: Rob Soutar 2:57:20
M65: Tadeusz Zaranko 3:24:41
Women: 1 M Gibson (Ealing E, W40) 2:38:48; 2 Kirsty Oldham 2:45:40; 3 E Soanes (Bev) 2:47:10; 4 Antonia Seeger 2:53:32
W45: Katja Juhart 2:57:20
W55: W Chapman (Sund S) 3:06:19
TOM SCOTT MEMORIAL 10, Strathclyde Park, Motherwell, March 29
Overall: 1 L Hannigan (Kilb) 49:08; 2 C Hawkins (Kilb) 49:35; 3 L Rodgers (Fife) 51:18; 4 J Heathwood (Kilb) 52:54; 5 T Connelly (Bella R) 53:29; 6 S O’Neill (L’gow) 53:34
M40: C Reilly (Cambus) 54:13
M50: J Reid (Cambus) 60:02
M60: G Matheson (Falk VH) 63:39
M70: J Scott (Edin) 75:02
TEAM: 1 Kilb 7; 2 Fife 30; 3 Dund R 45
Women: 1 Y McNairn (Giff N, W40) 60:10; 2 E Curran (Kilb) 61:15; 3 M Reid (I’clyde) 61:30; 4 M Sandison (Spr’brn, W40) 64:29
W50: A Mason (Shett) 65:00
W60: N Crombie (Kilb) 80:24
TEAM: 1 Dund R 29; 2 Law 37; 3 Bella R 51
MORAY ROAD RUNNERS 10km, Miltonduff, March 29
Overall: 1 R Regan (I’ness) 30:42; 2 S Cumming (E Suth) 32:15; 3 G Lennox (E Suth, M40) 33:02; 4 S Milton (Moray) 34:28
M60: R Wynne (Gari) 40:23
Women: C Fraser (I’ness) 37:53
W60: J Nicol (Forres) 47:22
U18: Elena Margallo 43:04
Fell
BIRNAM HILL CLASSIC, Birnam, Perth-shire, March 28
Overall (4M/1100ft): 1 M Knowles (C’thy) 27:26; 2 L Fisher (C’thy) 28:24; 3 F Lydon (C’thy) 29:35; 4 K Hardie (Harm, U20) 29:48; 5 L Thomas (Ross C, U20) 29:55; 6 F Selmer Duguid (Birn W, U20) 31:18
M40: C Pantrey (Q Prk) 34:35
M50: G Baxter (Ochil) 35:55
M60: D Reid (W’lands CC) 40:20
M70: N Bradley (Meirion) 49:18
Women: 1 E Atkinson (Hadd, U20) 35:59; 2 H Czebreszuk (A’deen, U20) 36:47; 3 L Mclelland (L’ber) 38:04; 4 H Mcinally (S’earn) 38:30
W50: A Mudge (Ochil) 40:07
W60: M Hetherington (C’thy) 48:39
U18: A Ross (VPCG, U18) 39:10
COLEDALE HORSESHOE, Ellenborough, March 28
Overall (13.7km/915km): 1 T Spencer (Dark Pk) 69:06; 2 S Bentham (Ilkley) 71:16; 3 F Grant (Dark Pk) 72:18; 4 C Allmond (Amble) 73:07; 5 R Ashworth (Amble) 74:48; 6 M Elkington (Amble) 74:50
M40: G Greenhow (Amble) 80:16
M50: R Jebb (Helm, H) 80:59
M60: D Prosser (Kesw) 1:43:26
M70: Paul Fairman 2:01:08
Women: 1 G Culling (Helm H) 93:18; 2 S Murray (Kesw) 97:17; 3 R Ratcliffe (Sadd) 97:32; 4 S Taylor (Helm H, W40) 97:46
W50: H Robinson (Kesw) 1:40:46
W60: S Hodgson (Kesw) 1:48:40
PENDLE, Barley, March 28
Overall (7.3km/457m): 1 W Walker (Clay) 32:22; 2 L Foley (Horw) 32:34; 3 Sam Gunning 32:40; 4 T McKee (Cald V, U20) 33:00; 5 J Daly (Traff) 33:19; 6 S Eastwood (Slaith) 34:08
M40: T Mason (Wharf) 34:16
M60: I Holmes (Bing) 35:55
M70: K Taylor (Ross) 58:18
Women: 1 H Smith (Wharf, W40) 39:07; 2 R Sinclair (Nidd) 40:22; 3 A Whelan (Bux) 41:14; 4 T Duffy (Ross, U20) 44:25
W50: N Geere (Spen) 51:34
W60: L Whittaker (Wharf) 56:11