Joe Stone, from Tonbridge Athletic Club, carried over his terrific form from last Summer, to the Winter indoor season, when he won the Pentathlon at the Schools home international. He was representing the England team, alongside his Tonbridge teammate Tom Hobbs. Both were part of the four-man England team in the under 16 age group, up against Scotland, Wales and Ireland. Hobbs also performed well to finish 5th of the 16 competitors, in the one- day competition, held on Saturday, at the Emirates Arena, Glasgow.
Stone’s five performances included running 8.83 for 60 metres hurdles, a Long Jump of 6.48m, 23.38 for 200m, 11.94m for Shot Putt and 2.09.64 for 800 metres. The 200m and Shot Putt marks were better than he has ever achieved, even outdoors. With a total of 3436 points, he won by just 37 from England’s Sam Wright. Tom Hobbs scored 3029 points, with performances of 9.34, 6.00m, 24.21, 10.17m and 2.10.09. His Long Jump and 200m were outright personal bests.
Evergreen Reynolds strikes gold
Ben Reynolds, running for Tonbridge Athletic Club, had a titanic battle with William Pitt of Kent AC, in the first race of the day, at the Kent Veterans Cross Country Championships, at Dartford, winning by just one second on the 8,200 metres long course. Reynolds won the 50 to 59 age category, despite being towards the upper end of the group. Taking the lead only in the last kilometre or so, Reynolds stretched away by maybe twenty metres at the most, before Pitt launched a terrific home straight finish to almost take the victory. Reynolds was joined in his scoring team by Mark Pitcairn-Knowles (13th), Adam Styles (25th) and Chris Potter (29th) as they finished as third team.
The Tonbridge women’s team in the 35 to 44 years old age group won their championship, through Nichola Evans (3rd), Claire Day (4th) and Charlotte Warren (14th). There was also a win for the 45 to 54 year old team through Maria Heslop (3rd), Sasha Humphries (5th) and Tina Oldershaw (8th). The final medal for the club, at the championships, was a bronze from Sue James in the over 70 women’s race. James has returned to training and racing this year, after a serious health scare and is proving to be an inspiration to many others.
Taylor improves women’s five miles road record
Nicole Taylor ran 27.00 to win the Victory 5 miles road race, at Portsmouth on Sunday, breaking the Tonbridge AC club record by four seconds. The previous record holder was Lucy Reid, who on this occasion made a tremendous return to action, in her first race since March 2020, running 27.15 to finish 2nd. Dan Bradley and Steve Strange both ran personal bests, as they finished 8th and 9th in the men’s race in 24.51 and 24.55.
On Saturday, Alex Howard finished 8th and Simon Coppard 23rd, at the Podium 5k road race, at Leicester. In cold and windy conditions. Howard ran 14.46 and Coppard 15.08.
Also on Saturday, Tonbridge AC members scored for the Judd School senior boys team that won the English Schools Cross Country Cup Final, at Newquay, Cornwall.