Tonbridge veterans out in force at Kent Championships

Photo – winning over 35 women’s team at Kent Championships. Nicola Summerfield, Lizzie Owen and Charlotte Warren.

It was the turn of the older age groups, from Tonbridge Athletic Club, to take centre stage at the weekend, at the Kent Masters Cross Country Championships, at Dartford, on Saturday. The teams took home five team medals, plus three individual medals. There were wins from both the over 35 and over 55 women’s squads, silver medals for the over 40 men and bronze medals from both the over 50 men and the over 45 women.

The over 35 women’s gold medal was secured by Charlotte Warren (5^th), Lizzie Owen (8^th) and Nicola Summerfield (11^th), whilst the over 55s won through Maria Heslop (2^nd), Tina Oldershaw (3^rd) and Lucy Pitcairn-Knowles (7^th).

The over 40 men’s team consisted of four scorers, led by Julian Rendall (10th), who was supported by Dan Longhurst (15^th), Tony Bennett (16^th) and Martin Cornwell McKeown (25^th), who was making his debut for the club.

Ben Reynolds secured the only male individual medal for Tonbridge when he finished 2^nd in the over 50 age group race, in what was a close contest. Four runners battled for the lead throughout the eight kilometres, with Reynolds taking the lead in the final kilometre, before losing out to William Pitt from Kent AC by just four seconds. Reynolds helped the Tonbridge team to bronze medals, being backed up by James Beeston (18^th), Richard Preston (19^th) and Tobin Bird (30^th). The over 45 women’s team also won bronze medals through Rachel Fagg (8^th), Lisa Knight (13^th) and Grazia Manzotti (24^th).

Three veteran runners were also in action at Battersea Park, on Sunday morning, where the British Masters Athletics Federation 5km road championships were held. Dan Bradley finished 5^th overall in 15.21, whilst Nichola Evans was 4^th female home, with a personal best of 18.08. Nick Arnott made his debut at the distance with 17.34, in the over 50s age group.

Tonbridge AC had five members represent Cambridge and Oxford, at the Varsity Cross Country Championship, on Saturday, at Wimbledon Common.  Phoebe Barker was 2^nd in the women’s race, helping Cambridge to victory, whilst Lauren Major (7^th) and Lucy Thompson (13^th) ran for Oxford. Both Matthew Dubery, for Cambridge and Miles Weatherseed, for Oxford, were called in as late reserves for their university men’s teams, but both ended up scoring in the match. Weatherseed finished 8^th and Dubery 11^th, the latter helping secure the Cambridge win by just two points.

Tonbridge AC runners also represented their schools at the English Schools Cross Country Cup Final at Leeds, where Tunbridge Wells Boys Grammar won the Inter age group championship and Judd School won the Senior Boys’ event, both from 27 schools who had qualified for each final. Connor Prendergast (5^th), Toby Bawtree (6^th), Henry Cleary (18^th) and Ewan Prendergast (50^th) scored for the Tunbridge Wells Inter Boys’ team, whilst George Hopkins (6^th), Ed Coutts (12^th), Tom Claridge (13^th) and Jamie Macdonald (16^th) scored for the winning Judd Senior Boys’ team.