There was an impressive turnout from Tonbridge Athletic Club distance runners, at the British Masters Athletic Federation’s 10 kilometres road championships, on Sunday. The event is a promoted as a national championship, although local Kent clubs dominated proceedings. Cyclopark, Gravesend, hosted the race, with the course consisting of four laps of the race circuit. Tonbridge had 27 finishers across the age groups, which is testament to a thriving section of the club for the over 35s and older.
Jay Smith was first home for the club in 23rd place, running 35.02, followed by Adam Tibbals, who ran a personal best of 36.35 in the over 45 age group. Jason Barton was 42nd in 37.52. Mark Pitcairn-Knowles ran his fastest time for five years in the over 55 age group, recording 39.17, whilst also being the team manager for the Tonbridge squad.
Tonbridge team wins came in both the women’s 35 to 44 and 45 to 54 age groups, where there were some impressive performances. In the over 35 event Nichola Evans ran 38.30, which was a big pb and gave her 2nd placed female overall in the race. Claire Day (38.45) and Jenna Mullett (41.38) completed the gold medal winning trio. In the older age group, Lisa Knight (41.17), Maria Heslop (41.53) and Tina Oldershaw (42.44) were the scoring team.
Also amongst the Tonbridge contingent was Joe Baldwin, who as a partially sighted runner, was guided by Kean Anderson to a 55.08 clocking. This was not only Baldwin’s first competition as a veteran runner, but his first since the start of the pandemic.
Away from these championships, Dan Bradley and Steve Strange finished 2nd and 3rd, respectively, at Sunday’s Chelmsford 10km road race. Bradley was three seconds inside his best running 31.24, whilst Strange ran a pb of 31.33. Philippa Robinson was 7th in the women’s race, taking more than a minute from her previous best with 39.12.
On Saturday, Kieran Reilly finished 5th in the Scottish Universities Cross Country Championships, whilst George Duggan finished 149th in the incredibly competitive National Collegiate Cross Country Championships, in Florida, despite running 30.35 for the 10km course.
This coming weekend there is a Kent Cross Country League at Sidcup for all the young athlete age groups and the senior men, whilst a few of the club’s distance runners will be in action at the European Cross Country Championships trials at Liverpool.