Tonbridge capture Kent League titles
Tonbridge Athletic Club’s senior cross-country squads competed in their final Kent League event, at Norman Park, Bromley, on Saturday and came away securing both the men’s and women’s team titles, plus providing the men’s individual winner.
The women went first and before this fixture were one point behind Cambridge Harriers, in the three to score contest, so needed to finish ahead of them at Bromley. The final outcome could not have been much closer, as Tonbridge started strongly in the eight kilometres long race, before the Blackheath and Bromley AC team nudged ahead. Blackheath finished with runners in 2nd, 6th and 7th, as more than a hundred finished. This gave them 15 points and it was enough to win on the day, by just one point from Tonbridge. Imogen Amos finished 3rd, with Annabel Carter 5thand Sophie Preston 8th to score 16 in total, whilst Cambridge Harriers totalled 23 points. This put Tonbridge and Cambridge equal at the top of the league, after the four races, but the 16 to 23 score line on the day, in Tonbridge’s favour, swung the league their way, as they finished top of the table consisting of 18 clubs.
The men’s league was almost secured by Tonbridge before this final fixture, but they still won convincingly on the day, in both the four and twelve to score categories. Corey De’Ath took control of the race around the halfway stage and won by eleven seconds. Steve Strange finished 4th, James Kingston 5th and Michael Ellis 6th, from more than 200 starters, with Ellis securing the individual league title, after four top six placings.
Fast indoor track times and road performances
There has been a string of outstanding track performances indoors by Tonbridge athletes, over the past week. On Wednesday, at Lee Valley, Alasdair Kinloch became only the fifth runner in the club’s history to run under 8 minutes for 3000 metres. He won against a national class field in 7.59.77 and is due to compete over the distance at the British Indoor Championships, at the end of the month. Another who will also be going to those championships, is Jordan Chambers, who ran inside the 800 metres qualifying time, for the championships, on Wednesday evening, with 1.52.14.
Charlotte Alexander also raced 1500 metres on Wednesday in a university match and won in 4.30.74, which is a Tonbridge women’s indoor record at the distance, whilst Simon Coppard ran an impressive double, winning over 800m and 1500m in 1.51.24 and 3.53.45.
Then came the weekend and in the USA, James West won over 3000 metres in Chicago, on Saturday, in 7.44.73, which not only breaks his club indoor record, but is currently 6th on the UK rankings. George Duggan finished 2nd over the mile in Washington in 4.02.14.
At the National age group championships, at Sheffield over the weekend, Tonbridge athletes captured three medals and three club records. Elicia Lacey set a new personal best and Tonbridge under 15 girls’ record of 9.13, in the 60 metres hurdles heats. However, there was much more to come, as she progressed through the semi-finals and then finished 2nd in the final in 8.99, a time that moves her into the UK all-time top 20 for the age group.
Two bronze medals at the championships came from Matilda Secker, who finished 3rd in the under 17 women’s High Jump, adding a centimetre to her personal best, clearing 1.64 metres and also Lucy Tallon over 200 metres. Tallon had set a club indoor women’s 60 metres record on Saturday, when she finished 5th over that distance in 7.63, before returning on Sunday and running 24.73 to take 3rd in the under 17 women’s 200 metres. This was also a Tonbridge club record at under 17, 20 and senior level. Joe Stone was another to set a club indoor record, as he recorded 22.60 in the heats of the under 17 men’s 200 metres, although he didn’t progress to the final.
Capping a good week for the Tonbridge distance runners, were also some fast times recorded on the roads. At Battersea Park, on Friday, the Podium Under the Lights 5 kilometres races took place and featured some very strong fields. Finishing in the top 25 of the men’s race, Kieran Reilly (14.13), Alex Howard (14.14) and Jamie Goodge (14.15) all ran road personal bests, whilst Charlotte Alexander (9th in 16.11) and Verity Hopkins (13th in 16.34) also produced terrific performances. Then, on Sunday, Helen Gaunt won the women’s race at the Chessington 10k in 35.32, which is a Tonbridge age group record for over 40 women.
