Photo – Top 3 at Kent League, Cole Gibbens, Ted Higgins, Ben Murphy
TTonbridge Athletic Club competed in the first Kent Cross Country League of the season, at Footscray Meadows, on Saturday, coming away with some strong results against the other clubs, from across the county.
The senior men’s race provided the best result for the club, as Tonbridge captured the team wins in both the four and twelve to score contests, providing the first three individuals to finish. The course was a little longer than the advertised eight kilometres and Tonbridge runners were soon to the fore, after the start. Before the halfway stage Ted Higgins and Cole Gibbens had broken away, with Higgins creating a gap with about two kilometres to go. He ran 26.52 to finish 20 seconds clear of Gibbens, with Ben Murphy third. Jack Higgins finished 6th, Sean Molloy 10th and James Crombie 11th.
The Tonbridge senior women’s team finished 2nd of 19 clubs and were led home by a fine run from Lizzie Owen in 13th, with Sarah Cronin 20th and Harriet Woolley 21st.
The under 13 girls’ team were the other team to win, with excellent runs from Aimee Watts (3rd), Arianne Launders (4th) and Emily Butcher (7th), as they defeated the other seven clubs.
The under 17 men placed six runners in the top eleven but, with just three to score, still finished 2nd to Blackheath. The three scorers were Toby Bawtree (3rd), Ollie Head (6th) and Will Bachelor (7th). The women in the same age group were second team, headed by Olivia Owen (4th), Millie Watts (9th) and Emily Boyd (12th).
In the under 15s, Ethan Brooks was making his cross-country debut for the club and finished a superb 4th. He was followed home by Charlie Warren (5th) and Steven Galliard (10th).
Zach Ward (7th) was the first Tonbridge runner home in the under 13 boys’ race, backed up by Ellis Hill (8th), in his first cross-country race for the club and Sam Shearer (12th). The team finished second as did the under 15 girls with Purdey Hutchings (6th), Isabel Gowing 7th) and Aoife Foley (9th).
Lucy Reid sets new half marathon record
Lucy Reid (photo below) had a great run to win the women’s race at the Manchester Half Marathon, on Sunday, in a superb time of 69.13. This broke her own Tonbridge AC club record by 1 minute and 16 seconds
The time ranks Reid 6th on the 2024 UK Half Marathon rankings and puts her 14th on the UK all-time list. Crucially it is inside the 71.30 qualifying time that UK Athletics set as the standard for the World Road Running Championships, which take place next April, in Belgium. The run has therefore given Reid a chance of GB selection.
Two weeks after running the Berlin Marathon, Julian Rendall travelled to the Chicago Marathon, where he ran 2.44.17, to complete the fifth of the six World Marathon Majors, with only Tokyo remaining on his list.
Verity Hopkins finished 5th female in the Leeds Abbey Dash 10km road race, with a new personal best of 32.58.
Competing for their universities at the Gwent Cross Country League, in Wales, Isaac Arnott placed 2nd in the under 20 men’s race, with Tom Claridge 11th.
