The Easy Runner Blog

CLEVEDON AC’s Jason Williams broke his personal best in Sunday’s Flora London Marathon.
The 33-year-old boasted a best of 2:43.05 from London four years ago but he eclipsed that with a fine 2:40.39.
Andrew Harrison, who finished top local runner, wasn’t the only man from Great Western Runners to record a PB. Jon Hanley clipped 1min 51secs off his 2008 best set in the Abingdon race with 2:40.32 in 191st place.
GWR’s Audrey Butler didn’t manage a PB but the super vet caused a stir along the route as she was dressed as the Queen.

Flora London Marathon – top Bristol men: 130 Andrew Harrison (B&W/GWR, M40) 2:37.15 (PB); 139 Rod Jones (WH, M40) 2:37.50; 186 Matt Ray (TBAC) 2:40.26; 191 Jonathan Hanley (GWR) 2:40.32; 193 Jason Williams (Clev) 2:40.39 (PB); 203 Nigel Leighton (B&W) 2:41.16; 336 Andrew Ellison (TBAC, M40) 2:46.43.

Bitton Road Runners: 859 Ian Hoare (M40) 2;58.55; 2456 Robert Moore (M45) 3:19.53; 4011 Mark Peacock 3:33.14; 6583 Steve Stacey (M40) 3:50.12; 10477 Keith Sawyer (M55) 4:10.33; 12798 Ben Johnson 4:23.15; 19879 Gordon Robbins (M60) 5:08.23.
B&W: 233 David Green (B&W) 2:42.50; 1161 Pete Woodward 3:04.11.
Clevedon AC: 826 Richard smith (M40) 2:58.34; 1411 Mark Templer (M40) 3:07.58; 1788 Nigel Charman (M45) 3:12.45; 3476 Malcolm Roberts (M60) 3:28.48.
GWR: 774 John Thraves 2:57.39; 1385 Dave Wintle 3:07.38; 1424 Nigel Edwards 3:08.08; 3580 Robert Webbon 3;29.32; 13784 Alan Jenkins 4:28.28; 14345 Keith Bonham 4:31.40; 143664 Martin Church 4:31.45; 17782 Nick Alton 4:52.07; 18994 Alan Rundle 5:00.25;

Portishead Running Club: 2527 Nick Dyer (M45) 3;20.26; 2801 Matt Crocker 3:23.08; 2960 Andrew Butland 3:24.28; 3866 Simon Faulkner (M40) 3;31.56;
Nailsea Running Club: 11613 Alastair Cruse (M45) 4:16.41.
Hogweed Trotters: 1929 Stuart Wilkie 3:14.05; 2640 Dave Wintle (M40) 3:21.34; 2747 Geoff Doyle (M50) 3:22.35; 4134 Vic Garner (M60) 3:34.05; 4915 Paul Lockyer 3:39.28; 6411 Lee Masters 3:49.13; 7686 Kevin McConville (M50) 3:55.55; 9008 Ppatrick Hall (M50) 4:02.02; 11130 John Perrett (M45) 4:13.56; 11327 Andrew Cooknell 4:15.03; 19697 Ted Atkins (M55) 5:06.42; 22486 Steve Chandler (M40) 5:42.17; 24229 Charilaos Minas (M45) 8:43.57.
Thornbury Running Club: 1196 James Godden (M45) 3:04.44; 13670 Jonathan Greenwood (M55) 4;27.58; 14019 David Thomas (M65) 4:29.43; 14704 Malcolm Carr (M55) 4:33.46;
Weston AC: 672 Kevin Minty (M40) 2:55.44; 2670 Bryan Morley 3;21.51; 5367 Neale Jarrett (M45) 3:42.35; 15183 Dave Broadbent 4:36.32; 21580 John Western (M60) 5:27.20.
Westbury Harriers: 689 Rich Collinson 2:56.06; 1542 Fraser Jamieson (M40) 3:09.37; 3216 Ian Ruck (M40) 3;26.49; 3343 Charles Hobbs 3:27.45; 3373 Gareth Howard 3:27.58; 4619 Alexander Miller 3:37.29; 5376 Michael Hopkins (M40) 3:42.37; 8897 Graham Bazley (M45) 4:01.23; 14925 Aidan Naughton (M45) 4:34.59;

Top Bristol women: 106 Sophie Voller (WH) 3:09.26 (PB); 125 Julia Belyavin (B&W) 3:10.51 (PB); 142 Catherine Dulla (WH) 3:12.10 (PB); 210 Laura Croker (Portishead RC) 3:15.45 (PB); 216 Margaret McLachlan (Thornbury RC, W40) 3:17.00; 274 Lucy Woodhams (GWR, W40) 3:20.38.

Bitton RR: 464 Claire McCreery (W45) 3:28.14; 837 Sharon Andres (W40) 3:40.07; 1809 Emma Hoare 3:59.01; 2575 Linda Hird (W50) 4:11.51; 3736 Rachael Hoiodges 4;27.08; 4418 Annett Whutchurch (W50) 4:343.50; 4614 Juli Dunn (W50) 4:37.13; 5814 Carol Williams (W50) 4:50.52; 6663 Jayne Smith 5:00.54;
GWR: 274 Lucy Woodhams 3:20.38; 3628 Rita Davies 4:25.56; 4298 Sarah Ackroyd 4:33.21; 5554 Moya Church 4:48.02; 10700 Audrey Butler 6:49.49.
Hogweed Trotters: 736 Trinity Booth (W45) 3:37.04; 2159 Alison Ramsey 4:05.11; 6396 Nicola Rushton 4:57.52; 6468 Serena Griffiths (W40) 4:58.32; 9650 Ruth Conlon (W55) 5:56.40; 10764 Joanne Wood (W40) 6:56.01.
Portishead Running Club: 210 Laura Crocker 3:15.45; 1180 Laura Phibbs 3:48.09.
Sole Sisters (Bradley Stoke): 2217 Helen Lovell (W40) 4:06.20; 2218 Kay Thompson (W40) 4:06.20; 4846 Trudi Johnson (W40) 4:39.58; 4847 Sophie Stagg 4:39.59.
Thornbury Running Club: 216 Margaret McLachlan (W40) 3:17.00; 1223 Joanne Plumbley 3:49.07; 3817 Jane Lesley (W55) 4:27.58; 4313 Madeleine Parrott (W45) 4:33.31; 6339 Caroline Lansdown (W40) 4:56.53; 6565 Katie Becerra 4:59.46.
Weston AC: 1408 Pam Withers (W50) 3:53.18;
Westbury Harriers: 106 Sophie Voller 3:09.26 (PB); 142 Catherine Dulla 3:12.10 (PB); 1502 Vanessa Smith 3:54.59; 3033 Jane Thornton (W40) 4:18.19; 4703 Joanne Murray-Brown (W40) 4:38.16; 8987 Kim Larnach (W45) 5:38.54.

HOLLY Rush’s hopes of a personal best evaporated in the heat of the Hamburg Marathon in the closing miles.
The Team Bath AC runner eventually finished fifth woman in a time of 2:38.26, 61 seconds outside the PB of 2:37.35 that she ran a year ago in Zurich.
“Holly was slightly disappointed with the result as she wanted a personal best,” said husband and coach Martin Rush.
“She felt very comfortable at halfway and even beyond to 35k but then dropped off the pace. Otherwise she would have run a PB by a minute.
“But given her build-up and the conditions – it was very warm – then it was another solid run.”
Nonetheless, it was Rush’s second best time of her career and another solid performance.

THE organisers of the Frampton 10k road race, one of the most popular events in the west, have warned runners to get in their entries early for this year’s event on Monday July 13th.
“There has been a lot of interest in the event and the entries have already been flooding in,” said spokesman Chris Bourne, in behalf of organising club Stroud & District AC.
“There is a limit of 520 and I’m sure it is going to be full long before the night so anyone wanting to enter should do so soon or they may miss out. There will not be any entries on the night”
For further details of the event and the club’s Stroud 7.2 miles beer race, due to be held on Minchinhampton Common next Wednesday (May 6th) see the club website at; www.stroudathleticclub.co.uk

RACE Director Gordon Robbins is confident that the Sodbury Slog, sponsored by Easy Runner, can be saved.
Fears over the future of the event, rated one of the best on the country, were raised when owners of the land on Sodbury Common told Robbins he would have to change the course.
Robbins believed he changes would have undermined the credibility of the event and remove the attractions that have lured countless thousands of runners to south Gloucestershire.
“I have had some positive talks recently with various people and I think there may now be a way forward,” said Robbins.

WESTBURY Harrier Anthony Glover finished seventh in the Shakespeare half marathon, in Stratford-upon-Avon, with a time of 78:37. Hogweed Trotters’ Julian Lewis was 129th (95:18). In the full marathon Trotters’ runner Jason Haselhan clocked 3:22.53 while GWR runner John Dilks ran 3:30.05.

BRISTOL & West AC’s Amy Chalk finished sixth overall to easily win the women’s race at the Pensford 10k road race. Former clubmate Martin Cox, a much-travelled runner, returned to the west to win the men’s race by 1min 29secs from junior Nathan Young.

Pensford 10k road race – men: 1 Martin Cox (Salford) 34:34; 2 Nathan Young (B&W, U20) 36:03; 3 Dan Noad (B&W) 36:35; 4 Nev Adams (B&W) 36:52; 5 Ben Andrews (unatt) 37:23; 6 Amy Chalk (B&W, W) 37:44; 7 Nick Baldwin (unatt, M40) 38:08; 8 Michael Collin (Fire Services, M50) 38:10; 9 Mark Scrutton (Ton) 38:41; 10 Wayne Ellis (Bitt RR) 38:41.
M40: 3 Martin Bird (NRC) 38:57. M50: 2 Paul Sperrin (Bitt RR) 41:04; 3 Graham Butler (Calne) 42:51. M60: Jeff Davies (SWVets) 43:19.
Women: 1 Chalk; 2 Maria Powell (Clev, W40) 42:34; 3 Jackie Stott (Unatt, W40) 43:15; 4 Elizabeth Smith (WH) 43:51.

SOPHIE Voller and Andrew Harrison were the fastest local runners in yesterday’s Flora London Marathon.
Both runners completed the 26.2 miles challenge in personal best times, Voller smashed her best by 12 minutes with 3:09.26 and Harrison clipping a couple of minutes off his best with 2:37.15.
“I’m so pleased with the time,” said Voller, who is a member of Westbury Harriers.
Clubmate Catherine Dulla also set a PB of 3:12.10 to finish 142nd and third local women just behind Bristol & West’s Julia Belyavin.
Portishead Running Club’s Laura Crocker clocked a PB of 3:15.45, beating her 2007 best of 3;20.28 while Thornbury Running Club’s Margaret McLachlan also dipped under 3hrs 20mins.
Harrison, whose first claim club is Bristol & West but also competes for Great Western Runners, was satisfied with his run that clipped 1mins 20secs off his 2007 best, also set in London.
“It was a big PB by over a minute so I was very pleased with that,” said Harrison
Westbury Harriers’ Rod Jones, who once ran 2:18, clocked 2:37.50 to finish second local man with GWR’s Jonathan Hanley third on 2:40.32.

LOCAL TOP TEN IN LONDON – MEN
2:37.15 Andrew Harrison (GWR/B&W)
2:37.50 Rod Jones (Westbury)
2:40.32 Jonathan Hanley (GWR)
2:40.39 Jason Williams (Clevedon)
2:41.16 Nigel Leighton (B&W).
2:42.50 David Green (B&W)
2:55.44 Kevin Minty (Weston)
2:56.06 Rich Collinson (Westbury)
2:57.39 774 John Thraves (GWR)
2:58.34 Richard Smith (Clevedon)
2:58.55 Ian Hoare (Bitton RR)

WOMEN – TOP TEN
3:09.26 Sophie Voller (Westbury)
3:10.51 Julia Belyavin B&W)
3:12.10 Catherine Dulla (Westbury)
3:15.45 Laura Crocker (Portishead RC)
3:17.00 Margaret McLachlan (Thornbury RC)
3;20.38 Lucy Woodhams (GWR)
3:28.14 Claire McCreery (Bitt RR)
3:37.04 Trinity Booth (Hogweed T)
3:40.07 Sharon Andrews (Bitton RR)
3:48.09 Laura Phibbs (Portishead RC).

THE Towpath series, organised by Great Western Runners, gets underway on Friday May 8th but the entries are now closed.

ENTRIES will be taken on the day for the Team Bath AC open meeting at the University on Saturday. The meeting starts at noon with 400m hurdles on the track and in the field with the pole vault and a wide range of events in-between to include Under, U17, U20 and senior athletes. Club athletes will pay £5 entry for any number of events on the day. For further information contact organiser Dave Saker by email at: SAKERD@aol.com

* The Avon Track & Field League kicks off on Sunday at Yate with coach Alan Thomas giving his athletes their first outing of the outdoor campaign.

* Entries for the BMC PB Classic at Millfield on Monday May 4th are being taken and further information is available from Mike Down either by phone (tel: 0117 9733407) or email him at: mike.down@blueyonder.co.uk

SUNDAY’s Pensford 10k road race will be taking entries on the day costing £11 for club runners and £13 unattached. The race starts at 1pm from Pensford Memorial Hall. For further details log onto the race website at: www.pensford10k.com