The Easy Runner Blog

OLIVIA Sadler won a silver medal in the 1500m at the UK School Games at Gateshead yesterday.
Representing Team Bristol the 16-year-old Bristol & West AC runner clocked a time of 4mins 33secs, her second fastest ever and just a fraction outside her PB of 4:32.78 set when also finished second in the English Schools’ Championships in July.

REIGNING Bristol half marathon champion Claire Hallissey knows she cannot under-estimate the threat of former British international Liz Yelling in tomorrow’s Bristol half marathon.
Yelling is on the comeback trail after the birth of daughter Ruby and has always been a formidable competitor.
“You look at Liz’s history and she has been very good but whether she is back in that sort of shape now remains to be seen,” said Hallissey, who is the defending champion.
Twelve months ago Hallissey produced one of the best performances of her career to overhaul the long-time Kenyan leader in the final mile and clinch victory in a personal best time of 72mins 03secs. Anyone hoping to take that title from her will have to run very hard.
“Training has been going well and hopefully I’m in shape to run under 72 minutes but the conditions on the day will play their part,” said Hallissey. “But I am really looking forward to the race.”
Also in the field are GB marathon rrunners Michelle Ross-Cope, Helen Decker and Bath’s Holly Rush, all of whom competed in the European Championships in Barcelona.

THE candidates for the Easy Runner athlete of the month for August are revealed in today’s Evening Post.

GREAT Britain international Andy Vernon has the potential to break the African stranglehold in the Bristol half marathon on Sunday.
The 24-year-old Aldershot, Farnham & District AC runner is making his debut at the distance after controversially being over-looked for the European Championships 10,000m, despite a ranking from his PB of 28mins 11.43secs that would have made him a medal contender.
He has represented Great Britain in the World and European Cross Country Championships and is undoubtedly among the best runners in the country but will be heading into unknown territory having never raced further than 10k on the road before.
If Vernon wins the race and dips under 64minutes, which he is surely capable of doing, then he would scoop £2,250 comprising £1,000 in the open event, £750 as first Brit and a bonus of £500 for the time.
A British success shouldn’t be under-estimated as Africans have won eight of the past ten races with only Basildon’s Nick Wetheridge (2000, 64:09) and Tom Payne (2008, 65:49) breaking their stranglehold.
But 2007 champion Shiferaw Tewodros and Ethiopian countryman Tamarath Getenesh, both coached by former Bristol winner Kassa Tadesse, will be hoping to maintain the African hegemony in one of the UK’s top half marathons.
The action gets underway at 9am with the first wave – as second wave of runners starts 30 minutes later - and the first man will be back just over an hour later.

AFRICANS have won eight of the past ten races with only Basildon’s Nick Wetheridge (2000, 64:09) and Tom Payne (2008, 65:49) breaking their stranglehold.
The last local men’s winner, in the days before the race acquired its current national status, was Westbury Harriers’ Bruce Chinnick in 1995 in a time of 66:12.
Otherwise the only other local winners in the event’s 21-year history have been Bristol runners Wayne Buxton (1990, 71;22)0 and Nick Rose (1991, 67:51) . Welshman Steve Brace won the first race in 1989 (68:36).

BRISTOL & West AC send strong men’s and women’s teams to London tomorrow for the British Athletics Cup and Plate finals.
“There are a few gaps but the teams are as strong as they were for the semi final matches,” said team manager Cy Knibb. “Availability is always a problem so late in the season but everyone recognises the importance of our return to national competition and all the teams will have the same difficulties. The club should do well.”

Men’s Cup: Bristol & West AC, Blackpool, Wyre and Fylde, Crawley AC, Luton AC, Swansea AC, Tamworth, TVH, Woking AC.
Women’s Plate: Bristol & West AC, Bexley, Brighton & Hove City AC, Colchester Harriers, Crawley AC, Swindon Harriers, Tamworth AC. Telford AC.

WESTBURY Harrier Debbie Marsden is running the Alderney 10k road race in the Channel Islands tomorrow (12noon) although she admits she is still feeling her way back to form after illness.
“I have not felt right since that virus so if I get 37-38 minutes I’ll be happy,” said Marsden. “I have seen the course and it is not as easy as I thought!”
John Terry is running the half marathon.

BRISTOL & West AC’s Kate Goodhead is flying to Slovenia today to represent Great Britain at the World Mountain Running Championships (uphill).
“I’m not putting any pressure on myself but I want to finish in the top 20, maybe even higher,” said Goodhead.

CLAIRE Hallissey flew safely back to Bristol this morning to prepare for the Bristol half marathon.
“I’m really looking forward to it,” said Hallissey. “As long as I get over the jet-lag I should be alright.”
Hallissey is defending he title she won in dramatic style twelve months ago in a personal best time of 72mins 03secs. The Bristol & West AC runner didn’t overhaul the long-time Kenyan leader until the final mile before clinching a popular victory.
Now based in America with her husband Matt, who is working in Washington DC, Hallissey is in good form if here recent second place in the San Diego half is anything to go by. She clocked 72:2 that day over a challenging route and that suggest a sub 72-miniutes time is within her range if the conditions are kind on Sunday – and the wind isn’t blowing down the Portway!

TRAINING partners Olivia Sadler and Lily Owsley are north in the north east this weekend for the Sainsbury’s UK School Games – but they tackling different sports.
Sadler is running the 1500m for team Bristol while her Bristol & West clubmate Owsley is in the hockey squad.
“I was asked to be in the hockey squad a long time ago but I wish I was running now,” said Owsley.
The advantage of being in the hockey squad is that Owsley will get several games while Sadler has just one race.
“My 1500m is on Friday and that will be that,” said Sadler. “Then I’ll be able to go and watch Lily in action. It should bee great fun.”
Other local athletes in the Bristol squad include Yate & District long jumper George Rumney, Bristol & West AC sprinter Leon Reid and reigning British and English Schools’ pole vault champion Lucy Bryan and finally Backwell School student Bethan Wakefield.