At the Vitality Road Mile races in Westminster on Sunday by Buckingham Palace, which incorporated the British Age Group championships, the James McDonald coached Jaden Kennedy made the most of his last race in the under 13 boys category. Kennedy claimed another national title as he defeated rival Felix Vaughan by one second recording a PB time of 4.54 for a great win.
In the under 17 women’s race Ella Newton raced superbly to claim a bronze medal in what was also her final race in this age group a couple of days after her 17th birthday. Newton’s time of 5.04 was also a fine PB, while in the elite senior women’s mile, a race stacked with internationals, Katie Snowden put a disappointing race in Belgium the night before behind her to place a very close fourth, finishing just one second behind the race winner in a battle all the way to the line. Snowden also clocked what was a one mile PB for her of 4.35, having only got home in the early hours from her previous night’s race on the track.
At the BMC Grand Prix meet at the Sportcity track next to the Etihad Stadium in Manchester on Saturday evening, Mike Cummings ran a season’s best for 1500m of 3.56.66, good early season running and bodes well for his season to come.
Starting out on Friday evening, former Herne Hill Harriers press officer Jonny Muir, who is now domiciled in Scotland, became the 101st person in 39 years to run Ramsay’s Round, which is a 60 mile loop over 23 Munros. Muir finished in the excellent time of 22 hours and 8 minutes for what must surely be a Herne Hill first.
Back by Buckingham Palace on bank holiday Monday, a number of Harriers’ runners were racing at the Vitality London 10k with the first club member to finish being second claim man Kojo Kyereme who placed fourteenth of the thousands of runners and was first in the M40 age group with his 30.37 clocking. The next fastest from the club, and quickest first claim athlete was another M40 Simon Coombes in 33.52, with Sean Fitzpatrick close behind in 33.58 and Alex Hobley running a PB of 34.06 at the end of a stag weekend in Amsterdam!
Matthew Robertson ran 35.07 followed by Simon Messenger 36.58, David Zammitt 37.02 and Jack Brotchie returning from injury with 37.07. Gavern Newsum stopped the clock at a PB 38.07, with Nick Clarke also running a PB of 41.30. Steph McCall, who is first claim with South London Harriers was the first woman with any Herne Hill affiliation to finish, running 35.52, while Olivia Zeltner ran 41.57 and Pippa Messenger recorded 50.08, all ensuring good representation for the club at this big London event.
Geoff Jerwood