The Voice of Spalding and South Holland
A record 453 runners took to the starting line at Ferry Meadows last Wednesday for the first race of the 2019 Peterborough Grand Prix series.
The top turnout produced an exciting race and Peterborough AC’s Shaun Walton came out on top, running a new personal best (PB) to win in a time of 15.45mins.
A confident Walton led from the gun and slowly inched away from his pursuers to finish 50 yards clear.
Peterborough AC team-mates Mark Popple and Simon Fell finished ninth and 11th respectively in 16.36mins and 16.52mins, Popple’s time a new PB.
Nene Valley teenager Dylan Tomasseli finished 17th and was second under-20 in 17.09mins.
The ladies’ honours went to Higham Harrier Rachel Doherty, who won in 17.55mins.
The Nene Valley girls had a good day and were led home by Ella Robinson, who finished third in 19.25mins.
Olivia Mead crossed the line ninth in 20.17mins, with tenth-placed Abi Schofield three seconds further back.
The top ten was packed with locals and Peterborough AC’s Daniella Hart finished fifth in 19.45mins, dipping under 20 minutes for the first time.
An exciting junior 3km race was won by Peterborough AC hot prospect Lewis Wiles in 10.25mins.
Aedan Lydon of Huntingdon-based Riverside Runners finished as runner-up with a 10.28mins clocking, while Nene Valley’s Edward Lindsell was edged into third just one second further back.
Nene Valley completely dominated the girls’ race as they supplied the first seven finishers.
Chelsie Bole won in 11.06mins with Elizabeth Eames finishing second nine seconds behind and Evie Hemmings third in 11.41mins.
There was a strong local presence in Walthamstow for the British Athletics Association 10,000m Championship last Friday.
Peterborough-based former Nene Valley Harrier Edgars Sumskis finished 12th in a time of 30.20.24mins, while Helpston Harrier Josh Lunn clocked 30.28.55mins for 15th place.
Ben Heron, of Peterborough AC, finished fifth in the B race in a time of 32.25.73mins.
All three athletes set new personal best (PB) times at the event.
- Nene Valley and Helpston speedster Philippa Taylor is starting to up the distance after a career-saving Achilles operation, and finished runner-up in her first half-marathon of the year.
Taylor clocked 1.26.46hrs at St Albans last Sunday and was happy enough.
She said: “It was my first half-marathon for well over a year and first since the operation on my Achilles.
“I ran with a smile on my face, and I’m happy to be back! Not the fastest I’ve run but enough to get me onto a podium.”
