Vets AC cross-country champs win for Clare Elms

Event at Wimbledon Common kicks off our latest round-up.

VETERANS AC CHAMPIONSHIPS, Wimbledon Common, January 16

Clare Elms, who held the overall course record on the previous course last used in 2021, remarkably broke the new course record at the age of 62, Steve Smythe reports.

The multiple world record-breaker was thinking she might have to miss the event after concussing herself in a weight lifting accident a few days earlier and she was content to let previous champion Nikki Sturzaker build up an early lead.

With a faster second lap, Elms pulled clear to win by 40 seconds and her time of 30:13 set a new standard for the circuit on Wimbledon Common despite the muddy descent down to the lake being the most slippery and treacherous in recent years.

Some 40 seconds back, European Masters medallist Sturzaker ran her fastest time on the course to win the W50 title for the third year running.

Up ahead, M40 Jim Allchin proved too strong for many-times winner and men’s course record-holder and top M45 Richard McDowell. Allchin’s run was a good return to form having suffered from a powerful dose of long-covid in recent years.

Brian Jenkins, a guest from Eastern masters, was third. Nick Tearle easily won the M50 title though the best men’s run came from M60 Mark Tennyson who finished ahead of his Guildford clubmate Terry Booth who comfortably won M55 gold.

The M60s was easily the most prolific age group of the day with over a dozen entries. M80 Pete Giles produced another exceptional effort finishing immediately between former overall National Masters champion Barry Attwell who took the M70 medal and M75 winner Mike Mann.

The women’s younger age groups were particularly thin and behind Elms and Sturzaker, Madeline Armstrong-Plieth was the third to finish and that gave her W45 gold while Vikki Filsell took W55 gold ahead of former world 10km champion Susan McDonald.

Though four minutes adrift of Elms, Lucy Woolhouse broke her old W60 course record with 34:26 while Pamela Whitter set a W65 record of note and gave her second overall in the age-grading with 92.3 percent to Elms’ 102.2

Men (7.5km): 1 J Allchin (M40) 25:56; 2 R McDowell (M45) 26:32; 3 B Jenkins (M40) 26:37; 4 A Russell (M45) 27:03; 5 M Cummings (M40) 27:16

M50: 1 N Tearle 27:47; 2 R Berry 28:48

M55: 1 T Booth 29:37; 2 N Urquia 30:30

M60: 1 M Tennyson 29:05; T Sowter 30:16

M65: 1 S Smythe 37:41; 2 J Foss 40:06

M70: 1 V Pauzers 38:37; 2 D Carse 40:32; 3 B Attwell 40:49

M75: 1 M Mann 40:51; 2 D Maskell 46:48

M80: 1 P Giles 40:49; 2 M Johnson 46:56

Women (7.5km): 1 C Elms (W60) 30:13; 2 N Sturzaker (W50) 30:53; 3 M Armstrong-Plieth (W45) 31:56; 4 V Filsell (W55) 32:34; 5 S McDonald (W55) 33:00

W55: 3 N Richmond 33:19

W60: 2 L Woolhouse 34:26; 3 P Major 37:50

W65: 1 P Whitter 35:16; 2 L Tyler 38:02

W70: 1 J Georghiou 44:58

YORKSHIRE CHAMPIONSHIPS, Ripon, North Yorkshire, January 17

After being postponed the previous week because of dangerous ground in the car parks, the event went ahead a week later in Lightwater Valley.

Ed Bovingdon led home a City of Leeds demolition job in the team race as his club packed their six runners into the top nine runners to finish, in the senior men’s race.

It was a bit of a run-away victory for Bovingdon as his margin over second placed Joe Firth was nearly a minute after moving up from third last year.

The women’s race saw mountain runner Jemima Elgood enjoy a 120m winning margin over Abbie Haworth.

Numbers were down on what might have been expected and only four senior women’s teams finished whist, with only 10 in the under-20 women’s race, won by Isabella Waugh, there were no complete teams.

One of the better-quality races among the young athletes’ events saw Mikey Bacon, the 2024 English National under-15 champion, triumph over Jake Norris and Tom Thake in the under-17 men’s event. However, it was Thake’s Hallamshire who just edged Leeds and Rotherham in the team stakes

Men: 1 E Bovingdon (Leeds) 29:01; 2 E Hobbs (Ilk) 29:21; 3 F Roden (Abbey) 29:29

TEAM: 1 Leeds 33; 2 Ilkley 152; 3 Rotherham 183

U20: 1 J Sanderson (Settle) 22:45; 2 E Wilkinson (K&C) 23:50; 3 D Reeve (Roth) 23:53

TEAM: 1 Keighley & Craven 19; 2 Rotherham 26; 3 York 30

U17: 1 M Bacon (Roth) 17:04; 2 J Norris (Leeds) 17:21; 3 T Thake (Hallam) 17:29

TEAM: 1 Hallamshire 26; 2 Leeds 26; 3 Rotherham 27

U15: 1 T Hastings (Wake) 11;29; 2 C Sanderson (Settle) 11;34; 3 J Dawe (Hallam) 11:34

TEAM: 1 Hallamshire 27; 2 Keighley & C 39; 3 York 42

U13: 1 J Preston (K&C) 9:19; 2 R Emsley (Bing) 9:35; 3 Z Garratt (Hallam) 9:36

TEAM: 1 Bingley 26; 2 Leeds 33; 3 Keighley & Craven 37

Women: 1 J Elgood (Nidd) 26:54; 2 A Howarth (Steel) 27:22; 3 R Sunman (Holmf) 27:30

TEAM: 1 Leeds 37; 2 Holmfirth 43; 3 Bingley 99

U20: 1 I Waugh (Roth) 20:29l 2 A Sibley (Roth) 21:03; 3 N Robinson (H’gate) 21:30

TEAM: no team closed in

U17: 1 I Tutt (Wake) 18:17; 2 P Henson (Leeds) 18:37; 3 C McKie (K&C) 18:53

TEAM: 1 Rotherham 15; 2 Keighley & Craven 31; 3 Leeds 36

U15: 1 M McGoldrick (Settle) 12:30; 2 A Andrews (Roth) 12:38; 3 J Thake (Hallam) 12:41

TEAM: 1 Hallamshire 21; 2 Leeds 26; 3 York 31

U13: 1 C Bailey (Hallam) 9:49; 2 S Levine (P’fract) 10:08; 3 H Carter (Bing) 10:18

TEAM: 1 Bingley 20; 2 York 35; 3 Hallamshire 43

SCOTTISH EAST DISTRICT LEAGUE, Bathgate, January 17

Men (8.8km): 1 J Crowe (Centr) 25:39; 2 H Hickey (Centr) 25:59; 3 L Rees (Fife) 26:58; 4 M Pryde (Loth) 27:16; 5 A Marshall (Centr) 27:25

TEAM: 1 Centr 37; 2 Fife 101; 3 Cors 171; 4 Metro 181; 5 HBT 383

Season total: 1 Centr 204; 2 Fife 390; 3 Cors 496

M40+: 1 J Tole (Metro) 28:55; 2 R Houston (Centr) 29:14; 3 M Maciocia (Metro) 29:18

TEAM: 1 Metro 11; 2 Cors 32; 3 Edin 40

Season total: 1 Metro 44; 2 Cors 87; 3 PHRC 147

U20: K Hardie (Harm) 27:34

U17 (5.8km): 1 H MacMillan (Falk VH) 18:58; 2 S Darlow (T Bord) 19:19; 3 L Sedman (Falk VH) 19:23

TEAM: 1 T Bord 11; 2 Falk VBH 18; 3 A’deen 30

Season total: 1 T Bord 50; 2 A’deen 102; 3 Lass 125

U15 (4.6km): 1 B Upfold (Falk VH) 15:16; 2 C McNab (Edin) 15:24; 3 A Kinghorn (Falk VH) 15:30

TEAM: 1 Falk VH 16; 2 Edin 33; 3 Perth S 36

Season total: 1 Edin 104; 2 Perth S 117; 3 Harm 124

U13 (2.9km): 1 A Whyte (Dunfer) 10:16; 2 A Hilton (Perth S) 10:32; 3 F McVey (Harm) 10:47

TEAM: 1 Dunfer 30; 2 S’earn 33; 3 Harm 35

Season total: 1 Dunfer 90; 2 S’earn 109; 3 Perth S 156

U11 (1.7km): H Burnett (Mont) 6:10

TEAM: Edin 27

Season total: Edin 90

Women (5.8km): 1 M Millar (Centr) 20:19; 2 G Whelan (Centr) 21:31; 3 K Walker (Edin) 21:49; 4 H Cox (Edin) 21:58; 5 N Nyabadza (Harm, U20) 22:18

TEAM: 1 Centr 37; 2 Edin 44; 3 Dund R 98; 4 Falk VH 101; 5 Cors 102

Season total: 1 Edin 108; 2 Cors 211; 3 Centr 263

W40: 1 C Gordon (HBT) 23:24; 2 R van Rensberg (Fife) 23:51; 3 J Menzies (PYRC) 23:51

TEAM: 1 HBT 16; 2 Edin 21; 3 L’gow 44

Season total: 1 HBT 39; 2 Edin 77; 3 Fife 137

U17/U15 (4.6km): 1 E Dallas (S’earn) 16:45; 2 R Fitzpatrick (A’deen, U15) 16:46; 3 C Wright (Lass) 16:55

U15: 2 E Taylor (A’deen) 16:56; 3 E Daunt (Edin) 17:14

TEAM: 1 A’deen 14; 2 T Bord 32; 3 Harm 34

Season total: 1 A’deen 68; 2 Harm 69; 3 T Bord 92

U13 (2.9km): 1 R Davidson (T Bord) 11:12; 2 G Whyte (Perth S) 11:25; 3 I Patterson (Harm) 11:30

TEAM: 1 Edin 26; 2 T Bord 28; 3 Harm 32

Season total: 1 Edin 66; 2 A’deen 104; 3 Perth S 132

U11 (1.7km): E Birnie (Banc) 6:43

TEAM: Banc 14

Season total: Banc 33

Male team: 1 Edin 571; 2 Harm 977; 3 Falk VH 1573

Season total: 1 Edin 1587; 2 Harm 2356; 3 Lass 4811

Female team: 1 Edin 242; 2 Harm 259; 3 Cors 343

Season total: 1 Edin 539; 2 Harm 1198; 3 A’deen 1267

SCOTTISH WEST DISTRICT LEAGUE, Strathaven, January 17

Men (6km): 1 J Downey (Kil’k) 20:02; 2 J Fergusson (E Kilb) 20:33; 3 L Howard (Shett) 20:49; 4 J Work (Kil’k, U20) 21:01; 5 P Mochanm (E Kilb) 21:12

TEAM: 1 E Kilb 34; 2 Shett 40; 3 Kil’k 81; 4 Bella H 110; 5 Law 127

M40+: 1 G Baillie (E Kilb) 21:40; 2 M Paxton (Shett) 21:45; 3 I Reid (Cambus) 22:34

TEAM: 1 Shett 11; 2 E Kilb 25; 3 Bella H 26

U20 TEAM: Kil’k 31

U17 (4.4km): 1 D Kinnaird (Cambus) 14:12; 2 B Baillie (E Kilb) 15:01; 3 J Frood (Cambus) 15:11

TEAM: 1 Cambus 9; 2 E Kilb 19; 3 Law 34

U15 (3.2km): 1 E Tyler (Giff N) 11:38; 2 J Walker (Kil’k) 11:50; 3 C Curley (Kil’k) 11:51

TEAM: 1 Kil’k 11; 2 C’glen 53; 3 Law 55

U13 (2.8km): 1 C Cooke (Kil’k) 9:46; 2 C Brown (Cambus) 9:51; 3 J McMillan (E Kilb) 10:09

TEAM: 1 Kil’k 35; 2 E Kilb 38; 3 Ayr S 40

U11 (1.2km): TEAM: Giff N 8

Women (6km): 1 C Gillen (Springb) 22:51; 2 AN Other (Giff N) 24:34; 3 K Glynn (Bella H) 24:44; 4 C Bain (Cambus) 25:01; 5 C McCallum (Shett) 25:16

TEAM: 1 Cambus 37; 2 Bella H 52; 3 E Kilb 110; 4 Law 125; 5 Shett 129

W40+: 1 K O’Brien (Cambus) 26:23; 2 K Baillie (E Kilb) 26:43; 3 E Morris (Cambus) 26:49

TEAM: 1 Cambus 8; 2 Bella H 19; 3 C’glen 44

U20: A Andrew (E Kilb) 25:59

TEAM: E Kilb 25

U17 (4.4km): 1 A N Other (Aird) 16:58; 2 A N Other (Law) 174:22; 3 M Frew (E Kilb) 18:43

TEAM: 1 Law 17; 2 Aird 40; 3 E Kilb 43

U15 (3.2km): 1 N Clark (E Kilb) 12:17; 2 L Finnigan (N Ayrs) 12:23; 3 E Nicholson (Giff N) 12:33

TEAM: 1 E Kilb 19; 2 Ayr S 20; 3 N Ayrs 27

U13 (2.8km): 1 AN Other (Law) 10:32; 2 S Williams (Kilb) 11:01; 3 M Ashelby (E Kilb) 11:09

TEAM: 1 Ayr S 17; 2 Law 24; 3 Giff N 39

U11 (1.2km): TEAM: Law 6

SUSSEX MASTERS CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS, Lancing, West Sussex, January 17

Coombes Farm again played host as turnout was good, despite the clash with the Vets AC championship on Wimbledon Common and James Turner ran out a comfortable winner in the youngest men’s age group race.

Brighton & Hove team-mate Howard Bristow was again on song in the over-50 race with a winning margin of well over a minute.

Kathleen Law won the combined age group women’s event with a similarly large margin over top W50 Sally Rushforth.

Behind there were wins for top age group Masters Caroline Wood in the W60s and Chris Naylor in the 70s.

M35 Race: 1 J Turner (B&H, M40) 25:36; 2 B Short (Craw) 26:58; 3 J Franklin (B&H, M40) 27:12

M45: 1 T Meanwell (Lewes) 27:45

TEAM: 1 Worthing 65; 2 Arena 82; 3 Henfield 105

M50 Race: 1 H Bristow 28:06; 2 L Taub (B&H) 29:35; 3 M McLoughlin (Vets) 30:53

M55: 1 M Melish (Arcade) 31:25

M60: 1 M Usher Lewes) 31;28; 2 D Benton (B&H) 31:40; 3 J Russell (Lewes) 31:57

M65: 1 T Hicks (Hay H) 36:02; 2 M Miles (Chich R) 36:29

M70: 1 M Schofield (B&H) 45:51

M75: 1 R Hughes (Lewes) 44:21

M50 TEAM: 1 B&B 21; 2 Arena 27; 3 Lewes 27

M60 TEAM: 1 B&H 15; 2 Lewes 22; 3 Phoenix 29

Women W35: 1 K Law (B&H) 30:58; 2 S Rushforth (Phoe, W50) 32:03; 3 R Hillman (Lewes, W40) 32:14

W45: 1 F Cripps (Chich R) 34:47; 2 L Pemberton (Chich R) 35:30

W50: 2 S Fry (Hails) 34:25

W55: 1 M Davies (E’brne) 37:19

W60: 1 C Wood (Arena) 37:04

W65: 1 J Lennon (Steyn) 41:54; 2 K Dival (Lewes) 42:01

W70: 1 C Naylor (Arena) 42:34

W75: 1 V Brockwell (P’slade) 54:50

W35 TEAM: 1 Arena 18; 2 Phoenix 24; 3 Chichester R 34

W50 TEAM: 1 Haywards Heath 21; 2 Phoenix 25; 3 Lewes 30