Weekly UK-wide road racing round-up includes the Great Eastern, Royal Parks and Oxford half-marathons
AGE UK LEEDS ABBEY DASH, October 13
Despite being held on the same day as the half-marathon across the Pennines in Manchester, this popular Leeds race, with its propensity to produce fast times, again attracted a significant field.
James McMurray took advantage of the course and conditions to win overall by a few yards, in 28:58, after a close race with Charlie Brisley, Dylan Evans and Lewis Jagger as all four finished within six seconds.
Only 10th here last year in 29:42, the St Albans runner took advantage of the competitive race to improve his four-year-old best by 39 seconds. Minor placers Brisley and Australian Evans also improved their previous best times to show why it is that runners flock to Leeds in October.
In the women’s section, Georgie Grgec followed up her fastest leg in the English Road Relay Championships the previous weekend, with a 60m victory over Hannah Irwin in 31:39.
This was another big improvement, by 46 seconds, from for the New Zealander who was second here last year.
READ MORE: Manchester Half Marathon coverage
Irwin improved her previous best by even more with her 31:53 clocking and there were also good performances down the field.
Treena Johnson the British masters all-time W60 fastest, over 10 miles, half and full marathon, was top over-60 here in 38:38 to confirm her position at the head of the 2024 rankings, which was her 38:10 at Lincoln back in May.
James McMurray (Leeds Abbey Dash)
Overall: 1 J McMurray (St Albans) 28;58; 2 C Brisley 29:02; 3 D Evans (SB) 29:02; 4 L Jagger 29:04; 5 D James (W Tempo) 29:12; 6 C Avery (Morp) 29:12; 7 C McLean 29:16; 8 O Lockley (Leeds) 29:20; 9 J Sagar 29:27; 10 F Brodie (Morp) 29:28; 11 C Mills (Leeds) 29:29; 12 C Moody (Serp) 29:42; 13 S Moakes 29:45; 14 A Pointon (AFD) 29:48; 15 T MacCambridge 29;50; 16 C Thomas (TVH) 29:50; 17 E Bovington (Leeds) 29:54; 18 N Edmondson (Ilk) 29:58; 19 C Coulson (Hought) 29:58; 20 C Jones (W Tempo) 30:03; 21 M Clowes (Wrex) 30:09; 22 J Hall (Leeds) 30:10; 23 G Taylor (Leeds) 30:18; 24 J Noblett (Lut) 30:19; 25 J Blevins (Gate) 30:21; 26 R Owen (Mer’ydd) 30:24; 27 J Dutton 30:30; 28 O Roberts (Merr’ydd) 30:31; 29 P Wylie (W Tempo, W45) 30:32; 30 J Johnson 30:37
M40: 1 J McKenna (Tyne Br) 30:40; 2 R Bentley (Merr’ydd) 30:54; 3 J Anderson (NSP) 31:42
M45: 2 J Arnold (Stoke) 32:10
M50: 1 J Prest (Traff) 33:02; 2 A O’Brien (Mersey Tri) 33:06
M55: 1 J Walton (Leeds) 33:07
M60: 1 J Convery (Bing) 35:37
M75: 1 P Young (Ryde) 49:30
Georgie Grgec (Leeds Abbey Dash)
Women: 1 G Grgec (Herne H) 31:39; 2 H Irwin IC&C) 31:53; 3 A Bell (P&B) 32:29; 4 E Davies (Bord) 32:42; 5 V Hopkins (Ton) 33:02; 6 B Gunn Bir) 33:32; 7 S Potter (Leeds) 33:40; 8 S Pennycook (Leeds) 33:46; 9 D Corradi (S&D) 34:48; 10 K Ballantyne-Chalmers (Leeds) 34:56; 11 S Hicks 34:58; 12 A Pearse 35:06; 13 M McKnespiey (Leeds) 35:07; 14 E Revitt (Carn) 35:08; 15 E Soanes (Bev) 35:09; 16 L Cooper (W Tempo) 35:30; 17 D Hatfield (Bev, W40) 35:33; 18 K Hawkins (Salf) 35:34; 19 M Corden-Lloyd (Belg) 36:20; 20 N Sutton (Prest, W35) 36:30
W50: 1 D Jepson 38:27
W60: 1 T Johnson Dews) 38:38
W70: 1 J Homes (H’gate) 51:59
W75: 1 C Gale NYM) 57:21
AEPG GREAT EASTERN HALF-MARATHON, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, October 13
Jonathan Escalante-Phillips took the race by nearly two minutes in a personal best 63:58, some 27 seconds to the good of his previous best set when winning the Bath event last year.
This follows up a series of three recent road race victories including at the Windsor Half-Marathon.
The women’s section saw Georgina Schwiening continue her unbeaten stretch that goes back a couple of years and do so by taking well over a minute from her previous best with a 70:46 clocking to move into the top 10 for the year.
Overall: 1 J Escalante-Phillips (C&C) 63:58; 2 J Arundel (B’mth) 66:43; 3 M Kallenberg (Swan) 66:54; 4 A Tovey (WSEH) 67:45; 5 M Waddington (Ware) 67:58; 6 C Pacey (Newark) 68:13; 7 G Phillips 68:32; 8 J Bell (SB) 68:54; 9 A Hill (R&N) 69:19; 10 B Kruze (Strat, M40) 69:26; 11 C Patterson (Mansf, M40) 69:28; 12 M Chaney-Baxter (Norw) 69:28; 13 L Mullen 69:38; 14 D Clarke (Cov) 69:41; 15 J Carr (C&C) 69:48
M40: 3 T Windley (Kesw) 70:05
M45: 1 J Bailey (Mansf) 70:07; 2 P Melling (R&N) 70:15
M50: 1 R Keal 70:27; 2 C Compton (Kent) 72:43
M55: 1 A Porter (Bramhall) 78:01; 2 M Allen Ips J) 78:16
M60: 1 M Cann 81:06
M65: 1 P Mingay (Col H) 80:06
Women: 1 G Schwiening (Camb R) 70:46; 2 E Grubb (Norw) 76:34; 3 H Davies (Ips J, W45) 76:42; 4 L Bailey (Strag, W40) 76:55; 5 C Thornton (Linc W) 77:05; 6 B Proctor (Kent) 77:55
W45: 1 S Semmens (L Eaton) 83:06
W50: 1 C Hay (Mansf) 84:09; 2 K Sung (M&M) 86:01; 3 S Eadsforth (Der) 88:16
W55: 1 J Holl (Thanet) 96:02
CHELMSFORD MARATHON & HALF, Essex, October 13
Hannah McGowan-Jones retained her half-marathon title and did so with a more than three-minute improvement to her previous best with a 77:46 clocking.
Overall (26.2M): 1 R Baronowski-West 2:35:07; 2 N Filer (Col H, M40) 2:35:40; 3 G Carey (S’field) 2:39:28
Women: 1 H Leggett 2:55:33
Overall (13.1M): 1 B Adams 73:02
Women: 1 H McGowan-Jones 77:46
W50: 1 M Lynch (LoS) 96:58
GOOSE FAIR GALLOP, Nottingham, October 13
Overall: 1 M Campion (Notts) 31:34
M55: 1 K Fitch 37:48
GIVAUDAN ASHFORD 10km, Kent, October 13
Overall: 1 A Hasan-Ogato 30:09; 2 W Zerome 30;17; 3 M Smith 30:24
Women: 1 A Walsh 40:02
LIGHTNING BOLT 10km, Chippenham, Wiltshire, October 13
Overall: 1 D Long (P’pridd) 30:51
M50: 1 N Grinnell (Neath) 34:37
Women: 1 P Quinn (Torbay, U17) 34;40
W60: 1 A Graham (Corsh) 44:43
LOVE LUTON RUN FEST HALF-MARATHON, Bedfordshire, October 13
Overall: 1 M Elbayan (Lut) 67:56
M50: 1 S Coombes (L Buzz) 79:02
M60: 1 R Michael 89:09
M70: 1 C Lamont (Stops) 1:42:35
Women: 1 S Cliffe 94:00
OXFORD HALF-MARATHON, October 13
European Championship steeplechaser Mark Pearce won from Hugo Fry by exactly two minutes in a personal best 65:18.
In the women’s section it was Clapham’s Harriet Freeman who won in 74:35, two weeks after winning the Ealing event over the same distance.
Further down the field, there was a British W55 fastest-ever time for newly turned 55-year-old Karima Harris with a chip time of 79:02.
“I am assuming that the Oxford Half is a proper race as 30,000 runners took part and it had the timer things you have to run across,” said Harris. “However, I have just got a message from Mara Yamauchi, who I know, she has just told me that Oxford isn’t licensed. I had no idea, so I will try again for the record at Fleet in March.”
Overall: 1 M Pearce (SB) 65:18; 2 H Fry (Belg) 67:18; 3 C Davies (RAF) ^7:21; 4 A Miell-Ingram (Radley) 68:24; 5 S Symmington 68:36; 6 M Kunov (Read) 69:19; 7 A Hill (BRAT, M40) 69:39; 8 D Rigby 70:09; 9 T Humphries (Bord) 70:12; 10 O Knowles (Petts W) 70:15
M50: 1 S Winder (E&E) 74:10
M55: 1 J Richardson (Oxf C) 79:46
M60: 1 J Crew 83:46
M65: 1 B Whitehead (W’boro) 86:11
M70: 1 G Allen (Head RR) 83:39
Women: 1 H Freeman (Clap) 74:35; 2 A Eykelbosch (Dac) 75:11; 3 G Baker (Hast) 77:57; 4 B Pembroke 78:55; 5 K Harris (QPH, W55) 79:02; 6 A Rai (Fulham) 79:47
W50: 1 E Hines (Swin) 83:40; 2 C Pettigrew (Harwell) 90:45
W55: 2 J Johnson (Launc) 87:26; 3 K Allred (Abing) 89;11
W60: 1 M Williamson Leam) 90:39; 2 R Martin 94:00
W75: 1 K Williams (Eynsh) 2:06:56
ROYAL PARKS HALF-MARATHON, London, October 13
Oscar Bell improved his previous best by nearly two minutes when winning in 65:12.
Overall: 1 O Bell (Herts P) 65:12; 2 A Soffienti (St Mungo’s) 69:04; 3 G Grassly (Merch T) 69:14; 4 P Bailey 69:36; 5 I Farnworth 69:58; 6 J Davies 71:24
M45: 1 C Braisher 72:06
Women: 1 N Jackson 78:15; 2 B McGreevy 79:35; 3 S Bowles (W35) 79:44
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RUN BOURNEMOUTH HALF-MARATHON, Dorset, October 13
Overall: 1 S Cousins (S’field) 67:54; 2 J Dominey (Salis) 67:58; 3 C Newnham (Ryde) 70:46
M45: 1 J Baker (Chich R) 73:26
Women: 1 L Williamson (Mynnyd) 79:47
W45: 1 M James (S Lon) 83:59
W50: 1 T Thornewill 92:35
W60: 1 L Geyer (TROTS) 93:47
RUN LEICESTER HALF-MARATHON &10km, October 13
Overall (13.1m): 1 M Hussein (R’hoggs) 67:28; 2 DV Hallam (Wreake) 69:52; 3 D Brewer (High) 71:33
M70: 1 P Whelpton (Charn) 99:11
Women: 1 E Styles (W40) 80;29
W50: 1 H James (100Mara) 92:01
W60: 1 E Whittlestone (Birst) 96:34
Overall (10km): 1 M Scarsbrook (Badgers) 31:22
M60: 1 P Makepiece (Leic C) 35:58
Women: 1 G Steel (Charn, W35) 35:20
SHELTON STRIDERS 10km, October 13
Overall: 1 R Weir 31:51
M55: 1 C Nicholl 34:09
M75: 1 M Weir (Mid M) 43:09
Women: 1 A Van Dijk 36:53; 2 J Potter Charn, W40) 37:09
TIPTREE 10, Essex, October 13
After many years in the sport, 35-year-old Paul Whittaker broke 50 minutes for the first time with 49:54, despite regularly competing over the distance for the past 10 years.
Overall: 1 P Whittaker (RRC) 49:54; 2 B Jenkins (Orion) 55:14; 3 C Bloomfield (Bill’cay) 55:17
M40: 1 M McTernan (Orion) 57:25
M50: 1 H Mizon (Orion) 57:46
M60: 1 C Ridley (Col H) 62:14
Women: 1 N Stretton (S’field) 61:25; 2 R Rising (Halstead) 62:31
W40: 1 J Bolton ( Bill’cay) 65:01
W50: 1 V Simpson-Thomas (B Stort) 69:00
W60: 1 C Kennedy (Orion) 73:58
W70: 1 D Wooller (Col H) 86:29
READ MORE: Manchester Half Marathon coverage
WEYMOUTH 10, Dorset, October 13
Overall: 1 C Peck (Eg H, M40) 54:49
M50: 1 D Hicks (Poole) 57:49
Women: 1 I Davis (Purb) 66:08
W50: 1 K Perrett (Wey) 69:53
York 5km Series, October 11
Overall: 1 D McKinnon (Goole) 15:04; 2 J Johnson (Durh U) 15:16
M55: 1 A Holliday (York Tri) 17:58
Women: 1 E Whitworth (Linc W, U17) 16:48
W40: 1 L Race (Barns) 18:20
W55: 1 J Mastrolonardo (York) 21:12
GIFFORDTOWN 5km, Cupar, October 13
Overall: 1 L Rees (Fife) 14:42; 2 L Rodgers (Fife) 14:55; 3 Stephen Mackay 15:32; 4 S Lesley (Shett) 15:47; 5 C Taylor (Fife) 15:49; 6 Constant Lacroix 15:51
M50: A Wright (PHRC) 16:31
M60: Alan Gibson (Fife) 18:58
M70: E Norton (PHRC) 20:31
U20: A MacFadyen (Dund H) 16:13
Women: 1 H Andrejczuk (St And U) 17:13; 2 F Brian (Metro) 17:24; 3 J Bannerman (I’ness) 17:29; 4 L Gibson (Fife) 17:32
W50: J Dickson (Fife) 18:42
W60: A Gerrard (Fife) 21:19
W70: G Hanlon (Dund R) 26:05
RUN SCOTLAND LOCH RANNOCH MARATHON AND HALF MARATHON, Kinloch Rannoch, October 13
Overall (Mar): 1 D Marshall (Metro) 2:38:36; 2 J Connolly (Dumb, M40) 2:42:32; 3 F Murray (E Suth) 2:44:58; 4 R Hall (Fife) 2:47:04; 5 J Harte (C’gie) 2:47:27
M50: M Newton (K’ross) 2:56:38
M55: Saul Miller 3:09:56
Women: 1 Stephanie Johnson 3:20:49; 2 Tomoyo Fujiwara (W50) 3:29:24
Overall (HM): Iain Tomb (M40) 76:58
M65: Alick Reynolds 1:44:54
Women: 1 Rebecca Moore 81:40; 2 V Riddell (Shett) 85:53
STRATHCARRON HOSPICE 10km, Denny, October 13
Overall: Arran Ritchie (U19) 36:38
Women: 1 Jennifer Wetton 38:27; 2 Corri McGougan (U17) 39:07
MIDDLETON TRUST RACES, Ellon, October 13
Overall (10km): Matthew Milne 36:29
Women: Louise McKenzie 39:20
Overall (5km): F Mackenzie (Metro, U20) 16:43
Women: Emily Taylor (U20) 19:56
Fell
WITHINS SKYLINE, Keighley, October 13
Overall (6.2M/820ft): 1 A Worster (Calder V, M40) 42:32; 2 E Hassell (Wharf) 43:48; 3 L Wills (Wharf, U21) 44:01; 4 P Brown (Prest) 44:09; 5 A Wright (Tod) 44:18; 6 D Drake (Wharf) 44:58
M50: C Holmes (Wharf) 46:11
M60: N Hayhurst (Bowl) 52:39
M70: K Brewster (Vall) 66:28
TEAM: Wharf 11
Women: 1 L Crawford (Leeds C) 52:09; 2 P Carcas (Leeds UOC) 52:52; 3 R Pilling (P&B, W40) 53:02; 4 C Jackson (Calder V) 54:22
W50: R Patrick (Tod) 59:51
W60: K Brierley (Tod) 63:46
U21: N Conroy (56:09)
TEAM: Calder V 18
U19 (2.9km/100m): J Smith (Wharf, U17) 13:06
U15 (1.6km/50m): C McKee (Calder V, G) 6:12
CARNETHY SKYLOOP, Lothianburn, October 13
Overall (30km/1700m): 1 S Chepelin (C’thy) 2:27:55; 2 A Smith (C’thy) 2:34:49; 3 H Pagett (S’earn) 2:35:17; 4 D Ashwood (C’thy) 2:36:17; 5 A Fallas (C’thy, M40) 2:36:23; 6 D Bunn (C’thy) 2:39:51
M50: W Henderson (C’nauld) 3:15:19
Women: 1 K Dickson (C’thy) 2:50:39; 2 Kirty Oldham 2:59:28; 3 L Smith (Edin U) 3:20:02; 4 A McCavana (C’thy) 3:23:27
W40: J Mykura (C’thy) 3:29:10
W60: M Hetherington (C’thy) 3:44:33
LANGDALE HORSESHOE, Great Langdale, October 12
Overall (21.1km/1450m): 1 F Wild (L’ber, M40) 2:06:48; 2 H Cooling (HOwg) 2:11:40; 3 H Davies (Mercia) 2:11:42; 4 T Simpson (Amble) 2:12:26; 5 F Grant (Dark Pk) 2:13:10; 6 M Atkinson (Kesw) 2:16:32; 7 J Oldfield (Mat) 2:16:38; 8 P Rutter (Helm H) 2:16:43; 9 F Wilson (C’thy) 2:18:31; 10 O Perratt (Mercia) 2:22:04
M50: K Richmond (Helm H) 2:41:19
M60: C Balderson (Bowl) 3:07:26
TEAM: 1 Amble 57; 2 Helm, H 77; 3 Dark Pk 87
Women: 1 N Jackson (Kesw) 2:36:52; 2 B Halcrow (Amble) 2:44:17; 3 K Roberts (Helm H) 2:53:30; 4 R Pymm (Sadd) 3:06:03; 5 K Mckay (Amble) 3:06:42; 6 L Munro-Bennett (Amble) 3:15:56
W50: B Dyer (Helm, H) 3:18:45
W60: G Atkinson (Kesw) 3:55:33
TEAM: 1 Amble 13; 2 Helm, H 20; 3 Kesw 34
Multi-terrain
BENNACHIE TRAIL ULTRA, Oyne, October 12
Overall (50km): 1 Euan Wilson (M40) 2:25:12; 2 Lewis Walker 2:50:20; 3 Verity Smith (W40) 2:56:46
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