SOME 279 runners braved a very windy and wet Sunday morning to take part in the annual Sphinx AC Coombe 8 multi-terrain race, which is virtually a cross country in all but name.
This gruelling eight-mile course takes athletes through Coombe Country Park and involves a tough, undulating course which includes running through a river, jumping over fallen trees and low fences, running through open fields and along woodland trails with just a tiny bit of tarmac under the foot and plenty of lovely mud to plough through!
Half a dozen Stratford Athletic Club members were among the field and all achieved excellent results.
First home for the club was Tim Hutchinson in a time of 52:59 to finish in seventh place, followed by Luke Watkins in 107th place in a time of 1:07:22.
Sarah Odell represented the ladies’ section of the club in a time of 1:11:55 to finish in 139th place and David Maundrell was next to finish in a time of 1:17:00 in 178th place.
He was followed by Allan Coldicott in a time of 1:18:06 in 189th position and the last member of the club to finish was the ever-present and wonderful John Butler who completed the course in 1:34:02 in 259th place.
The winner of the race was Andrew Siggers of Kenilworth Runners in a time of 49:40 and the first lady to finish was Helen Talbot of Nuneaton Harriers in 59:19.
Report compiled by Natasha Watkins.
McTighe marches on
JUST who can stop Agnes McTighe?
It would appear competitors in her native Switzerland are having just as much trouble as her opposition in Britain.
The 14-year-old star in the making has been enjoying a relentless run of victories and her latest triumph came in a 5km cross country race in Switzerland – the Cross de Conthey.
Stratford AC’s McTighe was racing against senior women but the older competition could not get the better of her as she led from the start and won by two minutes from her closest competitor, who was ten years her senior.
In the same race were senior men and McTighe beat the leading male by 1.40.
It was a pretty flat, grassland course. There was no snow this time, but the grass was frozen.
McTighe, who races in Britain when possible, ran five 1,000m laps, all at a very even pace of between 3.12 (fast first lap) to 3.25 (lap four) and the most striking thing about her performance was her time of 16.39 for 5km, which is pretty impressive on any surface.
She now has one more race – the Escalade Geneve on Saturday – before a well earned break.
This weekend’s upcoming event is a 2.3km road race – the biggest in Switzerland.
