MAISIE-Joy Spriggs stormed to success in the Alcester 10k race as she crossed the line as the first female finisher.
The 15-year-old came into the event with tired legs, having raced in National Road Relays earlier in the week.
However, the Stratford AC athlete ran a superb race to finish in 39 minutes and 5 seconds – shaving 30 seconds off her personal best (PB) time and was 22 seconds ahead of the next female finisher.
Spriggs said: “My legs hurt from the start but as soon as I got to the hill at 3.5 miles and past half way, I picked the pace up.
“In the final kilometre, I could see the first lady about 70 metres ahead. My aim was to catch her. I passed her and finished in a time of 39.05.
“Much to my surprise I finished first overall lady which I’m very happy about.”
Spriggs was in third place at the halfway stage of the race before she picked up her pace and displayed amazing strength and stamina to come home in first place.
The race clashed with the final Warwickshire Road Race League meeting of the year which meant Stratford had fewer athletes competing in the event.
And next to finish for Stratford was John Peacock in 44 mins 17 secs before father and son pair John and Albert Bettles finished in 46 mins 49 secs and 47 mins 17 secs respectively.
Brian Boyle (47 mins 3 secs) finished in-between the duo with Suzi Graham (49 mins 10 secs), Dave Wolstencroft (54 mins 57 secs), Lisa Stevens (56 mins 18 secs), Cara Reynolds (58 mins 16 secs) and 81-year-old Roger Wilson (58 mins 34 secs) all coming home in under an hour.
Kate Sergent (1 hour 4 mins 30 secs), Sue Mothershaw (1 hr 5 mins 57 secs), Allan Coldicott (1 hr 6 mins 5 secs), Jill Wilson (1 hr 8 mins), John Butler (1 hr 14 mins 31 secs) and Rosie Slocombe (1 hr 21 mins 19 secs) completed the Stratford cohort.
Sergent added: “I was really happy to run, I was slower than in May but ran pain free. It was also good to run with my old running friend Sue Mothershaw.”
And the race was won by James Marshall (BRAT) in 33 mins 20 secs as 816 runners completed the course.
The course set out from the High Street and wove its way through Alcester, to Great Alne, Haselor and back to Alcester for a finish down the High Street.
