ATHLETICS - Stratford athletes out in force as Lee impresses in Ironman race - The Stratford Observer

ATHLETICS - Stratford athletes out in force as Lee impresses in Ironman race

Stratford Editorial 30th Jun, 2022   0

IT WAS another busy week for Stratford AC athletes with club members showing their sporting prowess on the track and field as well as in road races and an Ironman triathlon.

Several club records fell at Redditch during the second fixture of the Midlands Veterans track and field competition, with a solid start in the first five 200m sprints earning SAC 35 points from a total of 40 available.

First up, in the 200m races, was Andy List who took almost two seconds off the previous club record to complete the M60 200m in 29.4 seconds.

Elaine Ledden then won the W60 race in 31.9 secs with David Jones (M70) second in 35.6 secs whilst Dave Wilson 26.6 secs set a new personal best (PB).




And Paula Williams (W50) broke the club record and her own PB with a time of 29.8 secs.

The men’s and women’s 4x400m relay teams both enjoyed podium finishes as Wilson, Dave Battersby, Ben Kruze and Simon Curran took top spot in 4 mins 2.8 secs.


And the women’s team of Ledden, Emma Bexson, Hannah Osborne and Clare Goodwin came home in third place in 5 mins 11.6 secs.

Kruze claimed two more top podium places with victory in the 800m (2 mins 4.5 secs) and 3000m races (9 mins 1 sec) – some 40 seconds ahead of the second-placed runner.

Peter Sugden dropped to M40 to earn valuable league points for the club in 800m, as did Jim McMorran in M50 800m with a time of 2 mins 31.5 secs.

And Matt Burdus-Cook was first in M40 3000m (9 mins 48 secs) while John Peacock took third place in M60 3000m.

The club also enjoyed success in racewalking with 27 points out of 32 available.

Paul Hawkins won his race by just two seconds (13 mins 54.7 secs) and Malcolm Bowyer was third in the 2000m distance. There were club records for Hannah Osborne (14 mins 6.4 secs) and Gemma Smith (14 mins 6.3 secs) – knocking a minute off her own club record.

On the field, Williams took 23 of the available 24 points coming first in W35 triple jump (9.29m) and W35 shot put (10:74m) and second in W50 long jump (3.99m).

Other results on the evening were: Sarah Wheeler 3000 (12 mins 42.5 secs), Bev Brigden 3000 (15 mins 40.3 secs), John Peacock M60 triple jump (6.66m), Dave Battersby M40 high jump (1.45m), Mark Illingsworth M60 javelin (first 22.18m), Dave Wilson long jump (second 4.6m), Clare Goodwin second W50 800m, Kim Lee W35 800m third, John Boxall M35 javelin third, David Jones M70 shot put sixth, Brian Gravelsons M50 discus fourth, Elaine Ledden W60 javelin (13.74m) – breaking the club record by almost two metres.

Liz Manzella W40 high jump and discus and Emma Bexson in the 800m and 3000m also brought home valuable points for the club to secure second place on the night with 254 points.

After two fixtures SAC sit in second place in the league with 27 points, behind Worcester on 32, with the next meeting scheduled on Wednesday, July 20 in Stratford.

Elsewhere, the Arden 9 made a welcome return after a Covid enforced absence since 2019 and, as in 2018, was again part of the Warwickshire Road Race League (WRRL).

A total of eight SAC athletes took part with Dave Maundrell and John Butler running the race for their eighth and 12th times respectively with each having run the inaugural race in 2004.

And proving age is no barrier both recorded faster times – Maundrell taking one minute off his 2004 finish while Butler took three minutes off his 2019 time.

The race, organised by Knowle and Dorridge Running Club and hosted by Hampton in Arden Tennis Club, takes a rural nine-mile loop from the tennis club, through Catherine-de-Barnes and Barston before finishing through Hampton in Arden back to the tennis club.

Kruze was first home for SAC and second overall second (46 mins 35 secs) just four seconds behind race winner Karl Welborn (46:31).

SAC results were: Matt Burdus Cook (9th 51 mins 7 seconds, first in his age group), Peter Sugden (77th 1 hr 5 mins 20 secs), Stuart Griffiths (1 hr 6 mins 9 secs), Dave Maundrell (1 hr 21 mins 20 secs), Kevin Zwolinski (1 hr 23 mins 32 secs), Jan McLure (1 hr 25 mins 4 secs) and John Butler (1 hr 47 mins 47 secs).

Stratford’s Kim Lee saw 18 months of hard and dedicated training pay off as she won her age category in her first full distance triathlon – the Lakesman Triathlon.

Lee was in for an early start with a 2.4-mile two-lap swim around Derwent Island which she completed in 1 hr 22 mins as she transitioned to the bike section.

The 112-mile route saw an elevation gain of more than 1,300 metres as riders faced a headwind out along the coastal section with Lee 20th female at the halfway stage.

She made the transition to the run – a full marathon – in 6 hrs 22 mins, with five laps around Keswick the final hurdle before the finish.

And Lee was elated to finish in 12 hrs 37 mins, first in the W35 category and 14th female overall.

Lastly, hot and windy conditions challenged SAC runners in the Leamington Half marathon with Ade Mason (1 hr 25 mins 41 secs), Hannah Osborne (1 hr 43 mins 9 secs), Amy Rowe (1 hr 57 mins 26 secs), Bola Bamford (2 hrs 1 min 50 secs) and Caroline Mann (2 hrs 16 mins 57 secs) all completing the race.

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