City of Salisbury Athletics and Running Club

City of Salisbury running club’s James Hassan achieved what most of the 30,000 in Sunday’s London marathon found impossible. Not only did he overcome the day’s energy-sapping heat, going faster in the second half than the first, but he also improved his already quick personal best for 26.2miles.

With fine pace judgement, he clocked an excellent 2hours 51min 41sec on the event’s hottest day ever, when for many the challenge soon became simply to reach the finish.

James Mills was another to pace himself well, crossing the line in 3.07.59, and he was followed by Stuart Holloway 3.11.21, Ruth Thom 3.20.25, Reece Ingram 3.21.40, Mark Glanville 3.23.17, Andrew Holme 3.25.37, Kathy Dudman 3.28.41, Phil Smith 3.33.04, Jon Croom 3.34.28, Nick Cooke 3.34.55, Charlotte Ingram with a big PB of 3.37.26, Jo-Anne Gready 3.37.36, Craig Murphy 3.37.46, James Welsh 4.03.54, Gary Domoney 4.25.38, Gavin Barrett 4.27.30, Rob Drag 5.21.36 and Wendy Lucas 6.51.41.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Just before the start of the marathon, Bea Wood added further to her credentials with a superb win in the British Athletics 3 mile under 15’s road championships, finishing on the Mall in 16min 38sec that put her half a minute ahead of her nearest rival, and the same time as the under 17’s winner.

Also selected to run for the south west region, Lukas Bailey did well in the under 13’s to finish 15^th in 17.03.

The Southampton marathon also baked in hot sun, but Mike White still improved his previous best with a great run of 3.18.53. Jason Bennett clocked 3.47.42, Chrissy Gorham 4.26.10 and Jo Marks 4.59.53.

In the half marathon, Nick Hudson was Salisbury’s best with 1hour 34min 15sec and he was followed by Ian Lawrence in 1.34.32, Richard Larcombe 1.42.32, Marc Hawkins 1.47.40, Michael Warren 1.58.30, Rachel Bala 1.59.43, and Fi Thatcher 2.25.37.

Quickest in the 10k at the same venue was Mel Holloway with 54min 58sec, than came Denise von Roretz 1.00.58, Ali Theobald 1.02.35, Sue Sheppard 1.19.28 and Vasen Moodley with a gallant 1.25.30.

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Without any access to their home track for the past five months, a big group of City of Salisbury athletes travelled to their first Southern League division three fixture of the season at Exeter with few expectations of success.

 

On a cool and windy day no records were going to be broken but the outcome for the track team was extraordinary.

 

After fighting for every point throughout the match, and roared on by their clubmates, Salisbury defied their misfortune and turned it into a remarkable win, by a big margin.

 

Amid a host of good performances, Abby Littlejohn won the under 17’s 200m in 27.87sec and Ottilie Knight took the javelin event with 35.79m as well as the triple jump with 9.72m

 

Veteran Darren Clissold won both the hammer, with a throw of 35m and also the pole vault with 3m, before joining the sprint relay squad that took first place in 47sec.

 

Other winners included Hamish Mundell in the 400m hurdles, Alex Mundell in the 800m, and Alice Sullivan in the under 17’s 1500.

 

Next Southern League fixture is on May 20th at Horsham.

 

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Sparkling team performances by City of Salisbury runners among the total of 775 to cross the line were the backdrop to an astonishing number of personal bests in the annual 10mile league road race.

The outstanding success of this prestige fixture on the region’s road racing calendar was testament to the club’s indominatable spirit after it lost access to its home running track five months before in a dispute that only now appears to be nearing resolution. Because of the dispute, which involves the adjoining school and the county council, the course had to be moved away from the track which at the time of writing remains closed.

A cool and almost windless Sunday morning made for a fast start from Ashley Green and it was soon clear that conditions were unusually good for distance running.

At the line, Southampton AC’s Richard Waldron took top spot in 54min 06sec.

In an outstanding fourth place, Salisbury’s Chris Southern improved his previous best at the distance with an excellent run of 55.04.

 

A further hat-trick of host club personal bests followed, from Shaun Brown in 56.10, Aaron Wilson 56.53 and James Hassan 59.11 to complete a fine men’s A team performance for a good second place overall behind the much larger Southampton.

The day’s high standards were such that it took three more pb’s to earn places in the men’s B team, from Andrew Holme in 60.23, Lee Syrett 63.30, and Richard Davidson 63.51, the only exception being veteran Mike Brewster whose 62.39 was still one of his best.

 

In the women’s team race, won in 61.64 by Emma Jolley of Portsmouth AC, Salisbury’s Sian Thomas clocked her best of 63.19 for a hard-fought fourth place overall and second in her age group. Sarah Kemp crossed the line in 70.32 and Jo Bailey won her age group with a pb 72.56 to complete the A team.

Not far behind, the women’s B team comprised Emma Clarke, Sarah Brewster and Heather Hitchins with 74.38pb, 74.59 and 82.22pb respectively.

A special feature of the race this year was the presence at the finish of two beautiful camels from Little Durnford Manor, which is on the race route, to add to the event’s charity appeal. Their owner Lady Chichester kindly presented the prizes under the camels’ watchful eye.

Other Salisbury finishers were: Peter Callanan in 65.29pb, Nick Cooke 65.55pb, Phil Smith 66.41, Mike White 66.44pb, Craig Weatherburn 67.08pb, Ben Saunby 67.15pb, Ian Lawrence 67.35pb, Nick Hudson 68.15pb, John Duffy 68.44pb, Andy Budgell 69.36, James Ballard 70.18pb, Jason Bennett 70.21pb, Phil Perry 73.18pb and James Welsh 73.48pb.

Then came Gary Domoney 75.33pb, Steve Mitchell 76.06pb, Matt Harris 76.14pb, Derek Wood 77.48pb, Nick Willetts 79.02, Jon Kershaw 79.10, Tim Phillips 81.11pb, Vicky Robinson 82.46pb, Barry Vincent 82.53, Christian Chandler 83.00pb, Marie Shone 83.52, Paul Slaughter 85.24, Linda Robson 85.25pb, Paul Woodhouse 86.14, Rebecca Lockwood 88.00pb, Jane Knight 90.09pb, Helen Springett 90.56pb, John Turley 91.22pb, Jenny Robinson 92.03pb, David Smith 94.04pb, Elly Mills 94.32pb and Hannah Reeves 94.41.

Race director was Stuart Holloway ably assisted by Ruth Thom; many, many other willing volunteers were carefully coordinated by Liz Roberts; a host of organisations too numerous to mention all made valuable contributions; and by general consent the resulting event was one of CoSarc’s finest.

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Motorists are being warned of possible minor delays likely in the area around Salisbury fire station in Ashley Road at 10am on Sunday due to the annual 10 mile road race starting there with 900 entrants.

The race route takes in a short stretch of Castle Road, then Stratford Road and north through the Woodford Valley, turning at the Bridge Inn before returning southwards to the finish on Ashley Green opposite the fire station.

Race organisers City of Salisbury Athletics and Running Club say they will do everything possible to keep any disruption to an absolute minimum but have asked for drivers’ patience for the few minutes’ delay that may occur in the first mile or two.

The race is a key part of the region’s road league programme and also raises funds for local charities.

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The region’s top 10 mile road race has attracted its biggest ever full field of 900 entrants to face the starter on Sunday at Ashley Green opposite Salisbury fire station.

Host club City of Salisbury has a record total of 70 of its own runners primed for the 10am start, and one of its top marathon runners, Aaron Wilson – winner of last year’s Salisbury half marathon – is among the favourites for a podium place from the best of the pack assembled in the highly competitive Hampshire League fixture.

The course, which normally starts and finishes at the running track opposite Five Rivers leisure centre, has had to be switched to Ashley Green due to the track’s ongoing closure but has been remeasured by England Athletics officials to ensure its accuracy.

From there, the race route takes in Stratford Road and both of the riverside roads in the Woodford Valley as far north as The Bridge Inn, to finish close to the fire station.

One of the event’s unusual features will be the presence of a pair of camels from Little Durnford’s Chichester Estate. Normally they view the race from the roadside but this year they will grace the runners with their presence at the start and finish to assist in charity fund-raising.

Meanwhile in Florida, Salisbury student Jaymee Domoney reduced the club’s 1500m under-20’s record to 3min 51.9sec, missing the senior mark by just a third of a second.