City of Salisbury Athletics and Running Club

City of Salisbury Athletics & Running Club (CoSARC) came out in force along with the sun this weekend for what must have been one of the club’s busiest – and most successful – weekends of 2018 so far, writes Di Cross.

The club fielded three five-runner teams (Men, Ladies and Mixed) and one solo runner at Endure24, a 24-hour relay event held at Wasing Park near Reading. The CoSARC Small Mixed Team – comprising Stuart Holloway, Ruth Thom, James Welsh, Mark Glanville and Angus Paton – completed a remarkable 39 laps between them (approx 195 miles) to take the trophy in that category. Both the Men’s and Ladies’ teams placed in the top 12 of their groups while solo runner Terry Brown ran 13 laps (65 miles) despite recovering from a knee operation. He was raising money for Momentum, a children’s cancer support charity.

It was a club and family double at Collingbourne Half Marathon, with husband and wife Reece and Charlotte Ingram winning the Men’s and Women’s races. Reece won overall, completing the 13.1 miles in 01:32:09 with Charlotte in 7th (first woman) in 01:37:59.

There was another win for Charlotte Boardman, who completed the endurance event Race to the Tower, part of the Threshold Trail Series, in fast time of 10:29:15. First woman and second overall, Charlotte opted for the 2-day event, running the first day in 05:04:17, stopping overnight and then completing day two in 5:24:57, covering a double-marathon distance in the process.
At Lacock 10k, Richard Davidson finished 3rd overall (and 2nd in age category) setting a new PB of 38:21. Andy Webb finished in 51:12 and Sue Sheppard in 01:20:04.
Heading south, Nick Hudson ran Yeovil Marathon in 03:27:21 to finish 37th – and 8th in category; Lesley Brown headed to Dorset for the Puddletown Plod Half Marathon, which she completed in 02:25:10, finishing 92nd; while Jenny Weatherburn ran the Weymouth Half Marathon (time tbc).

RACE FOR LIFE VOLUNTEER RECORD

CoSARC was also please to be able to support the Salisbury Race For Life this weekend, with many club members volunteering to help at the event. Elizabeth Roberts writes: When the call went out for volunteers to help out at this year’s Race For Life on Hudson’s Field, the organisers had less than 20 applicants. Within two weeks, this number rose to more than 100 and is thought, by the organisers, Cancer Research UK, to be the highest number of volunteers recorded for any previous Race For Life event in the country. This is surely testament to Salisbury’s particularly strong community spirit and volunteering ethos within the local running community.
Salisbury’s event comprises a 5K and a 10K, both routes hilly and with half of the 10K route off-road this can be a tough course to complete. Both routes go north of Hudson’s Field, through Stratford-Sub-Castle, with the 5K looping back to the bridleway north of Old Sarum and the 10K reaching as far as the village of Salterton before turning homeward on the bridleway.
Participation levels rose this year; up to 1,100 taking part, compared to around 900 in 2017. The organisers are hoping that more than £60,000 will be raised this year by Salisbury’s event for Cancer Research UK.

Lukas Bailey was one of several City of Salisbury stars competing at the Young Athletes’ League track and field fixture at Woking, where in hot conditions he lopped 11 seconds off his previous best to win the under 15’s 1500m in style.

Danny Sinclair won the 80m hurdles and Luke Reeve came out on top in a competitive shot put contest.

Among the under 13’s, William Barnard took the honours in the javelin with a great throw of 32.17, well supported by the rapidly improving Rudy Hewlett’s win in the B string.

Thomas Holme, Harry Jordan, William Miles and Kieran McCullam all performed well in their new individual events.

Molly Hole broke the under 17 high jump league record with a winning 1.75m and Lottie Millar set a great new pb in the under 15’s event with 1.58m.

Bea Wood continued her demolition of under 15’s records when she set a new league mark in the 1500m, clocking 4min 26.3sec.

Livvy Hewlitt won the under 13’s high jump and Lydia Holyoake took third in the under 13’s 100m.

Great team spirit was notable throughout, as shown by Olivia Glover in the junior age group who despite being unwell, insisted on completing the 1200m to win valuable points for the club.

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CoSarc club spirit came to the fore at Netley and Horsham at the weekend and helped produced a wide range of good performances.

City of Salisbury teamwork in the Southern Athletics league fixture at Horsham made sure they stayed top of the division three table when they won the match by over 60 points.

Among many fine performances on the day, Jacob Norcliffe recorded a huge personal best in a beautifully judged 400m win in 53.0sec to accompany his 200m win in 23.5.

Jaymee Domoney returning from the US made easy work of the 800m (2.01) and the 1500m (4.05) with Sam Coles and Alex D’arbost taking the B string wins, and Eddie O’gorman won the 3k in 9.47.

Sarah Brett had a good day winning the 400m hurdles (69.7) and 400 flat (62.8). Victory went to Molly Hole in the shot put (10.5m) and high jump (1.65m) and Otillie Knight in the triple jump(9.76m) and javelin(36.32m). Alex Mundell also had a series of wins including 800m (2min.23sec) 1500m steeple chase (5min 40.1sec) and 400m (63sec).

Stuart Holloway took a good second place in the Netley 10k league race but crucially the runner who beat him was the Hampshire road race league leader, Southampton AC’s Richard Waldron.
Holloway’s time of 34min 14sec keeps him in second spot overall with just two fixtures remaining.
Jonathan Croom was Salisbury’s next to finish, in 38.45, then came Mike White 40.26 and John Duffy 41.44 to complete the men’s A team.
In one of the best runs of the day, Ruth Thom clipped 12seconds off her personal best with a quick 40.21 for sixth place in the women’s race, Liz Roberts’ 52.12 and Rebecca Lockwood’s 52.15 making the scoring trio.
Richard Larcombe led the men’s B team finishers with 43.22 and he was followed by Andy Budgell 44.04, Stuart Robertson 45.20 and Steve Mitchell 46.06.
The women’s B team comprised Linda Robson 53.12, Di Cross 56.03 and Lisa Milner 58.30.
Other club finishers in support were Jonathan Kershaw 46.50, Barry Vincent 47.47, Nick Willetts 47.48, Denise von Roretz 58.36, Lesley Brown a big pb of 58.45 and Craig Weatherburn on pacing duty with 58.46.
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With some of the club’s faster runners elsewhere, City of Salisbury took a reduced squad to the Alton 10mile but still produced some good performances to defend their standings in the Hampshire road race league.

Jonathan Croom was close to his best despite the hilly course, clocking 67min 12sec to lead home the men’s A team that currently tops division 2 just ahead of Farnham.

In support were Richard Larcombe in 75.20, Steve Mitchell 80.52 and Matthew Dyer 80.57.

Jane Whiteley had cause to celebrate when she found her 97.31 was good enough to head the women’s A team, with Denise von Roretz 106.34 and Kathryn Dreyer 109.07 completing the trio. Lesley Brown was close behind in 109.09.

The men’s B team comprised Stuart Robertson with 81.36 and he was followed by Jon Kershaw 82.16, Barry Vincent 84.22 and James Ballard 88.25.

Next league fixture is the Netley 10k on Sunday [20^th] alongside Southampton Water.

In the Ox series of off-road events near Tollard Royal, James Mills produced a great win in the 53mile endurance race, timed at 7hours 56min 26sec just three minutes ahead of his nearest challenger.

Liz Roberts capped an 80mile weekend by recording her longest ever competitive run in the same event, with no less than 14 hours 8mins on the clock.

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