City of Salisbury athletes at the Lordshill 10k put the finishing touches to their outstanding season-long, 12 event campaign in the highly competitive Hampshire road race league by notching not only a win in the ladies’ race but also first place overall in the men’s standings.
With 66 finishers – 32 men and 34 women - Salisbury easily outnumbered more than 30 rival clubs from across the South.
The ladies race was won by a delighted Ruth Thom who set a rapid new personal best of 39min 15sec to take third place overall. This completed a busy June during which she earned a remarkable four trophies from four consecutive races.
Her partner Stuart Holloway was equally successful, his third place on the day in 33min 28sec proving good enough to win the men’s overall championship title, a huge achievement and a mark of sustained quality running.
Ruth Thom’s win led the ladies’ A team of Charlotte Ingram (42.55) and Samantha Hibdige (43.37) to an unconfirmed top spot in the division two table. The club’s B team of Sarah Brewster (46.13) Victoria Thomas (47.40) and Heather Hitchins (47.46) and C team of Charlotte Boardman (48.42) Emma Smith (48.57) and Alison Scott (50.12) both placed unofficial third in their respective tables.
For the men, James Hassan with 36.53, Lee Syrett (37.51) and James Mills (38.04) were the other point scorers for the A team, giving them fifth place in the league’s top division.
The B team placed fourth, comprising Benedict Saunby (38.26), Reece Ingram (38.43), Mike Brewster (39.00) and Iain Weber (39.30), and the C string came unconfirmed top of their league table with the help of Matt Sherfield (39.15), Nick Hudson (40.36), Rithy Hy (41.10) and Mike White (41.18).
Lesley Brown was the club’s tailmarker with 74.23 and finished to loud acclaim from a large group of clubmates for completing all 12 league events this season, a feat only John Kershaw among the men was able to match.
On the track in the Youth Development League match at Winchester, Joss Ferguson won the triple jump (12.12m) and pole vault and took second place place in the long jump (5.93m) and 110m hurdles. Tasha Mundell won the 100m hurdles, was second in the 3000m and 1500m steeplechase and third in the 400m hurdles.
Bea Wood came second in the 800m in 2:15.9 and Will Morris was also second in the 800m with a pb 2:04.4. Josh Dyer won the 100m in 11.3sec and came second in the 200m in 23.1. Lucy Wilkinson won the javelin with 37.50m and Molly Hole won both the shot put (12.12m) and the high jump(1.65m).
Bea Wood also set a key personal best in a 1500m at Exeter, her run of 4min 25.8sec propelling her to the very top of the UK rankings in the under 17’s.
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