Results round-up - August

With thanks to David Chalfen for writing this up, here's just some of the highlights from the last few weeks.  Well done to everyone involved.  But in particular to Will, who now has the 16th fastest all-time British 5000m time for a V40, and the fastest by a 44 year old.  

5000m races on track and road have been the recent highlights with some startling results and numerous PBs at the sharper end.

 

The Sri Chinmoy 5k on 15 July  has already been addressed, Nick Torry, Jonathan Poole and Andy Greenleaf keeping Mr Poynton busy!  At the London 10k Andy Greenleaf placed a strong 6th in this mega event in 30.55.

 

The Milton Keynes 5000s was a memorable event for Serpentine and arguably for English endurance. The Men’s A race is all here https://www.runjumpthrow.com/videos/37038/ and it’s worth losing 15 minutes of your life to see a Serpie vest negotiate 12.5 laps of track in under 14 minutes, and bigger picture the race unravelled in a remarkable way given it was the national champs. Also note on the video how Nick Torry spends the first km running as if he has been erroneously bumped up from the D race before coming into his own. It’s a great festival of running, after just two editions, ask returners Messrs Gillanders or Moscrop if you don’t trust the writer.  Will Green also excelled and 14.48 at age 44 is, in IAAF parlance, not hanging around. Also season’s best for Xavier Gruot in 15.40, after an ambitious first 2k.

That morning, John Poole’s 14.44 was also at the very top end of the club’s 5000 results. Also at the upper echelons of parkrun winners were JP at Gunnersbury 15.34 and Andy Greenleaf’s 15.22 at Winchester on 3 August.

Numerous Serpies at the Sri Chinmoy 10k on 3 August with Nic Besson romping away with a swift 31.58 just shy of his PB and Ben Tolputt taking 3rd in a PB of 33.04, again just missing 32 minute land.

 

Hercules Wimbledon Night of the 5000s on 7 August continued the growing series of open endurance-only track meetings and several of the club's leading lights sought further 12.5 lap success. Callan Moody won comfortably in 14.17 with a swift last km; another mighty run by Will Green, big PB of 14.35 and now featuring very highly in the UK All Time lists for his age; narrow PB for Tony Payne 14.47 amidst big pre-Doha Worlds marathon mileage, Nick Torry 14.50, Andy Greenleaf shaving his PB of 14.51 (sporting a strange vest, it seems he owns or wishes to own, or visit, some sort of Cottage; this London housing obsession gets everywhere), in a very strong A race. Chunky PBs in the back up races from Chris Oddy 15.14 and Xavier Gruot 15.25 (same residential inclinations as Andy G).

 

Earlier track leagues included a strong track result and fine progress from Anna Hollingsworth over 5000, with a solo 17.36 and further down the distances and age spectrum 16 year old Jonah Kramer broke the significant 2 minute barrier at 800 metres for the first time with 1.59.8, well in touch with the fastest seniors in the club’s history.

 

Nic Besson, as Tom has reported, dominated the Club 5k champs, winning by over 40 seconds on a very hot evening in 15.49  and about 15 hours later déjà vu (that is ‘same again’ in French, Nic) as he won the LFOTM in 15.44. Anna Lawson’s winning 18.46 at the Club race would also have been somewhat swifter in less steamy weather. Anna Hollingsworth won the Tampere parkrun in 18.18, taking Serpies towards the Arctic. Nic Besson slashed his 5k PB at yet another Battersea race, on August 5, his excellent 15.08 a close 2nd. Fine runs also by Ryan McCrickerd 15.59, a returning Richard Purdy 16.23 and Sarah Pemberton 18.36.

 

 

David Chalfen

 

 

Tom Poynton

running@serpentine.org.uk

Submitted: 13 August 2019

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