Chapman puts in the miles to be a national champion – Bishop’s Stortford Independent
Chapman puts in the miles to be a national champion Bishop’s Stortford Independent
Bishop’s Stortford Running Club have a new national champion thanks to a brilliant performance from Kathryn Chapman in the Stort 30.
The race doubled as the UK Middle Distance Trail Running Championships and she completed the 30-mile off-road course in 3hr 52min 3sec to finish as first woman and sixth overall.
Nine Stortford members took on the Stevenage Half Marathon, which was also the Herts County Veterans Half Marathon Championship.
Ian McClymont won the V70 age group and the V70 county championship with an excellent 2:04.40.
Danny Beazley was first home for the club and ninth overall in 1:19.22 which earned him an MV40 bronze, closely followed by Jared Bethell (1:21.25).
Henry Ward (1:29.53) and Matthew Turner (1:46.21) achieved superb times in their first half marathons having completed the club’s 2019 beginners’ course, while Richard Eddershaw (1:36.37), Gary Jones (1:44.44), Mike Grant (1:50.20) and Tony Chada (1:54.29) also ran well.
Eddershaw also finished his first marathon in 3:32.50 as he took on the distance in Bury St Edmunds.
The racer, who had to defer his Berlin place, came 11th overall and was second in the V50 age category.
Michelle Hasty journeyed to America for the New York Marathon and was rewarded with a personal best as she completed her fourth race over the distance in 5:01.26.
Simon Latham completed the Amsterdam Half Marathon in 2:29.41 while Tim Kelly picked himself up from a fall to finish his 25th consecutive Dublin Marathon in 3:46.42.
Back closer to home, there were PBs for Keir Mann (36.56) and Simon Wallace (56.25) in the Cambridge Town and Gown 10k, with the former coming 51st overall.
A record Stortford contingent headed down to Eastbourne for the Beachy Head Marathon and 10k races.
Twenty-four members took on the marathon, which is known as one of the most scenic and difficult in the UK. The tough course, featuring 3,700ft of ascent, was made even harder by strong winds.
Matt Ironside was first home for the club in 4:41.40, closely followed by Megan Evans and Simon Ellice in 4:42.35.
Eight Stortford runners went for the 10k distance with Kevin Mully (43.19) being the fastest, followed by Bekah Cranch (56.42) and Kate Pitts and Corina Murray in 1:04.17.
And Jerry Piron completed the off-road Endurancelife Suffolk Half Marathon in 2:11.19.