Harrison recovers from being blown off course to win Cheltenham Half

Leamington C&ACs Sue Harrison on her way to victory in Cheltenham.

The course took runners through the town centre and leafy wide roads of the Spa town, with Harrison, whose autumn schedule has been disrupted by the cancellation of the World 100k Championships, going through the first five miles in 30min 4sec for 20th place overall.

Continuing to run at around six-minute miling pace, she passed the ten-mile marker in 60:17 to open up a commanding lead in the ladies’ race and move up one place overall.

The toughest part of the course then followed as runners turned into the grounds of Cheltenham Racecourse where they were buffeted by strong, cold cross winds.

Harrison slowly saw her chances of a sub-80 clocking disappear as she dipped to 6:30 miling on the two-mile run around the edge of the course.

However, once off the racecourse and back into the leafy suburbs her pace picked up and she crossed the line in a new ladies’ record of 80:24 to win the women’s race by almost six minutes and finish 18th overall.

The men’s race was won by Toby Spencer of Coventry Godiva Harriers in 67:00 - also a course record.

After the race, Harrison said: “I thoroughly enjoyed that apart from the couple of miles around the racecourse.

“I felt good and as I was the leading lady runner I got great support from the many supporters around the course.”

Kenilworth Runners’ Matt Dyer knocked more than a minute off his personal best to finish 39th in 1:26:15.

Incessant rain and gusting winds greeted runners who made the trip to the Welsh town of Llanwyddn for the 25th Lake Vyrnwy Half Marathon.

Even race winner Ben Fish, (Blackburn Harriers) who has won the race in four of the last five years, recorded his slowest winning time of 1:08:05.

Peter Bryan was the first Kenilworth Runner home in his second quickest half-marathon time of 1:22:27 for46th place.

Not far behind was Richard Steel in 1:24:16, ahead of a great battle between Roger Homes and Marc Curtis, who finished in 1:25:39 and 1:26:00, respectively.

Jimmy Atkins, enjoying a trip to Wales as part of his birthday celebrations, crossed the line in 1:28:27 followed by partner Sara Habib in 1:44:49.

Spa Striders’ Lucy Burnett finished 292nd overall in 1:38:15, while clubmate Barbara Gunter was 846th in 2:00:32.