Newmarket Heath Race & Stable Stud Challenge(for Headway)

The Newmarket Heath Race and Stable Stud Staff Challenge was blessed with with a pleasant Spring evening and a quality field. The annual 6k event and Junior race, was this year raising funds for Headway(life after brain injury) Cambridge.

Each year the event seems to happily combine a select blend of elite athletes, along with social club runners and occasional runners turning out to support a good cause. They are all very welcome.

The inter stable/stud rivalry is always compelling and this year was no different. Darley pre Training were once more the winners of the Challenge trophy with a team of Ursula Ransom, Maxine Lane, and Chris Swift. Ross Birkett(Team Feilden) took the 1st male Stable/Stud prize in 19.22. Grainne Neary(Rossdales) took 1st female Stable/Stud

The 6K event was won impressively by the outstanding West Suffolk athlete Sebastian Anthony in a time of 18.01. First Jogger home was the consistent Paul Holley in 4th place in 18.47 which also saw him take 1st V45. The promising Joe Brown was close up in 5th in 18.56. Robin Clifford brush off the marathon shoes to run 12th in 20.05 chased home by David Williams in 20.19. Alex Cairns is busy racing these days and produced a time of 20.29. Craig Sargent, Jason Beeton, and Kevin Connolly were had to split in 21.02,21.20,and 21.29 respectively.First female was the impressive Ursula ransom in 21.50. Grainne Brennan is certainly improving fast and stormed home in 23.18. Gavin Moon has done wonderfully well to recover from surgery to be running brilliantly and produced again in 24.02. Trevor Sallis was next home in 25.07. Ultra runner Alan Shand showed a liking for a shorter distance and ran well in 25.57. Bill Parsons was home in 26.08. Carolynn Anderson has raced regularly this year and again ran credibly in 27.12.

Svitlana Zinchenko was next in 27.18. Sally Phillips came home in 27.38. Cathy Russell had a great run in 29.21 and also took the FV45 prize.Claire Loos was next in 29.52 and Isabel shook out the marathon legs and ran with credit in 30.31.Joanne Podd and Jackie Hall were close together in 31.45 and 31.51. Sandra Jaina(32.58) and Beth Price(33.18) just shaded Alison Parsons(34.23) and Pearl Fay(34.58)

Jane Smith (35.36) Alex Russell-Hopkinson(35.38and Emma Townsend(35.39) were locked together and were a credit to the 2015 Beginners Running Group who were fantastically well represented and the whole club is very proud of their achievements. Jules Murden was close behind then in 36.07 and Sara Nears in 36.18. Sophie Woolsey is progressing fantastically and came home in 47.07.

The Junior Race was up in numbers this year and was started by Ron Wallwork MBE, Empire and Commonwealth Games Gold medallist in 20 mile walk in 1966, Kingston Jamaica.

After an impressive warm up, the boys U8 was won by Owen Milbank, who mother was feeding the the spectators with delicious soup, in 10.39. Junior Joggers Zachary Evans, Harry Leadbeter were 2nd and 3rd with Alex Thompson in 5th. The girls U8 was won by Joggers Grace Wordsworth-Clarke in 9.49. Eadie Brooker was 2nd and Hannah Marsh and Ellie Payne were 6th and 7th. The boys U11 produced a clean sweep for the Joggers with Patrick O’Rioden 1st in 7.47 followed home by Connor Adams and Harry Kelly. Oliver Wordsworth-Clarke was 5th and Austin Taylor was 6th. Jack Stearn, Alex Aitken and William Taylor had a tussle in 8th, 9th and 10th. There were also fine runs from Ben Robinson, Charlie Payne, Toby Evans, Edward Rees, Thomas Leadbeter and Charlie Hall.
The Girls U11 was won by Scarlett Keates in a rapid time of 8.36. Emily Sargeant, Emily Knibbs, Tilly Maxwell, Amelia Thompson and Phillipa Rice chased her home. There were also fine runs from Ella Duncan, Bessy Knibbs, Tyrii Bell, Daisy Marsh, Charlotte Rice, Olivia Rees and Jessica Hatley.
The boys U13 saw a tussle between Ruben Long, 1st in 7.38 and Jonathan Rees in 7.40. Harry O’Shea, Owen Stockwell and James Leadbeter were 4th ,5th and 6th. Girls U13 was won by Ciara Gill-Ryan in 7.49 with Jogger Seren Palmer 6th. Sam Feilden took the Boys U15 in 7.45. Girls U15 went to Jogger Charlie Davis in 8.09 from Darcy Keates.