18 Sept 2014

Stretton Skyline Fell Race

Stretton Skyline Fell Race

Mel Price won her first ever Stretton Skyline Fell Race and with it ran the 4th fastest time ever in the 19 mile race 33 year history. The Stretton Skyline organised by Telford Athletic Club, starts and finishes in Church Stretton and has check points at Pole Bank, Ragleth, Caer Caradaoc, The Lawley and Motts Road on the Long Mynd involving 4,450 feet of climbing. Mel, from Woolston near Church Stretton, runs for the Mercia Fell Running Club she is one of the leading runners in the country and is well placed in this years British and English Championships. She overtook team mate and last years winner Emma Gould on the final Gogbatch climb onto the Long Mynd to come home in 2 hours 52 minutes and 13 seconds, 6  minutes faster than her previous best and when she was fourth last year. She is now 4th on the all time list behind coures record holder Ruth Pickvance from South Wales who ran 2.46.42 when winning in 2005. Hannah Jarvis from Mynyddwyr, was second in 3.02.22 the 13th fastest ever, whilst Polly Gibb from Coalbrookdale, the 4 times winner and second fastest ever was 3rd this year in 3.05.10.

Hugh Aggleton, who is living in Hampshire but running for the Mynyddwyr club from South Wales, won the mens race in 2.29.46 and became the first man since Shrewsbury's Mike James in 2008 to get under 2 and a half hours. He got the better of the early leader and last years winner Dominic Jones from Dorrington, who now runs for Mercia but formerley Shropshire Shufflers. Although having to settle for second place Dominic had the satisfaction of running a new personal best of 2.33.50 over 3 minutes qicker than last year. Virgil Barton from Moreton Corbet finished 3rd and the first over 40, in 2.43.13 and made a massive 12 minute improvement. Jon Hedger from Shrewsbury was 4th in 2.46.37 whilst Telford Athletic Club's Nick Thomas was 5th in 2.49.37 and the first over 50.

Paul Sanderson

Harper Scarper


Harper Scarper


The final race in this years Up and Running sponsored the 32nd Sexarathon Race Series organised by Telford Athletic Club took place on Wednesday at Harper Adams University, Edgmond, near Newport. The Harper Scarper a 5 kilometre, multi terrain race saw Claire Martin and Paul Ward both win their races and with that the overall sexarathon titles. Paul Ward, from Wrekin Road Runners won the Harper Scarper in 16.04, with Robin Sedman Smith, the sexarathon champion in 2006, second in 16.24, whilst James Jefferson from West Bromwich Harriers was third in 16.26. The reigning Sexarathon Champion, Joe Brocklehurst from Shrewsbury was 5th in 16.34. Claire Martin from Telford Athletic Club won the womens race in 17.41, with Helen Palmer from the Serpentine Running Club, London second in 18.28 whilst Michelle Clarke, the 2009 and 2010 overall champion third just 3 seconds behind in 18.31. This is the third year of the Harper Scarper race and it saw a record number of finishers as 269 runners crossed the finish line.

The Harper Scarper is the final race in this years Sexarathon Race Series which involves six mid week races held from April to September, sponsored by Mo Hill from the Up and Running Shop in Shrewsbury.

Winning the overall title this year gave Claire Martin her a record 9th title, in what is one of the oldest race series in the country, that started in 1983, she won her first Sexarathon title in 1994. Paul Ward won the mens title for the 7th time after winning his first title in 2003. Other prize winners in the overall men and womens categories were 2nd Michelle Clarke, Telford AC, 3rd Kathy Jones Shrewsbury Tri, 4th Georgia Potts, Bridgnorth AC, 5th Lisa Blagden Telford AC and 6th Linzi Nuttall. In the mens category Joe Brocklehurst was second, 3rd Robin Sedman Smith, 4th Ben Foster Dudley Kingswingford, 5th James Jefferson West Bromwich Harriers and 6th Robert Meredith Dudley and Stourbridge.

The overall age group winners were over 35 Rachel Simms, Telford AC, over 40 Alison Preece, over 45 Sara Rex, Telford Harriers, over 50 Jo Grandfield, Market Drayton Running Club, over 55 Karen Foreman, Telford Harriers, over 60 Anne Strowger, Newport, over 65 Dot Fellows, Cannock and Stafford, over 70 Kathy Ling, Wrekin Road Runners. men over 35 Robert Norman, over 40 Dale Wilkinson, Telford AC, over 45 Paul Coupe, Telford AC, over 50 John Garmson, Telford AC, over 55 Jonathan Morgan, Whitchurch Whippets, over 60 Peter Savill, Shrewsbury AC, over 65 Rick Tyrer, over 70 John Buckby, West Bromwich Harriers.

Paul Sanderson

Telford Games

Telford Games.

Photo courtesy of  Brian Clarke Kidz in Focus , shows Danni Langdale setting a new meeting record of 3.40m to win the under 17 girls pole vault.

Top class athletes from throughout the country were on show at this years Telford Games held at the Telford Stadium on Saturday, organised by Telford Athletic Club. It is the 26th year that the meeting has been held, with the first having to be held at RAF Cosford in 1989, before Telford had an athletics stadium. In a high quality meeting there were 13 meeting records, as well as several athletes setting personal bests and season best. The meeting was using electronic photo finish timing for the first time, allowing athletes to be given times to a hundreth of a second, as well as electronic distance measuring. The stand out highlight of the meeting was by Cannock and Stafford under 15 javelin thrower Bethan Rees who threw 47.56 metres, the furthest throw in her age group by anyone in the country so far this season. Adele Nicoll, a student at Walford and North Shropshire College, who won the senior girls shot for Shropshire Schools at this years English Schools Championships set new meeting records in the under 20 womens shot and discus, with performances of 13.90m and 42.31m respectively, Adele already holds the under 13 and under 15 shot best performances for this event. Danni Langdale from Telford AC, moved up the national rankings with a new personal best of 3.40m as she set a new meeting record in the under 17 girls pole vault. Her team mate Hayley Rubery won the senior womens pole vault clearing 3.50m but also set a new meeting record in the discus throwing 37.59m. Bridgnorth AC's Adrian Lloyd - Davies was very impressive as he won the under 15 boys 800m by a clear 12 seconds winning in 2.04 to set a new meeting record.

Wenlock Olympians ' Toby Jones had a good day as he collected 3 gold medals in the under 13 boys age group winning the 100m in 13.93, the 200m in 28.76 and the javelin 36.91m. Telford AC's Tobie Watson was also in top form winning two events in the same age group, the long jump woth 4.40m and the high jump 1.35m.. Telford AC's Krystof Danek who has burst onto the Shropshire scene this summer was an impressive winner of the under 15 boys 100m in 11.75, but had run 11.60 in the heats he also won the long jump with a leap of 5.67m. Ellis Greatrex the Shropshire sprint champion from Thomas Telford School set a new meeting record in winning the 80m hurdles in 11.63 and the 200m in 23.44. Shrewsbury AC's Hollie Williamson celebrated her bronze medal in the recent UK School Games as she won the under 17 womens 100m final in 12.96, the 80m hurdles final in 11.89 and the high jump clearing 1.66m. Telford AC's Fran Garrott who was second in this years national under 17 javelin championships won the event with a throw of 39.37m as well as winning the shot putting 9.38m.

Other Shropshire winners were

U/11 Boys cricket ball - Ben Shotton ( BAC ) 37.27m
U/13 Boys 800m - Oliver Carvell ( BAC) 2.21.46
U/15 Boys Triple jump - James Milburn ( K & S ) 11.91m
U/15 Boys Javelin - Liam Sutcliffe ( BAC ) 36.43m
U/15 Boys High Jump - Matthew Yates ( BAC ) 1.57m
U/17 Mens 100m Hurdles - Josh Davies ( TAC ) 15.21
U/17 Mens Triple Jump - Conor Craven ( TAC ) 11.55m
U/20 Mens Shot - Jamie Carter ( TAC ) 9.06m
U/20 Mens Triple Jump - Goerge Speakman ( SAC ) 12.76m
Sen Mens Mile - Matt Guilder ( SAC ) 5.03.68
Sen Mens 200m - Santino Dummett ( TAC ) 23.13
Sen Mens High Jump - Andrew Neat ( TAC ) 1.50m
Sen Mens Javelin - Mark Embrey ( TAC ) 41.80m
Masters Mens Mile - Dale Wilkinson ( TAC ) 4.49.21

U/11 Girls 60m - Liana White ( TAC ) 9.53
U/11 Girls Cricket Ball - Abbey Price ( TAC ) 25.24m
U/15 Girls 800m - Molly Andrews ( BAC ) 2.26.0
U/15 Girls High Jump - Megan Broad ( TAC ) 1.45m
U/15 Girls Shot - Claire Richards ( TAC ) 6.25m
U/17 Womens Long Jump - Sophie Bleazard ( TAC ) 4.77m
U/17 Womens Triple Jump - Jessica Watson ( TAC ) 9.24m
U/20 Womens 100m - Amy Bowen ( TAC ) 13.03
U/20 Womens High Jump - Nancy Ndure ( TAC ) 1.55m
Sen Womens Triple Jump - Naomi Farquharson ( TAC ) 8.61m

Paul Sanderson