City of Portsmouth Athletic Club hosted the second Hampshire Road Race League fixture with a fast 5 mile course.
Unlike a hilly 2 lap Overton 5 last week this flat course took you out from the Mountbatten running track along the Stamshaw Promenade & around 1000 Lakeside before returning to the track.
Andover AC young guns were out in force and set a blazing trail. Junior male Matt Cook lead the charge in his first 5 mile race for the club, hot on the heels of Kenyan Gladys Yator, who ran a female course record of 26:34, Matt was close behind in a club record breaking 27:01, finishing second junior male and 13th overall.
Close behind in 18th and also running his first road 5 miler was talented modern pentathlete Matt Dewey, in a scorching 27:28 (12th senior male). Another young gun, Archie McKellar, continued his fantastic form at Overton last week with 29:38 finish, earning him 51st place and 5th junior male. The fourth member of the A team was Chris Dewey in 62nd place (4th MV45) in 29:51.
The B team was lead home by Steve Brett in 64th place, just breaking the magic 30 minute barrier in 29:55, a new PB and club record for this age group (11th MV40). Hot on his heels was Rob Cliffe in 66th place, also a PB in 29:55 (All but 1 second separating Steve & Rob by chip time).
Rob also claimed the 1st MV50 award. 3rd in with a spectacular 102 seconds PB was Tim Bennett finishing in 114th place with a time of 31:58 (8th MV50). Completing the B team was club stalwart Kelvin Mason, just missing out on his PB in 35:55 and 233rd overall (5th MV60)
These great performances mean the A team stay top of A-Division 2 whilst the B team climb four places to second in B-Division 2.
The ladies team was again lacking in numbers, Janey Parker in her first HRRL 5 miler secured 339th place in a great time of 40:44 (12th FV40), closely followed by team mate Caroline Bennett in 347th and 41:38 (10th FV50).
Unfortunately the lack of a third team member meant the ladies efforts were thwarted, leaving the A team struggling in 8th position in A-Division 2 and the B team are yet to score in B-Division 2.
Andover AC is a small friendly club and offer help and training from couch potatoes to budding elite runners.
Visit www.andover-athletic.co.uk for more information. Next HRRL fixture is Solent Half Marathon on 28th September, why not give it a go?
