The summer of success goes on for Stratford AC
WHETHER it be in the water, on the bike or on road and trails across England and Wales, nothing is stopping the run of individual and club success for Stratford AC this summer.
Seth Turner took on the Dulux Race to the King at the weekend, a 100k trail on Goodwood racecourse passing through the Chichester Harbour AONB and then onto the South Downs.
After a relatively flat first 30k, Turner found himself on track at 40k and was in third at the halfway point. Having managed to then move up to second, he maintained that position for the rest of the race.
He would complete the course in 11:15:00, the second fastest time of the day.
This completed the set of four Threshold event ultras for Turner, who ran the Cotswold Way in 2018, The Ridgeway in 2019, and St Oswold’s Way last year. He now has his sights on a 50k ultra in just a few weeks, setting himself a target of four hours.
Triathletes Sarah Odell and Ben Phyall each enjoyed success in their races, Odell at the Slateman triathlon in Wales and Phyall at the British Championship Olympic distance event in Leeds.
Finishing the 1,500m swim in 24th in the M40-44 group, Phyall moved into 15th place in his group after his fastest event, the 36.2k bike section in gusty winds. A hilly 10k run completed the triathlon.
“I had set myself an overall target time and beat that by just one second to get 2:19:59, 17th in my age group and 138th out of 1,174 British Championship finishers overall,” said Phyall.
Odell’s race, also over the standard Olympic distances, began with the swim in what she described as the ‘freezing’ waters of Llyn Padarn before the bike section took competitors through Snowdonia up to Llanberis via the Pen y Pass. A tough 10k route through an old slate quarry with a climb of 341m completed the event.
Odell finished in 3:47:45, securing fifth in her age group (50+), 37th female and 232nd overall.
More Welsh hills, this time in Powys, challenged club members in the Offa’s Dyke 15 but there was a podium place for Matt Burdus-Cook who came in third in 1:49:44, taking 3:30 off his 2019 time.
Other SAC competitors were: Adam Linforth (12th, 2:04:35), Max Ross (15th, 2:06:01), Joe Lee (23rd, 2:10:11), Peter Sugden (31st, 2:15:55), David Smyth (32nd, 2:16:01), Clare Weatherhead, Graham Hill, Suzanne Ross (125th, 126th, 127th, 2:50:55), Stuart Evans (171st, 3:06:27), Rebecca Pridham and Emma Parkin (174th, 175th, 3:10:43), Peter Wharton (182nd, 3:13:35).
In another hilly race, this time from the Roman city of Verulamium Park, Kate Sergent raced through country lanes to take first place in her age group in the St Alban’s half marathon, finishing in 2:20:54.
Closer to home at the Two Castles 10k, a perennial road race favourite between Warwick and Kenilworth castles, Maddie Linfoot stormed home first in her age group (15-19) in 42:11 – three minutes faster and 200 places ahead of the second age group runner – to finish 123rd overall. First Stratford athlete home was Richard Liggatt (17th, 35:11).
John Bettles scored a PB (45:48) while other Stratford finishers were: Ade Mason (38:20), David Teasdale (39:39), Huw Crossweller (40:39), John Raby (41:43), Stuart Griffiths 46:37), Graham Hill (46:53), Susan Hunt (52:04), Suzi Graham (53:01), Chris Bloomfield (53:54), David Maundrell (55:40), Kevin Zwolinski (57:57), Jan McLure (59:23), Lisa Stevens (1:01:02), Jane Fradgley 1:01:49), Miranda Maloney (1:10:21).