• Press Report 20th October 2008

    Ilford AC's Pam Jones set a blistering pace in the Cabbage Patch 10 mile road race on Sunday crossing the line in 79 minutes 34 seconds.  Starting and finishing in Twickenham the course follows a loop, crossing the river in Kingston and Richmond following the roads and towpaths. Pam was delighted with her time afterwards and confessed to not having broken the 80 minute barrier for a while. At 72 years of age and competing against women over 15 years her junior this gave her 6th place in the womens over 55 category and top overall womens mark of the day with  90.38% on the age graded scale.
    Sally Gillam used the race as a final preparation for next weeks Dublin marathon ccoming home in 83.11 and new Harrier Jonathan Masterson made a pleasing debut at the distance recording 76.32.
     
    The race, now in its 27th running, is one of the flattest and best 10 milers in the country (Richard Nerurkar set an all time British record of 46 mins 2 secs in 1993) and with weather conditions on the day ideal together with the added incentive of some considerable prize money on offer some very fast times ensued. In the mens race Scott Overall of Blackheath and Bromley stormed round in 48.28 to get the better of Moumin Geele 49.23. However the performance of the day came from supreveteran Welsh International Martin Rees whose 53.21 easily won the men 50 plus section giving him 4th place overall and a massive 96.72 % age grading.
     
    In a quality women's race no less than 6 women broke the hour marker with Kenya's Magdalene Mukunzi 56.48 over a minute clear of Belgrave's Birhane Dagne, a former winner. 
     
    Elsewhere John Batchelor had a run in the "Jill Oliver Memorial" 10K (formerly the Lee Valley 10K) from the Picketts Lock Centre on Sunday morning.  On a flattish certified accurate 10K course he placed 8th out of 250 finishers rec ording 39m 11s, a season's best on the road, and took the M60 trophy.
    After completing a 16 mile training run the previous day Bree Nordin decided on a whim to compete in the Maidstone half marathon where she finished 2nd lady over 45 in a time of 1hr 35m 48s.