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Press Report 11th August 2009
Glorious Sunnshine greeted runners in the
Littlehavens 5k as a small squad of 4 Ilford athletes lined up in a
large field of over 400 in Basildon's Gloucester Park on Sunday
morning. Ilford AC stalwart Terry Knightley was Master of Ceremonies
for the day on behalf of the host club, Phoenix Striders,
interviewing Scotsman and former winner Iain Campbell as one of many
"running legends" present. The race was started by Miss Galaxy
International and former Ilford resident, Hayley Mac, who also
competed in the proceedings herself. The affray went off at a
furious pace with a large Basildon contingent and Billericay's
senior statesmen David Butler leading the charge. Campbell was
patiently biding his time sitting just off the pace. With half of
the 1st lap gone things had more or less sorted themselves out
as Campbell hit the front, having only Basildon's Dale Clutterbuck
for company and Steve Whittaker of Southend 20 metres adrift in 3rd.
Clutterbuck at 17 years is 32 years junior to
the gritty Scotsman and yet was unable to fight off the attentions
of the Ilford veteran just pipping him to the post in 16minutes 11
seconds with the Ilford man just one second behind in 16.12.
The club had 3 women in the ladies race who
arrived at the finish line with barely a minute between them. Nicola
Hopkinson led the way with 23.31, with Sally Gillam and Nikki
McNelis happy with their runs of 24.07 and 24.29, both finishing
well up in the field. The women's race was won by Tracey Ranson
of Springfield Striders in 17.39. As well as the usual trophies on
offer both male and female winners collected the excellent prize of
a mountain bike each for their effforts.
Meanwhile Pam Jones has now returned from Lahti,
Finland, where she has been giving an excellent account of herself
in the 18th World veteran track and field championships. After 2
narrow defeats to the same opponent in the 5000m and the 8k cross
country Pam brilliantly turned the tables in the 10000m defeating
her adversary Zofia Turosz for the women 70+ gold medal, clocking
51.15 to the Pole's 51.59. Unfortunately the club's other
represenative, John Batchelor, has had to sit things out following a
hamstring injury sustained during the latter stages of the 5000m
last week.