Cheltenham and FoD Half Marathons – 2018
On a still and overcast end-of-September morning a crop of CLC Striders lined up among the many hundreds of people aiming to complete the Cheltenham Half Marathon. It was to prove a day of PBs for club runners.
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Leading the club home in 27th place was Tom Kabala (pictured)in a fantastic PB time of 1:20:29. He was followed by Will Pearce in 34th place and well-deserved PB time of 1:21:21. Club newbie Dan Bazzard came home in 46th place in a PB of 1:22:38 and tough-man Tom Fletcher clocked 1:25:14 in 63rd place. Tom was followed home by V55 first place finisher Andy Brookes in a new PB and club record time of 1:26:58 – a fantastic achievement. Alex Monro also broke the 1:30 barrier coming home in 118th place in a time of 1:29:24.
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First lady home for the club was the ever-reliable Helen Knight (pictured)who was only just outside 1:30 in a PB time of 1:30:04 as 4th in her FV35 category and 9th lady overall. JJ Willson clocked a solid 1:31:21 as 4th finisher in his MV55 category, while the fast-improving Ben Akif registered another Half Marathon PB of 1:32:10. Tom Vickers finished in 1:32:41 and Eoin Mcquone, running his first ever half in his first season with Striders, ran a brilliantly paced 1:33:02. Paul Northup, returning from injury, ran a solid 1:33:36, encouraged all the way around by club stalwart Chris Hale, who finished alongside him in 1:33:37. Ed Collier finished as 3rd MV60 in a time of 1:34:45 and Gavin Jerman ran a great PB of 1:35:52 to finish 8th in the MV55 category, with Roger Stenner 9th in the same category, also in a time of 1:35:52.
Amanda Steer was 3rd in her FV45 category in a time of 1:36:12, Gareth Harries ran 1:36:51, Hedley Phillips smashed his PB with a time of 1:37:37, Stuart Barr clocked 1:38:11, Gary Smith bagged a hard-fought PB of 1:38:59, Peter Ronan finished in 1:40:25, Mike Speke ran a PB of 1:49:26, and Bradley Coates finished in 1:49:56.
Kate Wakeling clocked 1:50:01, Sophie Longmore, in her first half after the birth of her baby in the summer finished in 1:52:57, John Shea finished in 1:53:23 as 5th MV65, Alex Goodlock in 1:54:54 and Emma Abbey in 1:55:16.
Janet Mustoe and Martin Bick got round in 2:14:00 and 2:14:01 respectively and Charlie Haward, dressed as a penguin as part of the posse of people remembering local runner Rich Walklate, came home in a fun time of 2:29:05.
Meanwhile, over in the Forest of Dean Half, Amelia Mullins (pictured)clocked a great time of 1:43:57 on the challenging course as 19th lady overall and 2nd LV45. Also competing were Laura Fletcher who finished in 1:52:03 and Jill Hooper in 2:13:14.
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