CLC Striders Race Report from Linda Franks 5 mile road race - Sunday 19 January 2025
No less than 19 CLC Striders joined almost 300 runners on the start line for this local and popular annual road race. Providing the perfect road-race challenge for athletes at the start of another year, this two-lap course around the housing estates on the west side of Cheltenham drew a competitive field from all across the region.
Conditions we’re perfect for those racing, still, overcast and chilly. Those who came to support witnessed something truly special as Jacob Cann from Newham & Essex Beagles AC set a blistering new course record in an astonishing time of just 23:37, finishing a minute and a half ahead of the field.
Meanwhile, in the race of mere mortals, CLC Striders secured the team prize for the second year in a row with Rob Green, Rob Barnett and Joe Willgoss finishing in 4th, 5th and 6th places respectively – all within seconds of each other. Rob Green clocked 26:27 in 4th place as the 1st in his MV40 category, Rob Barnett set a new PB time of 26:33 in 5th place as 2nd in his MV35 category and Joe Willgoss crossed the line in 26:38 for 6th place overall and 3rd place in the MV35 category.
Next to finish for the club were a crop of 10 runners, all finishing inside the top 100. James Endicott ran brilliantly to finish 35th and set a new MV45 club record and PB in a time of 29:33, Gavin Woods continued to impress, finishing 40th in a time of 30:32, and Helen Knight, just a week ahead of running a 100-mile ultra, also set a new club record for her LV45 category and new PB in a time of 30:49 as 2nd in her LV45 category.
Battling each other all the way, Alex Doherty out-sprinted Paul Northup to finish 58th in 31:44, while Northup ran strongly for a time of 31:47 in 61st place. Richard Aarons continued his comeback after a long illness with a time of 32:29 in 60th place, Gary Farquharson was 86th in a time of 33:44, Eoin McQuone, in his first five-mile race was 92nd in 33:57, Nigel Bailey ran a new PB of 34:00 dead for 93rd place, and Jack Wilde was 97th in 34:29.
The remaining CLC Striders finished as follows Colin Upton in 37:31, Andrew Danson in 37:37, Mike Speke in 38:49, Nicola Weager in 40:27, David James, struggling with a back injury , finishing 1st in his MV75 age category in 40:28 and Rebecca Reynolds in 43:07.