Marathoners Scott Overall and Susan Partridge win first event in this year’s RunBritain Grand Prix series
Scott Overall and Susan Partridge were the winners at the Mizuno Reading Half Marathon on Sunday, the first event in this year’s RunBritain Grand Prix series.
Blackheath & Bromley athlete Overall clocked 64:44 to finish ahead of Serpentine’s 2013 RunBritain series winner Nicholas Torry with 64:50 and Belgrave’s Phil Wicks with 64:55 while Leeds runner Partridge ran a UK rankings-leading 72:20 for a clear victory ahead of Belgrave’s Tish Jones with 72:56 and Sunderland athlete Alyson Dixon with 73:09.
Tweeting after the race, Overall said: “Happy with the win today at Reading. 6 weeks until London marathon!”
At the adidas Silverstone Half Marathon, Chris Thompson ran a course record 65:08 for victory as he gears up to making his marathon debut in London in April.
The 2010 European 10,000m silver medallist finished over eight minutes clear, with unattached runner Daniel Steel second with 73:57 and Hywel Davies of Rugby and Northants AC third with 74:50.
“It was tough but really fun out there today,” said Aldershot, Farnham & District athlete Thompson. “I hadn’’ run the course before so I felt quite disorientated by the windy conditions but it was still extremely enjoyable.
“I would have liked to have run under 65 minutes,” added Thompson, who took 15 seconds off Matt Smith’s long-standing course record of 65:23 set in 2005, “but you have no choice but to deal with the conditions and accept that there will be slow miles when you’re running into the wind and faster miles when the wind’s behind you.
“I’ve been altitude training to prepare for the London Marathon and only returned to the UK two days ago so I’m pleased with my performance and can now think about really going for it in London.”
The women’s race was won by Imogen Keane of Imperial College Cross Country and AC in 84:12 on what was her debut over the distance. Her clubmates Imogen Simmonds and Sarah Johnson were second and third respectively.
David Weir won the men’s wheelchair race for the third consecutive year with 49:44 while Shelly Woods won the women’s race in 62:25.
Over at the Bath Half and Kenyans Nicholas Kirui and Perendis Lekapana clocked 63:13 and 70:53 respectively for victory.
Irish marathoner Paul Pollock clocked a personal best 63:52 for third in the men’s race behind Kirui’s fellow Run-Fast athlete Boniface Kongin who ran 63:27.
Gladys Kwambai followed Lekapana over the line in 75:07 ahead of Bristol & West athlete Lucy MacAlister with 76:20 for third.
» Results from Reading can be found here, while Silverstone results are here and Bath results here
