Charlotte Purdue finishes fourth at Saitama Marathon - weekly round-up
While Jess Judd and Mahamed Mahamed were among the winners at the British Athletics Cross Challenge meeting in Milton Keynes (report here) and Laura Muir won her third consecutive Scottish short course cross country title (report here) there was plenty of other action taking place. Here are some of the highlights.
Saitama International Marathon, Japan, November 12
Kenya's Commonwealth marathon champion Flomena Cheyech Daniel clocked 2:28:39 to win ahead of Bahrain’s Shitaye Eshete with 2:28:42 and Ethiopia's Bekelech Daba with 2:30:06.
Racing her third marathon of of 2017, Britain's Charlotte Purdue ran 2:30:34 for fourth. It was her fourth marathon in a little over a year, all of them run in times of 2:29-2:30, and follows her 2:29:48 for 13th place at the IAAF World Championships in London.
Speaking wth AW ahead of the race in Japan, Purdue explained how she would be running the event "for fun".
"Obviously I love running and I love racing, it’s just another opportunity," she said. "I’m not going for a fast time. This next one I’m basically just doing for fun, if there is such a thing!"
She also discussed her decision to focus on the European Championships next year rather than the Commonwealth Games. Read more here.
Cross de Atapuerca, Spain, November 12
In a race won by Ethiopia's Senbere Teferi, Ireland's Fionnuala McCormack was fifth, Steph Twell was sixth and Lily Partridge placed eighth.
Ethiopia's Getaneh Molla won the men's race, with Alex Teuten 26th.
Move it Garda 21k Arcese, Riva del Garda, Italy November 12
Paul Tiongik won the men's race by over two minutes in 64:12 from Jonathan Kosgei Kanda and Julius Kipngetich Rono, while Monika Juodeskaite won the women's race by almost three minutes in 77:19 from Natalie Jachmann and Karoline Robe.
Tunnel Hill 100, USA, November 11
Camille Herron broke the women’s world 100 mile record by more than an hour, clocking 12:42:39.
Gwent Cross Country League, Penlan, November 11
Two weeks after his 2:09 marathon, Dewi Griffiths won by 85 seconds in 31:36 and led Swansea to team victory.
Alaw Beynon-Thomas won the women's race.
European Halloween Cross, Denmark, 11 November
Tom Lancashire finished third, while Ieuan Thomas was 11th and Charlie Hulson 17th.
Caryl Jones was fifth in the women's race.
Heaton Harriers 10km, November 12
Northern Cross Country Championships bronze medallist Peter Newton was a clear winner in 31:09.
Joasia Zakrzewski was first woman in 37:53.
Les Venmore's report and a David Hewitson photograph will appear in this week's magazine.
Birmingham & District Cross Country League, Division One, Cheltenham, November 11
Midland champion Alex Brecker of Stoke narrowly won in 32:03 from Phil Beastal's 32:10.
Loughborough Students were easy winners with 52 points.
Alton Sports Hampshire League, Petersfield, November 11
Matthew Sharp of Team Spy won by a second in 33:38 from Dane Blomquist. Jonathan Hay was a distant third as Aldershot dominated the team event.
They also won the women's event with second-claim member Phoebe Law a clear winner from Katie Bingle and Emily Hosker Thornhill.
Kent Cross Country League, Footscray Meadows, November 11
Ryan Driscoll, who was in Tonbridge's winning team in the English Cross Country Relays last week, won easily in 32:12 from Oslo Diamond league 1500m winner Jake Wightman, who ran 32:41 for one of his best ever cross-country races.
Tonbridge were easy team winners.
Steve Roe's report will appear in this week's magazine.
Manchester Area League, Boggart Hole Clough, November 11
Steve Vernon, who focuses more on his coaching these days, ran his first cross-country race since March 2014 and won by 80 seconds in a time of 30:57. 493 finished and Sale Harriers Manchester won the team event.
Anne Kenchington was a clear women's winner in 30:29 as 330 finished and she led Manchester University to victory.
Start Fitness Surrey Men's League, Mitcham, November 11
Nick Goolab of Belgrave Harriers won the individual race though it was Hercules Wimbledon who narrowly won the team event from reigning champions Kent AC.
Start Fitness Surrey Ladies League, Nonsuch Park, November 11
Belgrave's Sophie Harris won her second league race of the season as Clapham Chasers won the team event as there was a record 570 finishers.
Athens Marathon, Greece, November 12
Kenya’s Samuel Kalalei and Bedatu Hirpa Badane of Ethiopia were the winners of the 35th running of the classic event from Marathon. In warm weather conditions, Kalalei won in 2:12:17 with Badane running 2:34:18.
Istanbul Marathon, Turkey, November 12
Kenya’s Ruth Chepngetich broke the Turkish all-comers’ record with 2:22:36 on her marathon debut.
Abraham Kiprotich won the men's race in 2:11:22.
NCAA Division I West Region Championships, Seattle, November 10
Britain's NCAA 10,000m champion Charlotte Taylor won in a time of 19;15 with Amy-Eloise Neale third in 19:26.
» Further coverage and results in the November 16 edition of AW
» Check out our online news section and event reports for more of the latest from the world of the sport
