Fast times in north-west England with Emily Haggard Kearney and Jonny Mellor winning and Clare Elms clocking 18:09 as a W60

MID CHESHIRE 5km, Kingsley, May 23

Despite breezy conditions, the course's reputation as one of Britain's fastest was confirmed with Emily Haggard Kearney making it into the UK all-time top 10 and Clare Elms running the fastest ever chip time by a W60 over 5km, Steve Smythe reports.

The greatly improved Haggard Kearney took 20 seconds off of her PB with a time of 15:14 on gun and 15:13 on chip.

Apart from her time, the Warriors athlete had the added bonus of defeating course record-holder Sam Harrison (15:20) who wasn't quite able to match her 15:11 PB from 2023.

Esme Davies and Sarah Dufour-Jackson took third and fourth and set PBs well inside 16 minutes.

The seventh woman to finish was English National and North of England under-15 cross-country champion Gabrielle Pinder. The 13-year-old went second all-time in the UK under 15 age group with a 16:24 clocking (16:21 on chip) and this event now has the top four times in the age group.

Some 48 years her senior, Elms went top of the UK all-time W60 age group, at least on chip times, with a 18:09 clocking bettering Fiona Matheson's 18:17.

However, with well over 400 inside the 18-minute barrier, it took her 22 seconds to cross the start line and also thread her way around fellow competitors on the course. In gun terms, Elms’ 18:31 clocking is only her fourth best of the year, as she again came within 10 seconds of Matheson's UK best gun time of 18:22.

The holder of the UK W45 best Kirsty Longley ran 16:35 on chip time to fall 11 seconds short of her time from last November.

It was 2:09 marathoner Jonny Mellor who led home the 900-strong field with a particularly strong final kilometre and his 14:08 comfortably bettered his winning time of last year.

Following him home was Lee Gratton who has been first and second in the last two British and Ireland masters Internationals and he set a PB of 14:18 (14:16 on chip).

Making it a clean sweep of the podium for the M35 age group was 2010 English Commonwealth Games representative at 10,000m John Beattie.

Further back Paul Jones went top of the 2025 UK M55 age group - knocking AW's very own Paul Freary off the top with a 16:05 (16:04 chip) clocking.

It was a competitive age group with the first six, including former European junior 5000m champion Simon Mugglestone, all inside 17 minutes on chip time.

The 2024 British Masters M65 cross country champion Malcolm Eustace went third on the 2025 lists for his age group with a chip time of 17:57 (18:10 on gun) which gave him a two second winning margin in his age group and put him ahead of the younger M60s.

Overall: 1 J Mellor (Liv) 14:08; 2 L Gratton (Ruge) 14:18; 3 J Beattie (Leeds) 14:30; 4 E Garamasezegi (Salf) 14:32; 5 R Owen (Merr’dd) 14:33; 6 B Cole (Ton) 14:34; 7 J Birmingham (Salf) 14:35; 8 F Ward (R&N) 14:37; 9 C Jones (W Tempo) 14:37; 10 C Rogers (Wrex) 14:38; 11 A Cole (Leeds) 14:40; 12 E Loughlin (Liv PS) 14:40; 13 T Roberts (Merr’dd) 14:40; 14 L Liddle (Gate) 14:42; 15 A Jones (Merr’dd) 14:42; 16 M Clark (Bury) 14:44; 17 M McCarthy (Liv) 14:44; 18 M Rees (Swan) 14:47; 19 J Nugent (Mansf) 14:47; 20 A Chambers (Salf) 14:48

M40: 1 C Hardman (Salf) 15:03; 2 R Bentley (Merr’dd) 15:24

M45: 1 C Stanford (Warr) 15:17; 2 D Nugent (Mansf) 15:21; 3 J Arnold (Stoke) 15:29; 4 P Speake (Wilm) 15:41; 5 M Gittins (Helsby) 15:44

M50: 1 M Ince (BRAT) 16:03; 2 R Grantham (Wirr) 16:30; 4 J McKie (Wirral) 16:44; 4 D McDonald (Kirkby) 16:59; 5 B McCormack (Chorl) 17:02

M55: 1 P Jones (Shrews) 16:05; 2 A Porter (Bramhall) 16:40; 3 D Bennett (Roch) 16:54; 4 R Johnson (Alt) 16:59; 5 W Felton (Spect) 17:00; 6 S Mugglestone (Bide) 17:03

M60: 1 B Park (S’port W) 18:06; 2 A Grime (Shrews) 18:26; 3 N Hershaw (W Chesh) 18:27; 4 S Watmough (Warr) 18:47

M65: 1 M Eustace (C&S) 18:10

M70: 1 J Haynes (B Stort) 19:41

Women: 1 E Haggard-Kearney (Warriors) 15:14; 2 S Harrison (Charn) 15:20; 3 E Davies (Border) 15:46; 4 S Dufour-Jackson (Vale R) 15:47; 5 M Millar (Central, W35) 16:03; 6 H Townsend (Leeds) 16:06; 7 G Pinder (N Marske, U15) 16:24; 8 G Malir (Leeds) 16:29; 9 J Morgan (Liv) 16:32; 10 K Longley (Liv PS, W45) 16:40

W40: 1 A Hollingworth (Mid M) 17:41

W45: 2 D Sherwin (Stoke) 17:43; 3 E Renondeau (Vale R) 17:43

W50: 1 J Stanfield (Trenth) 19:05; 2 J Cook (Shrews) 19:32; 3 T Bloor (Stoke) 19:43

W55: 1 S Taylor (Trenth) 21:05; 2 S Mornaster 21:28

W60: 1 C Elms (Kent) 18:31; 2 S Green (Warr) 22:57

W65: 1 J Cordingley (Sale) 23:06

EXETER’S GREAT WEST RUN HALF-MARATHON, Devon, May 25

Overall: 1 S Fox (Exe) 70:26; 2 S Reynolds (Truro) 71:07; 3 O Garrod (Belg) 71:12; 4 L Jones (Worc) 72:04

M60: 1 P Ahier (Jers) 82;37

Women: 1 A Gidey (Ex’mth) 79:36

W50: 1 G Pearson (Yeo) 92:39

HOLT 10km, Norfolk May 25

Overall: 1 L Smith (Norw) 32:41

M60: 1 M Tuff (F’land) 38:20

Women: 1 G Buchanen (NNBR) 39:05

CLIVE COOKSON 10km, Whitley Bay, Tyne & Wear, May 21

Veteran James Anderson won a close race with Luke Hillyard to win by nine seconds in 32:48. Jaqueline Penn made it a North Shields Poly double by adding the women’s race, as her father Greg was top over-60 in 38:40.

Overall: 1 J Anderson (NSP, M40) 32:48; 2 L Hillyard (Elsw) 32:57

M55: 1 M Turnbull (Elsw) 38:24

M60: 1 G Penn (NSP) 38:40

Women: J Penn (NSP) 38:36

W50: 1 D Foster (T’dale) 39:51

NORTH ALLERTON 10km, North Yorkshire, May 25

Overall: 1 R Scott (R&Z) 32;48

Women: 1 C Davies (W40) 35:55

NORTHAMPTON 10km, May 25

Overall: 1 G Phillips 32:52

Women: 1 M Stenhouse R&N) 34:49

KIRTON FRIDAY 5, Ipswich, Suffolk, May 23

Overall: 1 S Haynes (W’bridge, M45) 26:49

M70: 1 M Clarke (New J) 36:23

Women: 1 D Glover (Fram) 27;13

W45: 1 H Weir (Col H) 33:09

U17: 1 D Gladwell ((Ipsw H) 30:26

WESTON PROM 5, Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, May 22

Ben Robinson built on his recent victories in the British Masters Cross-Country Championships in March and in the Shrewsbury 5, a few days earlier, to win overall in 24:44.

Overall: 1 B Robinson (B&W) 24:44; 2 J Williamson (S’burn) 25:46

M70: 1 J Malone (Nailsea) 35:48

Women: 1 C Andersen (MK Dist) 31:06

W60: 1 F Capstick (R Forever) 35:46

BECKENHAM RELAYS, Kent, May 21

Men (3x2.5M): 1 Dulwich R 40:20 (J Ramm 13:12, N Impey 13:43, B Howe 13:24); 2 Dulwich R B 40:50; 3 Blackheath & Bromley 41:19

Fastest: Ramm 13;12; B Bloor (Dulw R B) 13:13; J Vis (Kent) 13:18

Women (3x2.5M): 1 Kent 46:46 (C Oxlade 16:28, A Clements 14:35, A Parker 15:41); 2 Tunbridge Wells 48:07; 3 Kent B 50:10

Fastest: Clements 14:35; A Fennell (Tun W) 14:47;

Mixed (3x2.5M): 1 Kent 41:55; 2 B&B 43:57; 3 Petts W 44:05

Fastest: R Sesemann (Kent) 12:48

Women: C Firth (B&B) 15:26

157 teams finished

BEESTON TRENT 5, Nottinghamshire, May 21

Overall: D Bishop (Der) 24:31; 2 M Campion (B&W) 25:11

Women: 1 C Hay (Mansf, W45) 30:30; 2 S Gaunt (W45) 32:54

CARDIFF SSAFA SERIES 5km, South Wales, May 21

Olivia Tsim took the women’s section in a personal best 16:12.

Overall: 1 D Nash 14:46; 2 A Jackson (Card) 14:55; 3 J Parry (Neath) 15:10

M45: 1 D Nicholls (P’pridd) 15:51

M55: 1 A Blair (Les C) 17:46

Women: 1 O Tsim (P’pridd) 16:12; 2 J Cooper (Der) 15:54; 3 A Benyon-Evans (Les C, W35) 17:03

EMGP Banbury 5, Oxfordshire, May 20

The first two in the previous race of the series, Junior Ashleigh Walters and Rachel Doherty swapped places at the front of the women’s field.

Overall: 1 S Snelson (Banb) 25:47

M50: 1 J Bolton (W’stock) 27;16

M55: 1 P West (Kett) 29:13

M70: 1 A Phillips (North RR) 35:33; 2 R Searle (Kett) 36:08

TEAM: 1 Higham 1:53:42

M40 TEAM: 1 Kettering 1:59:20

Women: 1 R Doherty (Higham, W35) 29:46; 2 A Walters (orby, U20) 29:52

W45: 1 K Godof (Olney) 30:57

W60: 1 K Bond (Dav) 37:29

TEAM: 1 Banbury 98:08

W35 TEAM: 1 Bucks & Stowe 1:48:30

MULL OF KINTYRE 10km, Campbeltown, May 25

Overall: K Paterson (Tel) 34:38

M50: N Gemmell (Garsc) 36:29

DUNBLANE 12km, Dunblane, May 25

Overall: J Grant (S’earn) 41:13

M40: Colin Whitby 31:32

W50: L Jonston (Perth R) 52:57

W60: Karen Brown 55:35

KIRKCUDBRIGHT HALF-MARATHON, Kirkcudbright, May 24

Overall: A Black (NSP) 75:12

M40: C Wilson (K’bright) 79:14

STORNOWAY 10km, May 24

Overall: R Muir (Cambus) 32:26

STORNOWAY HALF-MARATHON, Stornoway, May 24

Overall: 1 Fritz Van de Kamp (M40) 74:59; 2 G Lennox (E Suth, M40) 77:51

BABCOCK 10km, Dumbarton, May 22

Overall: 1 T Ghafari (Shett) 30:22; 2 R Horgan (Bella R) 31:53; 3 J Heathwood (Kilb) 32:10; 4 O Coetzee (Bella R, M40) 32:20; 5 A Campbell (Bella H) 32:27; 6 C Harington-Vogt (Shett) 32:37

M50: R Paterson (I’clyde) 34:18

M60: G Walker (CRWales) 39:31

U20: David Owens 33:35

TEAM: 1 Shett 16; 2 Bella R 19; 3 Bella H 32

Women: 1 B Wallace (Shett) 34:25; 2 N Mulholland-Stummer (I’clyde) 35:43; 3 H Terrance (Shett) 36:41; 4 M Blair (Garsc) 36:43

W50: C Heasman (Helen) 39:43

W60: J Thomson (Cambus) 43:07

TEAM: 1 Garsc 26; 2 I’clyde 45; 3 Bella R 57

LAND O’BURNS 10km, Ayr, May 21

Overall: A Stables (Giff N) 34:17

Women: K Kelly (Kil’k, W40) 39:50

W60: A Noble (Troon) 49:15

Multi-terrain

CAPE WRATH ULTRA, Fort William, May 18-25

Overall (400km over 8 days): 1 Marcus Scotney (M50) 42:55:05; 2 John Shield (M40) 45:05:27; 3 Lewis Taylor 45:21:03

Women: 1 Sarah Ingram 59:28:34; 2 Margarida Bagao (W40) 61:23:11; 3 Emma McCahill 62:57:15