Shrewsbury AC Running Report 24/4/16
Following their victorious cross country season, Shrewsbury Athletic Club athletes have turned out in numbers for the opening events in the Telford Sexarathon and Shropshire Summer Fell Race Series. In the Lilleshall 5 Mile Race, the first Sexarathon event, Neil O'Hanlon lead the side home in 5th place, winning the Over 40 Veteran category shortly after his 40th birthday, with Gabe Morris 7th and James Hickinbottom 9th. There were successes for Sara Willhoit, 4th in the Womens' race and 1st Senior Woman and Jacqueline Macey 3rd Lady Veteran Over 35. The Club's evergreen sexagenarian, Pete Savill, made an emphatic start to his 2016 campaign, finishing 1st Over 60 on the night and on track to potentially win the Over 60 crown for the fourth successive season.
In the Wrekin Streak, the first Summer Fell event, Matt Hall edged out club colleague Gabe Morris, the two finishing 4th and 5th respectively, with Neil O'Hanlon 6th and 1st Veteran Over 40 and club captain Graham Jones 18th and 1st Veteran Over 60.
A Club team competed at the National 12 Stage Road Relay Championships at Sutton Park, Birmingham, having qualified at the Midland Relays earlier this month. Carl Aveyard and club debutant Dan Smith lead the performances for the short relay legs and James Hickinbottom and Adam Roberts, for the long relay legs, the Club finishing 61st on the day.
The Club was represented in three major Marathon races at home and abroad. In the Manchester Marathon, Pete Butler finished in a time of 3/41/24, and, as a result made the grade in the Good for Age Over 60 category for the 2017 London Marathon. Connor Middleton finished in 3/45/44. In the London Marathon there were two sub 3 hour performances by Club athletes, with Carl Aveyard timed at 2/47/10, Richard Jones 2/58/03, Grant Lloyd 3/14/46, Kevin Francis 3/09/32, Alan Dean 3/12/21 and Keith Austin 3/34/34.
James Hickinbottom produced an outstanding performance in the Dusseldorf Marathon on the same day, finishing 55th in 2/47/13 and was first British runner to finish, in only his second marathon race.
Lilleshall 5 Results:
6 Neil O'Hanlon 27/58(1st Veteran Over 40), 7 Gabe Morris 28/06, 9 James Hickinbottom 28/12, 10 Matt Hall 28/17, 16 Adam Roberts 28/43, 25 Matt Guilder 29/23, 33 Kevin Francis 30/18(4th Veteran Over 50), 49 Haydn Jones 31/37 (7th Veteran Over 50), 51 Sara Willhoit 31/45(1st Senior Lady), 56 Pete Savill 32/12(1st Veteran Over 60), 103 Chris Wakeman 35/10 (7th Veteran Over 55), 110 Jacqueline Macey 35/45(3rd Lady Veteran Over 35).
Wrekin Streak Results:
4 Matt Hall 19/29, 5 Gabe Morris 19/31, 6 Neil O'Hanlon 19/49(1st Veteran Over 40), 18 Graham Jones 21/14(1st Veteran Over 60), 24 Connor Middleton 21/49(3rd Male Under 23), 39 Pete Savill 23/22(2nd Veteran Over 60), 44 Harry Duffy 24/15(1st Male Under 18), 107 Gill Evans 30/06(1st Lady Veteran Over 55).
National 12 Stage Relays Results: Long leg(L), Short leg(S)
James Hickinbottom 30/05(L), Carl Aveyard 18/32(S), Adam Roberts 30/34(L), Alan Dean 19/29(S), Simon Adney 31/12(L), Pete Savill 20/01(S), Richard Jones 33/13(L), Patrick McBride 23/48(S), Haydn Jones 34/33(L), Duncan Rose 22/27(S), Kevin Francis 33/08(L), Dan Smith 18/35(S).
