Emma Stepto (Cornwall AC) and Mike Birchmore (Newquay Road Runners) brought an international presence to last Sunday’s fourth Enys 10K road race.

The race, which started from Enys Gardens on the outskirts of Penryn, was organised by Penryn Rotary Club with support from Falmouth Road Runners.

The international duo won their races comfortably, with England marathon international Emma setting a new course record, knocking exactly five minutes of the previous best set by a very young Issy Steele (Falmouth Road Runners) in 2011.

Almost one hundred runners set off on the challenging course, which rarely has any flat running but undulates continually on the quiet country roads, before the runners return to the finish line in the estate, near the Grade II listed Enys House.

Peter Devonport (Bude Rats) scurried into the lead from the gun, pushing the pace until over halfway, with the Great Britain triathlete Birchmore, Andrew Martin (Mile High) and Paul Smith following the Bude runner, who was conveniently spending the weekend with family in Truro.

The steepest hill on the course between six and seven kilometres proved significant, as Devonport began to fade, which was the signal for Birchmore to make his move, powering into the lead, maintaining his momentum to the finish and winning by almost one minute. Martin passed Devonport inside the final two kilometres but the tenacious Bude man fought back on the final long run in through the estate, beating local boy Martin by just seven seconds, with Smith finishing in an isolated fourth place.

Stepto, who chose Enys as an ideal low key run out after her second place finish in the London Marathon two weeks ago, began cautiously and was fifth behind the leading group of four men up to the three kilometre mark. Then as Emma says, “I picked up the pace, passing Smith, then Martin and finally Devonport finishing in second place. I didn’t feel the effects of the London race until about four miles but I kind of enjoyed testing my form on quite a tough course.”

Team mate Julia Pearce finished second, although Sarah McDermott (Falmouth Road Runners) was never far behind the Cornwall AC runner, finishing third, just fifteen seconds adrift of the runner up.

Both Mile High (Men) and Cornwall AC (Ladies) retained their respective team titles. In the Men’ s race, the three scoring Mile High male runners all finishing in the top six, giving the Penryn based club a comfortable victory margin over local rivals Falmouth Road Runners, who finished in third place just four points ahead of Newquay Road Runners.

Cornwall AC Ladies were equally emphatic winners in their team competition with sixteen year old Martha Carlisle completing the winning Cornwall team in sixth place. The Mile High Ladies team are certainly gaining in strength these days, finishing second and recording their highest team result on the local road race scene, with Falmouth Road Runners again appearing in the top three, eight points adrift of the Mile High trio.

Race Director, Terry Chapman, on behalf of the organisers Penryn Rotary Club thanked Heather and Lay and Andy Loos for their sponsorship of last Sunday’s event. It is hoped the race will again raise over one thousand pounds for local and national charities which this year include Cornwall Hospice Care and the Rotary Campaign to End Polio.

KEY FOR CLUBS BR Bude Rats, CAC Cornwall AC, CR Carn Runners, FRR Falmouth Road Runners, HR Hayle Runners, MH Mile High, NRR Newquay Road Runners, TRC Truro Running Club, U Unattached.

RESULTS Men: 1 Mike Birchmore NRR 35.08, 2 Peter Devonport BR 36.01, 3 Andrew Martin MH 36.08, 4 Paul Smith U 36.28, 5 Richard Pascoe MH 37.25, 6 Nick Martin MH 37.50, 7 Jason Webb CAC 38.13, 8 Andrew Eddison CAC 38.55, 9 Dave Angell MH 39.49, 10 Daniel Murrant HR 40.13. Age Categories: 40-49: 1 Jason Webb, 2 Andrew Eddison, 3 Jason Bayly NRR 40.18. 50-59: 1 Nick Martin, 2 Robin Watson FRR 40.31, 3 Andrew Laurie FRR 42.02. 60 and Over: 1 Chris Ramsey TRC 48.54, 2 John Lillis NRR 49.45, 3 Glyn Jones U 58.48. Teams: 1 Mile High 14 points, 2 Falmouth Road Runners ‘A’ 41 points, 3 Newquay Road Runners 45 points, 4 Truro Running Club 63 points, 5 Hayle Runners 77 points, 6 Falmouth Road Runners ‘B’ 88 points.

Ladies: 1 Emma Stepto CAC 35.25 (Course Record), 2 Julia Pearce CAC 44.57, 3 Sarah McDermott FRR 45.12, 4 Heather Barnes U 45.55, 5 Isabel Boyd U 46.57, 6 Martha Carlisle CAC 47.41, 7 Claire Mensing U 48.30, 8 Juliet Stewart TRC 49.11, 9 Katherine Martin MH 49.18, 10 Natalie Macquire CAC 50.38. Age Categories: 35-44: 1 Emma Stepto, 2 Julia Pearce, 3 Claire Mensing. 45-54: 1 Juliet Stewart, 2 Katherine Martin, 3 Ruth Holding MH 51.59. 55 and Over: 1 Jackie Cope FRR 53.31, 2 Ann Senior HR 55.20, 3 Sandy Jamieson CR 60.08. Teams: 1 Cornwall AC 9 points, 2 Mile High 32 points, 3 Falmouth Road Runners ‘A’ 40 points, 4 Newquay Road Runners 59 points, 5 Truro Running Club 66 points, 6 Falmouth Road Runners ‘B’ 79 points.