It was hot,hot, hot in the country lanes around Saltash, conditions which tested the runners in Sunday’s Magnificent 7 road race, round 8 of the Cornwall Grand Prix Series, sponsored by Cornwall Glass and Glazing, which attracted 380 runners to one of the toughest races on the Grand Prix circuit.

For the second successive race in this popular county wide Series, victory again went to the Cornwall AC partnership Colin Snook and Emma Stepto, with both runners battling with heat and the hills more than the opposition.

The Godolphin School teacher was soon out on his own in the Men’s race and after the steep climb to the one mile point, was twenty metres ahead of a trio of team mates, Justin Thomas, Helston’s Paul Whear and Falmouth’s Paul Smith. Smith was the first of this elite group to drop off the pace, with Thomas and Whear running together until five and a half miles, when another steep hill finally split the pair, as Thomas forged ahead to claim the runner’s up spot.

Snook meanwhile was building a commanding lead, winning my almost two minutes, with Thomas holding off Whear by thirteen seconds. During the latter stages of the race, Smith had dropped to fifth place, being passed by Daniel Costello (Hayle Runners) but in the finish field the Cornwall AC man, timing his sprint to the line to perfection, passed the tiring Costello, grabbing fourth place.

The rapidly improving Aaron Benney (Mile High, Penryn) again finished in the top ten, not only with a second successive sixth place in a Grand Prix race but also victory in the Veterans 35-39 age group. Only six Falmouth Road Runners made the journey to Saltash, led by James Barnet in nineteenth position, with Mile High’s Graham Ditty twentieth fourth.

After the race a thirsty Snook reflected on the new route, necessary because of a landslide on the old route, “That course seemed even tougher than previous one, with just as much uphill and much steeper downhill sections, not good on the legs. The hottest day of the year didn’t help and I think most runners were much slower than previous visits to the Mag 7.”

After missing the 2015 race Stepto’s win was the seventh in the last eight years ,with Jessica Buscombe (St Austell Running Club), who finished five minutes behind the Cornwall AC Ladies Team Captain, occupying the runner’s up spot for the second successive year, with a newcomer to the Grand Prix podium , Jeanette Johnson (Launceston Road Runners), a further minute behind in third position. Reiterating the thoughts of her team mate Snook, the Ladies winner added, “I really had to be so careful on the steep downhill sections, which actually slowed me, as you just couldn’t stretch your stride and run as fast as you would like.”

Cornwall AC’s Men’s team are rapidly honing in on retaining the Grand Prix team title, with one of their clearest cut victories of the year, scoring a very low total of thirty three points, thanks to the first four finishers, with close support coming from Mark Webster (11th) and Paul Sole (12th). The host club Tamar Trotters (138 points) finished second, with another local club local, Plymouth Harriers (168 points), in third.

The Ladies team race was a very closely fought affair, with just twenty two points covering the top four clubs. St Austell Running Club (186 points) won their first Grand Prix race of the year, beating Hayle Runners by a very narrow three point margin, although Hayle lost their top runner, Emma Paull, who collapsed half a mile from the finish, depriving the West Cornwall club of an easy win. The good news was that Emma was well enough to join her team mates at the presentation and hoped to be back in action soon. Cornwall AC (198 points) finished third, with Newquay Road Runners (208 points) just outside the prizes in fourth place.

Cornwall Ac’s Julia Pearce from Mabe was the only lady to feature in the age category awards, finishing third in her 40-44 section. The men faired better, with Snook and Whear winning their respective 40-44 and 45-49 age groups and Smith finishing third, also in the 40-44 category. Carn Runners Peter Drew (Helston) braved the hills and 25 degree temperatures and was rewarded with second position in the 65-69 section.

KEY FOR CLUBS

CAC Cornwall AC, CR Carn Runners, ECH East Cornwall Harriers, EVH Erme Valley Harriers, HR Hayle Runners, LP Looe Pioneers, LRR Launceston Road Runners, MBH Mounts Bay Harriers, MH Mile High, NRR Newquay Road Runners, PH Plymouth Harriers, PM Plymouth Muskateers, SRP Storm Running, Plymouth, STA St Austell Running Club, TRC Truro Running Club, TAV Tavistock AC, TT Tamar Trotters, TEIGN Teignmouth Trotters, U Unattached.

RESULTS

Men: 1 Colin Snook CAC 39.47, 2 Justin Thomas CAC 41.43, 3 Paul Whear CAC 41.56, 4 Paul Smith CAC 42.37, 5 Daniel Costello HR 42.39, 6 Aaron Benney MH 42.48, 7 Steven Hill PH 44.04, 8 John McWilliams MBH 44.09, 9 Bradley Courtney-Pinn TRC 44.45, 10 Scott Abraham HR 44.58. Age Categories: Under 35: 1 Daniel Costell, 2 John McWilliams, 3 Bradley Courtney-Pinn. 35-39: 1 Aaron Benney, 2 Paul Sole CAC 45.30, 3 Alex Peyton-Jones PH 46.12. 40-44: 1 Colin Snook, 2 Justin Thomas, 3 Paul Smith. 45-49: 1 Paul Whear, 2 Mark Lynch TT 48.08, 3 Steven Rendall NRR 52.00. 50-54: 1 Paul Gregg TT 46.34, 2 Glynn Davis CR 49.56, 3 Brian Abbott STA 51.51. 55-59: 1 Barrie Cardew CR 49.56, 2 Laurie Lee STA 50.30, 3 Mike Hansen EVH 52.34. 60-64: 1 Malcolm Roberts STA 50.30, 2 Allan Herdman TAV 53.24, 3 Neville Witham CAC 55.50. 65-69: 1 Pat Lockett NRR 58.33, 2 Peter Drew CR 1.04.37, 3 Ray Goodright ECH 1.06.00. 70-74: 1 Pete Sargent NRR 1.00.43, 2 Peter Heywood LP 1.04.08, 3 John Lillis NRR 1.12.32. 75+: 1 George Dransfield U 1.20.10. Teams: 1 Cornwall AC 33 points, 2 Tamar Trotters 138 points, 3 Plymouth Harriers 168 points.

Ladies: 1 Emma Stepto CAC 45.07, 2 Jessica Buscombe STA 50.06, 3 Jeanette Johnson LRR 51.14, 4 Anne Waller MBH 52.20, 5 Nicola Smith STA 53.15, 6 Revis Crowle ECH 53.44, 7 Emma Murray STA 54.05, 8 Cansu Mamurekli SRP 54.07, 9 Elizabeth Coombes PH 54.27, 10 Debbie Nugent CR 55.17. Age Categories: Under 35: 1 Jessica Buscombe, 2 Nicola Smith, 3 Cansu Mamurekli. 35-39: 1 Rebecca Wise LRR 1.02.59, 2 Katie Gummow LP 1.05.19, 3 Chloe Hoatson PM 1.06.09. 40-44: 1 Marie Gould CAC 59.01, 2 Julia Pearce CAC 1.00.20, 3 Rachel Thomas CAC 1.00.49. 45-49: 1 Emma Stepto, 2 Anne Waller, 3 Claire Waters LRR 55.37. 50-54: 1 Jeanette Johnson, 2 Revis Crowle, 3 Emma Murray. 55-59: 1 Jeanette Duncan NRR 1.04.02, 2 Tina Caunter TEIGN 1.15.22, 3 Judy Jameson CR 1.15.44. 60-64: 1 Sue Taylor MBH 1.06.36, 2 Eleanor Ellison NRR 1.08.13, 3 Lucy Payne U 1.12.00. 65-69: 1 Susan Mason TT 1.23.20, 2 Jackie Jenkin CAC 1.23.34, 3 Liz Easterbrook MBH 1.34.22. Teams: 1 St Austell Running Club 186 points, 2 Hayle Runners 189 points, 3 Cornwall AC 198 points, 4 Newquay Road Runners 208 points.