The 2017 Cornwall Grand Prix Road Race Series, sponsored by Cornwall Glass and Glazing, entered new territory last Sunday, with the Looe 10 mile race making its debut in the Grand Prix Series, attracting a healthy field of 426 runners, including many from clubs based just across the Tamar in the Plymouth area.

The runners clearly enjoyed the challenge of one of the toughest courses in the 2017 Grand Prix calendar, with plenty of ups and downs and very little flat running.

In the men’s race a group of four, the Cornwall AC pair Noel Kindon and Justin Thomas and the Mile High pair Aaron Benney and Andrew Martin led the way on the first major climb of the day, with Cornwall AC’s Colin Snook in striking distance just behind.

Snook, always a fast descender, bided his time and on the long downhill section to Talland (4 miles) accelerated past the leading quartet into a lead, which he maintained to the finish line.

“That was certainly a tough one,” said the race winner, “probably harder than the Truro Half Marathon. There was no time for relaxed running during the entire race.”

In the wake of Snook, Martin was the first to drop off the pace, with Thomas and Benney chasing the rapidly disappearing race leader, as a more cautious Kindon eased back almost to a walk on the next steep hill. Caution paid off, with Kindon passing Thomas and Benney on a downhill section and holding on to second position during the closing miles, despite third placed Thomas making every effort to close the gap. Benney, who was fourth, with his team mate Martin fifth, enjoyed further success finishing second and third in their 35-39 age group.

Helston farmer Paul Whear (Cornwall AC) remains unbeaten in the 45-49 category after the first three Grand Prix races of the year, finishing sixth overall at Looe.

Emma Paull (Hayle Runners) took full advantage of the absence of the Cornwall AC’s leading ladies, winning her first Grand Prix race of the year, almost four minutes clear of Cornwall AC’s Kathryn Burgess, who in turn was well ahead of the first Devon finisher, Sarah Hirons from the Ivybridge based club, Erme Valley Harriers.

Paull led a strong Hayle Ladies team (73 points) to an easy victory finishing four runners in the top eight. East Cornwall Harriers (167 points) finished second, again well ahead of the Plymouth Musketeers (302 points) but there was disappointment for the host club, Looe Pioneers (303 points), who missed out on their first ever Grand Prix podium by just one point.

A dominant Cornwall AC Men’s squad were equally easy winners in their race, scoring just 56 points, with the more interesting battle being for the runner’s up spot, as Hayle Runners (100 points) edged out the Penryn based Mile High Club, who were missing their number one runner Tony Brewer, by just eleven points.

A smaller than usual contingent of just fifteen Falmouth Road Runners journeyed to Looe, with Steven Strachan leading the Men home in seventeenth position. After two second places in the first two Grand Prix races of the year Falmouth’s Jackie Ccpe struck gold at Looe, with teammate Terry Marshall finishing second in the 65-69 age category. Helston’s Karen Harrison (Cornwall AC), continues to show a return to form this year, winning the 45-49 age group by four minutes.

KEY FOR CLUBS

BRR Bodmin Road Runners, CAC Cornwall AC, CoP City of Plymouth AC, CR Carn Runners, ECH East Cornwall Harriers, EVH Erme Valley Harriers, FRR Falmouth Road Runners, 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 Musketeers, STA St Austell Running Club, TRC Truro Running Club, TT Tamar Trotters, U Unattached.

RESULTS

Men: 1 Colin Snook CAC 1.00.31, 2 Noel Kindon CAC 1.02.04, 3 Justin Thomas CAC 1.02.17, 4 Aaron Benney MH 1.02.56, 5 Andrew Martin MH 1.03.04, 6 Paul Whear CAC 1.04.27, 7 Dave Bartlett NRR 1.04.47, 8 Jordan Morant HR 1.04.58, 9 Alex Daniels NRR 1.05.12, 10 Tony Wright NRR 1.06.03. Age Categories: 35-39: 1 Noel Kindon, 2 Aaron Benney, 3 Andrew Martin. 40-44: 1 Colin Snook, 2 Justin Thomas, 3 Alex Daniels. 45-49: 1 Paul Whear, 2 Simon Parry U 1.07.12, 3 Scott Abraham HR 1.08.46. 50-54: 1 Tony Wright, 2 Steve Wherry HR 1.07.16, 3 Glynn Davis CR 1.08.54. 55-59: 1 David Philp ECH 1.14.48, 2 Laurie Lee STA 1.16.02, 3 Mark Trebilcock CAC 1.17.19. 60-64: 1 Malcolm Roberts STA 1.19.23, 2 Ian Dart PH 1.25.26, 2 Martin Morgan BRR 1.26.02. 65-69: 1 Robert Richards HR 1.27.58, 2 John Gossan LP 1.28.29, 3 Jean-Claude Vives U 1.32.40. 70-74: 1 Brian Wiles LRR 1.23.54, 2 Pat Lockett NRR 1.30.25, 3 John Lillis NRR 1.31.55. 75-79: 1 Norris Kington CAC 1.56.15. Teams: 1 Cornwall AC 56 points, 2 Hayle Runners 100 points, 3 Mile High 111 points, 4 Newquay Road Runners 173 points, 5 East Cornwall Harriers 272 points, 6 Truro Running Club 290 points.

Ladies: 1 Emma Paull HR 1.11.30, 2 Kathryn Burgess CAC 1.15.21, 3 Sarah Hirons EVH 1.16.10, 4 Paula Simson CoP 1.18.37, 5 Charlotte Bennett HR 1.21.43, 6 Amy Jose HR 1.23.01, 7 Rosalie Goldsworthy ECH 1.23.12, 8 Kirsty Medlock HR 1.23.42, 9 Sharon Daw ECH 1.24.06, 10 Karen Harrison CAC 1.24.25. Age Categories: 35-39: 1 Sarah Hirons, 2 Kirsty Medlock, 3 Nikki Davies NRR 1.27.23. 40-44: 1 Kathryn Burgess, 2 Paula Simson, 3 Charlotte Bennett. 45-49: 1 Karen Harrison, 2 Rachael Tarrant PM 1.28.22, 3 Miranda Burke PH 1.32.06. 50-54: 1 Sharon Daw, 2 Debbie Nugent CAC 1.27.00, 3 Liz Trebilcock TRC 1.27.23. 55-59: 1 Pam Solomon BRR 1.26.54, 2 Jayne Dart-Cassidy PH 1.33.34, 3 Tina O’Shea PM 1.41.37. 60-64: 1 Jackie Cope FRR 1.39.03, 2 Diane Warren HR 1.40.50, 3 Sheila Newman TT 1.45.22. 65-69: 1 Jenny Mills LRR 1.25.42, 2 Terry Marshall FRR 1.59.57, 3 Liz Easterbrook MBH 20.07.40. Teams: 1 Hayle Runners ‘A’ 73 points, 2 East Cornwall Harriers 167 points, 3 Plymouth Musketeers 302 points, 4 Looe Pioneers 303 points, 5 Hayle Runners ‘B’ 382 points, 6 St Austell Running Club 417 points.