Emma Steptoe performs well at Bristol Half Marathon (From Falmouth Packet)

Emma Steptoe performs well at Bristol Half Marathon

4:57pm Tuesday 2nd October 2012 in Sport By Alan Rowling

A selection of Cornwall Athletic Club's top road runners were busy stretching their legs this weekend in Bristol and Berlin.

Six of the best lined up with around ten thousand others in the Bristol Half Marathon, where four of the club's ladies all ran very strongly, led by team captain Emma Stepto, who was treating this race as a ‘tempo’ run before making her full international debut, running for England in the Toronto Marathon of Sunday week. 

Despite sensibly choosing not to operate at top speed, Emma cruised to the excellent time of one hour 17 minutes 09 seconds, just twenty six seconds outside her personal best. 

She was the sixth British lady across the line and the second lady veteran home.

Not to far behind came the inform Naomi Tier, smashing her personal best by one minute and 44 seconds, dipping under eighty minutes for the first time, clocking an impressive 1 hour 19 minutes 33 seconds.

With young Heidi Cottam finishing in one hour 28 minutes 10 seconds and Donna Raggett clocking 1 hour 30 minutes 33 seconds, Cornwall Athletic Club’s Ladies team showed the value of racing in major events out of the county and will be hopeful of top three finish when the official team results become available.

On the men’s side, both Steve Wherry (1.19.06) and Phil Bolt (1.26.32) were disappointed with their runs, which were much slower than their 2011 personal bests.

Adrian Ball made a very successful journey to the European mainland, competing in the Berlin Marathon and was delighted with his time of two hours 40 minutes 47 seconds.  This is Adrian's second fastest marathon time, just twenty two seconds slower than his personal best, set in this year’s London Marathon.