Once again the ‘Call of Cubert’ proved to be irresistible to the Cornish road running fraternity with a massive record field of 717 runners descending on the village last week for the Cubert 5 mile road race, sponsored by Tileworld.

This race, round five of the Cornish Grand Prix Series, supported by Cornwall Glass and Glazing, once again benefitted from ideal racing conditions, with little wind and a welcome cloud cover.

As usual a strong field lined up to do battle in the Men’s event, with the race surely to be decided between Peter Le Grice (Mounts Bay Harriers), Tony Brewer (Mile High) and Godolphin School’s Colin Snook (Cornwall AC).

After a delayed start, due to so many runners held up by the road works in Goonhavern, not surprisingly Le Grice led the charge out of the village and soon set about building a commanding lead over the first, flat, fast mile. The Mount’s Bay Harrier looked in a class of his own throughout the race, never threatened from behind, winning by thirty seconds in the fast time of 25.31, ten seconds slower then his winning time four years ago.

As expected Brewer and Snook were keeping a wary eye on each other but by the end of the first lap Michael Parsons (Newquay Road Runners) had obvious intentions at spoiling the party, tucking in behind two of Cornwall’s top endurance athletes. Despite a valiant effort Parsons had to give way on lap two, fading a little but still running strongly enough to finish fourth. Who would clinch the runner’s up spot?

The answer was revealed after three and a half miles, when Brewer, who has not raced since the Cornish Mob Match last November, eased ahead of Snook and once clear, dug deep to build a ten second gap and claim the runner’s up prize. Just eight seconds covered the next four runners across the line, with fifth placed Jordan Morant (Hayle Runners) winning the frantic sprint to the line one second ahead of Helston’s Paul Whear (Cornwall AC), six seconds clear of Tony Wright (Newquay Road Runners) and eight seconds ahead of Cornwall AC’s Justin Thomas.

Andrew Martin (Mile High) claimed the local Falmouth area bragging rights, finishing ninth, one place and two seconds ahead of the Falmouth Road Runner Tom Carthey, although Carthey did smash his marathon personal best in Edinburgh just nine days previously and would still have been very much in recovery mode. Another Mile High man, Aaron Benney finished twelfth, with Cornwall AC’s Paul Smith in fifteenth place, eight seconds ahead of Falmouth’s Richard Dalton (18th).

Cubert has always been a happy hunting ground for Emma Stepto, winning the ladies' race for the sixth time in the last seven years. “I am beginning to move better again,” said the Cornwall AC Ladies team captain, “and I'm delighted to be racing pain free with no niggles from the recent stress fracture. This evening went well, as it’s been a busy few days for me. On Saturday I ran in the 5K Penrose Park Run and then on Sunday raced for the club in the 3000 metres in the South West League match in Exeter.”

Stepto finished over a minute ahead of a ‘surprise package’ Wendy Chapman (Truro Running Club) who showed huge improvement, claiming the scalps of many runners who usually finish ahead of her. At the half way points, Amy Sole (Cornwall AC) was running in third place at the halfway point but on the final lap marathon specialist and team mate Zelah Morrall, surprisingly fresh from clocking 2.51.22 nine days earlier, also in the Edinburgh Marathon, eased past Sole, holding third position to the finish line.

Top local lady was the jet setting Issy Steele, paying a flying visit to Cornwall, after spending some time in Thailand, before travelling to the South of France for the remainder of he summer. Issy showed she has lost little of her fitness, finishing comfortably in the top ten in eighth place.

With three finishers in the top four and Donna Raggett close behind in seventh place, there was little doubt the Ladies team title would find its way down west to Cornwall AC. St Austell Running Club were clear in second place fifty points behind the winners and sixty points ahead of third placed Hayle Runners.

Cornwall AC completed a double in the team competitions scooping the Men’s award by a significant eighty seven point margin ahead of the host club, who sneaked into the runner’s up spot by ten points, with the men of Hayle Runners following in the footsteps of the club’s Ladies team by also finishing in third place but only seven points clear of fourth place Mile High, with Falmouth Road Runners hard on the heels of the Penryn based club in fifth position.

Runner up Snook won the Veteran’s 40 - 44 age group and teammate Paul Whear took the honours in the 45-49 category. There was a Mile High clean sweep of the prizes in the 35-39 section, with Andrew Martin in first place, ahead of Benney and Richard Pascoe, who finished 21 overall.

Third place finishes were achieved by Smith (40-44) and a couple of the Falmouth Road Runner’s Ladies team, Jackie Cope (60-64) and Kathryn Dormer (65-69).

KEY FOR CLUBS

BID Bideford AC, CAC Cornwall AC, CR Carn Runners, ECH East Cornwall Harriers, FRR Falmouth Road Runners, G&G Grit & Grin, HR Hayle Runners, LP Looe Pioneers, LRR Launceston Road Runners, MBH Mounts Bay Harriers, MH Mile High, NP Newquay & Par AC, NRR Newquay Road Runners, STA St Austell Running Club, STP St Petrocs Dragons Triathlon Club, TRC Truro Running Club, TT Tamar Trotters, U Unattached.

RESULTS

Men: 1 Peter Le Grice MBH 25.31, 2 Tony Brewer MH 26.01, 3 Colin Snook CAC 26.09, 4 Michael Parsons NRR 26.59, 5 Jordan Morant HR 27.05, 6 Paul Whear CAC 27.06, 7 Tony Wright NRR 27.11, 8 Justin Thomas CAC 27.13, 9 Andrew Martin MH 27.25, 10 Tom Carthey FRR 27.27. Age Categories: Under 20: 1 James Greenwood NP 27.45, 2 Floyd Ratcliffe HR 29.19, 3 Sam Goodchild CAC 30.14. 35-39: 1 Andrew Martin, 2 Aaron Benney MH 27.39, 3 Richard Pascoe MH 28.04. 40-44: 1 Colin Snook, 2 Justin Thomas, 3 Paul Smith CAC 27.45. 45-49: 1 Paul Whear, 2 Martin Colwill BID 28.23, 3 Paul Sawford CR 29.40. 50-54: 1 Tony Wright, 2 Dave Buzza CAC 28.09, 3 Neill Cookson HR 30.20. 55-59: 1 Barrie Cardew CR 31.47, 2 Michael Wilson TRC 31.57, 3 Peter Allen NRR 33.11. 60-64: 1 Malcolm Roberts STA 33.02, 2 Simon Webber ECH 33.10, 3 Neville Witham CAC 34.32. 65-69: 1 Brian Wiles LRR 34.28, 2 Paul Wright NRR 35.06, 3 Peter Drew CR 38.39. 70-74: 1 Pete Sargent NRR 36.53, 2 Peter Heywood LP 38.42, 3 Stewart Townend HR 38.55. 75+: 1 Tony Berry TRC 44.38. Teams: 1 Cornwall AC ‘A’ 66 points, 2 Newquay Road Runners 153 points, 3 Hayle Runners 163 points, 4 Mile High 170 points, 5 Falmouth Road Runners 208 points, 6 Cornwall AC ‘B’ 231 points.

Ladies: 1 Emma Stepto CAC 29.05, 2 Wendy Chapman TRC 30.21, 3 Zelah Morrall CAC 30.45, 4 Amy Sole CAC 31.05, 5 Emma Paull HR 31.23, 6 Jessica Buscombe STA 31.30, 7 Donna Raggett CAC 31.32, 8 Issy Steele U 31.49, 9 Jo Herd NRR 32.12, 10 Nicola Smith STA 32.16. Age Categories: Under 20: 1 Livvy Carthew NP 35.00, 2 Ellie Ringwood MBH 36.53, 3 Lilli-keau Juntakereket STP 39.17. 35-39: 1 Anna Harrold U 33.34, 2 Louise Marsland TT 35.03, 3 Ellen Goldring U 37.37. 40-44: 1 Wendy Chapman, 2 Jo Herd, 3 Charlotte Bennett HR 34.17. 45-49: 1 Emma Stepto, 2 Zelah Morrall, 3 Donna Raggett. 50-54: 1 Emma Murray STA 32.58, 2 Debbie Nugent CR 34.29, 3 Sharon Daw ECH 35.08. 55-59: 1 Jeanette Duncan G&G 38.46, 2 Sue Sykes TRC 40.02, 3 Ann Senior HR 42.48. 60-64: 1 Sue Taylor MBH 40.47, 2 Diane Warren HR 41.28, 3 Jackie Cope FRR 41.38. 65-69: 1 Lynn Harvey NRR 45.25, 2 Jackie Jenkin CAC 48.39, 3 Kathryn Dormer FRR 52.48. 70+: 1 Val Hawken NRR 62.34. Teams: 1 Cornwall AC ‘A’ 76 points, 2 St Austell Running Club 126 points, 3 Hayle Runners 186 points, 4 Newquay Road Runners 289 points, 5 Cornwall AC ‘B’ 299 points, 6 Truro Running Club 363 points.