The 2016 Duchy Athletic Network (DAN) Summer Track Series continues to grow in popularity, with 66 runners turning up at the Par track for a series of three 5000m races.

A cool, calm evening gave the runners an opportunity to take advantage of the favourable conditions for fast running, which many grasped with both feet, setting personal best times galore.

The first race of the evening, which incorporated the Cornwall 5000 metre Championship for men and ladies saw Colin Snook (Cornwall AC) shoot into the lead, closely followed by John Scott (Newquay Road Runners). Scott’s challenge soon evaporated, leaving Snook out on his own for the remainder of the race.

The Cornwall AC athlete paced his race to perfection going through his first mile in 5 minutes 04, his second mile in 4 minutes 58 and his third mile in 5 minutes 00, winning by thirty seven seconds, improving his personal best by eight seconds, clocking time 15 minutes 34.9 seconds, moving him up to ninth in the UK 40-44 age group ranking.

Behind the lone leader a large group of six runners were keeping a wary eye on each other, ready to cover the first person daring to emerge from the pack.

With four laps to go Justin Thomas (Cornwall AC) broke clear, taking Tony Wright (Newquay Road Runners) for company and with two laps remaining another acceleration from the Cornwall AC man was enough to secure the runners-up spot, with Wright completing a Veterans only top three.

Four local runners, representing two different clubs, filled the fifth to eighth places, led by Aaron Benny (Mile High), who was just over one second clear of Falmouth’s Paul Smith (Cornwall AC), with Helston’s Paul Whear (Cornwall AC) two seconds adrift of his teammate, before Andrew Martin (Mile High) completed the local quartet in eighth position.

Hiding away in 11th place was Sam Goodchild (Cornwall AC) but his performance is certainly worthy of a special mention, winning the Under 20 County title at the age of fifteen in the swift time of 16.54.8.

It was good to see Elsey Davis (Newquay Road Runners) not only back in action after a recent foot injury but in personal best form, winning the Ladies County 5000m title for the third successive year in 16.50.9, a time which will set her up nicely for her next 5000m race in the England Senior Championships at Bedford at the weekend.

Cornwall AC’s Emma Stepto also took a huge step in the right direction coming home second in 17.15.1, showing glimpses of her old form and moving nicely along the comeback trail, finishing just over eight seconds away from the UK All Time Record for the 5000 metres in the Veterans 45-49 category.

Wendy Chapman (Truro Running Club) completed the top three, also setting a personal best time (18.25.3), moving up to number six in the 2016 UK 40-44 Veteran Rankings over this distance.

The second race of the evening featured the wheelchair athlete Ben Oliver (Newquay & Par AC) who powered his way around the 12 and a half laps in 16.06.5, a time bettered only by Snook.

The first runner home was Penryn’s Floyd Ratcliffe (17.15.5), who competes in the Under 20 category.

Sixteen year old Ratcliffe, the youngest runner in the race, pulled away from Simon Williams (St Austell Running Club) in the latter stages of the race winning by 14 seconds, with Paul Sawford (Carn Runners) holding off a pair of Hayle Runners Kieran Murrant (4th) and Simon Knowles (5th) in a mad sprint for the line.

Emma Paull (Hayle Runners) opted for race two winning in 18.44.5, ahead of Cornwall AC’s Donna Raggett (19.12.5), with Lauren Anning (St Austell Running Club) third in 19.50.7.

Race three attracted a healthy field of 16 runners, with Ross Andrew (Unattached) winning by almost one minute, ahead of another unattached runner Robert Beard, with St Austell’s Martin Whitehead third. Jackie Brydon (Unattached) won the Ladies race, followed home by Sharon Beard (Unattached) and Patsy Ralls (St Austell Running Club).

KEY FOR CLUBS

BRR Bodmin Road Runners, B&W Bristol & West AC, CAC Cornwall AC, CR Carn Runners, HHH Haywards Heath Harriers, HR Hayle Runners, LRR Launceston Road Runners, MH Mile High, NP Newquay & Par AC, NRR Newquay Road Runners, STA St Austell Running Club, TRC Truro Running Club, U Unattached

RESULTS

Race 1 (Cornwall 5000metre Championship): 1 Colin Snook CAC 15.34.9, 2 Justin Thomas CAC 16.11.9, 3 Tony Wright NRR 16.20.8, 4 Phil Hardaway HHH 16.21.9, 5 Aaron Benny MH 16.22.1, 6 Paul Smith CAC 17.23.7, 7 Paul Whear CAC 16.25.6, 8 Andrew Martin MH 16.44.9, 9 John Scott NRR 16.49.8, 10 Elsey Davis (1st Female) NRR 16.50.9, 11 Sam Goodchild (1st Under 20) CAC 16.54.8, 12 Joe Argall CAC 17.09.8, 13 Emma Stepto (2nd Female) CAC 17.15.1, 14 Alex Daniels NRR 17.21.8, 15 Gary Standinger B&W 17.25.5, 16 James Davies TRC 17.36.6, 17 Scott Abraham HR 17.37.6, 18 Paul Sole CAC 17.52.5, 19 Jamie Masters STA 18.04.7, 20 Craig Hall CR 18.15.4, 21 Matt Yates CAC 18.17.4, 22 Wendy Chapman (3rd Female) TRC 18.23.3, 23 Luke Hopper (2nd Under 20) NP 19.03.9.

Race 2: 1 Ben Oliver (1st Wheelchair) NP 16.06.5.

1 Floyd Ratcliffe HR 17.15.5, 2 Simon Williams STA 17.29.7, 3 Paul Sawford CR 17.46.0, 4 Kieran Murrant HR 17.47.2, 5 Simon Knowles HR 17.48.4, 6 Darren Evans LRR 17.52.1, 7 Tom Howell MH 18.08.9, 8 John Sole BRR 18.28.2, 9 Dan Williams CAC 18.36.0, 10 Emma Paull (1st Female) HR 18.44.5, 11 Chris Walker NRR 18.49.6, 12 James Manning HR 18.57.3, 13 James Brydon U 19.04.8, 14 Donna Raggett (2nd Female) CAC 19.12.5, 15 Jonathan Webb U 19.20.5, 16 Jim Brydon U 19.37.4, 17 Lauren Anning (3rd Female) STA 19.50.7, 18 Laura Rogers (4th Female) CAC 19.56,9, 19 Laura McArthur (5th Female) CAC 21.04.4, 20 Peter Allen NRR 21.05.0, 21 John Horton NP 21.06.7, 22 Stuart Richards STA 21.07.4, 23 Debbie Nugent (6th Female) CR 21.28.6, 24 Ian Lamerton U 21.48.6, 25 Anna Pascoe (7th Female) CR 29.09.8, 26 Emma Stephens (8th Female) U 23.14.8.

Race 3: 1 Andrew Ross U 21.49.5, 2 Robert Beard U 22.45.4, 3 Martin Whitehead STA 22.53.1, 4 Martin Trethewey STA 23.03.9, 5 Alf Mathiesen STA 23.11.6, 6 Jackie Brydon (1st Female) U 23.16.7, 7 Brett Stepto CAC 23.45.3, 8 Sharon Beard (2nd Female) U 25.12.4, 9 Patsy Ralls (3rd Female) STA 25.42.1, 10 Kay Skentelbery (4th Female) STA 28.05,7, 11 Mandy Smith (5th Female) STA 28.23.3, 12 David Rawls STA 29.38,9, 13 Michelle Dudley (6th Female) STA 29.58.2, 14 Lesley Taphouse (7th Female) U 30.32.4, 15 Angela Yates (8th Female) STA 30.47.4, 16 Mandy Blight (9th Female) STA 33.10.3.