The sun shone on the runners on last Wednesday evening's 18th Summer Turkey Trot road race, round nine of the Cornwall Glass and Glazing Series, sponsored by Trickys, Redruth, supported by Helston’s specialist running shop, At Your Pace and the Scorrier based company, Gould Electronics.

An impressive 506 runners toed the start line, the second highest field for this popular four-mile race, exceeded only by the 528 runners in 2011.

The downhill first mile resembles the Charge of the Light Brigade, before normal service resumed as the runners faced the only serious hill on the course, from Harris Mill heading towards Illogan.

Once the early pace had settled, the tactics of the Mile High pair Tony Brewer and Aaron Benney soon became evident, as they combined to set a blistering pace, soon opening a gap over their closest challengers, including Cornwall AC’s Colin Snook.

On this occasion Snook could not respond to the Mile High men, who powered on, with Brewer, currently enjoying a purple patch in his recent road races, moving clear of his team mate in the second half of the race and winning a third successive Grand Prix event by a comfortable twenty seconds.

Benney finished seven seconds clear of Snook, with a fast finishing Jordan Morant (Hayle Runners), just six seconds behind Snook. Once again the local runners continue to dominate the top ten positions, with Falmouth’s Paul Smith (Cornwall AC) 6th, teammate Paul Whear (Helston) 7th and the Under 20 winner, Penryn’s Floyd Ratcliffe (Hayle Runners) 8th.

In the Men’s team competition Cornwall AC’s strength in depth proved a telling factor, as the defending Grand Prix champions, notched up their sixth win of the year, finishing seven runners in the top fourteen places. The Penryn based club, Mile High, with three runners in the top ten, did themselves no harm in their battle with Hayle Runners for an end of season podium position, finishing second, with Hayle in fourth place, behind Cornwall AC’s ‘B’ team.

I wouldn’t go as far as to say Emma Stepto (Cornwall AC) really enjoys this course but last week she celebrated a fifth successive victory in the very warm conditions, which probably slowed times a little for all runners.

The Cornwall AC Ladies team captain led the club to a clean sweep of the leading positions, with the in form Heidi Tregenza trotting home to a third successive Grand Prix runner’s up spot, followed just fifteen seconds later by team mate Amy Sole, who is running better than ever these days.

Strong support from Naomi Tier (8th) and a rejuvenated Karen Harrison (9th) ensured an easy team win, 120 points ahead of Mounts Bay Harriers, who, perhaps surprisingly, celebrated their first top three finish of the year. Cornwall AC’s Ladies ‘B’ team matched their male counterparts with a third position, ahead of the emerging from the Ladies of Looe Pioneers. The South East Cornwall club certainly seems to be embracing the Cornwall Grand Prix races these days, with thirty two of their members making their relatively long journey to Redruth for a mid week evening race.

With one race remaining, the St Levan 10K in August, Ratcliffe wrapped up the 2017 Under 20 title, with victory in the Turkey Trot not only giving him his third win this year but an unassailable lead in this competition.

Ratcliffe beat last year’s Under 20 champion, Falmouth’s Tom Slattery (Cornwall AC) into second place, with another Cornwall AC youngster, Penryn’s Sam Goodchild, third and now in a strong position to clinch third overall place in the final race at St Levan next month. The Ladies Under 20 race was won convincingly by Sian Temple (Newquay and Par AC) who finished two an a half minutes ahead of her nearest rival.

Six of the seven local finishers in the top ten also featured in the Veteran prizes, with the Mile High trio of Brewer (1st), Benney (2nd) and Martin (3rd) scooping the awards in the 35-39 section. Snook won the 40-44 age group , with Smith finishing second. Whear led the way in the 45-49 category, with another Cornwall AC runner Justin Day, who lives near Treluswell, in second place.

Falmouth’s only prize winners on the evening were the regular pair, Jackie Cope and Kathran Dormer , joined this time by and Emma Mossop. Cope won her sixth Grand Prix race of the year in the 60-64 category and is now, barring disasters, homing in on the overall Grand Prix title in this section. Dormer finished third in the 65-69 category, with Mossop third in the 40-44 age group. Helston school teacher, Karen Harrison (Cornwall AC), completed the list of eleven local Veteran award winners, collecting the second place award in the 45-49 category.

The Guest of Honour at this year’s Turkey Trot was one of Britain’s fastest ever marathon runners, Mike Gratton, who set his best marathon time (2.09.43) when be won the second London Marathon in 1983. Gratton, along with the owners of Trickys, John Milan and Steve Bellman, presented the prizes at the post race BBQ.

After the race Gratton, who won the 60-64 age group prize, which he kindly donated to the second finisher in his age category, commented, “I really enjoyed this evening’s race.

The atmosphere was really friendly. I realise there is a competition element involved here but runners from all the clubs seem to get on really well. In South East England, most of the runners in the local road races do not belong to a club, so it is very refreshing to see such healthy club participation.”

KEY FOR CLUBS

BRR Bodmin Road Runners, CAC Cornwall AC, CR Carn Runners, ECH East Cornwall Harriers, FRR Falmouth Road Runners, HR Hayle Runners, IEK Invicta East Kent AC, 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, TRC Truro Running Club, U Unattached.

RESULTS

Men: 1 Tony Brewer MH 21.11, 2 Aaron Benney MH 21.31, 3 Colin Snook CAC 21.44, 4 Jordan Morant HR 21.50, 5 Dave Bartlett NRR 22.07, 6 Paul Smith CAC 22.13, 7 Paul Whear CAC 22.20, 8 Floyd Ratcliffe HR 22.25, 9 Andrew Martin MH 22.29, 10 Tony Wright NRR 22.34. Age Categories: Under 20: 1 Floyd Ratcliffe, 2 Tom Slattery CAC 22.40, 3 Sam Goodchild CAC 23.01. Under 35: 1 Jordan Morant, 2 Dave Bartlett, 3 Matt Yates CAC 22.38. 35-39: 1 Tony Brewer, 2 Aaron Benney, 3 Andrew Martin. 40-44: 1 Colin Snook, 2 Paul Smith, 3 Justin Thomas CAC 22.50. 45-49: 1 Paul Whear, 2 Justin Day CAC 23.49, 3 Scott Abraham HR 24.01. 50-54: 1 Tony Wright, 2 Neill Cookson HR 24.11, 3 Glynn Davis CR 24.45. 55-59: 1 Steve Baker TT 26.28, 2 Martin Davis NRR 26.38, 3 Michael Wilson TRC 27.21. 60-64: 1 Mike Gratton IEK 25.26, 2 Iain Walker STA 27.01, 3 Simon Webber ECH 27.46. 65-69: 1 Geoff Letchford MBH 26.39, 2 Tom Polglase CR 29.13, 3 Chris Ramsey TRC 31.33. 70-74: 1 John Lillis NRR 31.15, 2 Pat Lockett NRR31.27, 3 Pete Sargent NRR 31.52. 75-79: 1 Norris Kington CAC 39.22. 80+: 1 Tony Berry TRC 38.59. Teams: 1 Cornwall AC ‘A’ 52 points, 2 Mile High 99 points, 3 Cornwall AC ‘B’ 127 points, 4 Hayle Runners 136 points

Ladies: 1 Emma Stepto CAC 23.50, 2 Heidi Tregenza CAC 24.30, 3 Amy Sole CAC 24.45, 4 Wendy Chapman TRC 25.01, 5 Evie Brailsford ECH 25.07, 6 Sian Temple NP 25.45, 7 Ruby Orcahard (Truro Running Club), 8 Naomi Tier CAC 27.41, 9 Karen Harrison CAC 27.57, 10 Anne Waller MBH 28.07. Age Categories: Under 20: 1 Sian Temple, 2 Ella Waters LRR 28.15, 3 Sophie Talling NRR 29.15. Under 35: 1 Heidi Tregenza, 2 Amy Sole, 3 Evie Brailsford. 35-39: 1 Kirsty Medlock HR 29.09, 2 Ellen Goldring U 31.06, 3 Katie Gummow LP 31.51. 40-44: 1 Wendy Chapman, 2 Joanne Robinson LP 27.59, 3 Emma Mossop FRR 28.57. 45-49: 1 Emma Stepto, 2 Karen Harrison, 3 Anne Waller. 50-54: 1 Sharon Daw ECH 28.49, 2 Julia Burns HR 30.11, 3 Caroline Chesterfield HR 30.35. 55-59: 1 Hana Clotherow TRC 30.27, 2 Pam Solomon BRR 30.30, 3 Elizabeth Tregenza U 33.50. 60-64: 1 Jackie Cope FRR 34.12, 2 Diane Warren HR 34.39, 3 Ann Senior HR 35.06. 65-69: 1 Lynn Harvey NRR 38.25, 2 Margaret Wade CR 40.56, 3 Kathran Dormer FRR 41.25. 70-74: 1 Jackie Jenkin CAC 38.53. 75+: 1 Timothea Cardell HR 42.33 Teams: 1 Cornwall AC ‘A’ 42 points, 2 Mounts Bay Harriers 162 points, 3 Cornwall AC ‘B’ 182 points, 4 Looe Pioneers 216 points