Stubbington Green Runners

IT may have been cold, wet and blowing a hooley, but that didn’t stop over 12,000 runners from taking to the streets of Southsea and Portsmouth on Sunday, for the BUPA Great South Run.

Now in its sixteenth year, the Great South Run has become firmly established as the UK’s biggest 10-mile road race, attracting some of the world’s best distance runners, top club runners, and many thousands of fun runners who raise money for a whole host of worthwhile causes.

This year, the elite line-up included athletes from as far a field as Kenya, Russia, the Ukraine, Hungary, Spain, Holland and Great Britain, and also slightly closer to home, Stubbington Green Runners & A.C.

In an exciting men’s race, pre-race favourite, Kenya’s Simon Arusei led for most of the way, but was almost caught in the closing stages by former European 10,000m champion, Spain’s Chema Martinez, and Great Britain’s Jon Brown.

Arusei held on to take victory in 47 minutes, 15 seconds, with Martinez finishing in second place, just two seconds adrift (47.17) and Brown in third, a further second behind (47.18).

In the women’s race, a commanding debut performance at 10-miles by Jo Pavey, resulted in the Exeter Harrier and Great Britain international becoming the first British runner to win the Great South Run for eight years.

Pavey widened the gap in the early stages over Olivera Jevtic, of Serbia & Montenegro, eventually beating the 2006 European marathon silver medallist by over a minute, in an impressive time of 52 minutes, 44 seconds, to finish in 24th place overall.

Jevtic clocked 53 minutes, 52 seconds, to finish second (27th overall) and Kenya’s Catherine Mutwa took third spot in 54 minutes, 14 seconds (32nd overall).

From a local perspective, Team Southampton’s Neil Phillips ran superbly, gradually working his way through the field to finish 17th in an excellent time of 52 minutes, 15 seconds.

Stubbington’s Mark Le Gassick enjoyed the swift early pace set by Jo Pavey, and some consistent running over the latter stages resulted in a strong finish and a time of 53 minutes, 53 seconds, and 28th place.

Zippy Grice, who ran most of the race with the legendary Sonia O’Sullivan, the winner of the women’s race in 2002 and 2003, clocked 56 minutes, 54 seconds, finishing in 49th position.

Tim Crumpton ran well, despite being plagued by a hamstring injury of late, finishing in a respectable time of 1.05.11 (210th). Paul Hammond, who has been racing well recently, continued his good form and was not far behind Tim in a time of 1.07.58 (317th).

The Green Runner Editor, Dave King, was another Stubbington runner who also showed some good form, and almost a bit more when the elastic in his shorts snapped half way round the course (see Dave ’s Kegs in Freedom Bid). Following some running repairs, he completed the 10-mile course in 1.09.23 (427th).

Less than two minutes behind Dave, Nick Kimber finished in 1.11.12 (593rd). Marcus Lee continued his impressive form in 2006, also finishing just outside the 70-minute mark in a time of 1.11.35 (638th). The results of the other Stubbington Green runners were as follows:

Rob English – 1.14.05
Lauren Coates – 1.16.17
Mark Hindry – 1.16.38
Roger Skerry – 1.16.38
Simon Bean – 1.17.43
Richard Simms - 1:20:28
Trevor Tollett – 1.21.42
Nina Perry - 1.21.??
Kay Sadler – 1:22:19
Simon Holford – 1.23.19
Mark Greenfield – 1.24.00
Heather Bowers – 1.27.17
Jane Thomson – 1.27.56
Helen Grice – 1.32.48
Peter Rawlins – 1.34:06
Jackie Sherman - 1.35.03
Helen Kimber – 1.36.23
Liz Hall – 1.36.24
Amanda Humphry – 1.37.27
Helen Adams – 1.38.02
Julia Haskell - 1.38.19
Tom Mellor – 1.39.26
Jane McNulty - 1.40.34
Denise Crumpton – 1.43.00
Michelle Simpson - 1.43.07
Sarah Burgess - 1.45.30
Lizzie Cooper - 1.45.??
Kirsten Maw - 1.45.54
Sue Simister - 1.45.55
Michael Aimable – 2.25.51

Apologies for any omissions, but it’s not easy trying to pick out names in amongst 12,000 other runners, especially when there are no club names! If you have been unintentionally overlooked, please email info@sgrac.net with your time so that you can be added.

Click here for pics.