Victory 5
IT was like Gene Kelly in running shorts, as runners competing in the Victory 5 were singing and a dancin' in the rain (well, it was wet and not exactly raining!), splashing in the huge puddles which engulfed the Portsmouth course on Sunday.
The Victory 5 is one of the fastest five-milers in the country, and attracts a class field from all over the country.
That was reflected in the winning times, which although slower because of the windy conditions, still resulted in some speed-defying times on the course which started and finished from the Mountbatten Centre.
In a dramatic, tight finish, Poole-based Kenyan, Williard Chinhanhu won the race in 24min 50sec, a second ahead of Moumin Geele from Newham & Essex Beagles, with Tom Payn, winner of the Hayling 10 a week earlier, finishing third in 24:54.
Chinhanhu's time was 4min 58sec mile pace! Stubbington's Mark Le Gassick ran mile splits of 5min 25sec, quality running, but in this field it meant he had to settle for 19th place in 27:06.
Ray Gunner was the second Stubby to finish in 77th place in 30 minutes flat, and he was seventh Vet45 on the day as well.
Teenager Chris Furnell continues to impress with 98th in 30:54, just four seconds ahead of Mike Harper who was 99th in 30:58.
Paul Hammond completed the scoring with 173rd in 33:39, and admitted the last mile back into the wind was murder. In a high-class field, which even included a team from South Africa, Stubbington's men finished ninth behind winners Newham & Essex Beagles. We were the sixth-placed Hampshire club, and the vets were sixth.
For the ladies, they were led home by Chris Haskell, who was 114th female on the day in 43:13, Verity Wright followed in 44:30 for 132nd and Denise Crumpton stormed round as 156th lady in 46:23.
A total of 778 competitors took part and the ladies race was won by Chichester Runners' Linda Spencer in 29:15 for 58th overall.
Other results:
Men - 206th Mike Bell 34:34, 208th Phil May 34:38, 219th Nick Kimber 35:01, 223rd Ryan Gunner 35:21, 229th Marcus Lee 35:36, 235th Tim Sands 35:49, 245th Eric Beck 36:00, 259th Richard Simms 36:33, 316th Sean Jones 38:21, 328th John Fairhurst 38:43, 411th Terry French 42:33.
Ladies - 160th Anne O'Neill, 46:55, 161st Helen Adams 46:55, 169th Sue Simister 47:42, 207th Geraldine May 50:31, 213th Anne Fairhurst 51:18.