Great South Run
THE headlines will be grabbed by Paula Radcliffe who relished the flat and fast Bupa Great South Run course to set a new UK 10 miles best performance. But for the majority of the thousands of runners who took to the soaked streets of Portsmouth, it was all about getting round and enjoying the carnival atmosphere in the rain.
For the third year on the trot, the heavens opened on the Great South Run. Although come race time itself with the numerous different starts, the wet weather had eased, and it was only towards the end of the race for most runners that the rain returned.
A gaggle of Stubbies took part in the race, led home by Mark Le Gassick and Zippy Grice, who both had stunning runs. Pitched against top class competition, Mark skipped through the puddles for 24th overall in 52.58 – still 107 seconds behind Paula! Meanwhile, in-form Zippy followed up his recent win in the Denmead 10km with 34th position in a dazzling 55.03.
Other Stubbies:
139th: Tim Sullivan 1hr 4min 26sec.
397th: Tim Crumpton 1:09.57
531st: Dave King 1:11.33
558th: Jon Henderson 1:11.51
565th: Zac Conaty 1:11.54
630th: Steve Martin 1:12.31
1165th: Rob English 1:16.17
1522nd: Richard Simms 1:18.19
1561st: John Blake 1:18.31
1604th: Mags Smith 1:18.44
1724th: Gemma Jones 1:19.16
1753rd: Dan Horscroft 1:19.23
1900th: Matthew Abbott 1:20.10
1939th: Paul Hailwood 1:20.21
2055th: John Simister 1:20.54
2131st: Elly Joyce 1:21.15
2249th: Julie Woodman 1:21.45
2334th: James Keen 1:22.07
2362nd: Georgie Wallis 1:22.13
2363rd: Mike Harper 1:22.13
2395th: Ray Fisher 1:22.20
3111th: Helen Grice 1:24.56
3326th: John Nicholson 1:25.41
3359th: Helen Kimber 1:25.48
3548th: Nicholas Lewkowicz 1:26.25
3628th: Claire Borrowdale 1:26.42
3952nd: Philip Owen 1:27.52
4118th: Peter Rawlins 1:28.27
4169th: Andy Tomlinson 1:28.40
5319th: Hugh McMullan 1:32.40
5879th: Liz Hall 1:34.45
6579th: Alex Frost 1:37.17
6699th: Tom Mellor 1:37.46
6725th: Karen Dean 1:37.51
6755th: Jane Heywood 1:37.57
6771st: Laura Swanton 1:38.00
6925th: Rowena Dodds 1:38.36
7753rd: Robert Spencer 1:41.56
9382nd: Julie Ashman 1:50.52
10164th: Linda Swanton 1:57.09
10189th: John Randall 1:57.10
Organisers said that 19,000 runners had entered the race, though some would have been put off by the conditions. Watching on the streets were several Stubbies including Nick Kimber – off to New York on Wednesday for the marathon, Chris Haskell, Susie MacGregor, Lucy Simmons, Ray Gunner, Julie Simms, Mike Clarke, Sue Robinson, Andy and Jennie Lee, with Mike Bell taking photographs at the halfway point near the Queen’s Hotel.
As for the main race, Queen Paula blasted her way through the rain to a runaway victory in a time of 51minutes 11seconds. “I’d like to come back it was a good course, really good support and maybe there’ll be no wind next time,” she said after scorching around the wet and windy streets of Portsmouth.
Paula’s convincing win also sent out a clear warning she is in mint condition to defend her New York Marathon next weekend. In her first outing since the Olympic Games she showed after the setback there, the same authorative style which has made her a road running legend.
The 34-year-old Bedford star running solo after just over a mile, struck a healthy half-a-minute from the previous and still world class mark achieved 17 years by Jill Boltz in New York.
Paula savoured the success when easily thwarting the ambitions of Jessica Augusto and Magdalene Mukunzi, the Portugese and Kenyan runner’s finishing in 53min 15sec and 53min 18sec.
She was also until the six miles marker still well on target to smash the Lornah Kiplagat’s world best performance of 50min 49.6sec but decided because of the gusty wind, to keep something in reserve.
Paula said: “I felt in the last two miles it was going to be really windy, so saved a lit bit for that. Actually it wasn’t too bad down the sea front as I was psyched up for it to be.”
After testing her physical fitness almost fully, she also celebrated not feeling any reaction to either the stress fracture in her left hip or calf injuries, the latter which helped hinder her dreams of winning the Olympic marathon.
It also fully justified her decision to take to the roads just 10 weeks after finishing a deeply disappointed 23rd there and help shape her up for next Sunday’s massive confrontation around in the Big Apple.
Paula, who some critics believe should have had a longer rest, said: “The only thing to recover from in Beijing was that I wasn’t in shape.
“I hadn’t done enough running. I think I’ve done a bit more now and I felt more confident standing on the start line because you know you’ve done the preparations.
“At the Olympic Games I wasn't prepared and just had to get on with it. I just wanted to use today to have to have a good blow out.
“I didn’t want to really totally hammer it, because I’ve a more important race next week but at the same time it was good to come down here.
“I felt good running it and didn’t feel I left anything out there. When I finished my legs felt okay and I just didn’t want to give everything today.”
Paula insists she didn’t feel any feel pressure about her early return and genuinely thinks that after a couple of years where she has had major setbacks, she’s now back in excellent condition.
“No, more like excitement wanting to get on with it,” she said after successfully overcoming the first hurdle as she bids for a third New York crown. “There is pressure, just a little bit from myself having put in the hard work and training.
“To be honest that felt more normal - in Beijing it wasn’t.
“Generally I wouldn’t put myself on the line unless I felt was okay. There are always little niggles in any marathon build up - any marathon runner will tell you that.
“It’s when you know you haven’t done the preparation. That’s really hard.
“But when you know you’ve got the weeks of training and basically done the best job to get there, it’s kind of fun to go out racing.”
The men’s race saw an equally dominant display from Kenya’s Bernard Kipyego who made his breakaway after four miles and went on to win in a respectable time of 46min 43sec.
Irishman Martin Fagan produced a storming finish to snatch second spot just three seconds ahead of the winner’s fellow countryman and defending champion, Luke Kibet, in a time of 46min 58sec.
Kipyego craftily sped away from Kibet at around four miles when the world marathon champion slowed to collect a drink at a water station and piled ahead to open up a convincing lead.
“He took advantage of me almost stopping and there was little hope of catching him after that,” said Kibet.
“The conditions were hard, but I always felt in control of the race,” said Kipyego. “In better weather I would have ran much faster.”
Fagan who was the early leader clung closely to Kibet as they chased the disappearing figure of the 2007 world cross country bronze medallist, to line-up a thrilling finish.
It looked as if Kibet would grab second spot but in a desperate run in, Fagan used his 1500m speed to edge out his rival with a speedy turn of pace.
Editor’s note: If I have missed out your time then please let me know. Also, if you ran a pb, or if you have got anything worth shouting about from the race (did you find yourself in a photo finish with Borat?!), then drop me a line at peekay63@aol.com and I’ll include the details in November’s Green Runner.
Click here for photos.