Poole 10km
DARRELL Milner's Poole 10km run almost came to a crashing end around the Dorset course. The race attracted a top quality field for the two-lap run around Poole Park.
On the first of these laps Darrell was going great guns until he found himself sprawled out on the concrete road running through the park.
"A female runner behind me managed to take my legs away and left me with a bleeding elbow, as well as a graxed knee and hip," he said. "More importantly, it seemed so at the time anyway, I was losing time."
With young son Izaac watching his dad race for the first time, dad managed to pick himself up and came home in a time of 38min 42sec. "I didn't manage to get back to my previous pace," he added.
"It was a pretty flat course and not too hot, so I was hoping for a fast time. Still, got a good t-shirt!"
The Zimbabwean-based Williard Chinhanhu won the race in a swift time of 29.59, followed by Kenyan Joseph Kibor in 30.09. Such was the high standard of the race that Winchester & District AC's Toby Lambert, who has been winning a sackful of races this year, could only place third in 30.23, and another top south coast runner, Chichester AC's James sBaker, was fifth in 31.59.
Darrell was the first Stubby home in 73rd and seventh Vet 40. He was followed by Derek Balsdon in 316th place with 47.44 to win the Vet 65 age group, as a total of 918 runners took part in the race.
The women's event was won by Birhan Dagne from Belgrave Harriers in 33.25 for 15th overall.