Written by Caroline Curtis
Highlights
- Stephen Male’s silver medal at Kent Veteran’s Cross Country Championship
- Tony Scott is ‘simply the vest’ at the Thanet 10 miles
- The 2 Lisa’s take on the parkrun challenge cup, Lisa Smith progresses.
Kent Veteran’s Cross Country Championship
To win a Kent medal when up against the finest in the county was exactly what Stephen Male did on Saturday at the Kent Veterans cross country in Dartford.
A cold crisp morning making it perfect run conditions, this event is a highlight in the run calendar. It may be a ‘masters’ championships but every athlete ups their game to attain the best position in the county.
Stephen paced his race well saying he knew roughly where he was going to try and take his rival but his opponent surprised Male by ‘kicking in’ a lot earlier than he anticipated and the battle for the line meant Male claimed the silver medal in the V50 male category just 4 seconds behind the winner. In the same race Richard Fowles finished in 60th position running the 9300 m course in 38.20 with Male in 30.20
In the men’s V45–49 category, Paul Bartlett despite carrying a perpetuating injury looked strong and finished as the 29th quickest male in Kent in a time of 37.40. Ian McGilloway had to pull up and although a tough decision for any runner, McGilloway did the right thing by stopping.
Malcolm Gibbs in the 5.4 km race is the 45th quickest male V60 running in a time of 28.56 in Kent with Grahame Eke (ran 31.31) 18th best V65 in the county.
The women ran together in the 5.4 km race. Caroline Curtis 24.54 (8th -W50) was first home for the ladies. Catherine O’Conner was next in 25.45 (11th – W50), Gail Turbutt 26.09 (23rd – W45), Diane Parsons 27.15 (11th – W40), Victoria Green 27.23 (12th – W40), Marie Brazier 28.07 (13th – W40)
Julie Gibbs 31.05 claiming the highest Kent category for the Folkestone women in 7th place for W60
Thanet 10 mile
The only brave sole running in the strong wind and very very chilly conditions in his vest, who, therefore, gets a special mention on Sunday was Tony Scott.
Tony ran the Alan Green undulating 10 mile course in Thanet, in a cracking time of 1.23.23, where it took him nearly 3 hours to get the feeling back in his fingers and toes.
Parkrun
At Folkestone parkrun there was another great battle as Lisa Smith, who last ran in the 28’s in 2017 scored 102.1 against Lisa York’s 99.5 in the FRC parkrun challenge.
OMG I am so happy, even if it nearly killed me.
Lisa Smith
Lisa Smith will now meet Catherine O’Connor, our head coach, in the final with Helen Francis running against Gary Brazier in the challenge B cup. The final take places next week.
The results of the parkrun were:
- Rob Collier 20.12
- Chris Addison 20.23
- Ian Merrick 21.01
- Stuart Erskine 21.11
- Tim Warren 21.12
- Ellie Hayes 22.01 (first lady)
- Tony Scott 23.04
- Vicky Scott 23.28
- Catriona Watts 24.46
- Paul Taylor 25.04
- John O’Hara 25.23
- Finlay Taylor 26.52
- Richard Dyer 26.54
- Lisa Smith 28.36
- Louise Fowler 31.06
- Angela Warren 31.14
- Lisa York 31.31
- Caron Inder 31.59
- Catherine Anne Curtis 34.06
Meanwhile over in Canterbury, Dave Walbrook ran 26.26
The 2 lisas shortly before battle commenced at the Parkrun Challenge Cup 
Some members of our Kent Vet’s XC squad. 
Stephen Male en route to Silver in the Kent Vet’s XC Championship