The Under 13s and Over 60s are in the top three for the London event as we bring you our latest round of road racing.
LAST FRIDAY OF THE MONTH 5km, Hyde Park, London, February 27
There can’t be many open road races where under-13s and 62s have finished in the top three, Steve Smith reports.
Sophia Davies, who finished fifth in the recent England National Cross-Country Under-13s, won the women’s race in a PB of 17:35, despite breezy conditions and a far from flat course for this monthly event.
Eleven seconds back, January winner Catherine O’Connor was second, with W60 Claire Elms winning the sprint for third.
Elms also received an award on the day for being the best athlete of the event in 2025, based on his six best age results from last year, where he averaged over 100% age rating.
This was by far the best age for his age run here, as his 18:19 was not only a W60 course record, but just four seconds off his world best, which he set last December on a smoother course in Battersea.
The multi-age group world record holder was returning from a week of illness where she was unable to run at all due to family issues that included her mother dying over the weekend and having to visit her father in hospital every day.
Elms started slowly but a 3:30 final kilometer gave him third place and improved his time by four seconds from December and, remarkably, now holds every record from W40 to W60. It was also his fastest time since 2019, when he set a then world W55 best of 17:39.
World Champion Andrew Leach had the next best age-match (94.2pc) and his 17:07 M60 saw him finish 11th overall.
In general. 1 M Mellor (Tun W) 16:08
M45: 1 J O’Mahony (Camb H) 16:34
M60: 1 A Leach (N Herts) 17:07
M80: 1: T Rea (H’field) 27:33
Women. 1 S Davies (Brent B, U13) 17:35; 2 C O’Connor (St Alb) 17:46; 3 C Elms (Kent, W60) 6.19pm
W50: 1 E Skinner (Kent) 19:10
W55: 1 A Critchlow (W4) 7.40pm. 2 S McDonald (S Lon) 20:04
W60: 2 R Hutton (S Lon) 21:04; 3 L Woolhouse (Vets) 9.31pm
W70: 1 K Hancock (Serp) 25:42
W75: 1 M Rayner (W4) 29:00
ANGLES HALF MARATHON, North Wales, 1st March
In general. 1 A Iago 71:51
M50: 1 R Mansell (Cybi) 80:05
Women. 1 G Moore (Eryri) 82:43
BERKHAMPSTEAD HALF MARATHON, Hertfordshire, March 1
In general. 1 T Charles (Chorl, M40) 69:54; 2K Lindars (VoA) 70:37; 3 J Davis (Dac) 70:43
M60: 1 S Townsend (Dac) 84:42
Women. 1 F Weddell (St Alb) 78:42
W40: 1 B Raftery (Tring) 83:55
W50: 1 A Young (Chilt) 95:38
W60: 1 R Eykelbosch (Dac) 1:43:15
BRIGHTON HALF MARATHON, East Sussex, 1st March
Seifu Jamaal retained the title he won here last year, albeit a minute slower in 65:28, and was coming off the back of winning at Hampton Court two weeks ago.
The London Heathside runner’s time was one minute ahead of Tosin Adedeji’s previous best of 66:21. Ruben Hoyte is also third in the new area with 66:41.
The women’s race was won by Phoenix native Maisie Trafford in 77:32, a time nearly four minutes faster than her previous best and coming after her return to running in 2025.
In general. 1 S Jamal (Lon H) 65:28; 2 T Adeji (NEB) 66:21; 3 R Hoyte (Phoe) 66:41; 4 S Anthony (C&C) 67:24; 5 S Cook 68:39; 6 N Lawson (Ultra) 68:52; 7 J McGraw (BRAT) 69:21; 8 Jay Fielding (ESM) 69:33; 9 A Jones (Ports, M40) 69:46; 10 C Lorimer (B&H) 70:00
M50: 1 P Average 77:22
M65: 1 A Benn (Shoreham) 89:40
Women. 1 M Trafford (Fo) 77:32; 2 R Whyte-Wilding (Lewes) 78:14; 3 L Lavender (Tri Lav, W35) 78:44; 4 S Chapman 80:00
W40: 1 R Hillman (Lewis) 82:53
W50: 1 A Wright 95:04
W55: 1 B Pradham 96:15
W60: 1 L Chislett (Arena) 1:40:07
BURGHLEY 7, Lincolnshire, March 1
In general. 1 M Kallenberg (Swan) 36:01
Women. 1 T Clayton-Woods 42:23
CITY OF NEWPORT HALF MARATHON, South Wales, March 1
In general. 1 A Campbell (Llis) 69:38; 2 M Roderick (Tri Hard) 69:34
M50: 1 R Hartley (P’pridd) 80:44
Women. 1 M Sutton (Vegan) 77:43; 2 C Merwood (CDF) 69:53
W60: 1 J Roscoe (Chep) 1:41:26
W70: 1 J Orme (Portis) 1:48:00
GREAT YARMOUTH SEAFRONT HALF MARATHON, Norfolk, March 1
In general. 1 M Baghnik 69:38
Women. 1 D Page 88:38
LEICESTER 10km, March 1
In general. 1 H Robinson (Nun) 33:07
M50: 1 C Nicholl (The Tri) 35:33
Women. 1 C Frankland (W End) 35:44
LIVERSEDGE HALF MARATHON, West Yorkshire, March 1
In general. 1 J Sagar Leeds) 71:21
Women. 1 S Armitage (Ilk, W45) 88:29
LONDON HALF MARATHON, Stratford, March 1
In general. 1 H Fry (Belgium) 67:54
Women. 1 E Davison 82:08
MIDDLESBROUGH HALF MARATHON, March 1
In general. 1 R McLeod (Morp, M40) 67:06; 2 A Theaker (Loftus & W) 69:11; 3 N Postill (Border) 69:13
M40: 2 J Anderson (NSP) 70:56
M60: 1 G O’Connor) 84:35
Women. 1 R Blain (Tyne Br) 83:16
W45: 1 W Pawsey (NSP) 86:50
W50: 1 T Biney (NY Moors) 86:41
W55: 1 K Nisam (N Marske) 89:58; 2 C Howard (R’hay) 90:33
W60: 1 H Hall (NE Proj) 93:20
NORTH LINCOLNSHIRE 10K & HALF MARATHON, Scunthorpe, March 1
Total (10 km). 1 T Straw (Linc W) 31:25; 2 R Pge (Linc W) 31:36
Women. 1 H Gill (Mansf, W50) 37:48
Total (13.1M). 1 R Psyne (Clle) 68:28; 2 J Lonsdale (Workshop) 68:50; 3 A Plows 69:22
Women. 1: C Thornton (Linc W) 75:47; 2 E Holt (C’field Tri) 80:12
TONTON HALF MARATHON, Somerset, March 1
In general. 1 J Williamson (B&W) 68:03; 2 C Hewitt (Tiv) 69:28
M60: 1 M Shoots (My) 85:59
Women. 1 S Stone (Bide, W45) 89:10
TRAFFORD 10km, Greater Manchester, March 1
It was the Scottish invaders who took top honors in the men’s race, but Abbie Donnelly kept the English spirit alive by just winning the women’s section in 32:06.
Cambuslang’s Kevin Campbell was comfortably the better of the two Scots with a 30 second victory over Falkirk’s Scott Stirling as Derby’s David Bishop led another 11 men into or over the 30 minute barrier.
The 28:49 return was comfortably a personal best for Campbell, 38, and third behind last year’s Manchester Marathon of 2:17:38.
Donnelly wasn’t quite in personal best territory as his best of 31:42 came at his home race in Lincoln in 2023, but that was in a country where the 29-year-old has excelled in recent years with Euro and world championship vests as well as victory in the 2025 cross-country championships.
Here it was touch and go after a battle that Emily Haggard-Carney just lost but was rewarded with a great new personal best of 32:07.
Third-place finisher Charlotte Dunnatt was also in new territory with a personal-best 32:14 for third place.
In general. 1 K Campbell (Cambus) 28:49; 2 Stirling (Falk) 29:20; 2 D Bishop (Der) 29:25; 4 M Peare (BRAT) 29:27; 5 L Jager (Newark) 29:29; 6 J Harrison (Maize) 29:42; 7 S Loughlin (Liv PS) 29:46; 8 M Clowes (Rex) 29:50; 9 Jay Beattie (Leeds, M40) 29:56; 10 J Niven (Liv) 29:57; 11 J Firth (Tad) 29:59; 12 J Gilbert (Kent, M45) 29:59; 13 O Roberts (Merr’dd) 30:00; 14 R Owen (Merr’dd) 30:00; 15 R Donkin (Barton) 30:01
M40: 2 A Baker (Leeds) 31:14
M45: 2 A Davies (Mald) 30:34; 3 J Horman (Liv) 30:47
M50: 1 P Sneake (Willm) 33:09; 2 J Perst (Traff) 34:19; 3 A Haney (Chorl) 35:05
M55: 1 W Pearson (Crook) 34:52; 2 D Bennett (Roch) 35:42; 3 A Porter (Bramhall) 35:53
M60: 1 R Johnson (Alt) 36:29; 2 R Evans (Alt) 36:41; 3 B Park (S’port W) 37:29
Women. 1 A Donnelly (Linc W) 32:06; 2 E Haggard-Kearney (Warriors) 32:07; 3 C Dannatt (Camb’ly) 32:14; 4 S Dafur-Jackson (Vail R) 32:46; 5 E Twentyman (R&N) 33:04; 6 L Hesketh (CleM, W40) 33:23; 7 N Phillips (Dand H) 33:33; 8 J Piasecki(Stock) 33:36; 9 H Townsend (Leeds, W40) 33:52; 10 D Koradi (Leeds) 33;57; 11 S Pennycook (Leeds) 33:58; 12 R Brown (Border, W40) 34:22; 13 K Latham (Nant, W40) 34:52; 14 G Arnel 35:13; 15 R Jackson (Willm) 35:20
W40: 4 E Taylor (Stoke) 36:25
W60: 1 C Higgs (Trent) 43:49
W65: 1 J Cordingley (Sell) 46:43
CHICHESTER CORPORATE CHALLENGE, Race 1, West Sussex, February 25
December’s Victory 5 winner Lachlan Wellington, who also ran 28:41.60 over 10,000 meters in the USA last year, took a runaway victory over four laps, covering 4.5km in 12:54.
This was clear from Onjuro Sumba, who, as in the last race last spring, took second place.
Total (4.5 km).1 L Wellington (Ports) 12:54; 2 O Sumba 13:27; 3 O Priston) 1:44 p.m
Women. 1 A Foul 15:28; 2 B Naylor-Davis (Seaf Col) 15.40; 3 C Jones (Ports) 15.57
INTERSCHOOLS ROAD RUNNING CHALLENGE, Race 1, Chichester, West Sussex, 29 March
In the age group race, Year 7 Riley Eyre broke the 7/8 season record of 6:38 for the 2.1km journey.
Boys 9 and 10 years (2.8 km). 1 L DeGiovanni (Petersfield) 8:14; 2 M Gayle (B Luffa) 8:18; 3 J Stewart (B Luffa) 8:19
Year 7 & 8 (2.1km).
1 R Ayre (O Romero) 6:38;2 C Carman (Home) 6:41; 3 F Smith (Cams H) 6:49
Girls Year 9/10 (2.1km). 1 B Lendrum (B Luffa) 6:54; 2 I Shaw (Swanmore) 7:16; 3 F Fooks (Ports GS) 7:20
Year 7/8. 1 E Pemberton (Churcher’s) 7:06; 2 L Jones (Meon) 7:17; 3 E Fowler (Meon) 7:25
LEEDS 5km SERIES 5km, West Yorkshire, 25th February
In general. 1 T Hodgson (Grease) 15:37
M50: 1 D Smithers (York) 17:05
Women. 1 I Burke (Sale) 17:29
LASSWADE 10, Rosewell, March 1
In general. 1 R Anderson (Tev) 56:17; 2 G Walker (Tev, M40) 56:47
M60:D Cross (Edin) 67:37
Women1 A Frankland (Lass) 63:01; 2 J Dickson (Fife, W50) 66:33
W60:M Scott (Edin) 76:30
SMOKIES WOMEN’S 10, Arbroath, March 1
Women. Sarah Leveridge 66:41
HFBC NAIRN 10km, March 1
In general. 1 Ross Golan (E Suth) 30:19; 2 S Chalmers (Adin) 30:37; 3 F Roberts (HHR) 31:26; 4 S Cumming (E Suth) 32:00; 5 F Murray (E Suth) 32:58; 6 S Gardiner (I’ness) 33:04
M40:G Lennox (E Suth) 33:52
M50:Jenkins (Moray) 36:08
TEAM:1 Sut 95:18; 2 HHR 1:40:25; 3 Moray 1:44:39
Women: 1 R Pinder (A’deen) 36:23; 2 C Graves (HHR) 38:01; 3 A Gollan (Dees R) 38:26; 4 C Cook (Subway) 38:39
W40:S Naysmith (N’burgh D) 39:45
W50:Jay Barker (Moray) 43:30
U20:J Needs (A’deen) 42:30
TEAM::1 Moray (W40) 2:10:33; 2 N’brgh D (V40) 2:18:32; 3 Moray B 2:23:09
