HORRENDOUS conditions greeted Kenilworth Runners at the Centurion Grand Prix five-mile race in Solihull on Sunday.
Seven Kenilworth runners were greeted by torrential rain, flood paths and strong winds but Neil Sheward was still able to cross the finish lime in 14th position. His time of 31.16 also saw him finish as the third fastest in the V50 category.
Neil was followed by Richard Steel (22nd and 4th V50) in a time of 33.07 and Neil Smith who finished 49th in at time of 35.59, while Tom Dable was 111th in 42.50.
For the ladies, Louise Andrews finished 38th overall and 3rd LV45 in a time of 35.04. But perhaps happiest on the day was Samantha Moffatt who ran a new five-mile personal best time of 42.10.
The race was won by Tom Beasley of Birchfield Harriers in 25.56 and there were 154 finishers.
Fourteen Spa triders made the trip to Solihull with the ladies made a clean sweep of the podium positions.
Susie Stannard grabbed a new personal best (33.22) to win the race, while Carolyn Wilkinson (33.52) followed closely behind to win the V45 category.
Fiona Edwards (34.09) also recorded a new personal best to claim third spot and for the men Will Johnson (29.36) came home in sixth with Paul Edwards in 11th (30.48) and Steven Taylor 20th (32.46).
Elsewhere, Kenilworth’s ladies section began 2016 on a positive not by taking first and second in the female race in the 299th Coventry Parkrun on Saturday.
Louise Andrews finished in a time of 21.24 and Laura Pettifer crossed the finish line just four seconds behind in 21.28.
Courtney Thornberry also ran well by finishing as the fifth fastest female in 22.38 and Mandy Crust was pleased to complete her first Coventry parkrun in a time of 25.07.
Kenilworth’s men section also had three finishers in top ten, with Kev Hope finishing fourth in a time of 17.34 and he was closely followed by Stuart Hopkins (17.39) in fifth and Peter Bryan (18.57) in eighth.
