Results from Event #17, 26th September 2020
Congratulations to the 131 runners who took part in the 17th Fly 5k today. It was a novelty for me to be hosting from a cafe in the middle of Ambleside, but that's the beauty of Fly 5k - we can be anywhere, whether to run or to do the results!
Firstly I'd like to announce we had our very first octagenarian taking part today, as regular runner Lionel Mann of Ampthill and Flitwick Flyers ran 46:13, and of course took the VM80+ record in the process. I don't know when your birthday was but Happy 80th Lionel!
We had 9 first timers and a very healthy 24 Fly 5k PBs, all indicated on the results. There were very memorable runs for several people, as Adam Newbey, Dave Braybrook, Phyllida Jones and Roy Harris all got lifetime PBs. For Adam it was his first time under 26 minutes, and for Phyllida her first time under 30 minutes. Well done guys!
Fly 5k first timer Claudine Benstead deserves a special mention too, as she ran 20:41 taking over three minutes off the previous VW60-64 record. An outstanding performance. And well done to Ian Sage of Dunstable Road Runners, with 25:05 taking five seconds off his own VM70-74 age category record.
It was good to see a couple of clubs appearing in the results for the first time too, with Claudine representing Okehampton RC and Iain Robertson of Killamarsh Kestrels up in Sheffield. That brings to 60 the number of different clubs that have taken part in Fly 5k to date.
This also marks the first event when someone has submitted a 5k run that was part of a hockey game! Great commitment from Rachel Aldridge who, after finishing her work on the pitch, ran a few extra yards to get over the magic distance! - and also won her game.
Well done to the following people who ran their 10th Fly 5k today:
Edward BAILEY Declan DALY Robin NEWBY Mairead O'ROURKE Eileen SINDOLE Rob TREVOR
So to the front of the field, and three minutes ahead of everyone else, it was great to see Darren Deed of Dunstable Road Runners make a welcome return for his fourth Fly 5k. He continues to amaze, with a 14:56 for first placed male, and placing second equal in the top 500 list of Fly 5k times (the other best times being his too of course!). Darren also placed first by age grading this week with 93.08%.
For the women, a big well done to Joanna Parker who was first female with 20:21, on her 16th Fly 5k.
The podium looks quite different this week to some previous weeks, as a number of familiar names made it into the top three for the first time, and well done to all of them, and to everyone who ran today.
Men
1) Darren DEED, Dunstable Road Runners (14:56)
2) Rob TREVOR, Havering AC (17:50)
3) Andrew MCKILLOP, St Albans Striders (18:07)
Women
1) Joanna PARKER, Unattached (20:21)
2) Claudine BENSTEAD, Okehampton RC (20:41)
3) Mairead O'ROURKE, Chiltern Harriers (21:11)
Age Graded
1) Darren DEED, Dunstable Road Runners (93.08%)
2) Claudine BENSTEAD, Okehampton RC (90.73%)
3) Joanna PARKER, Unattached (81.16%)
The full results are on the website at www.runfly5k.com/latest-results (best viewed on a laptop / desktop for searching, sorting, filtering and all that good stuff). Individual results and records are all updated on the website too.
It's a double bill next week with Fly 5k #18 on the Saturday and then the Fly Marathon on Sunday. Hope you can join us!