King leads Mansfield Harriers to double success in Notts AAA Summer League

KING OF THE ROAD -- Mansfield Harrier Stuart King, who stormed home by 30 seconds in the latest Notts AAA Summer League race at Colwick Park.

The league comprises five races, run at distances between five miles and 10k, and Harriers soared to both individual and team success at this, the third one in the series.

King lived up to his name and confirmed his recent hot form on both track and road by finishing first on the night. He won the race comfortably by 30 seconds, clocking a time of 26 minutes, and is now top of the overall standings.

Andy Wetherill was 20th in 28.49 and leads the over-55s’ category, while the club won the veteran men’s team event and now sit in a commanding position going into the fourth race at Worksop College next Wednesday (July 13).

The team was led by Wetherill and also included the second Harrier home, Paul Butcher, who was an excellent fifth overall in 27.07 and was the first over-55.

The fast-improving under-20s’ runner Jordan Boam finished a promising 22nd (28.59) in his first race in the league, while Jonny Lowe maintained his run of fine performances by also achieving a top 30 spot in 27th, courtesy of a time of 29.33.

More than 450 runners took part in the race, including 17 men and nine ladies from Mansfield Harriers, whose next batch of finishers were led by Chris Allcock, who finished 43rd in 30.11, and Phil Shaw, who was one place behind in 44th thanks to a time of 30.16.

Shaw and Lowe made up the veteran men’s team, alongside Wetherill and Butcher, and they recorded as few as 95 points, well clear of their closest rivals on 184.

Gary Morley was the next Harrier home in 54th, closely followed by Nigel Watkin 58th, Craig Linacre 72nd, Steve Davies 88th, Matt Bradbury 92nd, Martin Fickling 111th, Garry Hodgkins 122nd, Gary Towle 162nd, Colin Fell 170th and Dave Robertson 214th.

On the night, the men’s team finished fifth of 21 teams and lie seventh in the overall standings in the series. The veterans’ B team came eighth of the 26 finishing teams.

For the ladies, the first Harrier to finish was team manager Bev Armstrong, who continued her sparkling run of form by crossing the line in 26th. The evergreen Maddy Collinge was next in 101st, followed by Karen Calladine, who was 111th, Jackie Duers in 117th, Julia Lowe in 121st, Petra Kucerova in 152nd, Denise Winfield in 153rd, Jo Walker in 180th and Helen Netherwood in 183rd. The veteran ladies’ teams came 13th and 23rd out of 32.