Mansfield lead Notts Summer League Series with one race to go

Worksop College was the venue for the penultimate race in the Nottinghamshire Summer League series, and Mansfield Harriers took big numbers to the event with 31 men and 19 women making the start line, writes Richard Massey.
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now

Mansfield were looking to consolidate the small team lead in the senior men’s competition from a strong Long Eaton club and the ladies were looking to bolster team medal positions in both senior and masters age group.

The men were superb, winning on the night by 10 points from Long Eaton, which gives them a 32 point lead going into the last fixture, a lead that does not allow any complacency going into the final event.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Out of a field of 238 men, Dan Nugent continued his remarkable run of form to win the race with Kristian Watson second after a prolonged battle.

Leading junior Grace Manson.Leading junior Grace Manson.
Leading junior Grace Manson.

Jake Greenhalgh, 16, has been a revelation in his first season in the league placing seventh, with Jordan Boam 11th and Ben Burnham 13th making up the scoring team.

Showing great strength in depth another seven athletes made the top 50 with Adam Wright 29th, James Mee 33rd, Matt Bottomore 34th, debutant Dylan Janetta 35th, Richie Talbot 41st, Mark Connell 48th and another debutant, Drew Hurst 50th.

Further fantastic racing saw Gary Morley 59th, Rob Kendrick 61st, Chris Dale 62nd, Dave Savage 63rd, Jonny Lowe 66th, Andy Wetherill 75th, Andy Walker 76th, Phil Shaw 77th, Fraser Bain 90th, Conrad Watson 107th, Stuart Whysall 132nd, Neil Halsted 135th, Steve Little 153rd, Dave Carver 158th, Pete Weldon 171st Colin Fell 178th, 186th Shaun Middleton, 212th Dave Ward and Pete Copcutt 234th.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Hannah Robinson continued where she left off at the last fixture with a dominant display of front running to take the win out of the 147 women finishers.

Kirsty Huntington continues her superb season, placing 10th with leading junior Grace Manson 14th and Helen Jones 19th.

Recovering from illness, Paige Roadley was 30th and Helen Pritchett, returning from injury, 48th Sarah Bradbury 56th, Emma Mason 57th and Natasha Carver 64th.

Prolific racer Claire Croll was next athlete in, placing 67th, with Christine Fell 90th, Jo Horan 107th, Sue Lomas 112th, Maddy Collinge 121st, Elizabeth Sinclair 122nd, Amanda Shaw 126th, Julia Lowe 128th and Tina Copcutt 140th.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

In the team event the men placed first, fourth and 13th with the Masters second, sixth and 15th and overall, with one race to go, the men are first and the Masters fifth.

A fantastic team performance saw the senior ladies place second with the Masters fourth, 11th and 14th which, after the four fixtures, sees the senior team fourth and the Masters third and 10th.

Individually, Dan Nugent leads the series but is away for the last fixture, with Jordan Boam in fourth place.

Adam Wright is sixth in the M35, Dave Savage ninth in the M45 and Conrad Watson fourth in the M35.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

In the female competition Grace Manson continues to lead the U20 and is fourth overall, Sarah Bradbury fifth senior, Helen Jones second W35, Claire Croll 10th W45, Christine Fell third W55 and Tina Copcutt seventh W55.

Mansfield international athlete Luke Duffy recording two new Personal Bests in the last week.

He travelled to Wimbledon in midweek to race the Dave Clarke Mile and came so close to his first sub four mile, recording 4.00.41.

And at the weekend he raced at the British Milers Club Grand Prix at Trafford, recording a rapid 3.40.95.

At the same BMC fixture Ben Smith is showing a welcome return after Covid, recording an impressive 1.55.48 for 800m.