Greater Manchester Marathon and Highgate Open

The Greater Manchester Marathon is officially the UK's best marathon - largely because they're not above pestering everyone to vote for them as the UK's best marathon via social media. Despite the usual organisation problems (couldn't park your car first, couldn't get your bag afterwards) there was a host of PBs and notable runs from our gallant crew.

Kimon was the first round the course, demolishing the previous club best for the event with an outstanding 2:47. He was followed by Christopher (just inside three hours) and Tony (just outside) with Joe D also well inside 3:30.

On the ladies' side, Alice pulled out an outstanding 3:13, followed by Satu (25-minute PB) and Rebecca T (13-minute PB).

Highgate Open

We had a good turnout at the Highgate Harriers Open on Wednesday night at Parliament Hill. They weren't rewarded with particularly favourable conditions; the 100m in particular was run into a ferocious headwind. The 5000m B race was stocked with Heathsiders, led home by Pete Bakewell.

And now the obligatory plug:

There's plenty of track and field available for everyone this weekend at the Southern Athletics League in Hemel Hempstead, and there's even a coach available from Finsbury Park. Find out how you can get involved »

Elsewhere

Jill and Laura were in Connemara, Galway, Ireland on 10 April for the Connemarathon. The super scenic course around the National Park includes the 'Hill of the West' which all entrants face, be they ultra/full/half. Nobody's run was made easier by pretty constant driving rain/hail. Despite this, Jill sailed around the half and Laura finished her 4 year, 4 nations challenge. 

Ed relates a Freudian tale of father-son rivalry played out in Shakespearean weather at Ambleside AC's annual race up Loughrigg Fell in the Lake District: "This is a short distance fell race, 6.4 km of running with a 330m climb.

"Last Wednesday's race was unique in the memory of the organizers, a dismal day of mud and rain instead of the usual spring conditions. *Full* waterproofs were required, that is, both waterproof tops and bottoms. This time around, there were no kids' races, but Liam, anyway, has graduated to the adult race. And what a performance! His excellent climbing and superior fitness put him a whole minute ahead of me at the top of the fell, and though I allowed my extra weight to propel me down the course with abandon, it was not enough to beat the boy, who finished 41st, two spots ahead of me." As an U18, Liam won some Cadbury's Creme Eggs, while Ed picked up a beer prize as a vet - age and decrepitude have their compensations.

In a touching example of how families are better when they cooperate, Team Duggan (aka The Portuguese Tarts, I'm not asking) placed 3rd in the Clissold Park Relays.

And now, the surest sign that summer is round the corner, a lengthy multisport roundup from the fair pen of John Driscoll:

"A gaggle of us went down to Windsor last weekend for the sprint and standard distances of the Windsor Duathlon. The standard distance was also tripling up as the British Championships and an Age Group Qualifier for the World Duathlon Championships.

"You won't be surprised to learn that Heathside women came home covered in glory (as well as mud.) Hannah achieved a brilliant 3rd place in her age group in the Sprint with Ciara and Sandra both coming in 9th in the Standard races with Gabi just outside the top 10. The boys had bad luck with Jesper puncturing in the sprint and Chris and I cramping up at various stages of bike and final run / shuffle. But we were very brave about it."

Late breaking news

TV's Dave Hellard is in the middle of the Marathon des Sables, in case anyone didn't get the press release. You can send him messages of support via the MdS website.

Tony Killilea has just returned with a bronze medal (and very sore legs) from the World Tetradecathlon Championships in Helsinki. The one thing more unfathomable than what a tetradecathlon is (other, perhaps, than Tony's reason for doing one) is the scoring system. I've looked at the site (in Finnish) and I'm mystified, so I think a big 'well done' is about the extent of what Tony's going to get in this week's report.

Results

Greater Manchester Marathon

78 Kimon Doulis 02:47:46
252 Christopher Burke 02:57:08
463 Tony Shearer 03:02:35
843 Alice Hosking 03:13:36
1430 Joe Derrett 03:25:04
1996 Satu Hietanen 03:33:01
4937 Rebecca Taylor 04:09:09

Highgate Harriers Open (Parliament Hill)

100m race 5
2 Molly Harrison 15.43

800m race 2
1 David Fallon 2:19.85

5000m race 2
1 Pete Bakewell 17:16.94
3 Ben Wolfe 17:31.56
4 Jacob Howe 17:58.31
6 Gareth Marshall 18:26.68
9 Jonathan Litchfield 18:46.12
13 David Fallon 19:26.54
14 Leigh James 19:26.64

Ambleside AC Loughrigg Fell Race
41 Liam Garrett 34:10
43 Edward Garrett 34:16

Free (for now) timed events in local parks: this week's club parkrun results.

Clissold Park Relay (10k, 4 x 2.5k)
3. The Portuguese Tarts 36:59 (09:22, 09:53, 09:31, 08:15) 
(Tom Bedwell, Peter Duggan, Emma Mattsson Duggan, Philip Duggan) 

Connemarathon347 Laura Boothman 4:36:09

Windsor Duathlon

Splits :
Sprint : 5km / 20km / 2.5km
Hannah Boog Carmichael 3rd AG, 31/91 women.  1.37.38 ( 31.54/1.40/47.49/1.48/14.27)
Jesper Lycke DNF (29.28/2. 11/puncture)

Standard: 10km / 40km / 5km
Ciara Owens 9th AG, 59/138 women 2.42.52 ( 46.35/1. 57/1.26.12/2.08/26.00)

Sandra Buckton 9th AG, 76/138 women,
2.49.24 (49.07/1.30/1.31.01/1.32/26.14)

Gabi Johnson 12th AG, 90/138 women
2.53.33 (50.23/2.42/1.30.25/2.06/27.57)

John Driscoll 15th AG 82/384 men
2.15.32 (38.25/1.30/1.13.25/1.26/20.46)

Chris Hewerston 30th AG 184/384 men
2.29.40 (47.19/1.42/1.14.47/1.31/24.21)

Francois Barou 37th AG 184/384 men