Adam Holland, just a few hours after winning the second race in the Great Barrow 10 in 10 Marathon Challenge, surged to victory at tonight’s Stowmarket Striders Friday Five.
Devon-based Holland, looking remarkably fresh after running his second marathon in two days - he is running 10 marathons in 10 days at the annual Barrow event, which he has dominated year-after-year - hit the front after the first mile and never looked back.
He powered around the five-mile course, which started and finished in the splendid grounds of Haughley Park, to win in 26mins 53secs.
Remarkably, Holland will be up early in the morning to run marathon No. 3 at Barrow.
"I won the marathon today in 3hrs 16mins, over the Thetford course, which is one of the tougher ones," explained Holland, who is a member of Tavistock AC..
"Coming to Stowmarket this evening, my intention was to run it and see how I felt.
"When we got up to the first mile I was in a group and that's when I decided that I would push on and try and win it.
"The group split, and then there was just two of us. At the three-mile mark I pushed on and got a gap between three and four, because I knew about the hill at the end," added Holland.
Unaffiliated athlete, Alex Gladley, was Holland's closest challenger in second spot with 27:38, followed by Suffolk athlete Andrew Southwood, a member of Saint Edmund Pacers, who took third place in 27:48. Southwood was also the leading veteran.
The top five was completed by Ipswich Harriers' under-20 athlete Freddie Adams (27:55) and Stowmarket Striders' Samuel Burdett (28:07).
Philippa Unthank, of Ipswich Harriers, was the first female finisher in 31:42. Under-20 athlete Unthank had also won the first race in the Friday Five Series, at Kirton last month.
Maddie Jordan-Lee, a fellow under-20 athlete from host club Stowmarket Striders, was second female in 32:04, with Katie Austin third in 32:15 and Sudbury Joggers' Emma Drury fourth with 32:20.
Meanwhile, the main 2K junior race had a familiar ring to it with Lewis Sullivan, of Saint Edmund Pacers, again leading home the field ahead of runner-up Max Berry and Haverhill RC's Ben Phillips. Sullivan and Berry are both under-15s, while Phillips was the first under-13.
Ruby Barr (under-13) was the first female finisher, ahead of runner-up Verity Valentine, who was also the first under-11, and third-placed Rachel Sandercock (under-13).
In the 1K junior race, for under-nines, Jason Georgalas was first ahead of Alex Georgalas and Harry Ambrose. Millie-Rose Downs was first girl, followed by Ella Kading and Erin Stewart.
- Bury Friday Five report and pictures
The first race in the Friday Five Series, at Kirton, was won by Tony Gavin, while the second event at Framlingham saw a victory for Andrew Rooke, with Andrew Southwood winning the third race at Sudbury and Gavin returning to winning ways at Bury St Edmunds the previous Friday.
The first four women's titles had been shared around, with Philippa Unthank winning at Kirton, Daisy Glover blasting to victory at Framlingham, Odette Robson triumphing at Sudbury, and Sara Bird striding to first place at Bury.
The sixth and last race in the East of England Co-Op Friday Five Series is the Great Bentley Five, to be staged next Friday evening (July 5). That event is already full, with the entry limit reached.
Results:
Stowmarket Striders Friday Five:
Top 20 men: 1 A Holland (Tavistock AC) 26:53; 2 A Gladley (Un) 27:38; 3 A Southwood (Pacers, first over-40) 27:48; 4 F Adams (Ipswich Harriers, first u-20) 27:55; 5 S Burdett (Stowmarket) 28:07; 6 A Wade (Ipswich HAFFA) 28:10; 7 C Hall (Stowmarket) 28:15; 8 K Tilley (Ipswich JAFFA, first over-45) 28:27; 9 P Wain (JAFFA) 28:36; 10 J Marter (Framlingham Flyers, second o-40) 28:40.
11 J Wilson (Saxmundham) 28:41; 12 N Clarke (JAFFA) 28:54; 13 B Jacobs (Felixstowe RR, third u-20) 29:04; 14 A Howlett (Framlingham, second over-45) 29:16; 15 E Turner (Un, u-20) 29:19; 16 T Bacon (Saffron Striders) 29:22; 17 O Watson (JAFFA) 29:23; 18 M Axton (Pacers) 29:27; 19 C Cooke (Pacers, first over-55) 29:31; 20 N Hardwick (Un) 29:50.
Top 10 ladies: 1 P Unthank (Ipswich Harriers, u-20) 31:42; 2 Maddie Jordan-Lee (Stowmarket, u-20) 32:04; 3 K Austin (Un) 32:15; 4 E Drury (Sudbury) 32:20; 5 Millie Jordan-Lee (Stowmarket, u-20) 32:23; 6 T English (Southend, first over-40) 32:35; 7 E Zethraeus (Gt Bentley RC) 34:12; 8 R Fish (Un) 34:25; 9 R Pittman (Springfield Striders, first over-55) 34:32; 10 K King (Pacers) 35:41.
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