An impressive total of 40 runners ducked under 30 minutes at the annual Great Bentley Friday Five last Friday evening, spearheaded by an excellent run from winner Ramadan Osman.
The talented Osman, a member of Colchester Harriers, led from the front on his way to a big personal best, despite the very warm conditions at this the sixth and last of the Friday Five events.
Osman had opened up a massive lead of one minute 41 seconds by the finish of this fast, five-mile course, clocking a PB of 25mins 06secs. He is the current Essex champion over 5K on the track, following his 15:29.24 at Chelmsford in May.
Ipswich JAFFA’s Ben Turley, who lifted the Friday Five Series senior men’s title, was Osman’s closest challenger with 26:47 in second. Turley had finished third at the previous week’s Stowmarket Friday Five.
There was then a gap of a further 40 seconds to Tim Woulfe, of Braintree & District AC, who stopped the clock at 27:27 in third.
Framlingham Flyers’ Jim Last, back in competitive action after a foot injury, was fourth overall and the leading veteran in 27:29, two seconds behind Woulfe and two seconds ahead of Colchester Harriers’ Ged McMillan, who was also the second over-40 veteran.
The Harriers won both the men’s and the ladies’ team awards, Andy Jobling (28:47) supporting Osman and McMillan in the men’s section, and the trio of Aiko Henington, Andrea James and Ellie Cumner lifting the female team title.
Just five seconds separated the top two ladies home, with Ipswich JAFFA’s Laura Thomas just edging out last year’s winner, Odette Robson. There is never usually that much to choose between the two.
Thomas notched a winning time of 29:47, which was a personal best, finishing in 37th spot overall.
The consistent Robson, an over-45 veteran, had finished second to Newmarket Joggers’ Daisy Glover at the previous week’s Stowmarket Friday Five, and she had to be content with second again last Friday, in a swift 29:52.
However, Robson was again away and clear in the Friday Five Series rankings. In addition to her two second spot finishes, she won the races at Sudbury, Kirton and Bury St Edmunds, another outstanding achievement.
Henington was third lady in 30:29, followed by Springfield Striders’ Nicki Brockbank (31:23) and Harriers’ James (31:47).
Results from Great Bentley
Top 30 men: 1 R Osman (Colchester Harriers) 25:06; 2 B Turley (Ipswich JAFFA) 26:47; 3 T Woulfe (Braintree AC) 27:27; 4 J Last (Framlingham Flyers) 27:29; 5 G McMillan (Col/Harr) 27:31; 6 M Clarke (unattached) 27:34; 7 J Scaife (Hadleigh Hares) 27:43; 8 N Pollard (Newmarket Joggers) 27:53; 9 R Reason (Harwich Runners) 28:04; 10 T Gavin (Felixstowe RR) 28:10.
11 P Wain (JAFFA) 28:17; 12 A Howlett (Framlingham) 28:45; 13 T Adams (Ipswich Harriers) 28:47; 14 A Jobling (Col/Harr) 28:47; 15 N Clarke (JAFFA) 28:48; 16 E Afewerki (Col/Harr) 28:48; 17 P Davy (Sudbury Joggers) 28:50; 18 C Cooke (Saint Edmund Pacers) 29:01; 19 T Walker (Pacers) 29:16; 20 S Langley (JAFFA) 29:18.
21 G Scanlan (Col/Harr) 29:19; 22 D Campbell (Witham RC) 29:20; 23 P Preston (Col/Harr) 29:21; 24 B Jacobs (Felixstowe) 29:25; 25 T Abbott (Ips/Harr) 29:27; 26 S Mason (Haverhill RC) 29:28; 27 M Lloyd (Harwich) 29:31; 28 J Robson (Pacers) 29:33; 29 W Campbell (JAFFA) 29:34; 30 J Adams (Un) 29:34.
Top 20 ladies: 1 L Thomas (JAFFA) 29:47; 2 O Robson (Pacers) 29:52.3 A Henington (Col/Harr) 30:29; 4 N Brockbank (Springfield Striders) 31:23; 5 A James (Col/Harr) 31:47; 6 A Goodwin (Ips/Harr) 32:56; 7 C Anthony (Pacers) 33:29; 8 E Attwood (Stowmarket) 33:30; 9 H Pollard (Newmarket) 33:35; 10 C Benstead (Harwich) 33:51.
11 M Lewis (Harwich)33:57; 12 E Mortimer (Un) 34:00; 13 R Hamblyn (JAFFA) 34:04; 14 R Mortimer (Un) 34:19; 15 B McCorquodale (Harwich) 34:21; 16 R Pittman (Springfield) 34:25; 17 T English (Southend-on-Sea) 34:28; 18 C Green (Felixstowe) 34:36; 19 N Ranson (Springfield) 35:05; 20 E Cumber (Col/Harr) 35:05.
Male veterans, over-40: 1 Last, 2 McMillan, 3 Scaife. Over-45: 1 Howlett, 2 Preston, 3 Adams. Over-50: 1 Campbell, 2 A Conway (Tiptree RR) 30:06; 3 S MacSephney (JAFFA) 30:35.. Over-55: 1 Cooke, 2 Langley, 3 H Beasley (Pacers) 30:30. Over-60: 1 B Rogers (JAFFA) 32:53; 2 N Clarke (Newmarket) 34:22; 3 W Haining (Harwich) 34:34. Over-65: P Downing 34:15; 2 A Burgin (Huntingdon) 36:55; 3 P Hymers (Pacers) 37:03. Over-70: R McCullough (JAFFA) 33:34; 2 M Bull (Un) 37:19. , Under-20: 1 Wain, 2 Adams, 3 Afewerki.
Female veterans, over-35: 1 Brockbank, 2 Pollard, 3 Lewis. Over-40: Henington, 2 Hamblyn, 3 English. Over-45: 1 Robson, 2 McCorquodale, 3 C Cameron (Halstead) 37:42. Over-50: 1 Ranson, 2 E Cahill (Braintree) 37:17; 3 C Tye (Ipswich Tri) 38:23. Over-55: 1 Anthony, 2 Benstead, Pittman. Over-60: 1 J Morgan (Pacers) 39:09; 2 C Haworth (Pacers) 40:40; 3 A Herbert (Harwich) 43:13. Over-65: 1 L Tanner (Springfield) 39:30; 2 T Hopkins (Felixstowe) 59:33; 3 C Shepherd (Un) 59:57.
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