An in-form Daisy Glover, fresh from her fantastic showing at the recent Bungay Marathon, was the first female finisher at the Sudbury Fun Run, held over a five-mile course on Good Friday.
The impressive Glover had lifted the female marathon title at Bungay in a personal best of 2hrs 46mins 31secs just five days previously (she finished second overall), but she showed little signs of tiredness as she won the Sudbury event in 29mins 03secs (another PB), which brought her home in 10th place overall from a huge field of 526.
Glover first shot to prominence while at Newmarket Joggers, but is now a leading light at Framlingham Flyers.
There was a welcome return to Suffolk for Andrew Ridley, who led home the field at Sudbury in a scorching 27:21 to win the men’s crown. He therefore regained the title that he won in 2017 (26:53).
A former member of West Suffolk AC, and Colchester Harriers, Ridley runs for Birchfield Harriers these days. He is a specialist 1,500m runner on the track, and has an official PB of 26:05 for the five-mile distance.
Chris Burgyone, of Springfield Striders, was a runner-up in 27:46, followed by Dan O’Boyle, of Saint Edmund Pacers, who was third in 27:52. Pacers’ club-mate Odette Robson was second to Glover in the ladies’ race (32:00) and first veteran.
Results
Top 20 men: 1 A Ridley (Birchfield Harriers) 27:21; 2 C Burgoyne (Springfield Striders) 27:46; 3 D O’Boyle (Saint Edmund Pacers) 27:52; 4 J Gunn (Colchester Harriers) 28:16; 5 J Robson (Pacers, first junior) 28:28; 6 M McKeown (Col/Harr) 28:30; 7 K Hayles (Sudbury Joggers) 28:41; 8 A Howlett (Framlingham Flyers, first over-40) 28:55; 9 T Cresswell (Col/Harr) 29:02; 10 D Widdowson (Hadleigh Hares) 29:14.
11 J Wright (Col/Har) 29:18; 12 C Poulding (Pacers) 29:22; 13 A Coughlan (Vegan Runners) 29:23; 14 J Welsh (Un) 29:34; 15 S Mason (Haverhill) 29:44; 16 D Sheppard (Fram/Fly) 29:48; 17 S Williams (Stowmarket Striders) 30:02; 18 C Ridley (Col/Harr, first over-50) 30:10; 19 S Bayliss (Un) 30:16; 20 K Marley (Col/Harr) 30:18.
Top 10 ladies: 1 D Glover (Fram/Fly) 29:03; 2 O Robson (Pacers, first over-40) 32:00; 3 J Gooderham (Pacers) 32:23; 4 Millie Jordan-Lee (Stowmarket, first junior) 33:41; 5 C Ward Sell (Un) 33:45; 6 J Kading (Stowmarket) 33:50; 7 J Clarry (Pacers) 34:02; 8 K Millard 34:30; 9 A Moule (Un) 34:54; 10 M Lewis (Un) 35:04.
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