The annual Tarpley 10 and 20-mile road races featured a course record and also a Suffolk winner, following Sunday’s bonanza from Beyton, near Bury St Edmunds.
Alex Manton celebrated a course record on his way to victory in the main 20-mile race, leading home a field of 328 finishers, while there was a fine victory for Ben Carpendale, of Felixstowe Road Runners, in the 10-mile event.
Organised by Saint Edmund Pacers, these ever-popular races, which are often used as a build-up to a Spring marathon – like London, Brighton, Bungay or Halstead – are named in memory of former Pacers president Bart Tarpley, who was one of the early members of the Bury club and used to inspire seniors and juniors alike.
The 10 and 20-mile routes both start from Thurston Community College (Beyton campus) and head out along country lanes to Hessett and Gedding, before the longer 20-mile loop takes in the villages of Thorpe Morieux, Brettenham and Drinkstone. The finish of both races is back at Beyton.
Manton, of Springfield Striders, broke the course record of 1:49:22 set by David Hudson (BRJ Running Club) from last year.
Manton clipped 36 seconds off the landmark, posting 1:48:46 to finish nearly two minutes clear of his closest challengers over the 20-mile rural route.
The experienced Robert Reason, of Harwich Runners, took second spot in 1:50:37.
Tony Gavin, of Felixstowe Road Runners, impressed in third slot. Gavin was just under a minute behind Reason, in 1:51:33.
There was a success for the host club Pacers, with leading light Andrew Southwood finishing first veteran and sixth overall in 2:04:27. He pipped fellow over-40 veteran Neil Shorten (St Neots) by just two seconds.
Dave Solomon, of Felixstowe Road Runners, had the distinction of winning the over-50 crown while also finishing in the top 10. Solomon was 10th in 2:07:23.
Rose Waterman lifted the ladies’ 20-mile title, thanks to her effort of 2:15:41. A member of Tri-Anglia Triathlon Club, over-35 veteran Waterman was 27th overall. She was nearly 10 minutes clear of runner-up Kelly Rowland (2:25:07), of Bishop’s Stortford, with over-45 veteran Sabina Spence, from Bure Valley Harriers, just half-a-minute further adrift in third.
Ipswich JAFFA’s Suzy West was Suffolk’s leading female finisher in fourth, with 2:26:08.
Meanwhile, a field of 337 completed the supporting 10-miler, which featured a good win for an in-form Carpendale.
In fact Carpendale, of Felixstowe Road Runners, had opened up a gap of more than three minutes by the finish, recording a time of 55mins 19secs.
He was only 31 seconds adrift of his 10-mile personal best, which was set on his way to victory at the Felixstowe Coastal 10 last September. He also won the Hadleigh 10-mile title in November, and was second at the Great Bentley Half-Marathon earlier this month.
Adam Howlett, of Framlingham Flyers, was second overall and the leading veteran in 58:27, having finished fifth the previous year in 58:35, while Haverhill RC’s Andrew Bell took third with 59:22.
The women’s 10-mile crown went to Jessica Behan, of Norwich Road Runners. She stopped the clock at 67:37. The top three was completed by over-45 Maria Reynolds (69:28) and Stowmarket Striders’ Gemma Porch (71:24).
Results
TARPLEY 10
Top 20 men: 1 B Carpendale (Felixstowe RR) 55:19; 2 A Howlett (Framlingham Flyers, first o-45) 58:27; 3 A Bell (Haverhill RC, first o-40) 59:22; 4 S Wright (Norwich RR) 59:41; 5 G Taylor (Felixstowe RR) 60.33; 6 S Burdett (Stowmarket Striders) 61:01; 7 T Kingsnorth (Saint Edmund Pacers) 62:02; 8 P Preston (Colchester Harriers, second o-45) 62:14; 9 W Cook (Col/Harr, third o-45) 62:19; 10 J Duffney (Unattached) 62:53.
11 J Thorpe (Ipswich JAFFA) 63:10; 12 S Brooke (Felixstowe RR, first o-50) 63:10; 13 O Watson (JAFFA) 63:58; 14 D Percy (Haverhill RC, second o-40) 64:58; 15 N Hammond (Framlingham) 65:22; 16 D Marsh (Stowmarket, third o-40) 65:26; 17 M Lawrence (Haverhill RC, second o-50) 66:05; 18 A Conway (Col/Harr, third o-50) 66:11; 19 P Game (Haverhill) 66:12; 20 I Duggan (Felixstowe) 66:19.
Also, over-55: 1 St Hughes (Stowmarket) 67:26; 2 R Belsom (JAFFA) 70:38; 3 J Glover (Un) 71:08. Over-60: 1 A Jackson (JAFFA) 69:54. 2 P Thompson (Norfolk Gazelles) 80:02; 3 M Carr (Bungay BD) 80:40. Over-65: 1 B Kingaby (Waveney Valley) 77:31; 2 P Hymers (Pacers) 81:03; 3 A Burgin (Huntingdon) 81:03. Over-70: 1 R Eldridge (Un) 93:15. U-21s: 1 T Hayden (Framlingham) 71:31.
Top 20 ladies: 1 J Behan (Norwich RR) 67:37; 2 M Reynolds (Un, first o-45) 68:28; 3 G Porch (Stowmarket, first o-35) 71:24; 4 L Smith (Pacers, second o-35) 73:33; 5 D English (Norwich RR, first o-40) 74:02; 6 C Smith (Thetford, second o-40) 75:03; 7 M Dowell (Col/Harr, first over-50) 51:16; 8 M-A Tuli (Haverhill RC, second o-45) 75:53; 9 S Spencer (JAFFA, third o-35) 76:48; 10 J Stephenson (Stowmarket, second o-50) 77:06.
11 J Sheahan (Eastern Veterans, first o-55) 77:26; 12 T Quarrell (Haverhill, third o-45) 78:18; 13 H Suttle (Stowmarket, third o-50) 78:49; 14 L Greengrass (Wymondham) 80:43; 15 S Heath (JAFFA) 81:41; 16 S Mayhew (Stowmarket) 82:56; 17 K Branton (Felixstowe RR) 82:48; 18 D Glynn (Royston, first o-60) 83:52; 19 J Harper (Felixstowe RR) 84:15; 20 C Beresford (Un) 64:20.
Also, female over-55: 2 K Weavers (Pacers) 85:41; 3 T Franklin (Haverhill) 86:05. Over-65: 1 C Trundle (Haverhill) 86:08.
TARPLEY 20
Top three men: 1 A Manton (Springfield) 1:48:46; 2 R Reason (Harwich) 1:50:37; 3 T Gavin (Felixstowe RR) 1:51:33.
Other leading affiliated local athletes: 6 A Southwood (Pacers, first o-40) 2:04:27; 10 D Solomon (Felixstowe RR, first o-50) 2:07:23; 12 M Axton (Pacers) 2:09:17; 4 A Ellis (Felixstowe) 2:11:58; 18 P Bulacz (Sudbury Joggers, first o-45) 2:13:17; 20 M Falcone (Pacers) 2:14:10; 24 S Cook (Lowestoft RR) 2:15:35; 25 P Lyon (Lowestoft) 2:15:35; 26 C Mower (Pacers) 2:15:40; 28 M Ford-Thomas (Saxmundham) 2:17:50; 33 J Cornish (Woodbridge Shufflers) 2:20:37; 34 M Farr (Lowestoft) 2:20:55; 35 C Haylock (Lowestoft) 2:20:54; 37 J Walder (Colchester Harriers) 2:21:34; 39 M Hayden (Framlingham) 2:21:43; 40 T Galley (Lowestoft) 2:21:59; 42 J Taylor (Felixstowe) 2:22:10; 49 B Jacobs (Felixstowe) 2:25:22.
Other veteran winners, over-55: G Moore (Un) 2:2917. Over-60: P Wigens (Woodbridge) 2:42:08. Over-65: T Newton (JAFFA) 2:41:11. Over-70: J Bone (gt Yarmouth) 2:56:06.
Top three ladies: 1 R Waterman (Tri-Anglia) 2:15:41; 2 K Rowland (Bishop’s Stortford, o-40) 2:25:07; 3 S Spence (Bure Valley) 2:25:37. Also: 4 S West (JAFFA) 2:26:08; 6 K Millard (Haverhill) 2:31:29; 7 S Schaefer (Thetford) 2:32:24; 8 Z Chase (Waveney Valley) 2:33:44; 12 C Green (Felixstowe) 2:38:30; 13 L Cowlin (Sudbury) 2:38:31; 15 K Oldman (Lowestoft) 2:41:04; 16 R Pittman (Springfield, o-55) 2:41:25.
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