Archive - Wednesday, 28 August 2002


Find by date

Other ways to search

Also look for

Never miss anything again. Sign up for our RSS news feeds and Newsletters.

Top class Russian duo to race in half marathon

INTEREST is already building for this year's Stroud Half marathon and among the athletes to compete will be two top class runners from Russia.

The 21st running of the half-marathon, which is sponsored this year by Amersham Health, has attracted widespread interest in the world of athletics and the inclusion of Russia's Alexandre Vassiliev and Elena Orlova will lift the event's quality even higher.

Both of these runners will come into the race with strong backgrounds and Vassiliev, who has a personal best of 1hr 02mins and 30 secs, should prove a formidable opponent for anyone in the men's race.

Meanwhile, Orlova should also be in the frame for a high place in the ladies race because she will take into the race with her a PB of 1hr 13mins and 31secs.

The backing of the half marathon by Amersham Health is proving quite a draw with entries already well up of last year's race.

This year's event starts at 10am on Sunday October 27 with charges of £8 for affiliated club athletes or £9 of not, with a surcharge of £2 for entries on the day.

Entries can be sent to Stroud & District Athletic Club, PO Box 108, Stroud, GL5 5YT. Pre-race information can be obtained by contacting 01453 755816, 01453 885337, 01453 882840 or 01453 822235.

Standish Woodland Chase

ALEX Wood, of Bath AC, won this year's Standish Woodland Chase which was held on recently.

The course started in the Standish Hospital grounds and runners had to go down the drive to the entrance, turn left up the hill towards Morton Hill Care centre.

The runners then turned right towards the top of Sandpits Lane, they then turned left up the cart track across the fields and went twice around Randwick/Standish Woods and back again.

This may sound easy but by any standards it is not, this is a 10 mile multi-terrain race that will test the fittest of competitors.

Bath AC made this event part of their club championship program and produced the winner, Alex Wood.

He covered the distance in a very respectable time of 56mins 12secs ahead of Severn AC's Carlo Toledo (57:42) and GWR's John Bamber who came third in 59m 34s, Bamber was also the first male 40 veteran.

Roy Brigdon from Bath AC was first vet 50 in 67:51 and Mike Coupe from Nailsea was first vet 60 in 79:28.

Cheltenham Harrier Ange Sadler finished first lady in 69:25 ahead of Stroud's Alison Cockcroft, who also took the first lv5 prize with a time of 72:13. St Albans' Julie Simmons was third with a time of 73:33.

Stroud won the team prize with good placings coming from Graham Davis in fifth and Martin Humphries (8th) and Paul McDonell (9th).

The other Stroud placings were: Jason Cropton (25th - 68:57); Alison Cockcroft (40th - 72:13); Tim Stait (52 - 75:42); Phil Manning (56 - 77:11); Mac McGarry (60 - 77:34); Rose Smith (62 - 77:49); Chris Young (65 - 78:18); Nicky Ferguson (83 - 82:12); Ken Brown (88 - 83:05); Louise Little (91 - 84:31); Alayne McGarry (97 - 85:14); Mike Garnett (105 - 90:09) and Leslie Hughes (126 - 99:13).