Repeat victory for new recruit
Apr 20 2009 The Journal
NEW Gateshead recruit Ryan Stephenson repeated his 2008 victory in yesterday’s third Wallsend Harriers Rising Sun Multi-terrain event at the Country Park.
Stephenson held off the early challenge of Heaton’s Lee Roe, opening up a 100m gap on his rival after the first of the two laps.
He doubled the advantage on the second circuit, coming home with 38secs to spare.
Roe finished in an isolated second place with Mark Fenwick of the host club coming home in third.
Sunderland’s Paul Merrison led home the veterans in fourth place, bettering his own course record set last year by 11secs.
In the women’s race, 48-year-old Ingrid Hope of Sunderland was the surprise winner, overhauling long-time leader Donna Horne of Wallsend in the closing stages, before crossing the line two seconds clear.
Morpeth teenager Zoe Armstrong finished third.
Meanwhile, Midlands-based Kenyans dominated yesterday’s 27th Redcar Half Marathon.
Zak Kihara crossed the finish line 43secs ahead of Birchfield clubmate Simon Tonui.
Kihara, who repeated his 2008 victory, bettered his previous winning time by 1min 51secs, setting a record for the new revised course.
New Morpeth recruit, Mongolian international Serod Batochir, came home in third place, while Alnwick’s Dave Kirkland finished fourth, claiming the incorporated North Eastern Counties’ title.
Kenya’s Joyce Kandie won the women’s race, finishing in seventh place overall in the 1,300-strong field, one place ahead of the leading veteran Gary Hetherington of Sedgefield.
Kandie’s time bettered the year-old record by 1min 54secs.
Another Kenyan, Joice Kirui, took second place with Jane Preen from Milton Keynes finishing third. Kim Simpson of Gateshead came home fourth, claiming the North East title.
THE region’s clubs struggled at Saturday’s National Road Relay Championships at Sutton Park.
In the Men’s 12 Stage event, won very easily by Belgrave, Morpeth finished 15th.
However, the Northumberland squad had some consolation when Jon Taylor’s fourth leg, which moved them from 20th to seventh, proved to be the fastest short stage of the day.
Chester-le-Street finished sixth in the senior women’s race behind Charnwood, who surprisingly defeated race favourites Aldershot, Farnham and District. However, the first two teams were well inside the course record.
Steph Twell’s final leg for Aldershot was the fastest of the day.
