So the first race of the Road League has been run and the first points have been earned. The lure of the Leagues certainly seemed to add to the numbers on Sunday; it’s impressive that over 40 Striders made the journey to blustery Lincolnshire, though perhaps it was the offer of cake.
Premiership
Rob Byers impressive performance makes him the runner to beat in the Premiership, and Seth Kirby continues to impress. Abbie’s 4th place in the women’s race also secured valuable points.
| Pos | Name | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rob Byers | 20 |
| 2 | Seth Kirby | 19 |
| 3 | Abbie Pearse | 18 |
| 4 | Malcolm Baggaley | 17 |
| 5 | Tim Holt | 16 |
| 6 | Ed Startup | 15 |
Division 2
Robert secured a big PB and 20 points on Sunday, with an impressive 10K performance. Laura’s 19 points also suggested that her pre-race talk of a relegation battle may be pessimistic – well worth reading her excellent race report if you haven’t already. Jonathan looked very assured for his 18 points, suggesting he may be one to watch later in the season.
| Pos | Name | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Robert Hoffmann | 20 |
| 2 | Laura Mella | 19 |
| 3 | Jonathan Legon | 18 |
| 4 | Adam McAuley | 17 |
| 5 | Robin Nelson | 16 |
| 6 | Richard Pegg | 15 |
Division 3
The women of Division 3 dominated proceedings on Sunday, with Sarah Allcard’s performance securing a time some Division 2 runners would have envied. Cara continues to impress and improve, though Kate wasn’t far behind.
| Pos | Name | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sarah Allcard | 20 |
| 2 | Cara Hanson | 19 |
| 3 | Kate Scott | 18 |
| 4 | Karen Clark | 17 |
| 5 | Catherine McKeown | 16 |
| 6 | Kevin Haighton | 15 |
Division 4
The quietest division in terms of numbers (which is good news for those who did attend). The battle for 19 points looked hard fought, with just 17 seconds between Helen and Steve.
| Pos | Name | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jamie Smith | 20 |
| 2 | Helen Royles-Jones | 19 |
| 3 | Steve Blake | 18 |
| 4 | Kevin Wong | 17 |
Division 5
An impressive run from Nada Ross saw her sweep up the maximum points in division 5, but Laura, Zoe and Vikki weren’t too far behind, suggesting there could be some decent competition in the coming months.
| Pos | Name | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nada Ross | 20 |
| 2 | Laura Greaves | 19 |
| 3 | Zoe Dickinson | 18 |
| 4 | Vikki McAuley | 17 |
| 5 | Billy Costello | 16 |
| 6 | Victoria Johnson | 15 |
Division 6
It’s an endorsement of the Leagues (I hope) that this was the most contested division in the first race of the season. Tim and Adrian battled it out for the top two spots, with just 20 seconds between them after 10km.
| Pos | Name | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tim Fawcett | 20 |
| 2 | Adrian Good | 19 |
| 3 | Jane Huws | 18 |
| 4 | Lisi Briggs | 17 |
| 5 | Nancy Stuart | 16 |
| 6 | Ellie Bull | 15 |
| 7 | Jude Bissell | 14 |
| 8 | Jo Gleig | 13 |
| 9 | Julie Armstrong | 12 |
For full Division lists, including those who haven’t raced yet, see the spreadsheet.
So, on to Dronfield for Round Two. It already looks like being another well attended event, which will certainly see some make their debut this season. Remember, only you best six scores will count, so no need to panic if you’ve not entered any of the races yet.