12:42pm Tuesday 7th July 2009
By Simon Forde
Bradford has two 10k road races and the second of the year was held on Sunday, a two-lap tour of Idle and Eccleshill.
The former Thorpe Edge Festival 10k is now the Eccleshill Tuff 10 in recognition of the twisty, hilly route.
Brian Perfitt joined host club Eccleshill Road Runners after the Epilepsy Action Bradford 10k in March.
The hill-training and speed-work has clearly helped. His time on Sunday was almost identical, on a course which is perhaps two minutes slower.
Another recruit, Neil Shepherd, finished just ahead of Brian.
Queensbury RC’s Carl Heron was one of few to better last year’s time, 13th in 41min 18sec. Club-mate Martin Firth was first over-50 finisher, eighth in 38min 36sec.
The first six were strung out with 200-yard gaps between each of them.
Bingley’s Tim Midgley prevailed in 34min 47sec over Barnsley’s David Thompson. Quentin Lewis was third, and first of a strong contingent from Baildon Runners.
Newcomer to fell-running, Nigel Craven of Pudsey Pacers, was 25th in Thursday’s Cragg Vale fell-race, and was 11th on Saturday at Comptons Cross, Rawtenstall over a nine-mile course with 1,000 feet of ascent.
The latter had a compact but strong field of 20 and was won by fell legend Jeff Norman, multiple winner of the Three Peaks race.
Cragg Vale was won by Rossendale’s Brendan Taylor, chased home by the evergreen Steve Oldfield (Bradford-Airedale) in fourth and first over-50). Club-mate Richard Crossland was third over-50 in 13th place.
Among the women, Bingley’s Sue Becconsall dominated the four-mile race.
The Bradford Athletics Network, funded by England Athletics to promote the sport in the district, and bringing together eight of the district’s clubs, is holding its launch meeting on Monday evening at Idle CC.
© Copyright 2001-2012 Newsquest Media Group
http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk