Running log

Shaun Dimelow knocked 29 seconds off the 2011 winning time of Quentin Lewis (Baildon Runners) as he took the 28th Horsforth 10K title convincingly in 33min 59sec.

The race, organised by Horsforth Harriers, started, as usual, from Woodhouse Grove School in Apperley Bridge and conditions were almost perfect, with a steady breeze and slight drizzle to keep the athletes cool.

There was a record field of 595 and race director Bob Foulkes said: “It was a joy to see all those runners thunder down Woodlands Drive at the start.”

There are two challenging hills in the early stage of the race before the course swings onto the Leeds-Liverpool Canal towpath for a long, hard, flat dash home.

As the runners pass the eight-kilometre mark they get tantalising glimpses towards the finish on the school playing fields.

Over-40s veteran Dimelow, with numerous wins already this season, had no difficulty in holding off his two main rivals – Panos Aristotelous, an unattached runner, and Barnsley AC clubmate David Thompson.

He had a clear lead by the last three kilometres as Aristotelous and Thompson finished second and third in 34.23 and 34.56 respectively.

In the women’s race, Lisa Mawer (Wetherby Runners) improved 41 seconds on her time last year to finish in 39.11.

But she was still beaten into second place by clubmate Pauline Munro, who finished strongly in 38.56 to also take the female over-40s prize.

Third woman home was Donna Edmondson Booker of Idle AC in 39.43.

Other local prize-winners: James Cantwell (Pudsey Pacers), Gerry Bell, Andrea Dennison (both Bingley Harriers), Debbie Bland (Baildon Runners) and Lynne Morris (Aire Centre Pacers).

Among the other runners, Serena Blackburn (Horsforth Harriers) has been profoundly deaf since birth and achieved a bronze medal at the Deaf Olympics in Taiwan three years ago.

She ran the Horsforth 10K alongside Paralympic blind runner Louise Simpson of Southend AC, who completed the course in 1hr 07min 33sec.

Proceeds from the event went to the charity ‘Deaf Ex-Mainstreamers Group’, which supports the needs of deaf children in mainstream education.