Mark Austin makes News at Ten (K)

4 July 2017 - By Martyn Byford

You could have been forgiven for not knowing that the Essex County 10K Championships was being run on Sunday, sadly no longer a blue riband event on the Club Calendar but for the 18 that ran some excellent results.

For the second successive County Event a Witham Running Club Male scooped an individual age group medal and on this occasion it went very deservedly to Mark Austin in the V60 category who ran superbly to take Silver in 42.07.

Our men’s team were again led home by a duo of V40s with Heydon Mizon clocking a swift 37.47 and Dave Campbell an impressive 38.36. Completing the team and maintaining his Grand Prix Silver Medal position in the V50s a very consistent Leo Cole 38.56.

Mark Lynch knocked 3 minutes from his HBO time in 43,50 just finishing a few steps ahead of Kevin Harper.

Great to see Gavin Maclure back racing and an excellent 47.17 saw him keeping Hayley company along the way.

Making his Essex debut and our first Senior home was new member Thomas Ashley running a superb 48.43.

Colin Short in his last Essex 10k in his age group returned to form in 54.52 just ahead of David Grainger who PB d by an enormous 4 minutes. Ross `Race Machine’ Silverton ran his quickest 10k for some time in 57.09 and also picked up GP points.

For the ladies it was great to see Hayley Ellen back and running a very good 47.14. Dawn Shilling, probably the most improved lady of late,  clocked a PB in 53.04 showing the benefit of her recent increased mileage.

A trio of WRC ladies consisting Emma Austin- Sweeney and Ruth Mizon( Essex debut) ably supporting (literally) Tracey Denby finished together in 59.25, 59.50 and 59.26 respectively according to chip timing.

Kayleigh Carr re-adjusted her 10k time by 32 seconds in 61.35 and Penny Clarke got some valuable GP points in her age group clocking 64.13.

A very good day was rounded off at Mr Austin’s medal presentation by County Officials where he left the audience in no doubt as to the best Club in Essex!!

Martyn