All about the pace in New Year race
There was a healthy turnout for City Runs New Years 5 on Exwick Playing Fields and River Exe Flood Relief yesterday (Sunday 5 January) in the running mad city that recently awarded Eliud Kipchoge an honorary degree from Exeter University.
Kipchoge, the undisputed world's GOAT marathon runner following his astonishing 1:59:40 time trial in Vienna last October and 2:01:39 world record at Berlin in 2018, was in Exeter to receive his honorary degree on 14 December.
Nearest to the great man's marathon speed in Sunday's 5-miler was the England Athletics Road Runner of the Year 2019 Tom Merson (Exmouth Harriers, 24:21 PB) who was joined at sub-5-minute mile pace by Andrew Chambers (Bristol & West, 24:33 PB). Just over that threshold was the first M40 master, Phil Wylie (Cheltenham Harriers, 25:13) whose result was worth over 90% age-graded.
Below 30 minutes was achieved by 10 men and just one woman – Serane Stone (W40 Tiverton Harriers, 29:47) who improved her 2012 PB by 64 seconds. Serane was joined on the podium by Victoria Hill (W35 South West Road Runners, 31:52 PB) and Hannah Bown (W40 Exmouth Harriers, 32:39 PB) on a perfect day for racing, with a slight chill in the air and no wind.
The pancake flat, fast course on footpaths and cycle tracks sent PBs tumbling with around 50% of the top half of the field setting new standards for themselves. One additional feature of this City Runs event is the provision of 'local legend' pacers for various targets from 6:30 to 11:00 per mile. As a tribute to these unselfish supporters we record their results here:
6:30 pacer: Stevie G (Gossy's Gazelles, 32:23 = 6:29 pace)
7:00 pacer: Gareth Thomas (South West RR, 35:05 = 7:01 pace)
8:00 pacer: Darren Thomas (Greenbow RC, 39:59 = 8:00 pace)
9:00 pacer: Heidi Simms (South West RR, 45:00 = 9:00 pace)
10:00 pacer: Martin Sterry (South West RR, 49:58 = 10:00 pace)
11:00 pacer: Rich Hill (Heavitree RC, 54:53 = 10:59 pace)
Full results and details of future events can be found at City Runs website here and at runABC South race listing here
Images courtesy City Runs on Facebook and Alison White (Exmouth Harriers)