Sunbrella-man Adam Bailey was taking no chances in the 30C heat at the 39th North Downs 30K, incorporating the British Masters Multi-Terrain Championships, held from the Cyclopark, Gravesend on Sunday 25 June 2023!

The trendsetter outed himself on social media after the race: "I am umbrella man. The brolly top looked ridiculous but worked, wind zipping across my bonce. Next year there will be 20+ brolly-tops if warm. It made me fly like the wind!" Adam finished 134th in 3:12:42 out of 396 runners in 5:13:18 as the race officials stretched the normal time limit of four and a half hours in light of the extreme temperatures.

Despite the conditions Ed Bovingdon of the host club Istead and Ifield Harriers set an outright course record 1:51:37 – the only athlete inside two hours this year – and looked as fresh as a daisy as he belted down the finishing straight as seen in this video clip...

Bovingdon added the British Masters M35 gold medal as he was joined on the overall podium by Joe Dale (Victoria Park Harriers, 2:00:39) and Scott Williams (Saint Edmund Pacers, 2:03:47). Jay Smith (7th), Julian Rendall (8th) and Wayne Flanagan ( 67th) combined for Tonbridge AC to win the team prize.

The other age-group winners in the Masters' Championships were M40 Simon Beedell (Woodford Green AC, 2:11:58), M45 Julian Rendall (Tonbridge AC, 2:2:14:45), M50 Jeff Pyrah (Veterans AC, 2:20:56), M55 Jonathan Ratcliffe (Southern Counties Veterans, 2:26:22), M60 Ifan Lloyd (Welsh Masters, 2:22:38), M65 David Gill (Northern Masters, 2:38:12), M70 Walter Hill (Southern Counties Veterans, 3:32:09) and M75 Trevor Edgley (Southern Counties Veterans, 3:17:51).

The women's race was won by the outstanding W40 Amy Clements (Kent AC, 2:27:44) – who was unbeaten in this race between 2015 and 2019 – although the British Masters W40 title went to the runner-up Jennifer Armson (Veterans AC, 2:30:18). Charlotte Johnston (Maidstone Harriers, 2:31:03) was third in the open race. Clements, 19th overall, led her Kent AC club mates to team success supported by Nesrin Sabanci (33rd) and Victoria Cartwright (36th).

The remaining British Masters gold medals went to W35 Kelly Butler (City of Stoke AC, 2:41:25), W45 Jennifer Wood (Paddock Wood AC, 2:33:32), W50 Fiona Russell (Veterans AC, 2:47:41), W55 Catkin Shelley (Veterans AC, 3:20:55), W60 Celia Findlay (Southern Counties Veterans, 3:13:51), W65 Janice Moorekite (Southern Counties Veterans, 3:42:33) and W70 Yuko Gordon (Eastern Masters, 3:24:06).

Full results and previous reports are at the runABC South race listing here.

Race details at Istead and Ifield Harriers website here.

Photo: Adam Bailey from North Downs Run on Facebook