Thompson at the double in Spen 20

DOUBLE figure temperatures last Sunday morning surprised the 263 runners who completed the Spen 20 miles road race.

The gruelling event, organised by Spenborough and District Athletic Club, took in Cleckheaton, Scholes, Clifton, Hartshead, Roberttown and Liversedge.

David Thompson of Barnsley AC sucessfully defended the title he won last year and he was one of only two runners who successfully dipped under the two hours mark for the two lap race.

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Runner-up Zak Mellard representing Kimberworth improved on last year’s seventh position and ran over seven minutes quicker also.

Baildon athlete Quentin Lewis took third place and these three runners were awarded the medals in the Yorkshire 20 Mile Championships.

The women’s race was a successful one for Gemma Adams who travelled across the Pennines from Preston to record her race win.

The Yorkshire medals went to Holmfirth’s Lorraine Smith, Leeds City’s Karen Hallas and Ilkley’s Sally Malir, a previous winner of the title.

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With runners travelling from the North East, Merseyside and East and South Yorkshire the Men’s team title went to a trio of athletes representing Southport Waterloo A.C. There was local success in the women’s event with the three Spenborough runners of Samantha Boryslawsky, Claire Thompson and Hazel Pike taking the award.

The only other local winner was Graham Walsh who was the first runner home in the over 60 category.

Local results included:

Spenborough: 35th Dean Pearce 2.25.00; 41st Ian Ogden 2.27.18; 58th Graham Walsh 2.32.59; 83rd Robert Moon 2.39.37; 97th Alex Boryslawsky 2.43.17; 126th Sam Boryslawsky 2.49.19; 183rd Claire Thompson 3.01.31; 203rd Edward Wilkinson 3.11.05; 204th Hazel Pike 3.11.59; 214th Suzanne Plimley 3.15.06.

Dewsbury Road Runners: 26th Andrew Cottier 2.20.50; 49th John Smith-Calvert 2.30.17; 61st Keith Long2.33.53; 91st Paul Shields 2.42.08; 102nd Richard Aiston 2.45.13; 213rd Elizabeth Smith-Calvert 3.15.06.