Hot & Hilly

Hermitage Harriers were out in force again last week for the latest fixture in the Leicestershire Road Racing League summer season. Hungarton 7 is often described as one of the most challenging races on the league calendar, but this year there was an added challenge - athletes had to tackle the course on the hottest day of the year!

As the mercury rose to well over 30°C, 31 Harriers took to the tarmac with instructions from the club’s coaching team to take it steady and take on plenty of fluids. Matt Adcock coped well with the demanding conditions and finished the race in first place in a time of 38 minutes and 29 seconds. He was joined a few minutes later by teammate Jason Williams who claimed second place in the vet 40 category and 4th place overall with his time of 40:34. The next two Harriers home were Paul Gregory, who claimed 4th place in the vet 40 category, in 42:51 and Ryan Twigg who clocked a time of 43:28. Next to claim places in the men’s team were Tony Woodward and Darren Weston with times of 45:34 and 45:33 respectively. Shaun Coulton made up the fifth member of the team after setting a new club record and claiming 4th place in the vet 50 category with his time of47:49. The final team spot went to Pete Armstrong with his time of 48:11.

The club had a strong contingent of ladies out for the race too and, again, fielded enough runners for both an A and B team. Bonita Robinson claimed the first slot in the ladies A team with an impressive time of 55:06. Teammate Zoe Sewter was next to cross the finish line clocking up 56:37, a time doubly impressive since it was hot on the heels of Sewter scooping first lady at the NoMad 50K Ultra just 3 days prior. The final two spaces of the ladies A team went to Hannah Wheeler and Mia Weston with respective times of 57:06 and 59:13.

Katie Wright started off the ladies B team when she crossed the line in 1:01:39. The second space went to Judith Brand who claimed third place in the female vet 60 category with her time of 1:10:13. The B team was completed by Carla Johnson and Abi Crane with times of 1:11:18 and 1:14:55 respectively.