Clint Taylor was out for another go at the Maiden New Ten

There aren’t that many annual races that take place on a Wednesday evening but the Maiden New Ten is one of those slightly unusual events – a midweek, multi-terrain 10k organised by Maiden Newton Runners and, for Clint Taylor, one of the races that he looks forward to most.

Having enjoyed the event last year, Clint was back again, accompanied by his regular racing partner Zoe Meaton, who sometimes joins in with the Bournemouth AC training sessions. The pair have built up quite a race CV together, although their approach to competition is to have fun, first and foremost.

Clint and his running partner Zoe Meaton were ready for a fun 10k

They’ve tackled plenty of events together, including last December’s Slow and Dirty, a 19km trail race along the old railway line at Sturminster Newton, and the Run to the Sea 50k in October. Clint has also been keeping himself busy lately, taking on the SOBO 5 and Lordshill 10k on the same weekend before going on to score for the team at the Blackmore Vale Half Marathon, where he ran 1:55 on a particularly hot day.

With only 10k to worry about at the Maiden New Ten, Clint and Zoe decided to go their own separate ways on this occasion.

Clint got things underway with a sensible 7:51 opening mile before the course served up its main challenge. Mile two brought the big climb of the race and the combination of gradient and multi-terrain footing saw the pace drop to 9:35. That split came with 211 feet of elevation, though, so there was plenty of hard work packed into those nine-and-a-half minutes.

Clint was hitting a good pace as he progressed round the course

The reward for getting over the top was a welcome descent, and Clint made the most of it. Mile three flew by at 7:11 before he settled into another solid 7:37 for mile four.

From there, it was really a case of keeping things controlled through the closing stages. Clint managed that nicely, recording 8:03 for mile five and 7:49 for mile six.

There was still a slight incline to negotiate on the way to the finish, but he came through it well to stop the clock at 49:40.

Clint finished 29th in 49:40

That was good enough for 29th place from 169 finishers, with an average pace of 7:59 per mile. The course had delivered a total elevation gain of 482 feet, making that sub-50-minute performance all the more impressive.

Zoe went along at her own pace for this one

Zoe was having a strong race of her own and crossed the line in 58:11, finishing 78th overall. Of the 73 women taking part, she was 20th female, while her 7th place in the FV45 category came from a field of 18.

It was clear to see Zoe was enjoying the run

Clint also made it onto the category podium, taking 3rd place in MV45, with 20 runners in the age group.

Michael Legg of Crewkerne Running Club led the way

Rob Parker of Bridport Runners was in pursuit

Adrian Kettle of Yeovil Town RRC

Phillippa Loakes of Poole Runners was the leading lady

Emma Watson-Jones of Bridport was close behind

Michael Legg was way out in front

At the sharp end, Michael Legg of Crewkerne Running Club took a convincing overall victory in 36:38, with Rob Parker of Bridport Runners second in 39:03. Yeovil Town RRC’s Adrian Kettle and Joseph Keen completed the top four in 40:58 and 41:16 respectively.

Rob Parker finished runner up in 39:03

Adrian Kettle took third in 40:58

The women’s race was considerably closer. Phillippa Loakes of Poole Runners edged Emma Watson-Jones to the line in a remarkable battle for first female – although remarkably, both runners were awarded exactly the same chip time of 47:00.

Phillippa Loakes just made it to the line as first female

Emma Watson-Jones recorded the same chip time of 47 minutes

Sally Bugler of Bridport Runners took third female in 47:36, with Donna Pearce of Lytchett Manor Striders fourth in 47:44.

Zoe was 20th female

Zoe was 7th FV45 in a time of 58:11

It was a very nice setting for a race

For Clint and Zoe, though, the finishing positions were arguably secondary to the reason they turn up to races in the first place. They enjoy racing, they enjoy the challenge and, most importantly, they have fun whilst doing it.

Zoe and Clint show off their medals after completing the race

Another Maiden New Ten done – and another excellent evening out on the trails.

Maiden Newton made for a somewhat splendid location

Nathan Mearns was hoping the Apple Plod 10k.ish would prove fruitful for him at the Cider Weekend

Looking to add another win to his growing collection, Nathan Mearns lined up for the Apple Plod 10k.ish at the Cider Weekend event.

There’s obviously something rather agreeable about winning races. Nathan Mearns seems to have discovered this recently and, having already picked up victories at the Starburster 10 and Larmer Tree 10k, he arrived at the Apple Plod 10k.ish hoping to get another taste of success.

As it turned out, there was no shortage of sweetness.

Nathan stamped his authority on the race early

The event itself was held on an undulating farm-based trail course at Cranborne Chase Cider, with the organiser describing the terrain as fields, grass, wildflowers, crops and dusty tracks.

Nathan had clearly been working on his core strength and the fruits of his labour were there for all to see when he produced a a performance good enough to take the win in 46:51. That put him a healthy 1:22 clear of his nearest challenger, Peter Wright, who crossed the line in 48:13. He’s was in the 50-54 age category.

Nathan led the field with impressive speed and style

It was a comprehensive victory from the Bournemouth AC man, He didn’t just win it – he won it rather convincingly.

The Apple Plod was the Sunday finale to a busy Cider Weekend at Cranborne Chase Cider in Minchington. There was a 5k.ish on Friday, the Cider 24 Solo Challenge and Cider 12 Night Challenge that evening, followed by the 12-hour Day Challenge on Saturday before the weekend eventually reached its climax with the Junior Apple Plod and the Apple Plod 10k.ish on Sunday.

Nathan was in cruise control as he progressed round the course

So there was plenty going on, although Nathan was clearly more interested in getting his hands on the cider-themed spoils than sampling the full running menu.

Nathan was first to arrive at the finish

Alex Phillips completed the podium in 49:20 and there was also an excellent performance from Gemma Russhard, who finished fourth overall in 50:21 and took the honours as first female.

Stu continues his comeback

It was great to see Stu Glenister was back out there racing

A familiar face amongst the Bournemouth AC fraternity, Stu Glenister was next home for the club and produced another encouraging performance as he continues his comeback to full fitness.

Stu finished fifth overall in 53:39, a result that represents another positive step forward.

Stu heads through the field demonstrating some good speed

Stu has been through some tough times, but running has once again started to provide that familiar solace and, perhaps more importantly, the feeling that he is beginning to rediscover himself as a runner.

Stu has always been a fan of trail racing

There is still work to do before he’s back to where he wants to be, but performances like this suggest the comeback is very much heading in the right direction.

Stu ran well to finish fifth overall

Behind him, Marion Frewin finished sixth overall and was second female in 54:45, while Kelvin Ward produced another age-category performance of note, finishing seventh in 55:01 and taking first place in the over-70 category.

Stu got round in a time of 53:39

Stu’s wife Sharon also had a good run, finishing 18th overall and sixth female in 1:09:36.

Sam Taylor-Mearns crossed the line in 24th overall and 11th female in 1:17:05.

Riley gets the weekend started

In the Cider 5k.ish on Friday, Riley Albin, who had been participating in the the Upton Summer Series, got the win.

Riley took first place in 22:45, after what has been a productive period of racing

Montague goes the distance – and then some

It was another trophy in the bag for Nathan

While Nathan was putting together his winning performance over the Apple Plod, others were taking the concept of endurance to a rather different level.

In the 24 Hour Solo Challenge, Justin Montague completed an astonishing 30 laps, covering 105 miles.

Yes, 105 miles.

Stu also took home a trophy for his troubles

That’s quite a lot more than Andrew Lennon, who finished second after completing 18 laps for a still-impressive 63 miles.

Justin wasn’t the only Montague putting in the mileage either. Melissa Montague completed 25 laps in the women’s competition, covering 87.5 miles.

It makes the Apple Plod suddenly seem like a rather short trip to the cider barn.

Night runners refuse to sleep

There was also plenty of mileage accumulated after dark in the 12 Hour Night Challenge.

Jason Woods completed 12 laps, covering 42 miles, to lead the way, while Clemmie Kerridge completed nine laps for a total of 31.5 miles.

That’s an awful lot of laps when most sensible people would have been thinking about getting into bed.

Weston AC duo share the honours

The Solo Challenge also produced a rather unusual outcome, with Weston AC’s Kevin Bale and Sophie Bennett both completing 17 laps.

That equated to 59.5 miles apiece and was enough to see Kevin finish first male and Sophie first female.

There was of course time for a celebratory cider afterwards

Carys Gallagher of Westbourne RC was second female after completing 16 laps, covering 56 miles.

All of which made for a suitably exhausting Cider Weekend.

For Bournemouth AC though, the headline belonged to Nathan Mearns.

Another race. Another victory.

And with the Starburster 10, Larmer Tree 10k and now the Apple Plod 10k.ish all safely in the trophy cabinet, Nathan is clearly developing quite a taste for winning.

Gabby storming to the finish of the relay

It was still hot! We were 4^th in the match but this sadly leaves us in the relegation zone.

With apologies for any omissions, the team consisted of:

Women

Poppaea Bramwell-Reeks

Jazmin Cooke

Janet Dickinson

Ruth Elkins

Lola Ktisti (U18)

Jasmine Munden (U18)

Gariella Pitman (U18)

Nikki Sandell

Tonaya Welsh (U18)

Joy Wright

Men

Christian Baptist

Henry Bramwell-Reeks

Andy Brown

Ewan Brown

Steve Cox

Cameron Hale

Joe Haywood

William Launder

Adam Nicholass

Isaac Sandell

Noel Slade (U18)

Manuel Stone

Luke Sinnott

Vince Taylor

Dante Thompson

Notable performances included:

• Ruth Elkins (w50) joining us for the first time and storming to victory in the hammer.
• Tonaya Welsh winning 100mH
• Welcome return of Poppaea Bramwell-Reeks 2^nd in 5000m
• Theo Knott winning high jump
• Cameron Hale winning shot
• Andy Brown winning javelin
• Strong 2^nd place 4×100 finish for the women U18s+W50

Full results can be found on Power of 10

Our officials were:

• Juliet Dobson (Field)

Team managers: Jemma Bates and Adam Nicholass

Rob McTaggart (far side) was amongst the corporate world’s top running talent at the Standard Chartered Great City Race

Investing heavily in a stacked out running regime, you can always bank on Rob McTaggart to produced a good result when he needs to to compete with the high flyers. His performance in the the Standard Chartered Great City Race 5K was no exception to that and when you crunch the numbers, it was an impressive display.

Representing his employers Nationwide Building Society, Tag lined up in what is billed as London’s premier 5K corporate running event – a race which takes runners through the heart of the City, passing such iconic landmarks as St Paul’s Cathedral and the Bank of England.

The runners wait in their starting pen ahead a fast 5k

And while the event might have been a corporate race, there was certainly nothing corporate about the standard at the sharp end.

The runners are on the start line ready to action

Tag arrived in the capital an hour later than intended after problems with the trains, leaving him with little time to spare before the start. Somehow, though, he made it to the line and, once the gun went, it was business as usual.

The 40-year-old Bournemouth AC man went out hard, opening with a blistering 5:07 mile and immediately putting himself among the leading runners. There was plenty of quality around him, but Tag was right in the mix.

He then turned the screw further, storming through the second mile in an even quicker 4:57. At that stage he was right in the battle for third place and looked to have every chance of a podium finish.

Tag was hoping to get off to a good start and stamp his authority on the race

Unfortunately, the race was about to take an unwelcome turn.

Part way through the third mile, Tag was forced to negotiate a cone and lost some of the momentum he had built up. In a race being fought at such a ferocious pace, even the smallest interruption can prove costly, and he found it difficult to get back up to speed.

He still managed an excellent 5:12 for the third mile, but the slight drop-off was enough to see several runners get away from him and his hopes of a podium placing disappeared.

Tag nevertheless powered on to the finish in 15:46, securing an excellent eighth place overall from 3,539 finishers.

It was a hugely competitive race, with no fewer than 16 athletes breaking 16 minutes.

Andrew Fyfe of Hampshire Trust Bank won the race in 14:41

The winner was Andrew Fyfe of Hampshire Trust Bank, who produced a superb 14:41 to be the only runner to dip below 15 minutes. Samuel Jinks of Travers Smith was second in 15:23, with Tom Baines of Slaughter and May taking third in 15:31.

Tag was just one second away from another notable achievement. Chris Busaileh of Charles Russell Speechlys finished immediately ahead of him in 15:45 and took the honours in the 40-44 age category.

So close, yet another reminder of just how well Tag is performing against runners of all ages.

Turning 40 certainly hasn’t appeared to slow him down.

In fact, Tag’s recent record suggests quite the opposite.

Only recently he had taken on the JPMorganChase Corporate Challenge in Battersea Park, where he tore round the 3.5-mile course in 18:30, finishing ahead of all but a tiny fraction of the 20,626 runners.

Before that came a dominant victory in the inaugural SOBO 5. Tag took on the five-mile out-and-back course from SOBO Beach Bar to Hengistbury Head and back, completing it in 27:22 and winning by the considerable margin of two minutes from Bournemouth AC team-mate Craig Palmer.

Earlier in the year he had also claimed victory in the Lytchett 10, recording 55 minutes and holding off the challenge of Christopher Peck of Egdon Heath Harriers, the Dorset men’s individual champion from the previous season.

The top three of the Standard Chartered Great City Race

The latest performance in London therefore fits neatly into a remarkable sequence of results.

The Standard Chartered Great City Race may not have quite gone the way Tag would have wanted after that unfortunate loss of momentum, but there can be no doubt about the quality of the performance.

A 15:46 5K, eighth place in a field of 3,539 and just one second away from the leading 40-44 runner is another superb result.

And judging by the way Tag is currently running, turning 40 has done little more than add another number to his race entry.

Women’s Race

The top three women take to the podium

There was also an exceptional performance at the front of the women’s race, with Nancy Bowley of Potter Clarkson LLP taking victory in a highly impressive 16:09.

Daisy Smith of Grant Thornton finished second in 17:30, while Karima Hudson of Stephenson Harwood took third in 17:42.

With the leading men and women producing such fast times, the Standard Chartered Great City Race once again proved to be far more than just a corporate day out — and Tag showed that he is more than capable of mixing it with the very best of them.

This was the final YDL lower of the season and we came away with a 2nd place putting the team overall 2^ndplace in the league. The U14 boys performed particularly strongly in this match coming 1st overall.

With apologies for any omissions, the team consisted of:

U14s

Zachary Armitage

Wilfie Bessant

Edward Davies

Reuben Gates

Andrei Gaina

Orla Goodwin

Edward Mahoney

Jeremy Mbanuzuo

Cian McCarthy

Sofia Roscoe

Ellie Taylor

Ava Unuigbe

U16s

Olivia Armitage

Mikey Bean

Junior Buron

Isabella Crawford

Tydan Farley

Fin Hurst-Atkins

Oliver Jennings

Ria Lewis

Ben Lyon

Sienna Munden

Callum Pearson

Imogen Pope

Sienna Pope

Logan Potter

Ava Richmond

Lola Thomasson

Travis Vanjara

Notable performances included:

• 3 athletes in the top 10 scoring athletes: Jeremy Mbanuzuo (U14 100m); Andrei Gaina (U14 shot); Logan Potter (U16 Hammer).

Full results can be found on the Power of 10

Our officials were:

• Janet Dickinson (BAC field)
• Adie Saunders (BAC field)
• Simon Saunders (BAC track)
• Dave McManus (NFJ field)
• Tina Wilding (NFJ field)
• Tim Hughes (BAC Starter)

Team manager: Bernard Buron (BAC), Tom Butler(NFJ) and Keira Everit (NFJ)

]]> https://www.bournemouthac.co.uk/stu-sails-to-second-place-finish-at-beat-the-boat/ Sun, 23 Aug 2026 22:48:12 +0000 https://www.bournemouthac.co.uk/?p=39369

Stu Nicholas was trying to beat the boat and beat everyone else in the race as well

Swapping the hills and trails of Purbeck for the banks of the Thames, Stu Nicholas took on the somewhat unique Beat the Boat 10k at Windsor and Eton.

There aren’t many races where you have to worry about being beaten by a boat, but that is exactly what makes the event different. Runners set off on an out-and-back course beneath the impressive backdrop of Windsor Castle, following the Thames path while five pace boats – targeting 40, 50, 55, 60 and 70 minutes – head off down the river with supporters on board cheering their runners on.

Stu sets off on his way in the Beat the Boat 10k

The idea is simple enough. Pick your boat, run as fast as you can and try to get back before it does.

For Stu, it was another race squeezed into what has already been a busy and successful season.

It was set to be an enthralling race

He had recently begun the defence of his Purbeck Trail Series title with fourth place at the Coombe Keynes 10k. His 38:30 there was actually half a minute quicker than the time he ran when he won the race two years ago, but the standard was strong and he had to settle for fourth.

Stu manoeuvres toward the front of the field

That came after an already busy weekend. Stu had run the Purbeck 10k on the Friday evening, finishing ninth in 35:36, before getting another run in at parkrun the following day.

Joe Bartlett leads the way with Stu in second place

Stu is never particularly concerned about racing back-to-back though and has been having an excellent season. He has already taken his 10k PB down to 33:22 and recorded a parkrun best of just over 16 minutes. He has also picked up wins at the Norfolk Marathon and finished runner-up at the North Dorset Village Marathon.

Stu head along the river banks

So there was little reason to expect him to take things easy at Windsor.

The race started at a frantic pace, with Stu wasting no time getting after it. He went through the first mile in 5:26, putting himself right into contention as the runners raced alongside the Thames.

Stu is always tough to beat in races

The pace inevitably eased slightly after that blistering opening mile, but Stu continued to push, clocking 5:42 for the second mile and 5:53 for the third.

He then posted another 5:50 for mile four before recording 5:52 for the fifth. There was still plenty of work to do, with the sixth mile coming in at 5:58 as the race headed towards its conclusion.

Stu was maintain a good pace as he progressed through the course

By then the result was becoming clear. Stu crossed the line in 36:15 to take second place, with only Joe Bartlett managing to get the better of him.

Bartlett secured the victory in 35:47, while Katie Knowles of Cornwall AC finished third overall in 37:49 to take the prize for first female.

Stu is just ahead of Joe Barnett

Steven Ramek of Chessington Unity Running Club was fourth in 38:06 and also picked up the first MV60 prize.

Stu checks his watch as he leads the way

For Stu, it was another impressive performance and another podium finish to add to an already packed season. More importantly, he managed to make it back to the finish before all of the boats – which, given the name of the race, is probably the main thing.

Joe Bartlett took the win in the end

Stu’s wife Anna was also on the start line for the 10k as well.

Stu’s wife Anna was also running it

She crossed the line in 59:43, finishing 220th out of the 484 runners.

With the Thames, Windsor Castle and a fleet of boats full of supporters providing the backdrop, Beat the Boat certainly offered something a little different. And with Stu once again finding his way onto the podium, it proved another successful outing for the Bournemouth AC runner.

Anna and Stu with Simon Webster after the race

Stu mimics the pose of the runner on the trophy

Stu shows off the trophy he received for finishing second

The Beat the Boat medal

It was time for the annual sightseeing trip around London for Barry Dolman at the Saucony 10k

There are some races that become annual fixtures in the diary, and for Barry Dolman the London 10k is certainly one of them.

This year marked Barry’s fourth consecutive appearance in the race, and, impressively, his times have improved on every visit. He clocked 37:49 in 2023, followed by 37:38 in 2024, before making a sizeable leap last year with 37:16.

This time around, however, Barry arrived in London with considerably more speed in his legs.

He had already recorded two 10k PBs this year, beginning with a 36:53 at Stubbington in January. He then produced an outstanding 35:49 at the British Masters 10k Championships in Chichester, earning himself a superb bronze medal in the M55 category.

So, with the bar already set pretty high, what could Barry produce on the streets of central London?

Quite a lot, as it turned out.

It was a fourth consecutive appearance at the London 10k for Barry

The London 10k is one of the capital’s most iconic road races, starting and finishing alongside Green Park and taking runners through Piccadilly Circus, Regent Street, Leicester Square, Charing Cross, the Embankment and Westminster. Along the way there are some fairly distracting landmarks to admire, including Trafalgar Square, Big Ben and Westminster Abbey.

Not that Barry appeared particularly interested in the sightseeing.

It was a hot day in London, but Barry wasn’t taking any prisoners, setting off at 6 minute pace for the opening mile.

Big Ben was among the iconic landmarks that Barry passed on the route

The second mile is slightly downhill and Barry took full advantage, winding the pace up to 5:39. He then came through the 5k point in 18:13, after a third-mile split of 6:01.

With half the race completed, it was time to keep the pressure on.

Barry responded with a 5:46 fourth mile, before clocking 6:04 for mile five. The sixth mile came in at 6:13, but with the finish line now firmly in sight, there was still enough in the tank to bring him home in a superb 36:54.

Barry was able to hold down a pretty fast pace through the race

That was only a few seconds outside his Chichester PB, but the performance was particularly impressive given the heat and the quality of the field.

It was also a quite remarkable winning margin.

Barry was first M55-59 by almost four minutes, finishing well clear of the 468 other runners in his age category. His 36:54 was a seriously impressive performance in a field of 469 M55-59 competitors.

Overall, Barry finished 180th out of 13,868 competitors, with an average pace of 5:57 per mile.

Up at the sharp end, there was an equally impressive battle for the men’s title. Just two runners dipped under 30 minutes, with Seyfu Jamaal edging out Run Bournemouth Half Marathon winner Oluwatosin Adedji by a single second, stopping the clock at 29:48. Eight men broke 31 minutes, while 14 finished inside 32 minutes.

Barry produced a great time which put him a long way ahead of any others in his age category

The women’s race was won by Lucy Jenks in 33:50, good enough for 44th overall. Holly Archer of Cambridge & Coleridge was second in 34:32 and 62nd overall, with Becky Briggs third in 34:43 and 67th overall.

For Barry, though, the London 10k was another excellent marker in what is turning into a remarkable season.

His last big race was the Cape Town Marathon in May, where he ran 2:50 and finished 11th in the M55-59 category for the Abbott World Marathon Majors Age Group World Championships.

Barry has also been making his presence felt in the World Marathon Majors Age Group rankings. His superb 2:48:32 at the Barcelona Marathon earlier in the year propelled him to 134th in the rankings and secured qualification for the Tokyo Marathon, where he will compete as one of the Abbott World Marathon Majors Age Group contenders.

And Barry isn’t finished ticking off the majors just yet.

He is now building towards the Chicago Marathon in October, as he continues his quest to complete the Seven Star World Marathon Majors.

Before then, though, there’s unfinished business back in London.

Barry will return to the capital for The Big Half, where, given his current form, he is likely to be going all out for another PB.

And with the way this season has been going, could we even see Barry break 1:20 for the first time?

On current evidence, you certainly wouldn’t bet against it.

Patrick Kingston was in his element on the steep slopes of the Swiss mountains

There are marathons, and then there are marathons where the organisers think that 26.2 miles isn’t quite enough of a challenge and decide to put a mountain in the way.

The Verbier Marathon in Switzerland falls very firmly into the latter category.

Part of the UTMB World Series, the Verbier Marathon is a 43.1km alpine trail race with more than 3,000m of climbing. It is described by the organisers as a “real alpine marathon”, combining runnable sections with technical mountain trails. The highest point is Mt Rogneux at 3,084m, so this is rather different from a few laps around the local roads.

Fortunately, Bournemouth AC‘s Patrick Kingston is no stranger to mountains.

The mountainous terrain came with some breath-taking views

Patrick has already built up an impressive off-road CV, including 90km of the TOR130 Tot Dret in the Italian mountains, where he tackled around 25,000ft of elevation, the 70km La Moins’Hard in Chamonix with 5,600m of ascent, and the Ultra Trail Vipava Valley in Slovenia – a whopping 110km with 4,800m of climbing.

He’s also completed the Sierra Blanca “Destroyer” in Marbella twice, covering 43.2km and 2,800m of ascent, as well as the Nivolet-Rivard 55k in the French Alps, which added another 2,860m of climbing to the resumé.

So, while the Verbier Marathon would represent a significant challenge for most runners, Patrick arrived in Switzerland with rather more experience of high mountains than your average marathoner.

The race certainly didn’t ease him into it.

The opening 7.5 miles were almost entirely uphill, with the route eventually reaching around 10,000ft. The terrain was technical and very much alpine trail running, where knowing where to put your feet is almost as important as knowing how fast to move them.

The start area of the Verbier Marathon

After 9.5km, Patrick was sitting in 345th place. He had made a couple of places by the time he reached Rogneux at 11.9km, moving up to 342nd.

But the steady progress was about to become much more noticeable.

By the time Patrick reached Pindin at 15.9km, he had climbed all the way up to 295th place. Three hours of running had brought him 47 places, which was particularly impressive given that the early part of the course was dominated by climbing rather than the sort of terrain where you can simply open your legs and get the miles ticked off.

At 21.7km, Patrick had gained another couple of places and, after four hours and 22 minutes, he had finally reached the halfway point.

If that sounds like an unusually long time to run a half marathon, remember that this was Verbier rather than Bournemouth. There was still a lot of mountain between Patrick and the finish.

Patrick progressed through the field well as the miles ticked by

The next section brought a long descent, running from around the 13-mile mark all the way down towards the 23-mile point. Technical descents can be every bit as demanding as climbs, particularly after several hours on the legs, but Patrick continued to pick off runners.

When he reached the next checkpoint at 33.5km, he had moved up another 29 places to 264th.

That left roughly 10km to go, although the final 4km or so weren’t exactly handed to him on a plate. After all that climbing and descending, the last two-and-a-half miles were uphill again.

Patrick, however, stayed strong.

He eventually crossed the finish line in 7 hours, 18 minutes and 55 seconds to finish 251st overall and an excellent 7th in the Men’s 50–54 category.

Out of 1,484 starters, 1,391 runners made it to the finish, meaning 94 competitors didn’t complete the course. Patrick’s performance was therefore particularly impressive on a course that demanded both endurance and genuine mountain-running ability.

He also accumulated around 9,500ft of elevation during the race – which is a fairly substantial amount of going up for something with “Marathon” in its name.

At the sharp end, Frenchman Lucien Mermillon won the race in 4:26:59, with Dylan Ribeiro second in 4:36:38 and Italy’s Elia Bongiovanni third in 4:38:29. Lucille Germain was the first female finisher, coming home ninth overall in 5:10:58. The official results record Mermillon’s winning time and the 43km, 3,000m-plus nature of the event.

For most runners, a 43km race with thousands of metres of climbing would be a major target in itself.

For Patrick, though, Verbier was arguably something slightly different.

It was another serious mountain challenge, another chance to test himself over difficult terrain and, perhaps, a particularly useful training exercise for what was still to come.

Because Patrick wasn’t finished.

Waiting on the horizon was the Crazy Mountain 100 in Montana, USA – a 100-mile race featuring around 21,000ft of elevation.

Now that’s a marathon distance with a bit of an extension.

Given Patrick’s record of taking on some of the toughest mountain races around, he had every reason to head into that enormous challenge with confidence. The Verbier Marathon had provided another 43km of experience, another 9,500ft of climbing and, importantly, another demonstration that he can keep moving forward when the course gets tough.

A superb performance from Patrick in Switzerland, and another very impressive chapter added to an already formidable ultra-running resumé.

There was a good turnout for Bournemouth AC in Race 5 of the Upton Summer Series

Producing exactly the performance she needed in Race Five of the Upton Summer Series, Kitty Cook took the women’s victory and put herself in a commanding position at the top of the overall standings with just one race remaining.

There was plenty riding on this one for Kitty. She had taken a crucial win in Race Four to move to the top of the women’s standings, but Helen O’Neile had beaten her in the first two races of the series and was still very much in contention for the overall prize.

Kitty Cook was looking to stake her claim as the top woman in the series

Kitty also came into the race at the end of a particularly busy week. She had produced a superb new 5k PB of 19:04 at the Bournemouth AC Track 5k the previous evening and then had the Stur Half Marathon waiting for her the following Sunday.

Her boyfriend Tom Casson had the same schedule, also racing at the Track 5k before heading to Upton. Tom had produced a huge PB there as well, clocking 17:02 – a performance which gave a good indication of just how much potential he has over the shorter distances.

Neither Kitty nor Tom seemed particularly interested in allowing a busy racing schedule to get in the way of their Summer Series aspirations..

Riley Austin was back on the start line after being edged into second place last time out and this time he was determined to get back to winning ways.

There were plenty of other familiar faces in the field as well. Callum Pearson was making his fifth appearance of the series, while Michelle Dorrington was also back for another race. Matilde Blagden was lining up for her fourth event and even Bournemouth AC president Tim Hughes made an appearance.

Michelle Dorrington was running her fifth race of the series

Helen Beddoe was still leading the Female 40-44 category having recorded two wins and two second places from the first four races.

The senior race was once again competitive at the sharp end and it was Riley who came out on top, crossing the line in 20:04.

Ed Davies of Twemlow Track Club was just eight seconds behind him in 20:12, while Joe Wilson repeated his third-place finish from the previous race with another podium appearance, this time recording 20:38.

Tom Casson was next. Considering he had blasted a 17:02 5k only the night before, his 20:41 for the 3.5-mile Upton course was another very good effort. That put him fourth and represented an average pace of 5:57 per mile around what is a fairly undulating course.

Josh Allnutt followed in fifth in 20:54, with Colin Byrne recording 21:02. David Penwarden of Poole Runners was only a second behind him in seventh.

Kitty had a great run to finish first female

Then came the moment that mattered most for Kitty Cook.

Following up her fantastic Track 5k PB with another strong performance, Kitty took first female place in 22:40. More importantly, she finished 22 seconds ahead of Helen O’Neile.

That was a massive result in Kitty’s quest for the overall title.

It still wasn’t quite done though.

With the best four results counting towards the final series standings, Helen still has a route to the title. She now knows exactly what she has to do in the final race, which is finish ahead of Kitty and be in the top two.

Kitty, meanwhile, knows that if she can finish ahead of Helen again, the overall victory will be hers.

It sets up a very exciting finale.

Michelle ran her fastest race of the series so far

Lauren Baker-Little of Poole Runners was third female in 24:16, while Michelle Dorrington produced her fastest time of the series so far, crossing the line in 24:21.

Carys Gallagher of Westbourne was fifth female in 24:27, followed by Donna Pearce of Lytchett Manor Striders and Vicky Rutter of Littledown Harriers, who was seventh in 24:36.

Callum Pearson was 43rd overall in 24:38, which put him seventh in the Male 14-17 category.

Helen Beddoe was again first in the 40-44 category

Helen Beddoe was next for Bournemouth AC, finishing ninth female in 24:59 and taking another age-category victory. It was her third win in the Female 40-44 category this season.

Tim Hughes was in his first race of the series

That result was particularly valuable for the Bournemouth AC women because it helped them secure another team victory. It was their fourth team win of the series and, with only one race left, that was enough to confirm them as the overall winners of the women’s team competition.

So while Kitty still has one final battle to fight for the individual title, the Bournemouth AC women can already celebrate a series victory.

Tim got round in just under 27 minutes

Tim Hughes completed the race in 26:57, finishing 74th overall and sixth in the Male 55-59 category.

Matilde Blagden produced her best run of the series so far

Matilde Blagden was also in good form, recording her fastest time of the series so far. Her 28 minutes exactly put her 85th overall and third in the Female 14-17 category.

Aiden makes it five from five

The Junior Summer Series also featured a Bournemouth AC regular making his fifth appearance of the campaign, with Aiden Blagden lining up for every race so far.

Matilde is currently third in the Female 14-17 category

Aiden ran well again to clock 5:25, finishing third overall and topping the Boy 13 category.

Seth Holleyman took the win in 5:01, with Stelios Pavlou second in 5:10.

Jacob Warren of Poole Runners was fourth in 5:28, while Imogen Beisley of Poole AC was the first girl home and fifth overall in 5:35. Florence Robbins was second girl and sixth overall in 5:46.

All to play for in the senior standings

With five races now completed, Ben Shawyer sits at the top of the senior Summer Series standings. He has been remarkably consistent, with three second places and a third to his name.

Ed Davies is second after three fourth-place finishes and a second, while Tom Casson is currently third, just ahead of David Penwarden, with Joshua Allnutt completing the top five.

Bournemouth AC star Riley Austin could still take the series win though if he wins the last race. Andrew Smith of Poole Runners has a better record, winning all three of his races so far, including Race Three when he beat Riley. But Riley has recorded a faster time with that 19:36 he did in first race. It looks set to be an enthralling final day.

The women’s battle could also be dramatic.

Kitty Cook leads the way, but Helen O’Neile remains within striking distance. In fact, Helen knows that a victory in the final race would be enough to deprive Kitty of the title.

Kitty therefore knows exactly what she needs to do.

Carys Gallagher is currently second overall, with Lauren Baker-Little and Vicky Rutter third and fourth respectively. Imogen Thorne of Wimborne could still move into second if she produces a big performance in the final race.

Sophie Beisley of Poole AC is fifth, followed by Michelle Dorrington and Helen Beddoe.

Helen has already wrapped up the Female 40-44 category after an excellent campaign which has now yielded three wins and two second places.

Matilde Blagden is currently third in the Female 14-17 standings after five races.

Junior title races

There is also plenty of interest remaining in the Junior Summer Series.

Adam Ewen Matthews of Poole AC could still win the overall competition or at least draw level with current leader Seth Holleyman. To do that, he needs to win the final race. He already has two first places and also holds the quicker time after producing a 4:53 in Race Four.

Aiden Blagden is currently third overall, but he has already done enough to secure the Boy 13 category title. His five races have yielded two wins and three second places, an impressive level of consistency.

Imogen Davies has been the quickest runner in the Girl 9 category, winning all three of her races so far. If she lines up for the final race, she should have enough to take the category title.

There is no such uncertainty for Imogen Beisley of Poole AC. Three wins and a second place from her four races have already secured the overall Junior Summer Series title.

It had been an excellent series for the Bournemouth AC runners

For Bournemouth AC, though, the focus will be on that final senior race.

The women have already secured the team prize, Helen Beddoe has wrapped up her age category and Aiden Blagden has done the same in the juniors.

But Kitty Cook still has one job to finish.

After beating Helen O’Neile when it mattered most in Race Five, she heads into the final round with the series title firmly in her sights.

The Bournemouth AC team were ready to smash it again in Race of the Upton Summer Series

With the pressure building at the top of the women’s standings, Kitty Cook arrived at Race Four of the Upton Summer Series knowing that another big performance was going to be needed.

And there was a very real threat on the horizon.

Poole Runners star Helen O’Neile had taken first female honours in the previous two races and was beginning to look like a serious contender for overall series glory. Kitty therefore needed to keep the momentum going if she was going to maintain her grip on top spot.

The start of Race 4 of the Upton Summer Series

Tom Casson is up the front as the race gets going

Tom always likes to start off quick

It was set to be another enthralling Summer Series encounter

As it turned out, she got rather more help than expected.

Helen was absent for Race Four, giving Kitty the opportunity she needed, and the Bournemouth AC runner wasted absolutely no time in taking it.

Kitty Cook recorded a massive win to boost her chances of overall victory

She crossed the line as first female in 23:12, adding another crucial victory to her series campaign and putting herself in a very strong position with the competition beginning to hot up.

Helen Beddoe and Callum Pearson starting the race

Helen and Callum were both ever presents

Her nearest challenger was another Poole Runners star and former Bournemouth AC member, Gemma Bragg, who took second female and 33rd overall in 23:48.

Michelle Dorrington starting the race

Carys Gallagher of Westbourne was third female in 24:02, finishing 37th overall, while Poole Runners’ Lauren Baker-Little took fourth female in 24:30. Vicky Rutter of Littledown completed the top five in 24:39.

Helen Beddoe was battling to be top 40-44 woman

There was also another solid showing from Helen Beddoe, who finished sixth female in 24:44 and second in the Women’s 40-44 category.

Helen ran well to finish sixth lady

And the BAC women were not finished there.

Michelle Dorrington produced another remarkably consistent run, finishing eighth female in 25:09. It was the third time she has occupied eighth female position in the series, and this latest performance proved hugely significant as it helped Bournemouth AC secure yet another women’s team victory.

Michelle Dorrington helped secure another team win for the BAC ladies

Emma Biggs starting the race

Emma gets her engine revved

Matilde Blagden was another Bournemouth AC women doing well

The BAC women are now beginning to take control of the team competition, and with every race bringing another strong collective showing, the opposition have plenty to think about.

Matilde came fourth in the Women’s 14-17 category

Further down the field, Matilde Blagden finished 27th female and 97th overall in 29:21, also taking fourth in the Women’s 14-17 category.

Matilde was 27th female in 29:21

Emma Biggs went on to finish 45th female

Emma Biggs completed the BAC contingent in the senior race, finishing 45th female and 129th overall in 35:39.

Emma recorded a time of 35:39

There was also a strong showing from the BAC men, with Tom Casson continuing his impressive run of consistency.

Competing in his third race of the four, Tom finished seventh in 21:04, once again putting himself firmly into the conversation at the sharp end of the series standings. With that level of consistency, he looks increasingly like he’ll be quite high up in the final shake-up.

Up front, Andrew Smith made it three wins in a row, clocking 19:55 to finish five seconds ahead of Ben Shawyer.

Tom finished 7th in 21:04

Shawyer had to settle for runner-up spot for the third time, while Joe Wilson took third in 20:33.

Andrew Smith and Ben Shawyer having fun at the front of the field

Ed Davies of Twemlow Track Club repeated his remarkable sequence of fourth-place finishes, crossing the line in 20:42 for the third consecutive time.

Joe Wilson finished third

Ed Davies of Twemlow Track Club finished fourth again

David Penwarden of Poole Runners was fifth in 20:51, followed by teammate Elijah Houston in 20:59. Their combined performances were enough to give the Poole Runners men the team victory in Race Four.

Poole Runners duo David Penwarden (right) and Iain Ferguson (left)

Callum Pearson finished 32nd

Callum Pearson was also back in action, maintaining his perfect attendance record by competing in all four races so far. He finished 32nd overall in 23:43, taking sixth in the Men’s 14-17 category.

That makes Pearson one of the ever-presents of the series and another BAC runner building up a valuable body of performances as the competition heads towards its conclusion.

Aiden turns up the speed

Race 4 of the Junior Summer Series gets underway

The younger BAC runners were also getting in on the action in the Junior Summer Series, where Aiden Blagden produced his fastest time of the series so far.

Ed Davies (green vest) and Aiden Blagden (with the shades) were in action in the Junior race

And it was some time.

Aiden completed the mile course in an impressive 5:16, finishing fifth in a race that proved to be of seriously high quality.

Edward Davies makes a fast start

Poole AC’s Adam Ewen Matthews took the victory in a lightning-fast 4:53, with Seth Hollyman second in exactly 5:00 and Stelios Pavlou third in 5:09.

It was set to be another very competitive Junior Summer Series race

New Forest Juniors’ Zachary Armitage was fourth in 5:14, meaning Aiden’s 5:16 was more than enough to put him right in the mix among a very quick field.

Poole Runners’ Max Drozdowski was sixth in 5:18, while Bournemouth AC youngster Edward Davies finished seventh in 5:30.

The girls were equally competitive.

Imogen Beisley was first girl in 5:39, putting her 11th overall, with Florence Robbins of Poole Runners second in 5:49.

There was another category victory for Marlon Moxey, who took first in the Boys 8 category in 5:57, finishing 17th overall.

It was Moxey’s third consecutive category win of the series – a remarkable run of consistency from the young BAC star.

And there was another category win to celebrate for Imogen Davies.

She finished ninth-placed girl in 6:38, which was enough to give her first place in the Girls 9 category and 46th overall.

The Bournemouth AC ladies were well on course for the overall team victory

That was also her third category victory of the series so far.

So, with four races in the books, the Upton Summer Series was beginning to develop a distinctly interesting shape from a Bournemouth AC perspective.

Kitty Cook had strengthened her position at the head of the women’s competition, the BAC women continued to dominate the team contest, Tom Casson was steadily inserting himself into the leading conversation, and the younger generation were collecting category victories with impressive regularity.

Four races down.

The pressure was rising.

And the BAC runners were very much still in the hunt.

Thanks as always to Ken Hewitt for another set of fantastic photos.