Riley Austin is one of the Bournemouth AC youngsters who has the most potential
There was a lively seaside atmosphere for the Bournemouth Bay 10k, with 1,181 finishers taking on a scenic but testing coastal route on a bright spring day. Starting on the west side of Bournemouth Pier, runners headed east along the promenade towards Boscombe Pier, continuing on to Southbourne before tackling the decisive climb up Gordon’s Zig Zag. From there, the course swept back along the Overcliff before dropping down again at Boscombe Pier for a fast finish just short of the start line.
The runners gather on the start line for the Bournemouth Bay 10k
Leading the way for Bournemouth AC was Riley Austin, continuing his excellent season with a superb 3rd place finish in 35:44. Riley has shown impressive consistency across the winter, with standout performances in major cross country fixtures, and he translated that strength well onto the roads here with a composed and competitive run.
The lead group contained Riley Austin (black) and Jake Mowat (BAC vest)
Riley Austin (black) in the lead group
Riley Austin finished 3rd in 35:44
Jake Mowat had been in fine form of late
Jake Mowat also delivered a strong performance to finish 5th in 36:16. Going through the opening mile in 5:43, Jake settled into a solid rhythm with splits of 5:53 and 5:50 before tackling the climb at Gordon’s Zig Zag in 6:16. He responded well over the closing stages, finishing strongly with 5:45 and 5:38 miles to hold his position and edge a close finish on the line.
Jake found his rhythm and never looked back
Jake finds the energy for a sprint finish
Jake ended up taking 5th place in 36:16
Mark Richardson had the ability to produce a fast time
Mark Richardson continued his promising start in Bournemouth AC colours, finishing 16th overall in 38:44. His run was rewarded with 3rd place in the M50 category, underlining his strength in a competitive field.
Mark was even overtaking people with scooters
Mark Richardson heads down the finishing straight
Mark Richardson finished 16th in 38:44
Helen Beddoe was one of the club’s most improved runners last year
There was another excellent run from Helen Beddoe, who finished as 7th female in 45:09, placing 78th overall and 4th in the F35 category. Helen’s continued progression was evident once again as she delivered a controlled performance on a course that demands both endurance and strength.
Helen makes her way along the prom
Helen makes her final sprint for the line
Helen battles it out with David Crowther and Flo Ilsley
It was an enthralling battle at the end of the race
David Crowther was hoping to deliver a strong performance
Close behind was David Crowther, crossing the line in 45:10 (79th overall) to place 13th in the M40 category. David’s improvement over the past year continues to show, with another solid outing on familiar roads.
David makes his way down the very familiar seafront
David got over the line in a time of 45:10
Sian McIlwaine was also in action
Sian McIlwaine completed the course in 49:58, finishing 37th female and 205th overall, while Manuel Stone rounded out the Bournemouth AC contingent with a time of exactly 1:00:00. Manuel placed 536th overall and 6th in the M70+ category, demonstrating admirable consistency and commitment.
Sian (left) went on to finish in just under 50 minutes
Manuel Stone rounded the proceedings off for the Bournemouth AC contingent
At the front of the race, Harry Sinclair of Trafford AC took victory in 34:45, with Josh Halderthay second in 35:21 and Peter Rowat fourth in 36:05. In the women’s race, Vicki Ingham of Poole Runners was first home in 38:32 (14th overall), followed by Abigail Jones (39:53) and Hayley Martin of Twemlow Track Club (40:53), who also claimed the F45 category win.
Manny got round in exactly 1 hour
Riley Austin picked up a trophy for his third place finish
Overall, it was a strong showing from Bournemouth AC across the field, with performances to be proud of on a course that combined coastal beauty with a challenging sting in the middle.