No hiccups at Eccup as veteran Rob is Yorkshire's best
THERE was a superb performance from Rotherham Harriers athlete Rob Watkinson at Sunday's Eccup 10 Mile, which also incorporated the Yorkshire Veterans Championships.
Rob produced an outstanding run to finish first in the V50 category and become Yorkshire Veterans Champion, as well as a superb eighth placed finish overall in a time of 59:38.
A Harriers spokesperson said: “Breaking the one-hour barrier on the undulating Eccup course is an achievement in itself, but to finish inside the overall top 10 and take the V50 title is a fantastic result. Rob's performance placed him first out of 58 MV50 runners in the race. Congratulations, Rob, on another outstanding performance in the black and white!”
Last Friday evening saw a fantastic turnout from Rotherham Harriers & AC at the latest DonFaster 5K – Simon Piggott Memorial Race, hosted by Danum Harriers at the Cycle Hub in Doncaster.
Renowned as one of Yorkshire's quickest 5K events, the flat, officially measured course once again delivered some exceptional performances despite the warm summer conditions.
The Harriers were at the sharp end of the race from the gun, with Gareth Sampson producing an outstanding run to finish second overall in 16:01, narrowly missing out on the win. Just one place behind, Kyle Craib crossed the line in third overall, also recording a superb 16:01 chip time, placing two club athletes on the overall podium.
Junior talent Sebastian Johnson continued his excellent season with a brilliant sixth overall finish in 16:10, while Vincent Johnson also broke 17 minutes, clocking 16:54 for 13th place.
A string of impressive performances followed as Jack Williams finished in 17:10, Christopher Griffiths was first Harrier MV50 home in 17:15, Matilda Holmes impressed with 17:38 as one of the leading junior women, Richard Harris dipped under 18 minutes in 17:50, while Toby Wildgoose and Patrik Freiwald both stopped the clock at 17:59.
Completing another strong evening for the club were Simon Oak (18:58), Abbie Smith (19:49), Lindsay Whitaker (22:48) and Angela Lally (23:34).
A special mention also goes to everyone chasing personal bests and summer racing goals. The DonFaster series continues to provide a fantastic opportunity for runners of all abilities to test themselves over the 5K distance, and it was great to see so many Harriers making the trip.
Rotherham Harriers Results: Gareth Sampson, second (16:01), Kyle Craib, third (16:01), Sebastian Johnson, sixth (16:10), Vincent Johnson, 13th (16:54), Jack Williams, 23rd (17:10), Christopher Griffiths, 25th (17:15) (MV50), Matilda Holmes, 31st (17:38) (Junior), Richard Harris, 37th (17:50) (MV50), Toby Wildgoose, 44th (17:59), Patrik Freiwald, 45th (17:59), Simon Oak, 59th (18:58) (MV50), Abbie Smith, 79th (19:49), Lindsay Whitaker, 118th (22:48) (FV45), Angela Lally, 124th (23:34) (FV45).
A Harriers spokesperson said: “Congratulations to everyone who raced and represented the club so brilliantly, and a huge thank you to Danum Harriers, the volunteers and officials for another superbly organised DonFaster 5K.”