East Garston fun run 'was a cracker'
THE East Garston Fun Run got contestants out of a post-Christmas torpor and pounding the village streets.
The event took place on Friday, last December 31.
Organiser Freddie Tulloch, said: "The East Garston Fun Run was always set to be a cracker. At the head of the field was Andrew James, the European team gold medallist and a man who had never been beaten in all eleven runnings of the event.
"However, results from the two previous years suggested that he would be in for his toughest challenge yet - especially from 13-year-old William Dunlop and 18-year-old Billy Tulloch, both of whom had been closing the gap on the champ.
"And so it turned out – from the gun, young William raced to the front and poured the pressure on Andrew and Billy.
"At half way Billy had taken second place and for a brief moment thought he could compete with the bold front runner.
"But William was having none of it and relentlessly upped the pace.
"Andrew bravely battled past Billy to claim second place and all three broke the track record with William’s time an amazing 30mins 55secs for the very stiff five miles that features one very long, gruelling hill."
Frankie Naylor was the fastest lady in 36mins 10secs while Andy Colling was the fastest over 50-year-old and "the amazing" Simon McNeil won the over 60s, beating at least a third of the field and knocking two minutes off his time from last year.
Earlier in the day Seb Powell had won the under 6s race; Ceilan Naylor the under 10s and George Bayly the under 13s – all names to look out for in the future.
Best dressed went to Daisy Wallis and Matthew Clayton.