3000m success for England Masters team
Last week the England Masters team took to the track for the final representative race this summer over the 3000m.
Deeside in North Wales was the setting for the second of this year's 3000m track races and what a night of racing it turned out to be. The conditions were perfect as athletes from England and Wales lined up to do battle over seven and a half glorious laps.
The first race was the M50, M55, and M60+. Debutant, Darrell Wilde M55(Cannock & Stafford AC), was the early leader, closely tracked by fellow first timer, Chris Nicoll M55 (Derby Run & Tri), before the race unfolded with M50 Nick Shasha (Orion Harriers) hitting the front with just over two laps to go.
Nick took victory in the M50 category, with Chris Nicoll pipping Joseph Gonzalez (26.2 Road Runners Club) to the M55 win by the narrowest of margins, separated by 0.25 seconds. In the M60 category programme co-ordinator Chris Hollinshead (Cannock & Stafford AC) was up against some stiff Welsh competition, with the title going to Steven Gardner (Welsh Masters).
The ladies race was no less dramatic, with Sarah Hunter (West Cheshire AC) taking the early lead, closely tracked by Nicola Sutton (Preston Harriers). These two continued to battle it out at the front of the race before a final charge from Nicola was enough to take victory in both the race and the W40 category, with Sarah Hunter taking the W35 win in a new pb.
It was a coach/athlete England double for Nicola whose coach Steve Hallas was running in the men's race. In the W45 race, victory went to Joanne Henderson from Wales ahead of England's Katie Kay (East Cheshire Harriers & Tameside AC).
A teacher by day, Kirsty Wheeler (Lowestoft Road Runners) can now return victorious to school next week to tell her students not only did she race for England for the very first time this summer, but also broke her PB!
Lucy Wasinski summed the event up perfectly by calling it an awesome evening:
View full results"Every England opportunity is a privilege but without doubt this was my favourite".