THE Saffron Striders took the men’s team prize at the Grunty Fen Half Marathon, as members of the Saffron Walden-based running club claimed a slew of other awards.

Running

THE Saffron Striders took the men’s team prize at the Grunty Fen Half Marathon, as members of the Saffron Walden-based running club claimed a slew of other awards.

Strong finishes by Andrew Mynott, Ian MacDougall and Tim Ellis secured the team victory, with Andrew finishing the 13-mile course in 1hr 17mins for 9th place, Ian coming in 22nd in 1hr 24mins and Tim close behind in 1hr 26mins for 31st position.

In addition, Ian was the first male over 50 and Tim was the third male over 40 to finish.

Close behind the Striders’ top three were club chairman Nigel Coates, whose 1hr 29mins-run earned him 49th place and made him the fourth male over 50 to cross the line, while James Kew was hot on his heels, finishing one place and just 30 seconds later. He was the fifth male over 40.

Next was Matthew Billis, who was 53rd in a blistering time of 1hr 30mins, while Fiona Halls was the first female Saffron Strider to cross the finishing line, in 1hr 32mins for 64th place. Her fast time made her the second female over 35.

A further 13 Striders were also among the 498-strong field for the popular half marathon. Andy Bryant’s 1hr 34mins run earned him 75th place, while Toby Lumsden was the fourth male over 55 and 77th overall, also in 1hr 34mins.

Next over the line were Andrew Flind (1hr 36mins for 97th), Stephane Toussenell (1hr 37mins for 107th), Tim McMahon (1hr 41mins, 136th) and Stuart Field (1hr 44mins, 179th).

Arthur Oliva and Kate Holden crossed the finishing line together, in 1hr 49mins for 224th and 225th places. Kate also recorded a personal best for her time and was the fifth female over 45 to complete the course.

Henry Rowe and Tony Kelly finished within 30 seconds of each other for 240th and 246th places in 1hr 51mins, while Simon Ede also cracked the two hour barrier with a 1hr 57mins run for 299 place.

Jon Beard, Lisa Plumb, Simon Chambers and Ashley Goldie also did the Striders proud, with finishing times between 2hrs 7mins and 2hrs 19mins

The Grunty Fen Half Marathon was the seventh of 10 Club Championship races for the Striders. The 2010 winner, Andrew Mynott, is currently trailing Fiona Halls in this year’s table by three points, while close behind him are Nigel Coates and Ian MacDougall - three races are left this year.