Members of Beverley Athletic Club made their annual trip to Coniston in the Lake District last weekend to run one of the most scenic road races in the country.
The Coniston 14 follows the 13.875 miles of road which circle Coniston Water and runners are rewarded with stunning views of the lake and the surrounding mountains.
The route was extended to 16.7 miles last year to avoid a bridge on the route which was damaged by flooding in November 2009. Renamed the Coniston 14+, the race followed the same extended route this year as the repairs to the bridge have not yet been completed.
Steve Peacock took the extra distance in his stride and for the second year in succession was the first Beverley runner to finish. He won first prize in his age category, was eighth overall and finished almost a minute and a half faster than last year.
The glorious sunshine and unseasonal high temperatures were good for spectators but combined with the extended route made the race a much more challenging event. Darren Rodmell was affected by the heat and the extra section proved a bridge too far. He was seven minutes slower than last year but still finished in twentieth position in the open category.
It was Francesca Giuntini’s first trip to Coniston and she was very nervous before the race as she had never run the distance before. However the Italian coped well in the heat, loved the hills and finished twelfth in the F35 category.
Brian Richardson has competed at Coniston on numerous occasions. This year he finished fourth in the M65 age group in 2:28:51.
After running the Berlin Half-Marathon last week Amanda Ritchie put in another strong performance to finish in 2:37:07.
Jacqui Dickinson travelled to Coniston to support her club mates and rest before the London Marathon this weekend. However she was unable to resist running such a great course on a beautiful day. She felt strong at the finish and was five minutes faster than last year. This has given a big boost to her confidence ahead of her first road marathon next week.
A number of Beverley runners had to cancel their trip to Coniston due to a sickness bug and Ivor Roberts began to feel unwell during the race. Sarah Tock stayed with him and they changed their tactics to walking uphill and jogging downhill. They finished the course together in 3:37:12.
There were 1089 finishers and the race was won by Steven Cockrell of Nene Valley Harriers in 1:39:35. The first lady was Eleanor Greenfield of Nuneaton Harriers in 1:54:31.
Beverley Athletic Club finishing times:
Steve Peacock 1:45:58; Darren Rodmell 2:00:41; Francesca Giuntini 2:25:04; Brian Richardson 2:28:51; Amanda Ritchie 2:37:07; Jacqui Dickinson 3.07.49; Ivor Roberts 3:37:11; Sarah Tock 3:37:12
Reported by Kay Farrow | Photos by Margaret Richardson of Beverley Athletic Club
