Some Exe-cellent performances at the Run Exe Summer 5k series, round 2

A warm, sunny summer evening in the playing fields at Flowerpots, alongside the River Exe in Exeter, was the setting for the second round of the Iron Bridge Runner organised Run Exe Summer 5k series. On a flat course, reputed to be one of the fastest in the region, if not the country, PBs were a plenty, including the impressive PB set by second claim Exmouth Harrier, Tom Mearson. Mearson's fine performance of 14.57 was not only a PB but also a course record!

Several other Harriers also towed the start line in a field that had condiserably increased in numbers from 86 runners in round 1 to 110 this time. Amongst the Exmouth contingent was Nicola Musgrove who deserves a special mention as she was running her first ever race! Being married to race-mad Mike, it was surely only a matter of time before he had her signed up for a race! Before the start Nic said her goal was just to finish and maybe, as a bonus, not to finish last! Well, she did far better than that. She clocked a very respectable time for a first 5k of 27m23, finishing in 91st position and a clear 10 minutes ahead of the last placed runner.

Whilst the 5k makes for an ideal distance for a first time racer such as Nic, for more experienced runners it provides a top quality threshold run and a chance to get some speed into the legs. Nic's husband Mike certainly had some speed in his last night when he left some of his usual rivals trailing in his wake to finish in 17m01 and in an impressive 8th place overall.

Next Harrier home, looking to improve her time from round 1, was Ellie Sutcliffe. Short, fast runs not being her favourite, Ellie was very pleased to improve her time to 18m45, knocking 48 seconds off, and improving to 2nd placed female and 20th overall, just one place and 6 seconds behind the first placed female rival.

Having a good run to secure 41st position was Andrew Johnson in a time of 20m34 and just 15 second behind him in 43rd place was Vet 65 runner Roger Rowe. Still on the long road back to recovery from injury, Roger was slightly frustrated with this time, it being about a minute short of what he would usually expect from himself at this stage of the season; however, he had managed to knock well over a minute off his round 1 time from last month, so he has to take encouragement from that.

Another Harrier to improve upon his time from the last round was Dan Morley. He shaved almost half a minute off his previous time to finish in 21m09 and claim 47th spot. Dave Eveleigh also stepped up his game in round 2 and chipped 12 seconds off his round 1 time to run into 63rd place in 22m43. There was a fairly strong head wind along the river bank making these time improvements all the more impressive.

Last but by no means least, our Ethiopian guest for the summer, Berihu Tesfay, ran a very strong race. After experiences on the track, road and fell, Berihu came to Exeter to try and mix it with the top runners over this fast 5k course. On the night the stiff competition from the in-form Mearson, Shaun Antell and Steve Gallienne gave Berihu a fine quality race and spurred him to run into 4th spot overall in a highly commendable time of 16m36. Well done to him and all the Harriers who competed!

(Click on the following images to view an enlarged version)
Exmouth Harriers pose for a piccie at the start of the Run Exe 5k
L - R: Roger Rowe, Ellie Sutcliffe, Dan Morley, Nicola Musgrove, Berihu Tesfay, Dave Eveleigh, Mike Musgrove. (Not in photo: Andrew Johnson)




Strapped up but still running strong:
Andrew Johnson completes the first of
2 laps of the 5k course








Happy to finish ahead of some of
his main rivals, or just happy to
finish, Mike Musgrove?!