Teenage star Laura smashes Round the Houses record
Last updated 11:36, Tuesday, 15 April 2008
WEST Cumbrian teenager Laura Park produced what race organiser Alan Ritchie hailed as “a sensational run” to smash the female record in Keswick’s annual 5.3 mile New Balance Round The Houses race.
The high spot of the race, which attracted yet another record entry, was the battle between two of the county’s best female talents, 16 year old Laura from Maryport and three times previous winner of the race, Rebecca Robinson, from Kendal.
They finished 10th and 11th overall and, for the first time in the long history of the Round the House race, the pair of them ducked under the 30 minute mark.
Laura clipped 20 seconds off the record and it was another triumph for the double English age group cross country champion.
Laura, who runs for the Ellenborough club, won the English Schools and English Counties titles in her group and recently ran in the World Cross Country championships under 20s race in which she came 17th and was just two seconds behind the leading European.
The cool, dry conditions were ideal for a fast run race through the streets of Keswick and up the testing Manor Brow climb.
The 174 strong field, a 20 per cent increase, included 42 female runners and a healthy sprinkling of juniors.
Overall victor was James Douglas from Penrith who demonstrated his versatility on the roads as well as the track and over the country.
The winning time was just over a minute outside the record set by Kenny Stuart of Keswick in 1989 and equalled five years later by Cockermouth’s Dave Swanston.
RESULTS
1, James Douglas, Border, 27min 32secs; 2, Ricky Lightfoot, Ellenborough, 27 43; 3, Russell Maddams, Horwich, 28 29; 4, Brian Taylor, Ellenborough, 28 21(veteran 40); 5, Chris Steele, Borrowdale Fell Runners, 28 54; 6, Mike Scott, Border, 29 05; 7, Jake Shelly, Shaftesbury Barnet, 29 05(junior); 8, George Thompson, Border, 29 10(veteran 50); 9, Gareth Booth, Horwich, 29 28; 10, Laura Park,Ellenborough, 29 40(junior female); 11, Rebecca Robinson, Kendal, 29 59; 12, Chris Knowles, Cumberland Fell Runners, 30 23; 13, Paul Singleton, Ambleside, 30 36; 14, Anthony Labram, Eden, 30 50; 15, John Mason, 31 32; 16, Duncan Frampton, Borrowdale, 31 34; 17, Gareth Wood, Cumberland AC, 31 49; 18, Haydn Davies, Howgill, 32 04; 19, Alan McKee, 32 22; 20, Steve Hebblethwaite, Keswick, 32 26.
Female: 1, Laura Park, 2, Rebecca Robinson, 3, Philippa Jackson, Keswick, 33 40.
Team: 1, Border Harriers(James Douglas, Mike Scott, George Thompson); 2, Ellenborough(Ricky Lightfoot, Brian Taylor, Gary Lynch); 3, Keswick(Steve Hebblethwaite, David Owens, Ian Boit).
Female teams: 1, Keswick(Philippa Jackson, Julie Yeates, Hayley Hodgson); 2, Ellenborough(Laura Park, Eileen Telford, Karen Southwell; 3, Keswick(Sharon Halliburton, Christine Bland, Emily Knox).
