A LARGE field took advantage of a break in the miserable weather to take part in the Wiltshire 10-mile road race in Melksham recently, with Calne’s Simon Nott emerging victorious.

Nott, of Calne Running Club, set off at a blistering pace with Michael Towler of Avon Valley Runners in pursuit. Not to be deterred by the flooded River Avon at the halfway mark in Reybridge, Nott opted not to use the raised walkway and charged across the water without breaking stride and maintained a strong pace all the way to the finish in a new personal best time of 52:49.

By time the course had passed Lacock Abbey, Towler had been overhauled by Matthew Battensby of Burgess Salmon Running Club and George Frost of Team Bath, but the Avon Valley Runner held on to record a PB in fourth place.

The ladies race was a close affair, with Denise Grech of Calne Running Club and Fiona Price of Avon Valley Runners matching each other’s pace until the final couple of miles when Grech opened up a winning margin of 10 seconds to take victory in 64:58. Both athletes achieved personal best times, while Rachel Barber-Brock of Cirencester AC came home for third.

The Team Bath AC grouping of George Frost, Allister Sheffield, Samuel Hedley and Stuart Paterson claimed the men’s team prize, while Fiona Price, Jaqueline Rockliffe and Fleur Ross-Harris of Avon Valley Runners won the ladies event.

RESULTS

Top 25: 1, Simon Nott (Calne Running Club) 52:49; 2, Matthew Battensby (Burges Salmon Running Club) 54:44; 3, George Frost (Team Bath AC) 55:04; 4, Michael Towler (Avon Valley Runners) 55:34; 5, Allister Sheffield (Team Bath AC) 56:32; 6, Marcus Mumford (Las Vegas Institute of Sport) 57:41; 7, Alex Brooks (Serpentine Running Club) 57:46; 8, Bart Thomas (Chippenham Harriers) 58:08; 9, Richard Parr (Andover Running Club) 58:56; 10, John Rooney (Nailsea Running Club) 59:31; 11, Anthony Lock (Witney Road Runners) 1.00:48; 12, Kelvin Dickinson (Wirral AC) 1.01:13; 13, Trevor Batey (Chippenham Harriers) 1.01:29; 14, Andrew Duncan (Calne Running Club) 1.01:34; 15, Samuel Hedley (Team Bath AC) 1.01:36; 16, Stuart Paterson (Team Bath AC) 1.01:44; 17, Charlie Jones (Westbury Harriers) 1.01:52; 18, Steven Swan (Bristol & West AC) 1.02:06; Malcolm Treby (Team Bath AC) 1.02:44; 20, Gary Smith 1.02:52; 21, Hayden Coate (Frome Running Club) 1.02:59; 22, Aaron Pritchard (Somer AC) 1.03:03; 23, Peter Veleski (Avon Valley Runners) 1.03:04; 24, Andrew May (Hogweed Trotters) 1.03:30; 25, Ian Noad (Somer AC) 1.03:33.

Full Results are online at www.stampedesports.co.uk.