Jones Hungary for more after GB Bow

10:36am Tuesday 10th October 2006

ATHLETICS: WENDY JONES was delighted with her international debut for Great Britain at the inaugural World Road Running Championships, in Hungary.

The Fairford-based runner finished a very creditable 38th in Sunday's 20k event that saw a new world best time to eclipse a record held by Paula Radcliffe.

Former Kenyan runner Lorna Kiplagat, now representing Holland, won the race in a time of 63mins 21secs to shave five seconds off the time run by Radcliffe en route to her victory in the World Half-Marathon championships held in Bristol five years ago.

Jones, aged 37, was never going to be able to match that sort of level, especially after an Achilles tendon injury wrecked the end of her summer.

But she acquitted herself well against a world class field over the fast four-lap course in Debrecen crossing the finish line in 70:55.

"I really enjoyed the event,'' said Jones, speaking from Hungary.

"The pace was really quick at the start and I had a target of reaching 5k in 17mins 30secs and 10k in around 35mins.

"I was a bit under that reaching 10k in 34:40 and I possibly paid for that in the final two laps but it was just a brilliant experience."

The late withdrawal of Mara Yamauchi and Natalie Harvey meant that Britain didn't have a women's team with only Jones and Susan Partridge, who finished 27th in 69:17, starting the race.