Bideford athletes deliver a string of impressive results across the country
Bideford AAC heading into the autumn with more good performances
Bideford Amateur Athletics Club members have been busy on the roads in recent weeks, producing a series of strong performances and a host of age-category successes at events across the country.
Leading the way was John Shapland, who enjoyed another outstanding week. He clocked 45:00 at the Bridgewater 10K, finishing first in the V70 category, before backing that up with another V70 victory at the Yeovilton 5K, where he recorded 21:17.
There was also an excellent performance from Amy Hawkes at the City to Sea Marathon, where she completed the demanding course in 6:11:53 to claim first place in the F55 category.
At the Littlehampton 10K, Martyn Levien produced a strong 39:04, while the club enjoyed an impressive turnout at the Cardiff 10K, with 18 athletes taking part.
Adrian Prust led the Bideford contingent in Cardiff with 36:12, closely followed by Samantha Antell in 36:28, which earned her third place in the F35 category.
Rob Thomas crossed the line in 38:33, with Martin Colwill next home in 39:38 to secure second place in the M55 category. Gary Blight ran 40:52, while Sarah May recorded 41:40 for second in F55.
There were further age-category successes for the club, with Steve Clements finishing fourth in M65 in 43:51 and Lorraine Clements taking second in F65 in 44:06. Jo Bedler was fourth in F50 with 45:39.
Steph Olliffe completed the course in 47:52, followed by Gemma Steele in 49:25 and Peter J Rigler in 49:52.
Mark Fundrey and Tara Fundrey finished almost together in 53:38 and 53:39 respectively, while Linda Eastmond recorded 54:06 and Melanie Brown rounded off the Bideford results in 57:34.
The breadth of performances once again highlighted the strength and depth within Bideford Amateur Athletics Club, with runners competing across a wide range of distances and age groups.
For Shapland in particular, it was a memorable few days, adding two more age-category victories to what has already been a successful season for the experienced Bideford runner.