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Sunday best sees Powell take crown
A PERFECT autumn day greeted the 576 runners who took part in the annual Billericay Striders 10K Road race on Sunday.
With the sun shining and cool windless conditions, the race was the ideal course to challenge elite club athletes and enthusiastic joggers to achieve fast times or, for some, just enjoy a stroll in the Billericay countryside.
In the men's race, last year's winner, David Vaughan, of Garden City Runners, was back to defend his title.
In the event he was well beaten by Simon Powell (Woodford Green and Essex Ladies) whose time of 31 mins 50 secs smashed the course record and earned him £50 for his trouble.
Powell led from the start and ran a lonely race upfront. Third male was Havering 90's David Dickinson.
Katherine Philp (Garden City Runners) was also attempting to defend her 2006 women's title and holds the current female course record.
Billericay resident Loretta Sollars (unattached), who was second last year, made a valiant bid for top spot this time.
Although Sollars was in the lead at the eight kilometre stage, Philp's experience and strong finish was enough to hold off the challenge and retain the title.
Sollars had to settle for second place once more, but took the first female veteran 35-44 prize.
Third female, and winner of the Waitrose Youth Award for the first under-21 woman, was Southend AC's Danielle Hurley.
Only 16 years old, Hurley will surely be a winner here one day.
There were hundreds of veterans taking part with fantastic performances in all age categories.
South-east Essex winners included Pitsea RC's Roger Everard in the over-60 men's (a fantastic time of 40.45) and Benfleet RC's Julia Palmer, leading female over-45.
Team awards both went to local line-ups with Thurrock Harriers taking the men's prize through Scott Rice, Robert Doyle, Martyn Staines and John Russell.
For the ladies, victory went to the Benfleet Running Club quartet of Julia Palmer, Louisa Latham, Sue Nel and Susanne Barton.
No Billericay Striders' runners competed as all sacrificed their Sunday morning run to marshal the course to ensure the safety of the participants.
Local sponsors ParaBarMuir Estates, Secrets Hair and Beauty, Waitrose and Essex and Suffolk Ware supplied finishers with T-shirts, prizes, bananas and bottled water.
9:13am Wednesday 7th November 2007
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