Ryston Runners in road mode

A couple of dozen Ryston Runners were in road mode last week, with several others hitting the lanes and trails around Gayton in support of the annual Megan’s Challenge fundraising event.Oliver Foxwell was the first in action, the sole club member in the second race in the Yarmouth Promenade five-mile series on May 22, in which he was placed 48th/27thSM in 31:19.On Saturday, Jamie Ord (M40) and Lesley Robins (F50) were placed second in their respective categories at the Run Banham Zoo 5k, Ord in ninth place overall with 20:32, and Robins 65th with 24:45.Christopher Cann was ninthSM /26th overall in 22:12, and Alicia Pentelow 12thSF/90th in 25:55.There were around 450 finishers in both this and the NNBR Holt 10K the next day, among them Cann completing back-to-back events.In the Holt race, which was the seventh event in the Sportlink 2024 GP Series, Cann was placed 118th/35thSM in 45:20.Ryston had two first placers with James O’Neill, fourth overall, taking the M40 category with 34:56, and Pauline Sparrow the F70, 305th overall in 55:27.Ruth Chadwick pipped Linda Marshall to the F55 podium, taking third place (177th) in 48:16 to Marshall’s fourth (183rd) in 48:42. Other Ryston competitors were: Cody Pearman 31st/5thJM/40:04, Michael Howlett 77th/27thSM/42:33, Tony Savage 173rd/15thM60/48:07, Mark Doughty 247th/27thM45/51:50, Sam Doughty 248th/8thJM/51:50, Kevin Howlett 254th/9thM65/52:07, Irina Marcinek 263rd/9thF45/52:36, George Pettit 275th/25thM50/53:30, Claire Chamberlain 335th/30thSF/57:01, Ceri Howell 439th/9thF65/71:07 and Martin Esegood 460th/39thM55/78:39.Edinburgh was the destination of another four Ryston Runners. Despite the wet weather, Julie Williamson notched up a PB of 3:28:28 and was placed 1305th/12thF40.Justin Walker, mindful of having a place in the Norfolk 100K the following weekend, “eased” round in 3:34:39 to finish 1657th/75thM50. Ian Wiggins broke the four-hour barrier, 3:55:53 seeing him home in 3238th place and 212th M45, while Salina Cumbridge braved the conditions for 5:33:05 to finish 206th in the F50 category and 9141st overall.Closer-to-home organisers, who include Ryston’s Helen Reed, appreciated the club’s customary support for the “non-competitive” Megan’s Challenge.Dawn Robinson was the first woman back to Gayton Social Club, the event base, while the 2.3k “mini-run” saw Lianna Prosper and Freddie Hubbard bagging first-place finishes for the club.