A considerable number of Manx Harriers athletes took part in the Saucony National Cross-Country Championships at Donington Park, Leicestershire on Saturday.
The stand-out performance was probably Karen Shimmin’s 57th in the senior women’s race from 739 finishers with a time of 33min 52sec.
Only Sarah Astin, Rachael Franklin (both last year) and notably Brenda Walker (sixth in the late 1980s) have ever finished higher in this race.
Over-50 Gail Griffiths also had an excellent run on Saturday to finish 100th (35.27), as did Caroline Mayers in 170th (37.13).
Alan Corlett was 167th (47m 57s) and Mike Garrett 250th (49.42) out of 1,730 finishers in the senior men’s race. Richard Highfield was 479th (53.14) and Andy Fox 1,234th (63.44).
Stephen Garrett was 90th (42.53) and Ollie Dickinson 147th (50.19) in the junior men’s event.
At under-17 level, Laura Dickinson was 95th female (23.10) out of 238 finishers. George Dickinson and Alex Bell both finished the boys’ race, George well up the field in 82nd (21.54), Alex 139th (23.08) out of 243.
Claire Duck of Leeds City AC, who has competed in the Easter Festival many times, won the silver medal in the senior women’s race.
The senior races were both won by Aldershot Farnham and District athletes - Johnny Hay and Lily Partridge - the latter retaining the title she won last year.