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adidas Silverstone Half Marathon – Sunday 6th March 2011Race report and results London Marathon race founder John Disley CBE and Chris Chittell the well known actor from Emmerdale, dropped the famous chequered flag on the world renowned F1 circuit at Silverstone, the home of British motor racing, for the start of the adidas Silverstone half marathon. With just five weeks to go to the 2011 Virgin London Marathon, 6433 runners took to the famous racetrack to take part in the official warm-up race for next month’s Virgin London Marathon, to be held on Sunday April 17. Conditions were ideal for the 13 mile race, both for runners and the many spectators who witnessed bouts of glorious sunshine between some clouds, with temperatures at 5 degrees C, and an 8 mph north westerly wind, and 96% humidity. Twenty seven wheelchair competitors took part in the wheelchair event, who went off one minute ahead of the able-bodied field, with the leading finishers as listed below. Simon Lawson the champion in the men’s wheelchair race said ‘Great day, great weather, and although I caught quite a headwind at certain points, I was very pleased to beat last years time, and felt very good, so now I’m all set for the Virgin London Marathon in April’. Nikki Emerson, who took the women’s wheelchair crown, said ; ’I really enjoyed the race even though Silverstone is a really hard course, it was great to be racing against so many other wheelchair athletes and I’m now really looking forward to taking part in the Virgin London Marathon in April’. Leading results in the Wheelchair race
The mass field included many stars from stage and screen running and many of these part of the TV Times Leukaemia & Lymphona Research, Tony Audenshaw from Emmerdale, Richard Harrington from Larkrise to Candleford, Ben Jones from Doctors, John Michie from Taggart, to name but a few. Katie Price warmed up for her appearance at the Virgin London Marathon finishing in 2 hours, 59:54, and Ricky Wilson lead singer with the Kaiser Chiefs also getting a half under his belt in preparation for the streets of London in less than six weeks, finishing in 1 hour 35. Katie Price said; ‘I think that it’s all about the taking part, not about the place you finish in, and especially raising money for the charity of choice. (Katie was running today for Vision). It shows that it doesn’t matter what shape, size or age you are, its always a great personal achievement, everyone who took part today was amazing, and I will wear my finish medal with pride’. A team of runners linked together, who were in training for the 2011 Virgin London Marathon, where they will be going for a Guinness World Record for the most runners joined together to finish a marathon. The ‘Caterpillar’ finished today in two hours and 56 minutes 17 seconds, and is fundraising for the charity Scope. 6357 runners finished the 2011 adidas Silverstone Half Marathon today, the leading runners as listed below.
Men’s champion Andi Jones said; ‘It was lonely being out there at the front of the race, and very windy, but a brilliant atmosphere and I was very pleased with taking the winners tape’. Second placed Tom Atkinson said; ‘Although exhausted, it was very good weather for a running a half marathon but I had a real hard time battling it out with Andrew Rayner, although making for a great competition between us’ First placed woman Kirsty Gallagher said; ‘ I found it very hard, but at the same time a pleasant run in good conditions, and I did enjoy the race, particularly coming home first woman !’ Gill Fullen who finished in second place in the women’s field, said ‘I found the weather conditions to be ideal for me and I was glad to be able to sit in behind the leading lady Kirsty, enabling me to place second which I was very pleased with’. At 400m from the start, a pack of five runners including Andy Rayner and Andi Jones, and Darren Bilton were ten metres clear of the rest of the field. The first mile was taken in 4.58 by Andi Jones, a Great Britain international. Approaching mile 2 there were three leading athletes, with Andi Jones who was 30 meter clear of Andy Rayner and 3rd placed runner, Darren Bilton. The second mile split was 10.05, for Andi Jones and 10,18 for second placed Rayner who at that stage were both going pretty quick ahead of the field. Andy Rayner then was caught by Tom Atkinson – at the 3 mile split of 15.12 for Andi Jones, second place 15.34 for Atkinson, although it wasn’t long before Andi Rayner moved back in second place and they were both running together twenty-seven seconds behind the leader Andi Jones. The 4 mile split, the leader Andi Jones passed in 20:19. The 10k split was taken in 31.53 with Andi Jones leading at that point, 32 seconds ahead of Atkinson. The seven mile marker saw Jones the leader at 36.01 with Rayner second and Tom Atkinson third, with Darren Bilton 300 metres down in 4th place. At 46.48 Andi Jones was well clear at nine miles and at 57:18 for the 11 mile point the leader was now clear by about 30 seconds 15k point was reached by Jones in 48.30 The last runner home of the day was the Spana donkey who finished proudly in five hours. |
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