Written by Bridget Cushen on 12 Oct 2015
World Marathon Team Medals
Some Age Group Teams unfortunately did not receive their medals or diplomas in Lyon. We are now informed by the Organising Committee that they are being posted to me. We will advise you as soon as they are received. Winning Team medals:
Half Marathon:
M45 silver medallist. Jonathan Walton (NVAC) 1.13.25, Christopher Hollinshead (MMAC) 1.16.06, Andrew Peet (WMAA) 1.18.18.
M50 silver medallist. Colin Feechan (SVHC) 1.21.04, Steve Smythe (VAC) 1.32.33 and Mick McGeoch (WMAA) 1.33.48
M60 bronze medallist. Francis Day (NVAC) 1.33.15, David Proffitt (WMAA) 1.39.23 and Andrew Murray (VAC) 1.41.08
M65 bronze medallist. Sandy Johnston (WMAA) 1.31.13, Steve Herington (MMAC) 1.39.38, Trevor Edgley (SCVAC) 1.41.35
M70 gold medallist. Martin Ford (MMAC) individual silver medal and 204th overall in 1.30.07, Peter Giles (VAC) 1.32.48, John Morris (NVAC) 1.32.59
W45 gold medallist. Northern Ireland’s Lisa Finlay (1.20.52) was third overall in the race, World W45 Champion and led her twin Sian (1.32.39) just behind the second scorer Lynn Champion (SCVAC) 1.32.20 for victory over France and South Africa 3rd.
W55 gold medallist. Claire Donald from the VAC led the team home and also won the individual silver medal in 1.27.12, Mary Twitchett (EVAC) got the individual bronze medal 1.30.49 and Kathryn Morton (MMAC) 1.38.16.
Marathon:
M40 silver medallist. Kerry-Liam Wilson (SVHC) 2.31.01, Paul Cheetham (MMAC) 2.44.27, Grant Ramsey (SVHC) 2.48.31. France packed in for the gold, Turkey won the bronze medal.
M50 bronze medallist. Colin Brett (VAC) 3.00.22, Kevin Deakes (IoMVAC) 3.08.28, Alan Roberts (VAC) 3.54.01. France and Spain got the team gold and silver.
M60 bronze medal, Kevin Harris (VAC) 3.06.18, Nigel Hayward (SWVAC) 3.16.20, Maurice Hemingway (EVAC) 3.29.48. The host nation streamed in again for gold from Poland. Just 60seconds separated Italy and Canada for 5th and 6th.
Jo Newens (EVAC) won the W45 race in 3.08.33 that took her to 7th behind the winner P. Wlodarczyk of Poland in 2.50.22. W50 Maureen Noel finished 36th.
Race Report
The marathon and half marathon started at 07.00 on the final day and run over 2-4 laps of a vermicelli-type course in Parilly Park attracting one of the biggest fields in recent Championships including 18 British women and 67 men. An overcast sky, plenty of shade and fortunately the searing 40° from early in the week had subsided.
One of the unluckiest athletes in our 587-strong team was Scottish Veterans Harriers Kerry-Liam Wilson. Posting a 2.27.20 time before Lyon the Scotsman looked comfortable in the leading pack throughout and we were getting excited in the stadium when it was announced that he was leading at the 24-mile mark. Crossing the line 4th he said “I am absolutely gutted. I was in the lead past the 24 miles mark before stomach cramp slowed me completely and they came past me one by one; I could not even respond when the Frenchman Mouquet took me coming into the finishing straight on the track” but Kerry-Liam also picked up the individual M40 World bronze medal and there is always Perth next year. M40 Christian Mercier from Montreal ran out the winner in 2.28.42 from M45 Plaza of Spain. Kerry-Liam finishing time of 2.31.01 led the team to the silver medal but had he been at his best it would still not have been good enough to defeat the strong French team. The French-speaking Canadian turned 40 last autumn and is a former Boston winner and finished 2nd in the Masters category this year.
There were mixed emotions on the course, some loved it some disliked it. The leading Briton after the first circuit was M40 Neil Aitken, he finished 38th, that team just missed out on a Half Marathon medal.
Remarkable running by Jonathan Walton who led the M45 team to their silver medals as he only took up running a year ago and joined NVAC three months before Lyon. He knocked over two minutes off his PB.
M40 Stuart Henderson said he did a PB in the 1500m, ran the 5000m on the hottest day (41°!) and really enjoyed the run today.
Geoff Newton – I would have preferred a few hills and fewer turns.
W40 Andrea Banks, I really enjoyed running today with so many Masters, this is my first World but I have run in France before. I did not realise I was so far back, I picked them off one by one. Yes, great.
W60 Anne Douglas (SVAC) in her first Masters Championships. It was nice not having long straights for a change!
Martin Ford – never ran through so many trees before!
W50 Fiona Bishop took a heavy fall but managed to finish a very credible 147th.
W70 Clare Johnson, I am glad to finish as I just had nine inoculations I am going to India, I did not expect to have a good run.
M60 Rob Sargent and M70 Kenneth Black knocked 16 and 14 minutes respectively off their time from the European Masters in Italy in May.
W45 Denise Rooney, this is my first Masters, I have done two marathons, I really enjoyed it.
M60 Kevin Harris, I had a terrible run in the marathon.
BMAF Officers do not only officiate but also lead by example. M60 Kevin Dillon NVAC, the Vice Chair, in his first competitive race since undergoing cardiac surgery, said it was not a flat course, “I am so pleased to have finished as it is proof the operation was a great success” and EVAC Secretary Maurice Hemingway was a scoring member of the M60 marathon bronze medal winning team.