Results and Photos from BMAF Marathon 2014

Highlights from the BMAF 2014 Marathon Championships held in Margate, Kent

Written by Dave Beattie on 17 Sep 2014

Thanet Roadrunners organisation of this event was excellent – at the Race HQ, runners were efficiently identified and issued with race numbers, timing chips, and age group numbers. Marshalls and feed stations were plentiful, and the enthusiastic announcer kept spectators entertained throughout the event.

The marathon runners started with the half-distance entrants: the winning half marathon time of 1:19 illustrates the hilly nature of the first half of this coastal course. There is also a testing hill two miles from the finish, climbing from Margate seafront up onto the clifftop path. The runners also faced quite humid conditions, and most times were several minutes slower than the runners’ London Marathon results.

BMAF runners dominated the open race: M40 Peter Dimbleby of Birchfield led from the gun and, despite slowing in the later stages, hung on bravely to win the open race. M50 Keith Dowson of Sevenoaks was third over the finish line. Walter Hill won the open prize for M60, and Barbara Ralph of Chiltern Harriers won the open F60.

M45 winner, Mark Havenhand of Kingstone Runners, prevailed by 10 minutes over a close battle for silver won by David Proud of Les Croupiers, from David Ashworth of Leamington. Both runners were beaten by M55 Douglas Brisco of Andover. The best BMAF age graded score was 82.94%, by F65 Anne Docherty of Forres Harriers, who ran 4:19:39. Anne’s long journey from Scotland, and her fine run, won a well-deserved gold medal – and only one year before she moves up to another age group.

Understandably, SCVAC members accounted for 50% of the BMAF finishers. No doubt Northern athletes will predominate next year when we return to Newcastle for our championship.

Photos by Jodi Hanagan