Authored by Sarah Harris
Another year and another Ealing Half Marathon (EHM) that didn’t disappoint. Ideal running conditions set the scene for 40 ESM members to join over 3,500 runners at the start line for the twelfth edition of the club’s local half marathon. As usual, the closed-road event was exceptionally well-organised and well-supported along most of the route, with clubmates, friends, family and neighbours all coming out in force. In particular, many of us had our day made by seeing Andy Leung out to support, and we’re grateful to ESM’ers such as Andy Bowen among a number of the club’s volunteers.
Despite not being a course that many, if any, would describe as fast or ideal for bagging a PB, there were many great performances from ESM runners. John Fielding put in an astounding performance to win the men’s race in a time of 1:07:55, bettering his impressive debut half-marathon time that won him this same event two years ago (1:08:36). Second and third from the men’s team saw Tom Hole come in at 01:10:32 and Sam Gunnewicht bag a PB with a time of 01:14:31, placing them a fantastic fourth and thirteenth, respectively. Sizable PBs were also won by Jonah Mezey (U20), Clement Berthet, and Dominic Quinn (U20) with respective times of 1:20:50, 1:21:08 and 01:21:53. A special mention should also be made for seventeen-year-old Ed Flewitt with a superb debut of 01:21:42, and for successfully outsprinting dad Pete on the home straight. Will Wyatt, Spencer Buksh, and John Rowe also demonstrated improved fitness through their quickest attempts yet at this distance.
Sarah Gerrie’s superb performance earned her an age-category win and a very impressive fourth overall position in the women’s race with a PB time of 01:25:31. I was next in for the women’s team (01:32:54), followed by Olivia Howes Smith (01:38:31) who had a great run, shaving a couple of minutes off her previous best. Mariona Sorrosal and Juliet Wilcox also ran sizable PBs, and both Mariona and Olivia commented that a significant contributor to their success on this undulating course was regular attendance of the Monday hill sessions — huge thanks here to Lynn and Martin Wilson, who run these, week in and week out, whatever the weather. Well done also to Alison Billinge, for whom it was her first stab at this distance, to Beverley Packwood for her best half marathon in several years, and to Sarah Holroyd and Stacey McManus, who are part of the ‘ever-present’ collective who’ve run all 12 EHMs.
Full results can be found here.