Martin leads the local charge in the Cambridge Half-Marathon

Having had his Malta Marathon ambitions thwarted by a race-cancelling tempest last weekend, the Peterborough AC ace was determined that Storm Freya would not blow him off course in his first half-marathon of the year.

Martin defied the wind and rain finishing 25th in a high class field with a 1:14.18 clocking.

Mark Popple of Stamford Striders also ran well finishing 47th in 1:16.20 while Bushfield Jogger Scott Meadows knocked nearly a minute off his previous best, coming home in 1:17.24 for 59th position.

There was also a Yaxley Runners vest in the top 100 with Stephen Lomax finishing 86th in 1:19.12.

Peterborough AC pair Simon Mead and Andrew Brett finished two seconds apart in 120th and 121st positions, with Mead in 120th clocking 1:20.32.

Mike Chapman led the Nene Valley contingent finishing 169th with a time of 1:22.34. Fellow Harrier Luke Myers made the top 200 finishing 178th in 1:22.47. Peterborough’s James Sadlier was next over the line, one second behind Myers.

Many of the region’s older athletes are maintaining high standards as the years roll by. Bushfield Over 55 Paul Baxter ran a time of 1:28.18 for 430th position. The race results included a calculation of the equivalent time for each athlete based on them being at the peak age of between 23 and 29. Baxter’s conversion was a speedy 1:14.06.

Werrington Ann Wood finished as second Over 55 lady, crossing the line in 1:41.54. Her conversion time was 1:19.44.

Lisa Marriott of Ramsey was 16th lady across the line in 1:25.47 while Louise Alexander of Yaxley ran a new fastest time of 1:40.03 finishing 158th.

Local placings:

NVH

169 Mike Chapman 1:22.34

178 Luke Myers 1:22.47

464 Andy Todd 1:28.53

2073 David Marr 1:44.37

4659 Daniella Kempson 2:00.46

7278 Gavin Dunn 2:25.00

7468 Jason Baldwin 2:27.48

PAC

25 Phil Martin 1:14.18

120 Simon Mead 1:20.32

121 Andrew Brett 1:20.34

179 James Sadlier 1:22.48

2794 Ellen Ellard 1:49.32

3319 Kelly Sutton 1:53.01

PACTRAC

376 Wayne Stainsby 1:27.22

379 Daniel Fitzjohn 1:27.47

1044 Stuart Lemmon 1:36.34

1462 Louise Alexander 1:40.03

2380 Steve Hope 1:43.20

2230 Simon Pauffley 1:47:47

n Kirk Brawn of Peterborough AC and Werrington stalwart Jeff Lucas represented Cambridgeshire in the Essex 20 at Rochford on Sunday.

Brawn was the third Cambridgeshire scorer finishing 39th in 2:02.45. Lucas came home 66th with a time of 2:10.32.

Ricky Bellett (Peterborough) continued his comeback with a personal best time of 2:31.20.

n Nene Valley Harrier Yvonne Scarrott battled against driving rain and winds in excess of 50 mph to finish first Over 50 in the Bideford Half-Marathon.

The slightly built former Cambridgeshire Road League winner was nearly blown off her feet on occasions, but held on doggedly to cross the line in a time of 1:39.17.