Strong performance by PAC women in the grand National

Peterborough AC runners who did well in the National Road Relays. From the left are Daniella Hart, Sarah Caskey, Wendy Perkins, Sophie Watson and Louise Morgan.

Competing against a host of strong distance running clubs in the six-stage event, they came home in a creditable 31st place sandwiched between two of the country’s biggest clubs, Tipton Harriers and Sale Harriers.

Chloe Finlay ran the first leg for PAC against a high-quality line-up that included many internationals. They were predictably led home by Danish international Anna Emelie Moller, the European Under 23 cross-country champion, with Finlay 28th in 33:12.

Next, running shorter legs, were Louise Morgan (23:27) and Wendy Perkins (22:55) and their work meant that at halfway the club were in 36th place.

Daniella Hart ran the second of the longer legs and a 34:15 clocking from the ever-improving PAC athlete lifted the club up to 32nd spot.

Sarah Caskey improved the club up one more place on the penultimate leg with 20:51 before Sophie Watson brought the team home with a last leg of 23:38 holding off the challenge of Sale.

LINCOLN 10k

A number of PAC athletes gained lifetime bests in the City of Lincoln 10k on Sunday.

First home for the club in eighth place was Ben Heron in a new best of 32:31 followed by Shaun Walton in 33:13.

Mark Popple has been thriving since joining the club and carved 47 seconds off his fastest ever 10k to finish in 20th place with 33:44.

Next in for PAC was Simon Fell in 34:15 before Kieran Williams added another PB with 40:46.

There were then two more lifetime bests to follow as new PAC members Tim Clough and Elisabeth Sennitt Clough came home in 41:25 and 43:39.

CAMBOURNE 10k

Just a day after competing in the National Road Relays, PAC duo Sarah Caskey and Wendy Perkins were back in racing mode over 10k at Cambourne as the Cambs Road League continued.

Showing no signs of her previous day’s exertions there was a win in the women’s race for Caskey as she covered the varied terrain in 41:01.

Perkins ran 46:32 to chip another few seconds off her best ever time for the distance.

SANDY 10

PAC man Kirk Brawn chopped more than two minutes off his PB when finishing second in the Sandy 10 in 56:33 just 13 seconds behind race winner Charles Bruce of Trent Park Running Club.

MANCHESTER MARATHON

Nathan Popple of PAC achieved his target of a sub three-hour marathon on his first ever attempt at the distance when clocking 2:58:21.

Another PAC member, Kayleigh Draper, was in action for her first claim road club Yaxley and she also hit her target time on her debut. In search of a sub 3:30 she was delighted to finish in 3:23:05.

Competing in the mixed relay event, which sees two athletes cover the full marathon distance between them, James Sadlier and Ellen Ellard were second mixed team in 3:15:50.