GREAT EASTERN RUN: Kenyans are the kings of the road

All forecasts proved correct as hot favourite Sandrak Korir breeezed to victory in an unofficial time of 63.40 for the half marathon trip, two minutes outside the course record. Korir led home a Kenyan 1-2-3 as he was followed in by Gideon Kimosap and Josphat Kemei.

The first two are members of the Project Africa group which brings athletes from that continent to race in Europe, often for the first time. Kemei runs for the Run Fast group as does ladies winner Teresiah Omosa, also from Kenya, who romped home in the women’s race.

Korir won the Cardiff half marathon last weekend in a rapid time of 60.54 (46 seconds faster than the GER record) leading to hopes that the course record would be broken for the second year in a row, but the pace of the race was sluggish at the start and winning the £750 first price became Korir’s priority.

“It’s a good course, nice and flat,” Korir said. “The weather was quite friendly, but I ran with the other Kenyans for a while to help them along and was never going at the pace I managed in Cardiff.”

Kimosap added: “Shadrak is much quicker than me, but he let me stay with him until about two kilometres from the end, but then he ran away. The course is very fast and there were only a couple of windy parts.

“I enjoyed the race. It’s very well run and the marshals on the course were excellent as there were a couple of places when it would have been easy to go wrong.”

Stamford’s Aaron Scott - who runs for Lincoln Wellington - actually led the race for the first mile or so before the Kenyan contingent pounced and left him well behind. Scott finished in a creditable fifth place overall and took the prize for first UK runner.

The first local lady to finish was evergreen Philippa Taylor who also took the over 45 lady prize in a time of 1.22.00.

A record 4,160 runners took part plus five wheelchair entrants and 1,396 in the fun run.

Local clubs Eye Community Runners and Nene Valley Harriers took the Fun Run honours through Isaac Ellwood (15) and Ella Robinson (13) respectively.

The wheelchair races were won by Adam Goldspink Burgess from Harlow and LIzzy Bennett from Cambridge.s

MAIN RESULTS
(Official times to follow)

MEN’S RACE (overall)

1 Shadrak Korir (Kenya)

2 Gideon Kimosop (Kenya)

3 Josaphat Kemei (Kenya)

MEN’S RACE (UK)

1 Aaron Scott (Stamford)

2 Jack Parslow (Hemel Hempstead)

3 Ben Livesey (Lincoln).

WOMEN’S RACE (overall)

1 Teresiah Omosa (Kenya)

2 Amy Clements (Kent)

3 Nicole Roberts (Stockport)

WOMEN’S RACE (UK)

1 Amy Clements (Kent)

2 Nicole Roberts (Stockport)

3 Heln Davies (Ipswich).

WHEELCHAIR RACES

Men: 1 Adam Goldspink-Burgess (Harlow)

Women: 1 Lizzy Bennett (Cambridge)

FUN RUN
Boys 1 Isaac Ellard (Eye Community Runners)

Girls: 1 Ella Robinson (Nene Valley Harriers).