Swanky new club strip inspires plenty of impressive performances from Peterborough Nene Valley AC runners

The brand new Peterborough Nene Valley AC vest was shown off at venues up and down the country at the weekend.
From the left, Dave Brown, Sean Reidy, Claire Smith and Julian Smith in the new Peterborough Nene Valley AC vestFrom the left, Dave Brown, Sean Reidy, Claire Smith and Julian Smith in the new Peterborough Nene Valley AC vest
From the left, Dave Brown, Sean Reidy, Claire Smith and Julian Smith in the new Peterborough Nene Valley AC vest

And several athletes seemed inspired by the swanky new kit, enjoying race wins and setting new fastest times.

Niamh Rushton had an excellent Sunday afternoon at Lee Valley. Competing in the London Inter Club Challenge she won her 400m race in a new personal best (PB) time of 62.24, shaving a tiny three hundredths of a second off her previous quickest effort.

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Evie Hemmings won the under 13 girls 1,500m by almost 30 seconds in an open meeting at Rugby on Saturday. Hemmings recorded a time of 5:26.8 which earned her a new PB. Ruby Wright made her 1,500m debut in the same race finishing fourth with a 6:14.4 clocking.

Felix Bowling also has a new fastest 1,500m time to his name after running 4:55.7 for third place in the boys under 15s race.

Under 13 Sienna Slater bagged third place in the shot with a 6.09m throw.

Becki Hall threw 11.99m when winning the senior ladies shot in the Kingston Upon Hull open meeting.

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Five PANVAC athletes made their way to Nuneaton on Sunday (September 6) clad in their pristine vests, to compete in the Nuneaton Masters Open Meeting.

Simon Achurch won the Hammer with a distance of 41.79m. Achurch finished javelin runner-up with a 44.46m throw.

Claire Smith ran a cracking 200m time of 27.21 for third place in her race. Smith followed this with a 400, but had nothing left in her legs after the shorter sprint and she trailed in fifth in 64.33.

Husband Julian Smith was happy with his 12.38 100m, and although finishing fifth he was the fastest over 50 in the series of 100m sprints at Nuneaton.

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Usually a clash between Dave Brown and Sean Reidy over 800m would be a highlight of any meeting. Both athletes have an ambition to go under two minutes as veterans, and have both gone close in the past.

However, it wasn’t their day on Sunday as they mistimed the first lap, going through the bell on 63 seconds when they’d been aiming for 60. Reidy still managed a last lap acceleration finishing second in 2:04.79 with Brown third in 2:07.22. Reidy put the pace misjudgement down to ‘a symptom of the lockdown and a lack of track training.’

On the road Elisabeth Sennet-Clough and her husband Timothy Clough ran the Dorney Lake Windsor Half Marathon on Saturday. Sennet-Clough finished 10th lady in a time of 1:36.31 with Timothy finishing 54th overall in 1:42.48.