Hendon Brook 13.5 Road Race | British Masters 5k Championship

The British Masters 5K road championship attracted the cream of athletes aged 35 to 85 from all over the British Isles. A one mile road circuit was closed off in Horwich town centre to host a range of running, walking and cycling races as part of the Festival of Racing. 

Todmorden Harriers’ sole representative was North Shields born Paul Brannigan who ran his second quickest time ever of 17.02 finishing a creditable 7^th in a race won by another North Shields athlete Guy Bracken in a phenomenal time of 15.47. 

Eight brave (or daft) Tod Harriers raced in the Hendon Brook Road Race, which is just over a half marathon in distance, but contains 2100 feet of ascent. 

The steepest climb, the ‘Lenches’, occurs in the 12^th mile. In the past the Lenches has reduced some leading runners to a crawl on all fours. 

The winner of each category takes home a t-shirt emblazoned with the race profile and 3 Tod athletes won their age category and secured the much prized t-shirt. 

The first 4 harriers swapped places throughout a race that was only settled in the last 3 miles when Sarah Glyde became Tod’s first counter and 1^st lady V40 annihilating her previous best reducing it by 10 minutes to 1 hour 46 minutes. 

Glyde was followed by Michael Harper in 1:47, 1^st lady V45 Mel Blackhurst in 1:48 and Richard Butterwick in a personal best 1:49. 

English Fell Champion Richard Blakeley took the men’s V70 prize.

Hendon Brook Results:

44th Sarah Glyde 01:46:46

45th Michael Harper 01:47:23

49th Mel Blackhurst 01:48:30

53^rd Richard Butterwick 01:49:36

84^th Kevin Coughlan 02:02:05

92nd David Leslie 02:05:00

100th Richard Blakeley 02:10:11

114th Moyra Parfitt 02:21:15

Todmorden Harriers welcome and look after runners of all ability. Check out www.todharriers.co.uk for details.

By PB