TAVISTOCK AC teenager Charlotte Walker continued her good fell running form by comfortably winning the women’s title at the Summer Solstice race at Merrivale on Wednesday evening.
Walker, who had also claimed victory at the Buckland Boulder and Langstone Coronation fell races, won the tough 9.5k event on Wednesday by nearly two-and-a-half minutes.
Second woman, and first F40, was Maddie Horton, with South West Road Runners Lucy Walker third female, Okehampton’s Joanne Page fourh and Yael Rowan-Wicks fifth.
Another teenager to impress was Erme Valley Harriers’ Matthew Gilvear, who finished second overall behind Exmouth’s Sam Kelly.
Kelly won in 34.32 minutes, with Devon Schools’ 1,500m champion Gilvear second in 35.09 minutes and Tom Perry third in 35.20. Veteran Ceri Rees took fourth and first M50, with Tavistock AC’s Michael Greenacre fifth and Plymouth Musketeers’ Ross Macdonald, who had come second at the Buckland Boulder, sixth. Erme Valley Harriers’ Chris Prall was first M40.
Some 135 runners attempted the tough event, which takes athletes from Merrivale up Middle Staple Tor, Higher Staple Tor, Roos Tor and White Tor before returning back to the Dartmoor Inn.
There were also junior races on the night and City of Plymouth’s Elsie and Margot Goodspeed both claimed wins.
Elsie Goodspeed won the two-mile under-15 girls’ event and was second overall, while Margot took the under-13 girls’ title ahead of Tavistock’s Rose Sebag-Montefiore.
Reuben Sebag-Montefiore was second under-15 boy, while East Cornwall Harriers’ Jessica Helson was second under-15 girl.
This weekend sees the British Junior Inter-Counties Hill and Fell Championships at Church Stretton in Shropshire. Charlotte Walker, Matthew Gilvear, Sophie Gilvear, Elsie Goodspeed and Luke Hayes have all been named in the Devon team.
Full senior results from the Summer Solstice can be found HERE.
Meanwhile, Jim Cole set a new course record at the Tavy 5 on Saturday.
Cole clocked 15.36 minutes to not only break the overall record but set a new M40 age category mark.
Second place went to Ross Macdonald in 17.07, with his Plymouth Musketeers’ team-mate Scott Mansfield third (17.34) and under-13 junior Thomas Hennessey fourth (17.57). Caroline Stevens was first woman in 21.46 minutes.
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