AFD VICTORY
The first leg of the women’s race gets under way at Sutton Park
WOMEN
The drop-out was greater among the women’s clubs as just 62 of the 78 starting teams managed a full quartet. One of those was Kingston & Polytechnic Harriers, whose Phoebe Law had one of her best ever runs to win the opening 4315m lap by a few metres from Leeds’ Claire Duck in 14:29, the equal fifth fastest time of the afternoon.
Law said: “Claire was leading a group of eight, which was down to four on the downhill to the pond, before the two of us broke away.” Law just led at the turn on to the last hill and held on for a two-second margin at the change-over.
The top veteran on the opening stage, Telford’s Claire Martin, completed the top 12, all of whom were within half a minute of the lead, as eventual winners Aldershot were fourth through Philippa Bowden.
Lucy Crookes moved Leeds City to the front on the second leg, as the places behind changed. Katie Allen saw the fancied Birchfield up to second, as Victoria Knight’s 14:38 advanced Cambridge & Coleridge up 11 places to third.
Chasing her up the final hill to the changeover was Bristol & West’s Kate Hulls after starting that second circuit way back in 39th. Her time of 13:58 was comfortably the day’s fastest. Hulls, who has set several PBs this year, said: “Being back there I thought that I’d better get my butt in gear and I just went out hard and hung on. It was just great and I felt really good.”