RELAY QUESTIONS
—Steve Smythe, results editor
A FEW things struck me about the hugely successful English cross-country relays. Why are the published times in hundredths of a second contrary to the traditional rounding to a second for road and cross-country races? Also, why is the first leg a different distance, making fastest lap comparisons pointless? And finally, why was it the same weekend as the English 10km championships in Leeds, another thriving event?
ELMS RETAINS ALGARVE TITLE
PORTUGAL
Algarve Challenge, November 3-7
CLARE ELMS used her traditional warm-up for the British & Irish Masters International, where she seeks a third successive win, with an easy overall victory in this four-stage event.
With results based on age-grading, the W50 world masters 1500m record-holder was a clear winner. However, she was also fastest overall in the 5km cross-country, which she followed with a 5:11.8 track mile and then the quickest time in the handicap 10km over a testing multi-terrain course.
Former overall winner Dave Mansbridge chased her home in the 5km, mile and in the X Milhas do Guadiana, which featured as the final race in the challenge, but a slow 10km meant he finished just seventh overall as Dutch master W65 Els Raap was a clear second in the standings.
Dave Moorekite, who like Elms will run for England’s team in Glasgow, dominated the M75 age group but lost out by just three age-graded points to fellow international and masters champion Martyn Rouse in the M70s.
Overall (age graded scores): Mixed: 1 CLARE ELMS (W50) 3730 (18:28 5kmXC, 5:11.8 1M, 38:42 Trail 10km, 72:43 18.6km); 2 E Raap (NED, W65) 3475 (24:04, 7:34.5, 51:25, 1:37:36);
3 STEVE SMYTHE (M55) 3237 (19:55, 5:35.8, 40:54, 73:14); 4 MIKE MANN (M65) 3171 (21:50, 6:05.9, 45:03, 86:05); 5 MARTYN ROUSE (M70) 3101 (22:19, 6:25.1, 47:22, 90:37); 6 DAVE MOOREKITE (M75) 3098 (24:11, 7:49.6, 50:27, 98:41); 7 DAVE MANSBRIDGE (M50) 3003 (18:59, 5:32.8, 47:10, 73:00); 8 CATHERINE CHARLTON (W35) 2954 (20:16, 5:53.1, 43:41, 76:21); 9 JANICE MOOREKITE (W55) 2805; 10 JIM DOWSETT (M40) 2603
X Milhas do Guadiana, November 6
THREE-time Olympian Ana Dias won the traditional point-to-point race, which this year went from Spain to Portugal across the giant Guadiana Bridge.
A course change meant the 2016 distance increased to 18.3km from the traditional 10 miles.
Dias won easily while Clare Elms was leading Brit in third with Catherine Charlton the top W35 in fifth.
The leading British man, Andy Blair, was first M50 in the race.
Men: 18.3km: 1 P Soares 61:13; 41 ANDREW BLAIR (M50) 70:43; 62 DAVID MANSBRIDGE (M50) 73:00; 65 STEVE SMYTHE (M55) 73:14; 69 DAVID COLES (M55) 73:48; 276 MIKE MANN (M65) 86:05; 374 MARTYN ROUSE (M70) 90:37; 510 DAVID MOOREKITE (M75) 98:41. Women: 1 A Dias 68:25; 2 A Cabecinha 72:05; 3 CLARE ELMS (W50) 72:42; 5 CATHERINE CHARLTON (W35) 76:21; 509 JANICE MOOREKITE (W55) 98:40
Guadiana first three: Ana Cabecinha, winner Ana Dias and Clare Elms
UK outdoor 400m leaders – 2016