TRACK & FIELD / OVERSEAS

–Steve Smythe, results editor

COLLEGE SUCCESS

ALTHOUGH the peak of the season is some way off, British athletes had one of their most successful ever weekends in the USA Conference championships. There were wins for Kieran Clements, Luke Traynor, Alex George, Alex Short and Amy-Eloise Neale. After the growing success of GB distance runners this year, you can expect demand for UK athletes to be higher in the next round of recruitment by the US colleges.

MEDALS FOR GB WOMEN

PORTUGAL

IAU Trail World Championships, Peneda-Gerês, October 29

SPAIN’S Louis Hernandez (8:20:26) and France’s Caroline Chaverot (9:39:40), were crowned world champions, although it was the French, who packed impressively in depth, who won both team titles.

Great Britain’s women’s team claimed the bronze medals in a race held over an 85km (53-miles) course in the stunningly beautiful Paneda Gerês national park in northern Portugal

The team were led home by Jo Meek in seventh in a time of 10:36:12 with Beth Pascall one place behind in 10:41:35. Meek was delighted to place so highly and lead Britain to medals. See News, p9.

Jo Zakrzewski was Team GB’s third counter, in 29th in 11:46:51.

The GP from Dumfries has now won individual or team medals at 50km, 100km and trail running for GB.

Sally Fawcett was hampered by a heavy fall early in the race that needed medical attention for cuts on both knees. She ran a brave race to complete the course in 44th, while Sophie Grant finished 52nd as she made her GB debl.

The British men had mixed fortunes. Andy Symonds ran a superbly controlled race to place ninth with 9:00:40. He started steadily and slowly moved up the field.

“Before the race I hoped to finish in the top 10,” he said. “I am really pleased with that, especially in such a high-quality field. The strength of the French and the Spanish runners is indeed impressive.”

Tom Payn and Damian Hall, both winning their first vests, ran solidly to finish 43rd and 68th respectively, which helped give Britain 11th.

Both struggled a little as the temperature climbed into the mid-twenties Centigrade through the middle hours of the day.

Tom Owens, who had hoped to figure well after his fourth place finish in 2016, struggled too in the heat and dropped out at the final checkpoint at 44 miles.

Kim Collison, who suffering a heavy fall and injured his hip, and Donnie Campbell, who had a foot problem, were also forced to retire.

Men: 85km: 1 L Hernandez (ESP) 8:20:26; 2 N Martin (FRA) 8:30:05; 3 S Court (FRA) 8:30:39; 4 B Cori (FRA) 8:36:25; 5 L Pommeret (FRA) 8:44:15; 6 D Pazos (SUI) 8:53:59; 7 A Collet (FRA) 8:55:57; 8 C Castaner (ESP) 8:58:27; 9 ANDY SYMONDS 9:00:40; 47 TOM PAYN 10:20:07; 81 DAMIAN HALL 10:59:39. TEAM: 1 FRA 25:37:10; 2 ESP 26:26:02; 3 GER 28:24:03; 11 GBR 30:20:25.