Waveney Valley Athletic Club members toasted success after a busy weekend with top honours going to Matt Jeffries for a highly impressive victory in the Bungay Marathon. Matt, in his debut marathon, completed the tough hilly two lap race in a time of 2-39:30. He also broke the course record, which was set five years ago, by more than three minutes. As the race incorporated the Suffolk County Half Marathon Championships, he was also presented with the winners’ county championship medal. Bob Milner, also running a marathon for the first time, finished a very praiseworthy 44th in a time of 3-33:09. There were 168 runners taking part.
In the Bungay Half Marathon there were 522 competitors with Waveney Valley entering a dozen members. Lee Cook led his team home in third place in a time of 1-15:33. Karim Ouaddane was 16th in a personal best 1-25:44 with a pb also for Chris Pimlott in 18th in 1-26:27. Tim Earl finished in 23rd in 1-27:16, Lloyd Scriven 42nd in 1-32:18 and Sam Jacks, in her debut half marathon was 71st in 1-37:41.
Bill Kingaby finished in 79th place in 1-39:13 and first in the M60-64 age category and won the county title also in the category. Mark Smith was 102nd in 1-42:11, David Mower 138th – 2nd in M60-64 category – in 1-45:44 and Michael Illingworth 153rd in 1-47:29. Stuart Smith recorded a pb time of 2-00:11 in 292nd and Laura Cotton was 293rd in 2-00:18.
In the 10k event Matt Baldry was 25th 46:26, Kyle Bowles 35th 48:06, Alan Richardson 51st 51:19 pb, Philip Worlledge 57th 51:48, Jo Fisk 85th 56:19, Sarah Phillips 98th 57:01
and Jayne Richardson 117th 59:26 pb.
On the same day, three members competed in the Brighton Marathon. Wayne Freeman recorded a time of 3-52:14, Becky Langford 3-53.37 – a personal best by 30 minutes and JoeMayne 4-47:35.
The weekend celebrations had started on the Friday evening with the prize presentation for the Suffolk Winter Cross Country Series at Framlingham Sports Hall. Top awards went to Rose Nicholson and Matt Jeffries who won the league titles. Harriet Lyman was first in the Girls 15-17 age category with 3rd place trophies for Sam Jacks in the Ladies Seniors and Bill Kingaby in the Mens 60-64 categories.