Simkiss finishes like a train...only faster

Kenilworth Runners enjoyed a great afternoon on the Welsh coast as Rich Simkiss finished third in the Race The Train Rotary Challenge and the men retained the team prize.
By The Newsroom
Published 26th Aug 2011, 12:16 BST

Twenty-six members headed to a typically drizzly Tywyn to take part in the Race the Train Rotary and Quarry Challenges, which saw runners tackle a mixture of public roads, lanes, tracks, agricultural land and rough grazing pastures.

Race the Train takes place alongside, as far as practicable, the route taken by the Talyllyn Railway on its journey to Abergynolwyn and back.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The Rotary Challenge, which is typically around 14 miles long, saw an exciting tussle between the first two finishers, with Andrew Hunt (1:21:31) coming home just 12 seconds clear of Steve Littler. Simkiss (1:23:35) was third, knocking almost four minutes off his 2010 time.

Most Popular

Connor Carson continued his excellent form to finish eighth, taking first in the M40 category.

Men’s team captain Phil Gould was 14th overall to complete the winning team.

Nine Kenilworth Runners beat home the train, which pulled into Tywyn station one hour, 47 minutes and 48 seconds after the race commenced.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Kenilworth Runners finishers: 3, Richard Simkiss (1:23:35); 8, Connor Carson (1:26:44); 14, Phil Gould (1:29:33); 46, Pat Noonan (1:36:21); 64, Martin Dorrill (1:37:57); 70, Mick Williams (1:38:34); 81, Pete Matthews (1:39:20); 111, Pete Bryan (1:42:56); 122, Liam Chapple (1:43:46); 227, Richard Green (1:51:55); 315, Mark Hall (1:57:40); 491, Sarah Stein (2:07:48); 548, Rod Goodwin (2:10:55) 593, Ros Matthews 2:14:18); 644, Ken Edwards (2:18:28); 689, Mike Crust (2:22:06); 692, Mandy Crust (2:22:26); 739, Pippa Green (2:26:33); 791, Lisa Sears (2:33:48); 825, Kally Cheema (2:39:03); 836, Liz Hegan (2:41:09); 848, Joan Mason (2:44:29); 854, Paul Buchan (2:45:47); 876, Sam Moffat (2:50:27).

The 10k Quarry Challenge, which utilises the more challenging second part of the Rotary Challenge, was won in 39:28 by Daryll Barnby.

Kenilworth’s Stan Alexander finished 26th and ahead of the train (47:55), claiming second in the M55 category. Laura Gould finished in 1:10:28.

Phil Fusi followed up his breakthrough victory at the Coventry ParkRun with another success in event 79.

Coventry ParkRun: 1, Phil Fusi (18:01); 3, Matthew Kingston-Lee (18:10); 7, Patrick Roddy (18:34).