Alan Rowling

A HUGE personal best and course record from Emma Stepto (Cornwall AC) and a comfortable victory for local lad Peter Le Grice (Mounts Bay Harriers) were the highlights of Sunday's Marazion 10K – round two of the 2012 Cornwall Glass and Glazing Grand Prix Road Race Series.

Hayle Runners were pleased that their flagship event and West Cornwall's biggest road race all went smoothly.

Sponsored by the Duchy Hospital and starting and finishing at Marazion Community Centre, the sell-out race was run through Plain-an-Gwarry and along the back lanes of St Hilary and St Erth before passing through Rosevidney and finishing up the testing Gwallon Hill to Marazion.

Last year Emma set the course record of 36 minutes 33 seconds, which she totally demolished this time, crossing the line one minute and 41 seconds quicker in the super fast time of 34 minutes 52 seconds, beating her previous personal best of 35 minutes 49 seconds, set in the Bristol 10K in 2010.

After the race a delighted Emma was almost lost for words. She said: "Wow, I am pleased with that. I took full advantage of the perfect racing conditions and really concentrated from the start."

Emma's time ranks her as currently the fastest female 10K runner in the UK, some 17 seconds ahead of the second fastest athlete.

There are very few men who can live with Emma in the local races these days and at Marazion, the Cornwall AC Ladies' team captain finished fifth overall, rapidly closing down on a very worried Richard Pascoe (Mounts Bay Harriers) for fourth place.

Emma finished almost exactly one mile ahead of the runner-up, Stephanie Martin (Newquay Road Runners), who was involved in her own battle against Revis Crowle (East Cornwall Harriers), with the Newquay runner, who finished second in her Veterans' 40-44 age group, beating the winner of the Veterans' 50-54 category by a tantalising six seconds.

Cornwall AC triumphed in their second successive Grand Prix team race of the year but this time found the competition, in the shape of the ladies from Mounts Bay Harriers, much stronger than previously.

The Penzance-based club finished only nine points adrift of the defending Grand Prix champions, led home by fourth placed Mhairi Saville, competing in her first Grand Prix race for well over a year, having been sidelined by a long term injury. Mounts Bay were comfortably clear of their Penwith rivals, Hayle Runners, who took the third team award.

In the Men's race, Le Grice, together with another Penzance runner, Noel Kindon (Cornwall AC) led the field until almost half way, when the Mount's Bay man made what proved to be a decisive move and soon found himself moving into a clear lead, which he not only maintained but extended to the finish, winning by the significant margin of 49 seconds.

Soon after being dropped by Le Grice, Kindon was caught by another runner with local connections, Godolphin schoolteacher, Colin Snook (Cornwall AC). Snook was content to run alongside his team-mate for a couple of miles before forging ahead on the approach to the five mile marker, crossing the line in a new personal best time of 33 minutes 16 seconds.

Justin Thomas (Cornwall AC) was the club's third runner home in fourth, despite being bedridden for a couple of days earlier in the week.

The short illness seemed to have little affect on his form, as he equalled his personal best time, coming home in 34 minutes 22 seconds.

Cornwall AC's Men had an easier ride than the club's Ladies in their team competition, with Newquay Road Runners again filling the runners-up spot, ahead of further Mounts Bay Harriers success, with the Penzance club slotting into the top three in both team competitions.

Race Director Alan Shepherd felt the event went very well. He said: "We are once again grateful to the army of supporters and volunteers who help make the Marazion 10k once of the most popular race races in Cornwall.

"We were sold out over a month in advance and it was a great pleasure to see Cornwall's best road runners sharing a course with those attempting the event for the first time.

"Hayle Runners are justifiably proud of this event."

Hayle Runners and Mounts Bay Harriers reports, page 73; Full results, Digest page 71.