Successful local runner Wendy is enhancing her reputation (From Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard)

Successful local runner Wendy is enhancing her reputation

WENDY Jones strengthened her reputation as Cirencester Athletic Club's top runner in the recent Berkeley and Fairford 10k races, the latest rounds of the club's road race championship.

At Berkeley, she finished a remarkable sixth overall and was first lady by a considerable margin.

A couple of weeks later, she was only just outside the top ten, finishing 11th at Fairford.

The ladies; team of Wendy, Jane Wassell and Carol Clarke won the team award at Fairford.

Both races were well supported by Cirencester runners with 22 starting the popular Fairford race in warm and humid conditions.

Among them were relatively new members, Nigel Morris and Chris Sillman, who both performed well and should strengthen the club's male team in future races.

However, it was club stalwarts Dave Wright and Martin Pitts who led the men home in both races and head the club championship, along with Duncan Atkinson who has run consistently well this year.

Cirencester results are as follows :

Berkeley 10k: 6 Wendy Jones 36min 24sec, 17 Dave Wright 37.59, 31 Jane Wassell 39.23; 32 Martin Pitts 39.25, 52 Nigel Morris 40.36, 61 Duncan Atkinson 41.39, 62 Bill Leggate 41.46, 70 Chris Riches 42.26, 73 Bob Ferris 42.38, 87 Tony Curry 43.42, 118 Kim Ingleby 46.44, 161 Paula Vass 51.00, 202 Ruth Fulford 59.01.

Fairford 10k: 11 Wendy Jones 36.40, 20 Dave Wright 38.29, 27 Martin Pitts 39.18, 29 Chris Sillman 39.25, 55 Nigel Morris 41.42, 65 Duncan Atkinson 42.09, 70 Jane Wassell 42.43, 71 Bob Ferris 43.02, 74 Ian Fletcher 43.22, 77 Chris Sherrington 43.32, 89 Chris Riches 44.14, 108 Tony Curry 45.20, 169 Carol Clarke 50.17, 194 Kim Withycombe 52.01, 202 Jonathan Young 52.28, 208 Paula Vass 52.49, 240 Sue Brown 54.26, 250 Graham Clarke 54.58, 267 David Edelsten 56.23, 298 Lyn Ferris 58.38, 385 Ann Sherrington 69.14.

After four rounds of the club's road race championship the leading positions are:

Male: 1 Dave Wright 58, 2 Duncan Atkinson 46, 3 Martin Pitts 43, 4 Bob Ferris 39, 5 Tony Curry 39, 6 Chris Riches and Chris Sherrington 31. Female: 1 Wendy Jones 48, 2 Jane Wassell 43, 3 Carol Clarke 39, 4 Kim Withycombe 36, 5 Kim Ingleby 27, 6 Paula Vass 23.

The next round is the Frampton-on-Severn 10k on Monday, July 12, starting at 7.30pm.

You can't get much further from 10k racing than to compete in a 145-mile race - but that's what the club's endurance champion Rupert Chesmore did recently.

The race followed the towpath of the Grand Union Canal from Birmingham to London.

The 56 starters set out at 6am on Saturday morning and it was 43 hours later that Rupert crossed the finish line, at 1.30am on Monday morning in 21st position.

It was an incredible feat of endurance, both physically and mentally, with very little rest through day and night.

To make matters worse, the going underfoot was far from smooth, with the towpath being wet, rutted and overgrown in many places.

Rupert fell over several times, largely through tiredness, but with the help of his support team he was all right and still smiling at the end.

Making a debut at the gruelling sport of triathlon in the recent event at Gloucester were a number of Cirencester lady members, including Wendy Jones who led home Sue Brown, Fiona West and Elaine Wilson.

They all enjoyed the experience and look forward to the next time. In the same event, Bob Ferris won his age category.