FORMER SADDLEWORTH School teacher Andi Jones finishes top of the class as he raced to an emphatic victory in the Milltown to Moors Half Marathon.
The 35-year-old, one of the country’s top long-distance runners, finished in a time of 1hr 9min, 52 sec which was six-and-a-half minutes clear of runner-up James Savage, from Kent AC as they headed a 391-strong field.
Andi achieved back-to-back victories in the event, though he attributed his slower time this year due to stiffness after winning the Red Bull Steeplechase Challenge, a 21-mile fell race the previous weekend in the Peak District.
Having lived in Carrbrook for a number of years Andi, who was the top Brit in the 2010 London Marathon finishing 10th, loves the Milltown to Moors Half Marathon.
He said: “It is certainly a challenge and one of the toughest races on the circuit, certainly not a personal-best time course.
“It is a great race and hopefully it will get bigger and bigger as it becomes more established.
“The lad from Kent, who finished second, found it an eye opener telling me he stopped looking at his watch because his time was slower than expected.”
Andi, who ran the marathon for England in the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi, is hoping to qualify for the Commonwealths in Glasgow next summer.
Tom Kasprowicz, from Royton, took part as part of a special 50th birthday celebration which entailed running six half marathons over six weekends.
That has also entailed Tom, who works for British Airways, running in Nuremberg, Germany; Zagreb, Croatia and Tczew, Poland with the Milltown to Moors his 225th half marathon.
“One of my work colleagues celebrated their 50th birthday with a holiday in Hawaii, but I wanted to do this for mine,” he said.
Shaw-based Darren Stubbs, a former professional boxer, also took part finishing in a respectable time on 2hrs and 9min.
Charities also benefitted as policeman Damieon Pickles raised over £350 for Dr Kershaw’s Hospice by pushing a wheelbarrow around the 13.1 miles course in just under 2hrs 23 min.
“There was £165 in the wheelbarrow, which was kindly donated by Wicks, and it was heavy by the end of the run.”
Damieon, who was joined by fellow police officer Kristian Kurmil, was pleased with his time bearing in mind he had not run for two years due to a degenerative hip complaint and only trained for a fortnight before the race.
You must be logged in to post a comment.