Great North Run : Messingham First Runner Home For Beverley AC

Ten Beverley Athletic Club members lined up with a record-breaking 55,000 participants in the 33rd Bupa Great North Run last Sunday.

This is a very popular half-marathon race attracting a strong international field, with the 13.1 mile route beginning in Newcastle, crossing the Tyne Bridge and ending on the coast at South Shields. Conditions were wet and windy this year, making the race particularly challenging.

Adrian Messingham was first the first runner home for Beverley, in an impressive time of 1:31:37. He was followed by Peter Watkinson and Paul Evans, in 138:58 and 1:40:55 respectively. Beverley’s first female runner was Deborah Brant, who recorded 1:54:51. Second and third women for the club were Nicola Glover (1:59:48) and Catriona Williamson (2:21:16).

For several club members the Great North Run is a regular event. Williamson achieved a personal best time for this distance, knocking around seven minutes from her time last year at the same race.

This is the fourth time she has completed the run. Other regular participants were husband and wife team Andrew and June Foster, who finished together in 2:25:01.

The elite runners put on a spectacular show at the race. The men’s winner was the Ethiopian Kenenisa Bekele, who finished in 1:00:09, beating Britain’s Mo Farah in a thrilling sprint finish by just one second. The winner in the women’s race was Kenyan Priscah Jeptoo, who recorded a time of 1:05:45, just 5 seconds slower than the world record.

British athletes won the men’s and women’s wheelchair races, with David Weir completing the course in 43:06 and Shelly Woods finishing in 54:28.

Beverley AC times
Adrian Messingham 1:31:37, Peter Watkinson 1:38:58, Paul Evans 1:40:55, Ian Crawford 1:50:09, Deborah Brant 1:54:51, Nicola Glover 1:59:48, Catriona Williamson 2:21:16, Andrew Foster 2:25:01, June Foster 2:25:01, Sylvia Boardley 3:05:01

Report by Lewis Holloway of Beverley AC | *Photo, Stock image from Beverley 10K