DUE to weather conditions many local races have been called off over the last few weeks but Newmarket Jogger Greg Davis headed to his home town of Portsmouth on Sunday to compete in the Portsmouth Coastal Half Marathon.

The race was all part of his London Marathon training, which is being overseen by Paul Evans, an Olympic distance runner and marathon record holder.

Although the temperatures were slightly warmer there than at home in Suffolk, Davis bravely lined up with 1,153 other perished competitors in the sub zero temperatures.

The trip and conditions did not hamper his efforts though as he put in a fantastic run to finish seventh overall and first male veteran — by more than five minutes — in a time of 1hr 21mins 2secs.

Another great performance by the Jogger, who is also currently leading the newly-introduced Joggers Grand Prix.

]]> 1.3529399 Wed, 22 Feb 2012 09:00:36 +0000 http://www.newmarketjournal.co.uk/lucie_lands_national_spot_1_3529389

CROSS COUNTRY

LUCIE Clift became the first King’s Ely girl athlete for several years to reach the National Schools’ Cross Country Championships.

She qualified for the national championships, which will be held in Somerset, March 17, after finishing 12th in the intermediate girls’ category at the regional competition held at the Royal Hospital School at Holbrook, near Ipswich, earlier this month.

Richard Powell, King’s Ely’s head of athletics, said: “I know Lucie will enjoy the experience of competing against the country’s best runners.

“With another month’s training, who knows what she will be capable of as she is certainly improving all the time and has the desire to do as well as possible.”

Emily Grapes and Harry McWilliam also competed in the intermediate age group, finishing 50th and 51st, which were good results considering they were competing against athletes a year older and they will both be eligible to compete at intermediate level again next year.

Freia Gould ran a strong race finishing 47th in the minor girls’ age group, open to those in school year seven.