Antell shows improvement with Alby victory
IT takes strength and speed to win Alby's Memorial Braunton 10 and Shaun Antell had both in abundance.
The North Devon Road Runner was a popular winner for the host club over the undulating ten-mile course on Sunday.
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STARTING GATE: Shaun Antell (No 20), the eventual winner, hits the front early on in the Alby Memorial Braunton 10 race on Sunday. Picture: Mike Southon. To order this photo call 0844 4060 269 and quote Ref: BNMS20120129A-001_C
Powering up the hills and flying down the other side, he finished almost five minutes ahead of the rest in a field of 267.
The winning time of 54mins 21secs was a personal best and exactly four minutes faster than his previous attempt at the course in 2010.
Antell, of Fremington, showed how much he has improved since then. Aside from Kevin Heywood's record of 51-47, set in winning the event last year, it was the fastest time over the course for more than a decade.
Ronnie Richmond added to a successful day for the Road Runners, finishing second in 58-59 – 19 seconds quicker than his time last year.
And North Devon AC relished a race that starts and finishes on their home track in Braunton with three athletes inside the top six.
Jack Hutchens is getting stronger all the time and the teenager claimed third in 59-22, five minutes better than his 2010 attempt.
Club-mates Nick Bennett and Michael Gaunt were fourth and sixth respectively.
Helen Dyke, representing Poole Runners, retained the women's title and finished 16th overall, smashing almost two minutes off her time from 2011.
Magdalen Miller, of the Road Runners, was second in 1-06-28 and Rosemary Terribile, of North Devon Triathletes, took third, leading the way in the W45 category.
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