Gleaming Gold Finish For Cromie

GOLDEN GIRL Sophie Cromie got the better of some 350 runners to win the London Mini-Marathon on Sunday.

Woodford Green Athletic Club runner Sophie, 14, raced across the 2.8-mile course, which finished at the Mall, in a lightning-quick time of 16min 18sec.

She finished ahead of a huge field in the girls 13-14 age category and proudly collected the gold medal.

Representing Waltham Forest, she was in confident mood as she began the Mini-Marathon for the fourth time. Sophie said: 'My previous best finish was seventh but this year I was one of the oldest girls in my category so I was trying to get into the top three. Obviously I was really pleased to come first.

'I went to the front at the start along with one other girl who stayed with me until about a mile from the finish when she dropped behind and in the end I won quite easily.'

Sophie attends Trinity School in Woodford Green and lives in Walthamstow. Earlier this year she represented a South of England team which came second in a relay race in Bridlington.

Two other Woodford Green junior athletes, Tom Snow and younger sister Linzi, came close to matching Sophie's Mini-Marathon achievement with silver medals.

Tom came second in the intermediate boys race clocking a time of 13min 45sec while Linzi was runner-up in the junior girls race in 16min 27sec. Both were running for Newham.

In the main London Marathon, Woodford Green Athletic Club with Essex Ladies member Teresa Duffy finished 19th in the ladies race won by Tegla Laroupe of Kenya.

Representing Ireland, Duffy recorded a time of 2hr 38min 30sec and finished ahead of all UK lady runners.

Meanwhile, the decision to host the 2005 World Athletics Championships in Picketts Lock, Enfield, spells good news for the Woodford Green club.

Their facility at Ashton Playing Fields has been listed as a World Championship training track and looks set to be upgraded. The QE2 Stadium in Enfield and the New River Stadium in Haringey have also been listed.

If the improvements go ahead, the running track will be extended to eight lanes and the changing accommodation made larger. This would bring to an end a long campaign by the club to have its facilities upgraded.Gleaming gold finish for Cromie

by Ivan Hirschowitz

GOLDEN GIRL Sophie Cromie got the better of some 350 runners to win the London Mini-Marathon on Sunday.

Woodford Green Athletic Club runner Sophie, 14, raced across the 2.8-mile course, which finished at the Mall, in a lightning-quick time of 16min 18sec.

She finished ahead of a huge field in the girls 13-14 age category and proudly collected the gold medal.

Representing Waltham Forest, she was in confident mood as she began the Mini-Marathon for the fourth time. Sophie said: 'My previous best finish was seventh but this year I was one of the oldest girls in my category so I was trying to get into the top three. Obviously I was really pleased to come first.

'I went to the front at the start along with one other girl who stayed with me until about a mile from the finish when she dropped behind and in the end I won quite easily.'

Sophie attends Trinity School in Woodford Green and lives in Walthamstow. Earlier this year she represented a South of England team which came second in a relay race in Bridlington.

Two other Woodford Green junior athletes, Tom Snow and younger sister Linzi, came close to matching Sophie's Mini-Marathon achievement with silver medals.

Tom came second in the intermediate boys race clocking a time of 13min 45sec while Linzi was runner-up in the junior girls race in 16min 27sec. Both were running for Newham.

In the main London Marathon, Woodford Green Athletic Club with Essex Ladies member Teresa Duffy finished 19th in the ladies race won by Tegla Laroupe of Kenya.

Representing Ireland, Duffy recorded a time of 2hr 38min 30sec and finished ahead of all UK lady runners.

Meanwhile, the decision to host the 2005 World Athletics Championships in Picketts Lock, Enfield, spells good news for the Woodford Green club.

Their facility at Ashton Playing Fields has been listed as a World Championship training track and looks set to be upgraded. The QE2 Stadium in Enfield and the New River Stadium in Haringey have also been listed.

If the improvements go ahead, the running track will be extended to eight lanes and the changing accommodation made larger. This would bring to an end a long campaign by the club to have its facilities upgraded.