Winner Harrison Curling, 17.
PICTURE GALLERY
ATHLETICS HARRISON Curling stunned the 350-strong field to win the Ryde 10 race on Sunday.
The Hampshire Road Race League event, organised by Ryde Harriers, is always popular and generally very cold. But the brave took on the icy winds to run from Ryde to Pondwell, Seaview, St Helens and back in super-quick times.
For Harrison, 17, of Newport, the event was all new and, after winning in a time of 54.52, said he wouldn’t choose to run it again.
"If I was told I had to run it I would, but if I had a choice, that would be it for me," said Harrison, who represented IW Athletic Club. "I only entered because the Hampshire Schools’ Cross Country was cancelled. It was a horrible course for me, especially in the middle."
Normally the race’s podium places are taken by mainland runners but this year the IW was treated to a one-two, as Paul Cameron took second spot.
The IW Road Runner, who had only run once competitively since last June thanks to a string of injuries, ran his best ever time over the hilly course.
"I am happy with that," said Paul, 41, of Newport. "It would have been nice to win but I couldn’t out-sprint Harrison and the better man won."
The third Islander home, in a huge PB for the course and just two days after his 53rd birthday, was fellow IW Road Runner Simon McMorran, of East Cowes, who crossed the line in 59.02.
Paul and Simon’s time added with that of Simon Randall, who came 21st, earned IW Road Runners the team prize for the first time, while for Simon McMorran and Paul, their times were the country’s fastest this year, for their age group.
For the women, City of Salisbury runner Katie West produced an incredible time of 1.04.30 to take the top prize, some 34 places ahead of the next woman.
Katie, 44, said: "I have run this twice before but this is my first win in any race, so I am really happy."
Second was IW Road Runner Polly Segar, 30, of Cowes, who was tackling the event for the first time.
"It was so tough," she said, after she crossed the line in 1.08.57, a new record for her club and a PB time.
In all, 25 IW Road Runners took part in the event, with five gaining new PB times.
• Full results in the Friday, February 8, County Press.
• Pictures from our online gallery www.iwcpgallery.co.uk below.
Reporter: sport@iwcpmail.co.uk