Crawley’s Paul Navesey and Steyning’s Trevor Jones took the main honours at the road races in Brighton’s Preston Park on Boxing Day.
This was, I believe, Jones first victory in this 5.5 mile event despite making several previous attempts and he led from start to finish clocking 53:24 well clear of first woman and club mate Julie Drake, who it is hoped, is making a return to race walking
Drake, in her heyday a previous winner of the event, finished hand in hand with Arena 80 veteran David Kemp in 56:08 while Ron Penfold (Steyning) who had been walking in this event for more than fifty years and is now in the M70 age group managed to crack the “60 minute barrier” placing fourth and clocking 59:38.
The run saw Navesey, who is expected to challenge for top honours in the Sussex Cross-country championships next Saturday, took the 4.25 mile run, by the scruff the neck and shook off all the opposition, to win by more than two minutes in 23:10.
Club mate Tom Thayre took second place in 25:19 with Brighton & Hove’s Louis Taub (M40) filling third place. In 26:38.
The first three places in the women’s event were filled by Brighton & Hove athletes with Jade Elphick in 10th place in 28:54, Freya Leman 11th in 29:10 and Paula Blackledge 16th in 30:05.
These three had all been member of the Brighton & Hove team who chalked up their best ever result in the prestigious South of Thames Cross-country championship the previous Saturday.
The team placings have only just been published and with Lucy Rogers, Lydia Growns and Lois Dooley completing the six woman team took second place behind Tonbridge to match the Brighton & Hove’s second team spot in the mens event.