Brooks Alsager 5

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Race Report - Sunday 1 February 2015

Mark Buckingham headed south on February 1^st to take his place on the start line at the Alsager 5, the UK’s biggest 5 mile road race, which he had never contested previously. The weather was fine, but extremely cold with a biting wind. Buckingham and three other athletes quickly moved ahead of the field and a gap of over 20 seconds was maintained after the first three miles. As the athletes rounded the final loop to the finish at Alsager Sport Centre, Ieuan Thomas of Cardiff AC emerged as the leader, winning in 24.03, just six seconds ahead of Mark Draper, 24.09 (Bedford & County AC) and third placed John Beattie of Newham & Essex Beagles AC (24.12). Buckingham proved his training is going well with 4^th place in 24.18, a week after a good run at the Northern Cross Country Championships where he finished 9^th. Nine hundred competitors completed the course and the first lady was forty-one year old, Helen Clitheroe of Preston Harriers, who showed she still has good basic speed with a winning time of 27.14.

Mark solid in fourth