3rd June 2019
Adkins and Tunstall secure Mountain Running victories in Skiddaw
Jacob Adkin (coach: Robbie Simpson; club: Keswick) and Sarah Tunstall (Kendal) were the winners of the senior races at the second British Athletics Mountain Running Challenge of the season, taking place at Skiddaw, Keswick this weekend.
With the event also acting as the trials for the European (uphill) mountain running championships in July, Adkin booked his spot by replicating his victory on this course in 2018, beating Andrew Douglas (Sophie Dunnett; Inverclyde) in the process, the latter wining some notable races recently including the World Cup race in Annecy last week.
The senior course was shortened due to extremely wet and windy conditions on the summit, but Adkin managed to battle the conditions and win by over 25 seconds.
Third place went to Sebastian Batchelor (City of York) who is running for Great Britain & Northern Ireland at the IAU World Trail Champs in Portugal next weekend. Fourth went to Edinburgh University student and orienteer Alexander Chepelin.
Tunstall showed her class on the terrain, beating Hatti Archer (Bud Baldaro; Hallamshire) – who won the first British Athletics Mountain Running Challenge at the Inter Counties a fortnight ago – into second by 19 seconds in the senior women’s race.
Following was Sarah McCormack of Ireland in third while Emma Gould (William Laye; Mercia Fell) – last year’s European Bronze medallist – and Rebecca Hilland (Team Bath), who returned to form after over a year of injury problems, battled it out for fourth. Hilland just got the better of Gould in the contest, securing fourth by just seven seconds.
In the junior races, Matthew Mackay (Steve Duxbury; Rossendale) and Eve Pannone (Derek Hurton; Eden Runners) triumphed in the Lakes.
Mackay won a very close battle against Joe Dugdale (Copeland) who won silver at last year’s Europeans. Mackay, who won the International U18 Cup last year, continued his good form, winning by eight seconds in Keswick.
There was a close battle for third and fourth between Euan Brennan (Andrew Henderson; Ilkley) and Ben Bergstrand (Martin Peevor; Middlesbrough), with Brennan just holding on for the final podium spot.
Pannone who ran for England at last year’s International U18 Cup, won the junior women’s race in fine style.
Newcomer Florence Duff was second with Scotland’s Pippa Carcas (Edinburgh) in third.