NUMBERS were up for the second of Minehead Running Club’s series of winter seafront races last Wednesday, with running conditions perfect.

The juniors were first to line up, and with Minehead Middle School well represented, Joseph Wright outsprinted last month’s winner Jake Thomas to take the tape in a time of 5 minutes 7 seconds in the under 10s race.

The girls’ race was one-two for Danesfield with Eleanor Pring, second last month, coming home 40 metres in front of Orlana Sinclair-Short.

Leapfrogging most of field which beat her last month, Orlana was one of only a few runners to beat their October time.

Louie and Charlie Liddle finished first and second again in the under 12s race, while Tabitha Pye rose from second to first place in the girls’ race.

Tiverton’s Lee Dart sailed home in the under 14 boys’ race, as did Lucy Crossman in the girls. She was another to improve on last month’s time and is now well clear of any opposition in her section.

As the seniors lined up for the main race of the evening over three miles, onlookers were expecting another one-man show from Oliver Berry, winner by some distance last month.

For the first mile this month there were three other runners breathing down his neck, but as usual he increased the pace towards the half-way mark and another emphatic win seemed on the cards.

However, up and coming Ben Tull, the under 17s star who has shone in the younger classes in former years, injected some pace himself, and although Berry had lengthened the lead into the last mile, at the end of the race Tull had halved the distance between himself and the winner.

Berry’s time was slower and Tull’s much quicker than in October, and the nine second gap is not impossible to bridge.

Russell Cowling was a more convincing winner in the over 40s veterans section but was severely pushed to the line by the first man in the over 50s group, newcomer Keith Paul.

In the ladies’ race times were slower, and Minehead’s Jo Taphouse, although the winner, seemed disappointed with her 24-second drop in form.

Similarly Lydia Rosling, who followed Jo in last month, was as equally subdued as their differential remained the same.

Polly Johnson, was just one second slower than when she won the ladies over 35 class last month, but fellow club runner Hazel Hole was not so happy in the next age group up, a niggling injury proving her undoing although her gutsy resolve saw her finish second.

One of the runs of the night came from Mary Butcher, who also defied the subdued times of many runners by knocking more than 20 seconds off October time as she won the over 55s section.

The next races are on December 1 - details on the Minehead Running Club website.

RESULTS

Senior Men: 1 Oliver Berry 16.10, 2 Christian Hewitt 16.38, 3 Tom Rivett 17.42.

Male over 40, 1 Russell Cowling 17.39, 2 Nigel Morgan 18.37, 3 Ian Hutchings 21.11; over 5, 1 Keith Paul 17.40, 2 Peter Rigler 19.11, 3 Nigel Ridler 21.49; over 60, 1 Nic Pettit 20.57, 2 Clive Goulty 22.06, 3 Charlie Pascall 22.50.

Senior Ladies: 1 Jo Taphouse 20.02, 2 Lydia Rosling 21.09, 3 Hannah Bryant 22.44.

Female over 35, 1 Polly Johnson 23.52, 2 Helen Walter 25.55; over 45, 1 Caroline Hewitt 21.07, 2 Hazel Hole 21.21, 3 Janet Hewlett 21.41; over 55, 1 Mary Butcher 23.01, 2 Louise Crossman 26.40.

Under 17s: 1 Ben Tull 16.19, 2 Tom Davies 22.23.

Under 14s: Girls, Lucy Crossman (Minehead Middle) 10.54, 2 Sinead Wright (Danesfield) 12.30, 3 Elizabeth Towells (Haygrove) 13.07; boys, 1 Lee Dart (Tiverton HS) 9.06.

Under 12s: Girls, 1 Tabitha Pye (Minehead Middle) 14.36, 2 Lola Waddams (Danesfield) 16.03, 3 Pink Richards (Minehead Middle) 16.20; boys, 1 Louie Liddle (Brymore) 11.15, 2 Charlie Liddle (Danesfield) 12.18, 3 Hugo Richards (Minehead Middle) 14.44.

Under 10s: Girls, 1 Eleanor Pring (Danesfield) 5.47, 2 Orlana Sinclair-Short (Danesfield) 5.57, 3 Grace Pring (Old Cleeve) 6.03; boys, 1 Joseph Wright (Minehead Middle) 5.07, 2 Jake Thomas (Minehead Middle) 5.18, 3 Dominic Copley (Bickleigh).