FEBRUARY’S Minehead seafront races were the last but one in the six-race series and produced some exciting finishes.

A calm evening brought a good turnout and in the Under 10s race, the consistent Joseph Wright from Minehead Middle School again led the boys home.

With only a two-second difference in all of his season’s finishing times, he runs like a clock, and in terms of pace over the distance, only six of the adults ever run faster than he does. He is a guaranteed series winner.

Danesfield Middle School’s Eleanor Pring will join Joseph after an equally convincing win in the girls’ race.

Some controversy over a tight finish in the Under 12 girls’ race resulted in an unusual race marshal’s intervention, with Danesfield’s Libern Nunn judged to0 have pipped Minehead’s Tabitha Pye in their fight for the line.

A close eye will be kept on proceedings next month as the title still hasn’t been resolved.

In the Under 14s there is less rivalry, with Tiverton’s Lee Dart and Minehead Middle’s Lucy Crossman clear leaders in their sections. Both produced excellent times this month.

With Oliver Berry, favourite for the senior men’s title, not running, there was a free for all at the front over the first half mile, but a two-man race soon developed.

Both youngster Ben Tull and Christian Hewitt ran a fast first mile neck and neck, and the next mile was cat and mouse as they surged away from the rest of field.

The 16-year-old Tull then turned on the pressure and put what should have been an unclosable gap between the two of them.

But in the final 100 metres Hewitt had a last dig and the gap was only one second at the tape as he forced a season’s best out of Tull.

Veteran Keith Paul also had a season’s best, running close to 17 minutes.

Laura Parker led the ladies home with Minehead’s Jo Taphouse confirming at least second place for the season.

Clubmate Polly Johnson made it four wins out of four in the ladies over 35 category and, returning to running this winter after a long break, Mary Butcher looks poised to pick up the ladies 55 and over prize after her fifth win in a row.

The final races in March will be followed by the prize presentations and food at Minehead Barbarians Rugby Club which all competitors are welcome to attend.

RESULTS

Men: Seniors, 1 Christian Hewitt 16.20, 2 Tom Rivett 17.42, 3 Matthew Bowden 17.47; male over 40, 1 Nigel Morgan 18.45, 2 Andrew Grainger 20.22, 3 Ian Hutchings 20.54; male over 50, 1 Keith Paul 17.05, 2 Peter Rigler 18.44, 3 Adrian Virgin 19.40; male over 60, 1 Nicolas Pettit 20.47, 2 Clive Goulty 21.26, 3 Charlie Pascall 22.32.

Ladies: Seniors, 1 Laura Parker 18.52, 2 Jo Taphouse 20.23, 3 Lydia Rosling 20.40; female over 35,1 Polly Johnson 23.49; female over 45, 1 Caroline Hewitt 21.08, 2 Janet Hewlett 21.28, 3 Janet Ridler 21.57; female over 55, 1 Mary Butcher 23.35, 2 Louise Crossman 25.42.

Under 10s: Girls, 1 Eleanor Pring (Danesfield) 5.47, 2 Orlana Sinclair-Short (Danesfield) 6.05, 3 Grace Pring (Old Cleeve) 6.20; boys, 1 Joseph Wright (Minehead Middle) 5.05, 2 Jake Thomas (Minehead Middle) 5.11, 3 Finley Priddle (Minehead Middle) 5.19.

Under 12s: Girls, 1 Libern Nunn (Danesfield) 12.33, 2 Tabitha Pye (Minehead Middle) 12.34, 3 Isabella Hole (Dunster) 14.35; boys, 1 Louie Liddle (Brymore) 11.08, 2 Charlie Liddle (Danesfield) 11.45, 3 Charlie White (Tiverton High School) 14.34.

Under 14s: Girls, 1 Lucy Crossman (Minehead Middle) 10.28, 2 Sinead Wright (Danesfield) 11.22; boys, 1 Lee Dart (Tiverton High School) 9.00.

Under 17s: 1 Ben Tull 16.19, 2 Tom Davies 20.00.