HALF-WAY through Minehead Running Club’s series of winter seafront races, patterns in results are beginning to show potential winners already.

In the Under 10s, Danesfield Middle School’s Eleanor Pring and Orlana Sinclair–Short again finished one and two in the girls’ race, whilst in the boys’ race, Minehead Middle School swept the board again with Joseph Wright and Jake Thomas fighting all the way to the line.

Back on form and again in contention, Finley Priddle completed the trio but was pushed to the line by a much-improved Reuben Walter.

In the Under 12s race,Libern Nunn was back tto retake prime position in the girls’ 1.6 mile race and Tiverton’s Charlie White was first for the boys.

Minehead Middle School’s Lucy Crossman, who mixes consistency with improvement, finished first for the third time this season in the under 14s race but wasn’t content with just winning.

A minute ahead of Danesfield’s Sinead Wright, she could have relaxed towards the line but instead she made a 20-second improvement on her November time, finishing in 10.33.

A mediocre run by the series’ fastest competitor still saw Oliver Berry break the tape first in the three-mile senior race, but in the final few metres Ben Tull gave him a scare.

The race unfolded as normal, with a bunch of six front runners passing the half mile mark with less than ten metres separating them, and after a mile there were still no gaps.

Then Berry gradually wound up the pace to lose all but Tull, and whether the front man took his foot off the pedal for some reason towards the end, an injection of speed from the young Tull turned the finish into an unexpected scramble to the line with just a second separating the two.

Another good run by supervet over 50 Keith Paul saw him finish third.

The ladies; race was safely won by Jo Taphouse, Polly Johnson again took the ladies’ over 35 title and Jackie Batten the over 45s’.

Well-improved times were recorded by Hannah Bryant 22.14, Sarah North 23.28 and Louise Crossman 25.59.

The next races are on January 6.

RESULTS (in 1, 2, 3 order):

Under 10s: Girls, Eleanor Pring (Danesfield) 5.49, Orlana Sinclair-Short (Danesfield) 5.53, Courtney Wright (Knight’s Templar) 5.57; boys, Joseph Wright (Minehead Middle) 5.07, Jake Thomas (Minehead Middle) 5.08, Finley Priddle (Minehead Middle) 5.10.

Under 12s: Girls, Libern Nunn (Danesfield) 13.50, Pink Richards (Minehead Middle) 18.05, Isabella Hole (Dunster) 20.06; boys, 1 Charlie White (Tiverton High School) 15.40, Hugo Richards (Minehead Middle) 18.04.

Under 14s: Girls, Lucy Crossman (Minehead Middle) 10.33, Sinead Wright (Danesfield) 11.47.

Senior Ladies: Jo Taphouse 20.09, Hannah Bryant 22.14, Sarah North 23.28.

Female Over 35: Polly Johnson 24.13; female over 45: Jackie Batten 22.08, Janet Hewlett 22.48, Janet Ridler 22.30; female over 55: Mary Butcher 23.34, Louise Crossman 25.59.

Under 17s: Boys, Ben Tull 16.42.

Senior Men: Oliver Berry 16.41, Tom Rivett 17.34, Danny Doyle 17.48.

Male over 40: Russell Cowling 18.07, Andrew Grainger 20.27, Ian Hutchings 21.03; male over 50: Keith Paul 17.27, Adrian Virgin 19.15, Nigel Ridler 21.26; male over 60 Clive Goulty 21.30, Nicolas Pettit 21.33, Charlie Pascall 22.41.