7500 runners gathered in Sheffield for the BUPA Great Yorkshire Run, from some of the UK’s elite runners to thousands of runners out to raise money for their favourite charities. Now in its fifth year, the race is proving as popular as ever with runners from near and far.
The weather, whilst warmer than previous days, still had runners facing a stiff breeze on the more open parts of the route on the return from Hillsborough.
Top of the start list and pre race favourite was Kenya’s Micah Kogo, a former world record holder over the distance, joined by the Brits Chris Thompson, Andrew Lemoncello. In the Ladies race, Jo Pavey was the pre-race favourite; Gemma Steel would also be a name to watch.
As the race got under way, it was Abdulaziz Abdulrahman who set the early pace, but as the lead group reached the 1KM mark (2:50) he had slipped to the back of the leading group of 10, leaving Kogo to set the pace. Pavey, with Steel following close behind, had already started to pull clear of their rivals led by Lauren Jeska (better know for fell running exploits) by this stage.
It wasn’t long before Kogo and Thompson had pulled clear of the field, with Kogo proving the strongest over the closing kilometres to win in 28 mins 45 secs. Thompson (29:03) finished a comfortable second, always having the leader in sight on the final climbs during the last kilometre. Lemoncello out sprinted Stuart Stokes for third on the line, the pair having run shoulder to shoulder in the closing stages.
Gemma Steel ran out he Ladies winner in 32 mins 52 secs, with Pavey who looked to suffer more on the final climb second in 33:12. Maria McCambridge came though for third.
Best placed locals on the day were Hallamshire Harrier’s duo Dave Archer and Nicola Squires.
Mens Results
1 M Kogo KEN 28:45
2 C Thompson GBR 29:03
3 A Lemoncello GBR 29:57
4 S Stokes GBR 29:57
5 S Connolly IRE 30:15
6 M Ionescu ROM 30:21
7 R McLeod GBR 30:39
8 I Hudspith GBR 30:55
9 T Cornthwaite GBR 31:09
10 S Naylor GBR 32:06
Womens Results
1 G Steel GBR 32:52
2 J Pavey GBR 33:12
3 M McCambridge IRE 34:39
4 R Robinson GBR 35:08
5 L Jeska GBR 35:33
6 S Gaunt GBR 36:37
7 F Milton GBR 37:08
8 N Squires GBR 37:12
9 H Howard GBR 38:14