Newark Half-marathon : Olympian steps out to lift title

Irish runner Kevin Seaward shaved almost six minutes off the course record to win the Newark Half-marathon in hot weather on Sunday.

Seaward, of Cardiff Athletic Club, completed the 13.1-mile race in 1hr 4mins 52secs.

The 32-year-old, who is based in Loughborough but is originally from Belfast, ran the Rio 2016 Olympic marathon for Ireland and was using the Newark event as a warm-up for next month’s Berlin Marathon.

He said: “I found it a little hilly over the first half, but in general it was a good course.

“I will come back next year because it is Commonwealth Games year and the European Championships.

“I’m hoping to run around a 2-13 or 2-14 in Berlin, which would hopefully qualify me for the Commonwealth Games in April and the European Championships in August next year.”

Seaward thought next year there would be more elite athletes taking part in the half-marathon because it would be a well-timed preparation for the autumn marathons.

Second was Steven Bayton, 26, of Hallamshire Harriers, in 1-07-52, who ran the event for the first time and was also using it as training for the forthcoming Berlin event.

He said it was a good course and the heat was not been a problem for him.

“The winner (Kevin Seaward) set off like a train,” he said.

Third was 26-year-old Mike Kallenberg in 1-08-14.

The Cardiff AC runner, who said he had lost count of the number of half-marathons he had completed, described the Newark course as tough.

“It was not helped by the wind,” he said.

'I found it tough'

The first female runner over the finish line was Julie Briscoe, 41, of Wakefield AC, who was tackling the Newark Half-marathon for the first time. She finished in 1-21-38.

Briscoe, another runner preparing for the Berlin Marathon, said: “I struggled as I have just returned from a holiday in Austria.

“It is always good to win, but I always want to go faster.

“I am normally okay in the heat, but I found it tough.”

The second female runner, Gemma Hockett, 32, of Essex, who completed the course in 1-28-54, usually runs marathons.

She said a hill at three miles had come as a surprise, but it was a good course and she would take part again.

The first local club member home was Newark Strider Tom Marshall, 31, who said the last section of the course had been tough.

Finishing in 1-22-15, he was placed 26th.

Marshall, usually a triathlon competitor, said he last ran the Newark event almost ten years ago.

“I wanted to take part today because it is a local event,” he said. “It is a really well organised half-marathon.”

'Lots of support from people along the way'

The first Newark Athletic Club member to cross the line was Thomas Hubbard, 19, in 1-22-51. He also took part last year.

“It wasn’t too bad apart from being quite warm,” he said. “There was lots of support from people along the way, which helped.”

First runner home for Notfast was Damian Davies, 47, of Fernwood, in 1-27-52.

“It was tougher than last year but I was fitter last year,” he said.

Davies recovered from an Achilles injury to take part.

The first local woman was Daisy Baugh, from Eden Hall Spa, in 1-40-16 with Danielle Forsey, of Newark Striders, the first local club female member in 1-41-41.