RACE 3: PHOENIX 10k

McNally and Tobin take top honours

Conditions were near-ideal for the capacity field that assembled on Hove Seafront for race three of the 2015 Sussex Road Race Challenge (SRRC), the Brighton Phoenix 10k on Wednesday evening (15th July): light winds and warm but not too hot. Despite the clement weather, PBs were in short supply and several leading SRRC contenders were absent.

The men’s race was a two-man battle between Finn McNally (Phoenix AC) and reigning SRRC champion Kevin Rojas (Brighton & Hove City AC). Having duked it out for 8km, 23-year-old McNally deployed a youthful turn of speed, surged clear and ultimately pulled out a 32-second advantage over Rojas, breaking the tape in 31:01, just 12 seconds outside his PB. Third Sussex man was the flying 47-year-old Graham Godden (Brighton & Hove City AC), in 33:37.

In the women’s contest, Helena Tobin (Brighton & Hove City AC) was unchallenged among SRRC athletes, running a relatively lonely race to clock 36:18. Having recorded a 34:29 PB in March, Tobin on top form would have hoped to challenge race winner Amy Clements (Kent AC) whose winning time was 34:56. Nonetheless, the Brighton & Hove athlete was comfortably clear of second Sussex woman Sue Fry (Hailsham Harriers), who clocked 38:56. Third SRRC-qualifying woman was Kim Lo (Haywards Heath Harriers), in 39:51.

Race four of the series, the Bexhill 5k, takes place on Wednesday 29th July.