
Steve Partington continued his fine early season
form winning the Manx 10km walking championships
on Sunday morning (Picture by Paul Jackson)

Brian Goldsmith, Jan Hodgson and Emma Latham,
in her 10km debut (PJ).
Report and full pictures tonight.
Full results (thanks to Bridget Kaneen)
10 kilometres
Pos.
Number Name
Time
1st
62 Steve Partington
44.07 Manx Harriers
2nd 61
Dave
Turner 53.26
Yorkshire Walking Club
3rd
66 Marie Latham
55.06 MH 1st Lady
4th
48 Simon Cox
57.41 IOMVAC
5th
59 Ian
Callister 57.45
MH
6th
47 Andy Gosnell
59.52 IOMVAC
7th
58 Ray
Pitts 60.58
IOMVAC
8th
65 Emma
Latham 62.25
MH 2nd Lady (u17)
9th
49 Brian Goldsmith
63.23 MH
10th 63
Jan Hodgson
64.30 IOMVAC 3rd Lady
11th 46
Mick Holgate
64.33 MH
12th 64
Adrian Cowin
66.07 IOMVAC
13th 51
Mark Pitts
66.32 Unattached
14th 50
Brian Brough
73.35 MH
DNF
60 Neil Bates
5 Kilometres
1st
77 Callum Taylor
28.29 MH U15B
2nd 53
Enid Watson 32.11
IOMVAC
3rd
76 Jane
Leece 32.53
Unattached
2 Kilometres
1st
84 Lauren Whelan 11.13
MH U13G
2nd 82
Bronwen Kaneen 12.51 MH U13G
3rd
80 Kirsty Taylor
14.19 MH U13G
1 Kilometre
1st
57 Sinead Kaneen 6.13
MH U9G
2nd 56
Abbie Moore 6.35
MH U11G
DNF
81 Adam Cowin

Jane
Leece and Mick Holgate in action on
Sunday morning (picture by Paul Jackson;
edited by Bridget Kaneen)
STEVE
TAYLOR REPORTS
The 2004 Isle of Man 10k
m Race Walking Championships
incorporating theyounger age group championships were held in dry but
windy conditions on the NSC roadway on Sunday morning. There number of entries
was small but the enthusiasm of all the competitors made up for this and a
number of walkers were rewarded with personal best times despite the
conditions.
All the races started together allowing the younger
athletes to mix it with the seniors for a short while. In the 1km race Abbi Moore
walked her time ever but it wasn't enough to prevent Sinead Kaneen taking
the title who walked her fastest time for a year. The 2km event was won
as predicted by RWA champion Lauren Whelan, she was untroubled in her
victory with the minor medals going to Bronwen Kaneen and Kirsty Taylor. Another
RWA champion Callum Taylor won as predicted but he opted out of the
under 15 distance and instead chose to race over the longer distance of 5km. He
walked a solo race finishing well clear of Enid Watson and Jane Leece.
The main events also went as predicted with what turned
out to be easy victories for Steve Partington in the D.F. Cannell
Memorial Shield and Marie Latham in the Martin Trophy. Partington was joined
initially by GB junior international Neil Bates but his challenge faded quickly
and a recurrence of an ankle injury put paid to his race after only 2km. This
left Partington in a familiar position, well clear of a field in which he
lapped his nearest competitor twice to record the fastest time by a local
athlete for over two years. Steve has been in heavy training throughout the
winter as he prepares to tackle 50km later this year, but a number of illnesses and injuries have
prevented him from really getting into his stride but he
will more than happy after this performance which shows he his getting
close to his best form.
The way walkers beat the weather finishing before the
heavy rain began there was no beating a resurgent Steve Partington who retained
the , winning by a clear margin after the early challenge from ended after
only 2km. Partington has struggled with various injuries through
the winter having upped his training aiming at 50km this year but there was
no stopping him as he sped round to the fastest 10km by a local athlete for
over two years. He had the company of Bates for the first two laps but he
pulled up with a recurrence of an ankle injury although he was unable to
live with the pace of Partington.
Second place went to a regular visitor to the Island,
Dave Turner of Yorkshire Race Walking Club. Turner started slowly but
after two laps with no apparent challenge he upped his pace and proceeded to
lap the majority of the field behind him. Third place however was undecided
until the last 100m.
Ian Callister, Simon Cox and Andy Gosnell walked together
for the first half of the race but Gosnell soon found the pace too much and
started to fall of the back. Callister and Cox continued to match each other
stride for stride with Simon doing most of the work up front with Ian
content to sit in behind. As they entered the home straight Ian surged past
Simon and looked set to take the bronze medal but the devastating finish
that he used to good effect during the winter was missing and this allowed
Simon to retake the lead with less than 100m to go. Callister could not
respond and the podium finish went to Cox by four seconds. Gosnell continued to
work away and was rewarded with a pb in breaking the hour for the first
time. Further behind there were pbs for Ray Pitts and Adrian Cowin who has
improved by a huge margin since his walking debut only six months ago.
Marie Latham walked on her own throughout but split the
men's medallists with an excellent 55.06 which is just outside her best
ever. Marie has walked consistently well for the last 12 months and a
huge improvement is surely due if she gets the competition and conditions are
favourable for once. Second place in the senior event went to 14 year
old Emma Latham competing over 10km for the first time ever. Emma has
been plagued with shin splints this winter but seemed comfortable and effortless
in taking silver behind her mum. Bronze went to Jan Hodgson in a personal
best time, showing the benefits of training alongside the juniors under the
guidance of Liz Corran.
Thank you to all the officials on the day and to Island
Games Athletics Team Manager Di Shimmell for presenting the prizes.

Marie
Latham, winner of the Martin Trophy,
leads national champion Callum Taylor.
Top class race walking in the Manx 10km
championships at the NSC on Sunday.
Picture by Paul Jackson on the Kaneen
digital.
|
|