Mablethorpe Running Club: Archie and Ellie take their bow at national champs

Typical cross country conditions of rain, wind and mud did little to deter the 8,116 athletes from across all age groups who descended upon Wollaton Park, in Nottingham, from running clubs all over the UK.

Archie ran 4.5km in the under 15s boys’ race and produced a great effort to finish in a time of 16min 47secs for 157th out of a field of 379.

Ellie produced a determined performance over 3km in the under 13s girls’ category and posted a finish time of 17min 11secs for 387th of 467.

Sadly, it was Archie and Ellie’s last run in a Mablethorpe vest as they move clubs to train and represent Nene Valley Harriers.

A club spokesman said: “We are very proud of their achievements over the years and wish them every success for the future.”

* A trio of Mablethorpe RC runners headed south to Grantham for the 12th Newton’s Fraction Half-Marathon.

The sell-out race has a fantastic start/finish with a lap of the South Kesteven sports stadium, and features two challenging hills before a particularly testing one at mile 11, pushing runners to their limits before returning back to the stadium for a ‘grandstand’ finish.

The rain came on and off for the duration of the event, but the runners were not put off by it.

Of the 406 finishers Paula Downing made her debut at the event alongside Debbie Jinks and Andrea Mettam who returned having ran it for the first time in 2016.

Paula ran a half-marathon personal best over the gruelling course to finish second female, and 54th overall, in a fantastic time of 1hr 32min 48secs.

Debbie and Andrea ran the course together and were 341st and 342nd in 2hr 11min 54secs.

The race was, as last year, won by Adam Holland (Notfast RC) in a remarkable time of 1.12.27, and first female runner back was Natalie Teece (Stilton Striders) in 1.29.27 (38th overall).