THE NICK & NATS CROXBY ROAD SHOW

In the final Croxby of the season and the 99th race on the circuit, Nick Marsh and Natalie Farrow ran out worthy winners, both being previous victors reports Colin Wright

Natalie Farrow from the host club, Cleethorpes AC, purple patch continues with her second one-lap win of the year. Natalie also recorded a Personal best for the distance of 27.21 moving from ninth to six on the All-Time list. Natalie ran the 3,000 on Monday in the open track and field at Scunthorpe recording a fast 10.30 for the distance.

Louth AC’s Nick Marsh recorded his fifth one-lap win pulling away from pre-race favourite, Martin Formstone, just before the two mile mark on the notorious Farm House Drag. Nick ran his fastest time in ten years (24.56) and amazingly was only 13 seconds shy of his 1998 personal best. Nick’s previous wins were in 1997 (twice) and 2006 (twice). Nick was runner-up in last months Heckington 10 mile recording 58.11 in the usual oppressive heat of the Heckington Show 10, leading home Louth AC to first team prize.

Host club, Martin Formstone, was in the runner-up position recording 25.18 for the distance, though shy of his personal best recorded on the 6th of this month it was still an impressive run.

Stuart Cragg recorded a PB in third spot (25.58) and along with Malcolm Packer (First M45) Louth AC had three runners in the first five

Paul Freeman was first home for the Wold Veterans demonstrating an impressive sprint up Heartbreak Hill to stop the watch in 28.03.

Race walker, seventeen year old Matthew Duncan of the host club Cleethorpes AC set new figures for this discipline on the Croxby circuit recording 44.22 for the gruelling 4.44 mile circuit. Matthew encouraged by his mentor, Hull’s Mike Nicholson, will be taking part in the Multi Events later in the year at the English Schools.

Cleethorpes AC’s Paul Hallam was first M40 and tantalizingly equalized his PB of 28.15. Wold Veteran, Peter Hutchinson was first M50 and the vets new signing, Chris Bromfield was first M55 in 28.45. Dennis Brown was first M60 in 30.23 which is probably the fastest M60 time since Ivan Croft set the current record (30.01) in 2001. Cleethorpes AC’s Malcolm Simons in his one-lap debut was first M65 in 36.10 with 77 year old, Eric North first M75 ( 48.43 ) Cleethorpes AC ‘s Club President, Dennis Holt ( 81 ) was first M80 in 57.57.

Beverley Wilson, showing amazing powers of getting herself fit, after her seven month lay off, through injury, was in the runner-up position (31.02) and fellow Clee AC runner, Jane White was an agonising one second off her personal best. Wold Veteran, Cheryl Baker, amazingly made Heartbreak Hill look easy and was first F35 in 32.40. Fellow vet, Barbara Brown, former winner of the Humber Marathon, was first F55 in 33.07 with Carol Bromfield running a PB of 40.08 for first F50.

In ideal conditions 21 runners recorded Personal Best’s including Cleethorpes AC’s David Parker, who finished in fourth place. Non club runner, 22 year old Paul Brown caught the eye with his sixth place finish and fellow non club runner, Martin Robinson in 11th recorded 28.15. Louth’s, Steve Thomas and Cleethorpes AC’s Trevor Green also recorded PB’s with 29.13 and 29.15 respectively.

Next years race format has now been decided with the return, after a three year gap, of the second two lapper after the increased in numbers of runners completing the two lap race, which after all is the original Croxby Crawl. An innovation next year, in the race series, will be the Croxby Half-Marathon taking in nearly three laps of the circuit but finishing at the bottom of Heartbreak Hill, though anyone wishing to continue up the hill to record three laps is quite welcome to do so. There will also be two one-laps to make up the five race series.