IT was DK’s turn to play host to the local clubs as the blue hoops invited athletes to join members of Dudley Kingswinford Running Club in their annual DK10k road race.

The Wednesday night event, sponsored by LCP, has always proved to be one of the most popular on the calendar and the opportunity to race over a testing tarmac course on closed roads always ensures that the race reaches capacity. It proved to be a successful night for athletes from Tipton Harriers with the green and white hoops filling the top five places in the men’s race and claiming four of the top five in the ladies competition.

Peter Brookes claimed victory coming home in a time of 31.56 from club mates Ian Williams in 33.14 and Stephen Corbishley in 33.51.

In the ladies race, Amie Williams ensured it was a Tipton Harriers double header bagging the win in 37.25 from Sally Ann Walker who was runner up in 39.02 and Elizabeth Watters, the only athlete capable of breaking Tipton’s dominance, placing 3rd in 39.45.

Stuart Perkins led the blue hoops home finishing in 11th place in 36.30, Freddie Woodward came home in 52nd in 40.16, Simon Blizzard was 72nd in 41.16 and Helen Tromans finished in 93rd to claim 1st female back for the club and 1st in her age group clocking a time of 42.47. Joe Taylor was 100th in 43.06, Darren Marklew was 102nd in 43.13, Steve Parr was 113th in 43.57, Bob Jones was 215th in 48.23, Time Rowe 219th in 48.25, John Andrews 266th in 50.11 and Dave Garbutt placed 315th in 51.37. Nick Ma finished in 51.59, Jane Campbell in 54.26, Susannah Brownhill in 56.16, Preston Grundy in 57.06, Aimee Pugh in 58.54, Clare Hancox in 1.01.40, Diane Jones in 1.05.51, Alison Thorneycroft in 1.06.26, Nicola Wilkinson in 1.08.09, Susan Hughes in 1.01.36, Faye Cartwright in 1.10.38, Rachel Smith in 1.11.42, Andrew Perkins in 1.11.47, Christine Robinson-Morris in 1.21.26.

A couple then followed up with another race over the same distance at the weekend taking part in the Great Birmingham 10k from the city centre televised live on Channel 5. Steve Parr was only marginally slower than his mid week efforts in blisteringly hot conditions coming home in 45.56 to take 389th place, Bob Jones also doubled up placing 1861st in 51.07. Don Taggart was 1898th in 1.08.27 and Amy Hadley-Garry was 2872nd in 1.39.01.