Baker breaks Portsmouth Lakeside parkrun course record

James Baker beat his own course record on Saturday with a time of 15min 56sec at Portsmouth Lakeside parkrun.

The Chichester athlete has been returning to his best after some recent injury problems.

He previously clocked a time of 16.14 in May.

Julian Manning finished second in 16.51 with Adam Barlow third and Gary Armstrong fourth.

Liz Steward finished first lady with a time of 20.40 and Fiona Ordway was second in 20.44.

Ainsley Rood smashed his personal best at Lakeside with a time of 19.44 to finish 11th.

Jonny Langley and Simon Langley both ran strongly.

Jonny recorded a time of 21.14 and Simon ran 21.54, smashing his previous best of 22.47.

Lee Weeks, of Denmead Striders, set a new mark for him at Lakeside with 19.34 and Rob Wilson also ran an excellent PB of 18.39 to finish seventh.

Havant-based club Victory had a good turnout of runners.

Lesley Allen, Shelly Butler, Sharon Wheeler and Beth Pirie all got personal bests.

Keith Denham, of Portsmouth Joggers, also had a pre-Christmas personal best to celebrate with a time of 26.22.

And Liss runner John Collis beat his Lakeside PB with a time of 20.39.

Gemma Boyle, who has completed two runs at Portsmouth Lakeside this year, did the Christmas double at Netley Abbey parkrun.

She finished in 33.43 on Christmas Eve and 30.29 on Christmas Day.

Boyle has also been to the Lee-on-the-Solent parkrun this year where she set a time of 25.39.

Her fastest time is 24.51 at the Portsmouth Lakeside event on August 13.

A total of 172 runners completed the event at Lakeside North Harbour, Western Road on Saturday.

It was a Christmas spectacular at Fareham parkrun with two of the fastest times seen on the course recorded.

City of Portsmouth athlete Lachlan Wellington broke the course record on Christmas Eve with a time of 16.16.

On Christmas Day it was Kent’s Ben Harding who finished first in 16.48, making him the fourth fastest so far at Cams Hall Estate, Cams Hill.

Sian Heslop became the second quickest lady to run the Fareham event with her time of 19.15 on Christmas Eve.

Susie MacGregor finished first lady in the Christmas Day event with her time of 19.43.

On Christmas Eve Fareham parkrun had 188 runners.

And for the special Christmas Day event they welcomed 130 runners.