Double celebration for Purbrook Ladies 5 race winner

AN IMPRESSIVE race from Sarah Kingston saw her celebrate Purbrook Ladies 5 glory on Sunday.
Sarah Kingston sets a fast pace early in the race. Picture: David BrawnSarah Kingston sets a fast pace early in the race. Picture: David Brawn
Sarah Kingston sets a fast pace early in the race. Picture: David Brawn

The Southampton athlete managed to hold off the challenge from City of Portsmouth rivals as she took the win with a good time of 30min 12sec.

She was very pleased to take the victory on her Purbrook Ladies 5 debut and it was a good run out of the Eastleigh 10k in the Hampshire Road Race League next.

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The win made for a great double celebration as it was her mum’s birthday and she was then off to watch the French Open tennis final with her.

She said: ‘It was the first time I have done the Purbrook Ladies 5 and it was just a really nice run, actually.

‘I only heard about it because I wanted to get a race in before the Eastleigh 10k on Sunday.

‘It’s about the first race I have ever had the lead in and I just had to follow the lead bike.

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‘I really enjoyed, it’s lovely countryside around the course.

‘It was actually my mum’s birthday as well so she let me do this first and then go to watch the French Open tennis with her.

‘I got a free ticket to go the race and then join her later on.

‘I’m really pleased to win, it’s nice. You just come down here for a nice run and you end up finishing first so it’s lovely.

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City of Portsmouth’s Emma Jolley finished in second place (30.13) and Emma Montiel was third (31.24).

They both finished very strongly and Kingston knew that when she was out in front they would be chasing hard.

She added: ‘I probably started a little bit too quick because it was a bit of a practice for Eastleigh 10k.

‘But then I just about managed to hang on, around four miles it always gets a bit tougher.

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‘There was a bit of a hill after that and in my warm up I had a look at the end of the race anyway, so I knew just about when the field was coming to where we finish.

‘I knew there was a lovely downhill on the way to the finish so put a little bit of a burst in by the time it got to finish, so just managed to hang on.

‘It was close with Emma Jolley. I heard the photographer’s click went quite soon after the one that he had taken of me, so I knew I had to keep going faster if I could.

‘We have raced a lot in the Hampshire Road Race League and also the Lakeside 5k Series in Portsmouth.

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‘I think I have about 10 seconds on Emma over 5k. She is really good on the longer distance and I just about get her on the short.

‘She is creeping closer on the short stuff now so it’s hard work.’

City of Portsmouth won the team prize with Jolley and Montiel joined by Sian Hawkes who finished in fifth position (34.56).

Stubbington Green’s Nikki Roebuck was in fourth place (33.45).