O'Hara enjoys Chichester parkrun course

JACOB O'HARA recorded a new personal best as he gave the thumbs up to the course at Chichester parkrun on Saturday.
Jacob O'Hara, right, in Lakeside 5k action recently. Picture: David BrawnJacob O'Hara, right, in Lakeside 5k action recently. Picture: David Brawn
Jacob O'Hara, right, in Lakeside 5k action recently. Picture: David Brawn

The City of Portsmouth athlete beat his previous personal best for the 5k event at Oaklands Park.

It is seven months since O’Hara last visited the Chichester event and the course has been adapted with some small climbs to negotiate over three laps.

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But the 15-year-old who is very strong over the 5k distance is running well.

He recently clocked a good time of 16min 56sec for the final race in the City of Portsmouth Lakeside 5k Series on Wednesday, August 24.

And on Saturday at Chichester he finished with a time of 17.22.

His dad, Adam, finished second as he also set a new personal best with his 18.57 time.

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With cross-country season fast approaching it was good to get a good 5k in on the grass.

Jacob said: ‘The new course is undulating and harder than the older one. It’s nice and grassy still, though.

It was the 109th Chichester parkrun and 172 runners finished, including Jack Stallard who finished his 50th parkrun.

Sarah Loy finished first lady with a time of 20.39 and was in 12th position overall.

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The volunteers who made the event happen were Charlotte Boxall, Martine Breuer, Heather Campbell, Sarah Gibbons, Lucy Houston, Samantha Houston, Kirstie May, Clare Mead, David Pike, Tracy Skinner, Liz Stanleigh-Turner, Geoff Sumner, Stephen Tee, Kevin Williams and Graham Woodward.

Meanwhile at Havant parkrun there were 251 runners, of whom 23 were first timers and 38 recorded new personal bests.

Pete Turrell finished first at Queen Elizabeth parkrun with a time of 19.19 on Saturday – just four seconds short of his personal best.

Winchester & District club runner Franklyn Young was second in 20.17.

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It was the 175th Queen Elizabeth parkrun and 83 runners took part along with the volunteers who made the event happen – Marie Appleton, Josh Becvar, Ella Collis, John Collis, Kiernan Easton, James Leighton, Amelie Lewis, Dawn Renton, Sara Rhimes, Godfrey Rhimes, Dean Spicer, and Nikki Yeo.

Kimberley McIndoe finished first lady, with junior runner Freya Hampshire second.

Five runners recorded new personal bests – Oliver De Trafford, Lesley Jean Wilman, Andrea Budden, Paul Moon and Terry Cassidy.

Representatives of 12 different athletics clubs took part.

The event is run in Queen Elizabeth Country Park, Gravel Hill, Horndean.

For more information about volunteering or running the 5k see parkrun.org.uk/queenelizabeth/