Southsea parkrun: James Baker races to another victory

The Chichester Runners & AC member this time won the Southsea parkrun, having triumphed in the Havant parkrun seven days previously.

Baker made it nine Southsea successes out of nine over a period of more than nine years with a very decent time of 16 minutes and 35 seconds for the 5k seafront course.

Junior runner Oscar Tipping was the runner-up in 17:49 and Matthew Russell, of Denmead Striders, completed the top three in 18:17.

Natasha Perry was the first woman in 20:59, with Emma Moreton (Shepperton Running Group) second in 22:16 and Sheelagh Jones a further eight seconds back in third.

There were 250 finishers in total on a wet April Fools’ Day morning.

Meanwhile, the Havant parkrun was won by Thomas Brock in 19:54.

Neil Piper crossed the line second in 20:51 and Gareth Charles (Stubbington Green Runners) was a further 14 seconds adrift in third.

The first two women, Jane Harrop and Joanne Stanford (Victory AC), came home in an identical time of 22:07. Victory AC’s Zoe Gill was third in 25:01.

The race produced 126 finishers.

Peter Newman was victorious in the Portsmouth Lakeside parkrun, finishing 24 seconds clear of the field in a time of 18:32.

Victory AC’s Thomas Hoskinson came second, while Jhon Cosgrove (Vegan Runners) was third in 19:04.

Alex Coomber (City of Portsmouth AC) took the women’s honours in 21:09, finishing 37 seconds ahead of Nicola Thomas (Denmead Striders). Denmead Striders’ Rachel Eliizabeth Muckelt was third in 23:33.

There were 217 finishers in all.