Record number of runners for Claygate 5

The rain held off for this year’s Claygate 5 Country Run on Sunday, 12th July. A record 470 runners registered for the event which for the seventh year running was sponsored by local independent estate agents, Gascoigne Billinghurst.

Runners from youngsters to pensioners battled it out together with more serious runners from local running clubs, with trophies being awarded to various categories, including fastest Elmbridge resident and fastest mother/son, father daughter etc.

For the first year, the runners were fitted with micro chips which, attached to their shoes, gave their placings as soon as they crossed the finish line. Simon Dunand, Managing partner of Gascoigne Billinghurst, commented “With the numbers of runners competing, which seems to increase every year, the organisers decided that it was time to get a specialist company in to sort out the placings for the various categories, this had been a manual task in the past. We’re proud to be part of the event and look forward to sponsoring the run in 2010”.

The overall winner was Xavier Garro, seen crossing the finish line and collecting his trophy from Simon Dunand.

Xavier finished in the very good time of 28.25 minutes beating Gavin Harkus into second place and the winner in many recent years, Tim Grose into third overall.  Tim took the cup for he first Veteran Man.    The male SuperVet (age 55 and over) winner was Hugh Saxby who finished in the new record time of 30.09.

The first female home for the second successive year was Molly Renfer, who runs as a Junior (under 16), again putting Nikki Nicholson into second place.  Maggie Stacy  was the winner of the Veteran Ladies competition and the phenomenal Jane Davies won the Ladies SuperVet section.  This is the 18th successive year that Jane has been the winner in her age group  and had her name engraved on the appropriate cup.

The under 16 Conor Kissane-Wood won the Junior Boys class and Rebecca Morris took the cup for the Junior Girls.

A feature of the Claygate run is the Family Section for the best combined placings of father/son, mother/daughter etc.  This has come to be dominated by a few families and three of the winners this year were the same as for 2008 -  the Bearmans, the Budderys and the Renfers.  New as winners were Helen la Frenais and Tom, in the mother/son section.  

There is also a separate competition for members of the Claygate Royals Football Club and here the veteran Martin Cloherty  was the winner.

Prize winners and full results are available on this website, and the results are also available on the website of the operational mangers, Sport Systems Ltd.