Hayle Runners strike gold in Saltash heat at the Magnificent 7

Seven miles of Saltash hills is a tough enough ask. Put the July sun over the top of it and the Magnificent 7 becomes one of the meanest tests on the Cornwall Grand Prix calendar.

Hayle Runners sent 38 members to Saltash on Sunday, July 5th for the eighth race of the Cornwall Grand Prix, and came home with ladies’ team gold, men’s team silver and 12 age-category prizes. The seven-mile course took the Green Army through the rolling countryside around Saltash, with plenty of climbing to go alongside the views.

Ladies take gold, men miss out by two points

The Hayle ladies were dominant. All six scoring runners finished inside the top 20 women, enough to claim first place on the day. Head coach Melodie Manners led the team home, with Charlotte Bennett, Gail Aspden, Fiona O’Neill, Teigan Turner and Tamara Kearney making up the six.

The men’s race was tighter. Hayle finished second, two points behind Truro Running Club, after a contest that stayed close throughout. Daniel Millington, Peter Barnes, Neil Hayhurst, Steven Wherry, Samuel Little and Andrew James made up the scoring team.

📷Hayle Runners ladies team

Twelve age-category prizes

Hayle picked up 12 podium places across the age groups.

Ladies

Teigan Turner took second in the Under-35 category and Tamara Kearney took bronze. Melodie Manners won the 35-39 group. Charlotte Bennett topped the 50-54s and Gail Aspden won the 55-59 category.

Men

Peter Barnes finished third in the 40-44 category. Neil Hayhurst was second and Andrew James third in the 45-49s. Scott Abraham took bronze in the 50-54 group and Ian Curnow was third in the 55-59s. Steven Wherry won the 60-64 category, and Stewart Townend rounded things off with third place in the 80+ category.

📷Hayle Runners mens team

Course PBs in the heat

The temperatures did not stop the personal bests. Mark Squire knocked two minutes off his previous course best. Sam Kearney went four minutes quicker. And Andrew James produced the biggest jump of the day, a six-minute course personal best.

There was a first, too. Samuel Little earned a place in the Hayle men’s scoring team for the first time.

“Another brilliant day for the Green Army”

Chairman Richard Collett said: “Mag 7 has a well-earned reputation as a great hilly challenge, but those seven miles can feel a lot longer when the sun is beating down on you in the middle of the day.

“To win the ladies’ team competition with all six scorers finishing inside the top 20 was a fantastic achievement, and for the men to miss out on victory by just two points shows how competitive the racing was.

“I’m also delighted to see Samuel make the men’s team for the first time and to see so many members producing course PBs in conditions that were anything but ideal. It was another brilliant day for the Green Army.”

Hayle Runners thanked Tamar Trotters, the marshals, volunteers and supporters for putting on another edition of the Magnificent 7.

Hayle Runners results

• Scott Abraham – 0:54:25
• Gail Aspden – 0:55:21
• Peter Barnes – 0:44:28
• Charlotte Bennett – 0:55:05
• Emily Bennett – 1:03:54
• Hannah Bundy – 1:07:03
• Margaret Clark – 1:15:22
• Theresa Clark – 1:24:55
• Richard Collier – 1:08:04
• Ian Curnow – 0:52:56
• Donna Dark – 1:44:45
• David Guffick – 0:50:14
• Neil Hayhurst – 0:46:06
• Andrew Heather – 1:14:19
• Frazer Humbles – 0:54:53
• Andrew James – 0:49:00
• Tamara Kearney – 1:00:15
• Jemma Kearney – 1:26:37
• Peter Kearney – 1:26:38
• Sam Kearney – 1:35:54
• Samuel Little – 0:48:55
• Melodie Manners – 0:54:31
• Daniel Millington – 0:42:24
• Rowan Mulliss – 1:12:57
• Mike Oxley – 1:06:11
• Fiona O’Neill – 0:57:36
• Scott Redrup – 1:09:22
• Andrew Searle – 0:56:32
• Mark Squire – 1:17:49
• Helen Squire – 1:25:32
• Claire Stone – 1:26:19
• Aidan Tappin – 0:52:04
• Stewart Townend – 1:31:12
• Teigan Turner – 0:58:38
• Darren Uren – 1:03:05
• Steven Wherry – 0:48:16
• David Wilding – 0:54:07
• Heather Wilson – 1:12:36

📷Hayle Runners team