Emma Paull wins by four seconds as Hayle Runners triumph at Sticker

Four seconds. That was the gap between first and second place in a ladies’ race that shaped an entire evening for one Cornwall running club, and it belonged to Emma Paull.

📷The Hayle Runners ladies' team after the Sticker 5.

A win decided by four seconds

Paull crossed the line at Sticker in 31:03 to take first lady overall, edging out her closest rival after a race that stayed close from start to finish. Thirty-eight Hayle Runners lined up for the five-mile road race on Saturday 8 August, the eleventh event of the 2026 Cornwall Grand Prix season, and Paull produced the standout run of the night.

Her win did more than top the individual standings. Charlotte Bennett, Melodie Manners, Tamara Kearney, Fiona O’Neill and Emily Bennett joined Paull as the club’s first six ladies home, and together they secured the ladies’ team title.

Hayle’s men came close to a podium finish of their own but had to settle for fourth in a tightly packed competition.

📷Charlotte and Emily Bennett.

Mother and daughter make the scoring team

For Emily Bennett, the evening carried an extra layer. She earned her first place in the ladies’ scoring team, running alongside her mum, Charlotte, who won the Female 50-54 category in the same race. Between them the pair helped anchor the six-strong team that took the win.

Sixteen age-category prizes across the field

Beyond the team result, Hayle Runners collected 16 age-category awards on the night.

Paull added the Female 40-44 category to her overall win, Melodie Manners took first in the Female 35-39s, and Charlotte Bennett topped the Female 50-54 category. Tamara Kearney claimed bronze in the Female 20-34s, while Corinne Gerrard and Sarah Thomas finished second and third in the Female 55-59 category. Theresa Clark took bronze in the Female 60-64s, Diane Warren won the Female 70-74 category, and Timothea Cardell claimed first place in the Female 80+ age group.

The men’s prizes were spread just as widely. Francis Malone-Lee won the Male 45-49 category, with Andrew James taking second. Mark Williams finished second in the Male 55-59s, Steven Wherry claimed silver in the Male 60-64 category, and Jon Eldon won the Male 65-69s. Chunky Penhaul took bronze in the Male 75-79 category, and Stewart Townend finished third in the Male 80+ age group.

It was also the first age-category podium for both Sarah Thomas and Theresa Clark. Deborah Sturges celebrated a new five-mile personal best, two minutes quicker than her previous mark, while Andrew Heather set a new course personal best. Andrew James continued his own run of improvement, taking five minutes off his previous time at Sticker to set a lifetime five-mile PB.

What the chairman said

Hayle Runners chairman Richard Collett reflected on an evening he described as one where everything seemed to go right for the club.

“There are evenings when everything seems to go right, and this was certainly one for our ladies. Emma produced a fantastic run to win by just four seconds, the ladies took another team victory and we came away with 16 age-category prizes across the club,” he said.

“It was particularly nice to see Emily make the scoring team for the first time alongside her mum, and Sarah and Theresa collect their first age-category podiums. There are always plenty of individual stories behind the headline results, and that’s what makes evenings like this enjoyable.”

Full Hayle Runners results

• Charlotte Bennett – 36:42
• Emily Bennett – 42:01
• Lorna Burton – 1:03:31
• Timothea Cardell – 1:09:26
• Theresa Clark – 52:44
• Donna Dark – 1:08:06
• Jon Eldon – 34:02
• Corinne Gerrard – 43:26
• Andrew Heather – 49:29
• Dan Hocking – 47:17
• Frazer Humbles – 36:13
• Andrew James – 33:07
• Jemma Kearney – 50:50
• Peter Kearney – 50:50
• Tamara Kearney – 37:58
• Brad Keenan – 40:17
• Samuel Little – 34:33
• Francis Malone-Lee – 29:45
• Melodie Manners – 37:35
• Rowan Mulliss – 47:23
• Fiona O’Neill – 38:08
• Mike Oxley – 42:59
• Emma Paull – 31:03
• Chunky Penhaul – 47:20
• Alice Picking – 46:01
• Scott Redrup – 43:43
• Andrew Searle – 37:30
• Mark Squire – 54:58
• Helen Squire – 56:41
• Deborah Sturges – 59:02
• Sarah Thomas – 45:28
• Stewart Townend – 1:00:18
• Darren Uren – 42:35
• Diane Warren – 47:29
• Steven Wherry – 33:04
• David Wilding – 36:24
• Mark Williams – 35:28
• Soraya Williams – 59:34

Hayle Runners would like to thank Sticker AFC and everyone involved in organising and marshalling the Sticker 5, along with the supporters who lined the course.

📷The Hayle Runners squad at the Sticker 5.