WESTBURY Harriers’ Joe Connors made the trip down the M4 for the Admiral Swansea Bay 10k today and was rewarded with 12th place overall and second junior.
Connors (pictured above, courtesy of Neil Miller) ran a time of 33mins 58secs which left him 37 seconds adrift of top junior Chris Richards of Salford Harriers. It was also Connors’ first sub 34 minutes time eclipsing his previous best of 34;10 set in the Trafford 10k last year.
Earlier this year Connors finished top junior in both the Simplyhealth Great Bristol 10k (34:11) and the Calne Clock Challenge 10k (34:42).
Also from the West Country Stroud’s Aaron Phelps finished fifth in 31:58 while top woman was international road runner Ruth Barnes (pictured left) of Avon Valley Runners.
Barnes, who works as a doctor, placed 20th overall in a time of 34:45 just ahead of Stroud’s Rachel Felton (35:02).
Leading Bristol & West AC runner was Andrew Hunt in 41st (36:25) from a huge field of 3,401 finishers.
Overall winner was Cardiff’s Matt Clowes in a swift 29:47.