HE has been third and fourth over the past five years so it was only fitting that Jack Millar finally made it to the top step in the ever-popular Clevedon Boxing Day 4 miles road race.
The Bristol & West AC runner is more renowned for his skills as a cross country runner but he was the class act on Monday as he finished 23 seconds clear of his Bristol & West AC clubmate Andrew Chambers with Hugh Sadler completing a clean sweep of the podium position.
It was the fourth time in the last five years – the race wasn’t held in 2020 – that Bristol & West have won the men’s race with previous winners including Felix McGrath twice (2021 and 2019), Dan Studley in 2017 and Luke Grenfell-Shaw in 2017.
Bideford AC’s Mark Jenkin had a super run to finish fifth overall and first veteran over 40, just behind Weston AC’s Chris McMillan with North Somerset AC’s Joe Gentry sixth.
There was also a new winner of the women’s race with Claire Hammett of Thames Hare and Hounds (22:22) finishing well clear of former B&W runner Katie Knowles (23:10.
Knowles has suffered badly from injuries in recent years so it is good to see her back racing well, now in the colours of Newquay Road Runners.
Leading local runner was Bobby Suarle of Bitton Road Runners in fifth (23:51) from the B&W’s Olivia Sadler and Molly Chilton in sixth (24:09) and seventh (25:19) respectively. Penny Guess of Southville Running Club placed eighth (25:37).
The course records remain in the safe and acclaimed hands of GB internationals Ian Gillespie and Kate Reed with the outstanding times of 18:28 and 20:31 respectively. Those records look pretty safe for some years yet.
There were 863 finishers.