KATE Reed ran her fastest 5k road time for nine years with a sparking performance in the latest Yeovilton 5k event on Wednesday.
The Bristol & West AC international, who eight years ago was running the 10,000m at the Beijing Olympics, finished seventh overall and easily to woman in a time of 15mins 50secs.
That represents a significant step forward for Kate, who has been battling against illness and injures for many years now and a least appears to be enjoying a good spell of con
sistent training.
Using the Yeovilton event as a barometer of her fitness Kate ran a season’s best of 16:30 last year and then this summer has posted times of 16:33 in May, 16:18 in June and now 15:50.
That is her fastest time for a 5k on the road since her lifetime best of 15:36 for fifth place in the London Hydro Active Women’s Challenge event in Hyde Park in September 2007.
Top man on Wednesday was Taunton AC’s Phil Burden with a swift time of 14:55, which was just five seconds off his PB set on the same course last year, to leave him 10 seconds clear of the Bideford pair of Ronnie Richmond (15:05) and Mark Jenkin (15:09).