12:42pm Saturday 11th April 2009
KENDAL AAC’s Great Britain international Athletes Gemma Miles and Sarah Tunstall posted excellent performances on the road against top-class opposition in the Great Irish Run in Dublin last weekend.
After struggling in her last two cross country outings, it was a welcome return to form for Coniston-born Gemma, who finished eighth and first British athlete in a time of 33 minutes and 55 seconds.
The 27-year-old said: “It was a solid performance, which was just what I needed after the disappointment of the last couple of races.
“After a slow first kilometre I felt like I really got into my running – I was able to push hard today which didn’t happen at the end of the cross country season.”
The Birmingham physiotherapist will now build on that performance with more road races and then move on to the track where she will target the 10k at the AAA Trials in July.
For Tunstall, straight back from representing GB in the World Cross Country Championships in Jordan, it was her first really competitive 10k on the road and a time of 34-12 brought her back in a pleasing tenth and also knocked 30 seconds off her personal-best.
She said “When Gemma broke away at two kilometres I didn’t go with her because I wasn’t sure of my pacing and I probably had too much left at the end of the race, but I’m pleased with how it all went”.
The Kirkby Stephen girl will now attack the roads over 5k and 10k with a view to improving her times and race judgement.
The race was won by Portugal’s Ana Dulce Felix, who was first European in the recent world cross country championships, with Ireland’s American based runner Mary Cullen taking second in 32-25.
The Kendal girls’ times clocked the fifth and ninth fastest 10k times this year in the UK, where they join clubmate Rebecca Robinson, who recorded a magnificent 33-28 in Manchester on March 15 and is currently in third place.
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