Published: 5 April, 2012
by STEVE BARNETT

IT was a spectacularly speedy Sunday for athletes representing Highgate Harriers as a team of five runners from the club all set new personal best times at the Reading half-marathon.

Shaun Dixon was the first Harrier home as he clocked a time of 67 minutes, 39 seconds to take 10th place, closely followed by Richard Scott who recorded a time of 68:13 to finish 12th.

There was a welcome return from injury for David Bruce, who raced to the finishing line in 68:18 to claim 14th spot.

New Zealander Damien Shirley was 180th and Rob Walker was 221st with their respective times of 80:19 and 82 mins flat.

The winner was Edwin Kipyego of Kenya, who stormed home in 63:08 to finish first out of a field of more than 2,000 runners.

The record-breaking times didn’t end in Reading as Oliver Kean secured a personal best of 35:20 to finish 28th out of a field of more than 2,000 competitors at the Derbyshire Building Society 10k race.

Elsewhere Nick Gold finished fifth out of 226 runners in the last Friday in the month Serpentine 5k Challenge with a time of 16:27.

Chris Beecham, one of Highgate Harriers’ best distance runners over the past 20 years, saw action at the Paddock Wood half-marathon on Sunday.

The experienced athlete finished second in the veterans’ category and ninth overall out of the 1,916 competitors who took part in the event – with a time of 73:03.