Conditions were perfect for runners this year in the Black Mountains Race. Tim Lenton from Axe Valley Runners was the male winner, and could surely improve his time of 2:46:20 in future, having taken a few sub-optimal lines. He was still a convincing winner over Ben Arkell of MDC in second, and 3rd place Southville’s Gareth Williams, who just prevailed in a final hill sprint with Dan Sandford over the last couple of hundred metres.
GB international Lizzie Wraith won the women’s race in 3:17:13, but only just held off host club Mynydd Du’s Rhian Probert, 94 secs behind. Vicky Shaw from Stubbington Green Runners in Hampshire was third.
The female veterans' prizes were a clean sweep for Mynydd Du, courtesy of Sasha Habgood (v40) and Rona Davies (v50), who, with Rhian Probert, also took the team prize.
It was a good day for male veterans too, as the MV60 winner, Bryan Stadden (also Mynydd Du) beat all the MV50s! The overall winner was MV40 so the prize deferred to Dan Sandford. Ian Andrews, unattached, was first MV50. Gareth Jones (MDC) won the MV70 category, despite his senior moment on Bal Mawr resulting in him being the last runner to finish.
Due to organiser’s error, the men’s team prize was given to Mynydd Du on the day, instead of the rightful victors and local rivals MDC: Ben Arkell, Oliver Lamford and Richard Cronin, who will be receiving replacement beer (the original having already been drunk by the time the mistake was noticed)!
Helen Brown

Prize winners
Category Prize |
Name |
Club |
Time |
1st Man |
Tim Lenton |
Axe Valley Runners |
02:46:20 |
1st Lady |
Lizzie Wraith |
Team Bath AC |
03:17:13 |
2nd Man |
Ben Arkell |
MDC |
03:00:20 |
2nd Lady |
Rhian Probert |
Mynydd Du |
03:18:47 |
3rd Lady |
Vicky Shaw |
Stubbington Green Runners |
03:48:44 |
3rd Man |
Gareth Williams |
Southville Running Club |
03:09:49 |
1st V40 Lady |
Sasha Habgood |
Mynydd Du |
03:53:03 |
1st V40 Man |
Dan Sandford |
Forest of Dean AC |
03:10:15 |
1st V50 Lady |
Rona Davies |
Mynydd Du |
04:04:50 |
1st V50 Man |
Ian Andrews |
Unattached |
03:34:09 |
1st V60 Man |
Bryan Stadden |
Mynydd Du |
03:23:31 |
1st V60 Lady |
- - |
|
|
1st V70 Man |
Gareth Jones |
MDC |
05:08:34 |
1st V70 Lady |
- - |
|
|
1st V80 Lady |
- - |
|
|
1st V80 Man |
- - |
|
|
M team |
Ben Arkell, Oliver Lamford, Richard Cronin |
MDC |
09:50:17 |
F team |
Rhian Probert, Sasha Habgood, Rona Davies |
Mynydd Du |
011:16:40 |
Full Results
Pos |
Time |
Name |
# |
Club |
Cat |
Cat Pos |
Prize |
1 |
02:46:20 |
Tim Lenton |
33 |
Axe Valley Runners |
MV40 |
1 |
1st Man |
2 |
03:00:20 |
Ben Arkell |
37 |
MDC |
MS |
1 |
2nd Man |
3 |
03:09:49 |
Gareth Williams |
47 |
Southville Running... |
MS |
2 |
3rd Man |
4 |
03:10:15 |
Dan Sandford |
45 |
Forest of Dean AC |
MV40 |
2 |
1st V40 Man |
5 |
03:12:29 |
Thomas Mollekin |
12 |
Mynydd Du |
MS |
3 |
|
6 |
03:12:53 |
Patrick Devine-Wright |
36 |
Axe Valley Runners |
MV40 |
3 |
|
7 |
03:14:46 |
Stewart Bellamy |
62 |
Mercia Fell Runners |
MV40 |
4 |
|
8 |
03:15:23 |
Sam Ryall |
66 |
Pontypridd Roadents |
MV40 |
5 |
|
9 |
03:17:11 |
Oliver Lamford |
72 |
MDC |
MS |
4 |
|
10 |
03:17:13 |
Lizzie Wraith |
56 |
Team Bath AC |
FS |
1 |
1st Lady |
11 |
03:18:47 |
Rhian Probert |
9 |
Mynydd Du |
FV40 |
1 |
2nd Lady |
12 |
03:19:47 |
Nick Radnedge |
61 |
Unattached |
MV40 |
6 |
|
13 |
03:19:55 |
Gancho Slavov |
44 |
Aberystwyth AC |
MV40 |
7 |
|
14 |
03:19:57 |
Matthew Farrer |
69 |
Unattached |
MS |
5 |
|
15 |
03:20:35 |
Tom Couldwell |
13 |
Unattached |
MS |
6 |
|
16 |
03:23:31 |
Bryan Stadden |
35 |
Mynydd Du |
MV60 |
1 |
1st V60 Man |
17 |
03:27:05 |
James Sutherland |
28 |
Unattached |
MS |
7 |
|
18 |
03:27:37 |
Chris Chambers |
40 |
Mynydd Du |
MV40 |
8 |
|
19 |
03:28:38 |
Alastair Morton |
49 |
Unattached |
MS |
8 |
|
20 |
03:28:52 |
Tim Woodier |
74 |
Mynydd Du |
MS |
9 |
|
21 |
03:31:00 |
James Morrison |
7 |
Tiverton Harriers |
MV40 |
9 |
|
22 |
03:32:46 |
Richard Cronin |
57 |
MDC |
MS |
10 |
|
23 |
03:34:09 |
Ian Andrews |
71 |
Unattached |
MV50 |
1 |
1st V50 Man |
24 |
03:34:41 |
Matthew Garnett |
17 |
GoodGym Race Team |
MS |
11 |
|
25 |
03:34:59 |
Paul Tucker |
63 |
Mynydd Du |
MV50 |
2 |
|
26 |
03:36:34 |
Gary Jordan |
16 |
GoodGym Race Team |
MS |
12 |
|
27 |
03:38:21 |
Niall Moroney |
29 |
Emersons Green Run... |
MS |
13 |
|
28 |
03:40:11 |
Ben Morris |
46 |
Unattached |
MS |
14 |
|
29 |
03:40:36 |
James Woodier |
11 |
Mynydd Du |
MS |
15 |
|
30 |
03:41:31 |
David Powell |
54 |
Aberystwyth AC |
MV50 |
3 |
|
31 |
03:46:02 |
Andrew Dickens |
67 |
Mynydd Du |
MV40 |
10 |
|
32 |
03:47:32 |
Pete Gardner |
58 |
Wye Valley Runners |
MV50 |
4 |
|
33 |
03:48:12 |
Steven Epstein |
70 |
Unattached |
MV40 |
11 |
|
34 |
03:48:35 |
Ian Macklin |
30 |
MDC |
MV40 |
12 |
|
35 |
03:48:44 |
Vicky Shaw |
50 |
Stubbington Green ... |
FS |
2 |
3rd Lady |
36 |
03:49:05 |
Chris Hall |
60 |
Stubbington Green ... |
MV50 |
5 |
|
37 |
03:49:35 |
Edward Richardson |
27 |
Unattached |
MS |
16 |
|
38 |
03:53:03 |
Sasha Habgood |
68 |
Mynydd Du |
FV40 |
2 |
1st V40 Lady |
39 |
03:53:32 |
Brendan Moroney |
18 |
Westbury Harriers |
MS |
17 |
|
40 |
03:53:55 |
Richard Best |
23 |
Tavistock AC |
MV50 |
6 |
|
41 |
03:57:30 |
Debbie Stenner |
59 |
Forest of Dean AC |
FV40 |
3 |
|
42 |
04:01:34 |
Tom Turner |
4 |
Mynydd Du |
MS |
18 |
|
43 |
04:03:12 |
Richard Hill |
26 |
Mornington Chasers |
MV40 |
13 |
|
44 |
04:04:50 |
Rona Davies |
65 |
Mynydd Du |
FV50 |
1 |
1st V50 Lady |
45 |
04:04:51 |
Rob Craig |
34 |
Rhedwyr Preseli |
MV40 |
14 |
|
46 |
04:10:32 |
Dan Taylor |
5 |
Unattached |
MV40 |
15 |
|
47 |
04:10:32 |
Gareth Welch |
55 |
Unattached |
MV40 |
16 |
|
48 |
04:16:27 |
Jon Salmon |
41 |
Tring Running Club |
MV50 |
7 |
|
49 |
04:17:32 |
David Sexton |
20 |
Settle Harriers |
MV40 |
17 |
|
50 |
04:20:58 |
Karen Elvers |
38 |
MDC |
FV40 |
4 |
|
51 |
04:21:12 |
Ian Whitelegg |
31 |
Unattached |
MS |
19 |
|
52 |
04:21:13 |
Samuel Barnes |
32 |
Serpentine Running... |
MS |
20 |
|
53 |
04:21:30 |
Naomi Law |
51 |
Mynydd Du |
FV40 |
5 |
|
54 |
04:24:19 |
Nathaniel Swain |
25 |
MDC |
MS |
21 |
|
55 |
04:25:13 |
John Manning |
10 |
Tring Running Club |
MV60 |
2 |
|
56 |
04:25:27 |
Celia Mills |
53 |
Unattached |
FV50 |
2 |
|
57 |
04:50:34 |
John Jaspers |
48 |
Unattached |
MV40 |
18 |
|
58 |
05:08:34 |
Gareth Jones |
39 |
MDC |
MV70 |
1 |
1st V70 Man |
|
DNF |
Andrew Blackmore |
42 |
MDC |
MV50 |
|
|
|
DNF |
Harris Webb |
43 |
Mynydd Du |
MS |
|
|
|
DNF |
Gary Gunner |
52 |
Croft Ambrey |
MV70 |
|
|
|
DNF |
Helen Duffield |
64 |
Chepstow Harriers |
FV40 |
|
|
|
DNF |
John Hallett |
73 |
MDC |
MV40 |
|
|