Athletics: Moulton powers to Tean triumph
CARL Moulton produced a powerful performance to win the fourth St Thomas's seven-mile road race in Tean.
A leading group of five, led by Moulton and his Boalloy team-mate Julian Goodwin, broke clear of the record field of almost 200 entrants.
The duo applied the pressure over the undulating course to move ahead of their challengers as they completed the first three miles.
Moulton, though, started to turn the screw and seized control of the race in the closing stages.
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The 32-year-old, from Butt Lane, eventually took the tape in 39 minutes 27 seconds.
Goodwin faced no problems in taking second place in 39:53, despite a strong finish by Trentham's Carl Platt (40:50).
The women's race saw the Trentham duo of Mandy Vernon and Laura Thompson quickly break clear along with Ruth Watchorn-Rice (Staffordshire Moorlands).
Thompson and Watchorn-Rice's challenges soon faded, however, enabling Vernon to claim the title – and eighth place overall – in 43:52.
Thompson, on the comeback trail after a recent injury, overhauled Watchorn-Rice to take second spot in 45.12 – as did her Trentham team-mate Debbie Thomas, who finished third in 45:46 to complete a Trentham clean sweep.
MARK Dalkins stamped his class on the Ipstones five-mile road race to score an impressive victory.
The 41-year-old Telford AC star, from Cheadle, opened at a swift pace in the company of Stone policeman Ben Gamble of Tipton Harriers.
Their battle continued until just before halfway, when Dalkins suddenly stepped up the pace to snatch a 15-yard advantage.
He never looked back, and steadily increased his lead to cross the line in 27 minutes 15 seconds.
He said: "It was a tough race, but I am pleased with the result and now aim to move on from here. I am currently doing around 90 mile each week in training and I felt stronger as the race progressed". Gamble had no problems hanging on to second place in 27:25, with last year's winner Carl Moulton (Boalloy) taking third spot in 28:55.
The women's race saw Trentham veteran Mandy Vernon continuing to dominate the local scene as she mastered this difficult course to claim a comfortable victory – and the North Staffs Road Runners Association title – in 31:47.
Team-mate Laura Thompson and Ruth Watchorn-Rice (Staffordshire Moorlands) were second and third respectively.
HARRY HARVEY
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