PAUL Fernandez successfully defended his White Horse Half Marathon title with a dominant victory at Grove.


The Abingdon Ambler completed the 13.1-mile course in 1hr 11mins 22secs to win the race, which doubled up as the Oxfordshire championships, by almost a minute.


Kay Walsha, from Dorchester, was the first lady home, netting her maiden White Horse win in 1.23.21.


Fernandez showed he had fully recovered from winning the Anglo-Celtic Plate 50km race seven days before by pulling clear of second-placed James Bolton (Woodstock Harriers) by the four-mile mark.


Bolton, who clocked 1.12.16, had the consolation of being the first vet 40 man and recorded the eighth-fastest mark for a veteran on the course.


Orlando Corea (Bournville Harriers) was third man home in 1.14.29, while Angela Carpenter (Chichester) and Samantha Usher completed the ladies’ top three in 1.27.07 and 1.29.26 respectively.

WHITE HORSE HALF MARATHON

CLUB RESULTS ROUND-UP

(top 100, senior men unless stated)

Abingdon: 1 P Fernandez 1.11.22, 24 N O’Doherty (V40) 1.22.54, 69 J Lenik 1.31.24, 95 J Wigmore (V50) 1.35.19.

Didcot R: P Thomas (1st V50) 1.22.37, T Reddy 1.31.20.

Eynsham RR: A Brown (SL) 1.33.26 pb.

Headington RR: 15 R Skilbeck 1.19.47, 16 F Campbell (V40) 1.19.51, 32 Y Fitsakis (V40) 1.24.44, 37 I Meadowcroft (V40) 1.25.21, 58 A Darbyshire (V40) 1.29.32, 62 A Foulkes (V50) 1.30.05, 75 E Flo-uri (LV35) 1.31.57, 88 A Hopkins (LV35) 1.34.15, 91 J Kalthoff (SL) 1.34.32, 100 M Biglin (V50) 1.35.53.

Witney RR: T Jones 1.15.45, A Reynolds 1.24.46 (2nd V50), C Ellis 1.24.59, T Garrod 1.25.34, E Kay 1.26.17, A Giles 1.32.33, K Hutchings (LV35) 1.32.33, F Snare (SL) 1.32.57, K Chard 1.35.40.

Woodstock H: J Bolton (1st V40) 1.12.16, K Game 1.17.40 pb, D Cantwell (2nd V40) 1.18.36, B O’Connor (V40) 1.21.06, D Blackburn 1.29.39, N Preddy (V50) 1.32.41 pb, C Mower (V40) 1.34.31, W Hudson 1.35.41.

OXFORDSHIRE CHAMPIONSHIP RESULTS

MEN

Overall: 1 P Fernandez (Abn). Senior: 1 P Fernandez (Abn), 2 T Jones (Wit), 3 E Mezzetti (Oxf). Vet 40: 1 J Bolton (Wds), 2 D Cantwell (Wds), 3 R Skilbeck (Hed) Vet 50: 1 P Thomas (Did), 2 A Reynolds (Wit), 3 I Lambourn (Whh). Vet 60: 1 R Treadwell (Oxf), 2 D Parsons (Oxf), 3 K Byrne (Hed). Team: 1 Woodstock H, 2 Headington RR, 3 Witney RR.

LADIES

Overall: 1 K Walsha (unatt). Senior: 1 F Snare (Wit), 2 J Kalthoff (Hed), 3 E Crockford (Abingdon & Vale TC). Vet 35: 1 K Walsha (unatt), 2 S Usher (Alc), 3 E Flouri (Hed). Vet 45: 1 S Farrow (Hed), 2 J Coulcher (Tha), 3 J Wiblin (Abn). Vet 55: 1 I Matthews (Hed), 2 R Todd (Hed). Vet 65: 1 P Smith (Hed). Team: 1 Headington RR A, 2 Headington RR B, 3 White Horse Harriers.