Sunday 10th October saw UK athlete Benedict Whitby smash the Profeet RunKingston 16 mile course record by 6 minutes 58 seconds.
The previous course record for the 16 mile race, 1:27:46 was set back in 2004 by Ty Berg. Benedict, who has competed in the past for the UK, finished in 1:20:48, a time that will likely stand as a record for years to come.
Dave Bedford’s son Tom Bedford was also hoping to break the record but was forced into third place with a time of 1:31:04 with Mark Draper finishing ahead of him with a time of 1:29:14.
The 8.2 mile leg saw an impressive sprint finish by Maxwell Robinson, but he was unable to catch Jonathan Smith who was first to cross the line in a time of 49:50, Robinson finishing just behind in 50:07.
The event, now in its 21st year, saw just over 1700 enter to race either 8.2 or 16 miles of the flat picturesque course around Kingston-upon-Thames and the Thames towpath in perfect running conditions.
Runners of all age groups and abilities took part in the event, some for charity and others for a personal challenge. One runner, Geoffrey Jackson, turns 80 in December and still completed the 8.2 mile course in 1:28:14.
Garth Dawson from race sponsors Profeet said of the event “The Profeet RunKingston was a great success. The day was well organised, the run itself is well chosen, picturesque and enjoyable. We all enjoyed our day and so did all the other runners we spoke to. We are looking forward to working with Human Race again in the future”.
Founder and managing director of race organiser Human Race, John Lunt said “Today’s event has shown again the success of hosting a running race in historic Kingston. We had some great competitors and to see the course record broken after 6 years is fantastic”.
“This wouldn’t continue to be such a successful event if it wasn’t for the help and support of the local authorities so thank you to them and we’re all looking forward to see if someone can challenge Ben’s new record next year”.
The Whole Foods Market Breakfast Run on 27th March 2011 comprises the same run course, both 8.2 or 16 miles distances, registration is now open.
