NEWLY-CROWNED North-East 5,000m track champion Carolyn Summersgill will be out to maintain her spectacular run of form when she defends her women’s crown in tomorrow’s Raby Castle 10K.
The 28-year-old Middlesbrough and Cleveland Harrier won ten road events and four track league races this year before claiming the regional title at Gateshead International Stadium earlier this month.
Summersgill, a prolific competitor, has never run faster – in the past two months she has improved her personal-best times on the track over 800m (2:24.5), 1500m (4:48.0), 3,000m (9.43.5) and 5,000m (16:55.7), while she has also cut down her road times over 5K (16.47), 5 miles (29.29) and 10K (36.32). She has lost only once this year, to Great Britain World Cross Country international Kate Avery in the New Marske Spring Coast Road 5K last month.
He main challenger tomorrow is expected to be Sunderland Harrier Michelle Holt, winner of last weekend’s Pier to Pier multi-terrain 10K, which drew a record entry of over 1,000 runners.
Summersgill beat Holt for the North-East title and also in last month’s Hartlepool Marina 5K road race.
■ The region’s top young athletes will be competing in the North of England Under-15 and Under 17 Track and Field Championships at Gateshead International Stadium today and tomorrow.
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