Mixed fortunes for Martin and Jonathan at Wilmslow 10k race

By Don Hale donhaleblog.blogspot.com/2025 July 12, 2021

*Martin Green came 2nd in his age category at Wilmslow

Mixed fortunes for Martin and Jonathan at Wilmslow 10k

Report by Don Hale.

There were mixed fortunes for two of North Wales Road Runners’ top athletes in last Sunday’s Wilmslow Summer 10k race with Martin Green claiming a 2nd place in his M45 age category, and Jonathan Kettle having to withdraw due to a persistent injury.

In hot and humid conditions Martin continued his excellent form to finish 25th overall out of an amazing 2,545 other runners.

Competing under social distancing restrictions in England, Martin maintained a good pace throughout despite some tough additional races of late, and finally finished in 33 minutes 7 seconds for a silver medal podium cat place.

He later confirmed: ‘Pleased enough. It was going really well until 7k, then my legs fell off (or someone poured cement inside them). Last week’s half still there, but still very happy with how I felt up to that point.’

And Jonathan, who has been struggling with an Achilles tendon injury, bravely battled his way around the course, but eventually had to drop out the race. Despite the severity of his problem, he still managed to record a notable distance of 8.41km in 30.29, before jogging back.

Afterwards, Jonathan (*Pictured above) admitted: ‘I should have known better than to attempt a race with an injury. My lungs and legs felt good, but my Achilles had a different plan at two miles. A silly idea today! Lesson Learned!’

*The race attracted another quality field of club runners, and the first three placing went to athletes from Salford Harriers with just one second separating the first two runners, with Marc Brown 1st in 30.07 and David Barratt 2nd in 30.08, with club colleague Michael Clayton 3rd in 30.30. In a fast race, the first six runners all dipped under 31 minutes.

This is final race results link:

https://run-northwest.niftyentries.com/Results/Wilmslow-Summer-10k-?

donhaleblog.blogspot.com/2025

Don Hale is a best-selling British author and former investigative journalist. He has been Journalist of the Year on three separate occasions in the past. and his extensive campaign to help free Stephen Downing for a murder he did not commit, won him both the Campaign and National Journalist of the Year Awards, A former regional newspaper editor, he was awarded an OBE in 2002 for campaign journalism. He has also been a lead investigator in several other successful, high-profile, miscarriage of justice and human rights cases. He has written several best selling books including - Murder in the Graveyard a true crime mystery story. There is also Buster Crabb - Ian Fleming's Favourite Spy, and Mallard about the battle to create the fastest steam loco in the world against the challenge from Nazi Germany, and more lately, there is The Jersey Boys and Liberation, about the secret stories of occupied Jersey during WW2, told by several resistance heroes and historians.