THE annual Hadleigh 10-mile road race attracted a record number of entries, but there was no stopping Norfolk-based runner Neil Davison from chalking up a comfortable victory on Sunday.

By Carl Marston

THE annual Hadleigh 10-mile road race attracted a record number of entries, but there was no stopping Norfolk-based runner Neil Davison from chalking up a comfortable victory on Sunday.

Davison covered the undulating 10-mile rural course, which started from Hadleigh United Football Club and progressed through the villages of Layham, Polstead Heath and Shelley, in a swift time of 54mins 54secs.

The impressive Davison, who is a member of City of Norwich AC, was nearly two minutes clear of the field on a wet and wintry morning. A record 372 entries were received by race organisers Hadleigh Hares.

Nigel Jackson, who won the inaugural Tarpley 10-miler at Beyton last September, came through strongly to take second spot in the colours of Lowestoft Road Runners. The over-40 veteran stopped the clock at 56.41, which was ironically the exact time that he had registered at the Tarpley event.

Current Felixstowe Half-Marathon champion David Laing, of Ipswich Jaffa, was just five seconds further back with 56.46 in third position.

Jaffa club-mate Val Jennings rolled back the years to claim a victory in the ladies' race. Over-40 athlete Jennings clocked 65.35 to win the same title that her Jaffa colleague Helen Decker won last year.

Veteran runners filled the top three places in the ladies' event. Marion McCall, who won the Newmarket 10K last summer, was second in 67.20, followed by Gail Pryke, representing hosts Hadleigh Hares, with 69.23 in third.

It is easy to forget that this race was close to folding a few years ago, due to dwindling numbers - the Hadleigh club were struggling to find the manpower to organise the event, with all the demands of course management and marshalling.

But it is now going from strength to strength. Sunday's race was started by the Mayor of Hadleigh, and the hosts had the distinction of finishing second ladies' team behind winners Ipswich Jaffa.

Results from Hadeigh 10

Top 40 men: 1 N Davison (City of Norwich AC) 54.54; 2 N Jackson (Lowestoft RR) 56.41; 3 D Laing (Ipswich Jaffa) 56.46; 4 R Moore (Waveney Valley AC) 57.32; 5 N McGown (Orion Harriers) 57.53; 6 A Smalls (Colchester Harriers) 58.03; 7 M Kirby (Col/Harr) 58.38; 8 I Keeble (Unattached) 58.51; 9 R Chenery (Jaffa) 58.53; 10 M Collinson (Norwich RR) 59.10.

11 S Ketteridge (Col/Harr) 59.23; 12 S Davis (Serpentine RC) 60.29; 13 G Doel (Col/Harr) 60.49; 14 R Stone (Felixstowe RR) 60.53; 15 R Young (Colchester & Tendring AC) 61.03; 16 P Clarke (East London Triathletes) 61.14; 17 G Monks (Un) 61.16; 18 P Tuttle (Norwich RR) 61.27; 19 N Hendrey (Norwich RR) 61.44; 20 J Meachen (Harwich Runners) 62.21.

21 S Edwards (Newmarket Joggers) 62.23; 22 L Shafier (East London Tri) 62.40; 23 T Batey (Col/Harr) 62.46; 24 J Davy (Felixstowe RR) 62.48; 25 P Dyer (East London Tri) 63.10; 26 T Epps (Wymondham AC) 63.20; 27 P Preston (Sudbury Joggers) 63.21; 28 A Kearton (Great Bentley RC) 63.30; 29 P Dunkerley (Felixstowe RR) 63.40; 30 S Green (Stowmarket Striders) 63.49.

31 J Ridgeon (Un) 64.08; 32 N Parkin (Un) 64.13; 33 C Pinnion (Hadleigh) 64.19; 34 P McClelland (Harwich) 64.26; 35 B Powell (Un) 64.31; 36 D Howard (City of Norwich) 64.32; 37 T Jarrett (Jaffa) 64.41; 38 P Rea (Ipswich Tri) 64.46; 39 K Bownes (Tiptree RR) 64.56; 40 P Bree (Un) 65.11.

Top 30 ladies: 1 V Jennings (Jaffa) 65.35; 2 M McCall (Saint Edmund Pacers) 67.20; 3 G Pryke (Hadleigh Hares) 69.23; 4 J Williams (Jaffa) 69.25; 5 H Suttle (Newmarket) 70.50; 6 J Korpanec (Serpentine) 71.05; 7 V Gladwell (Hadleigh) 71.16; 8 N Pyle (Colchester & Tendring AC) 71.27; 9 F Smith (London Heathside) 71.33; 10 B Wallen (Witham RC) 71.55.

11 J Brown (Jaffa) 72.08; 12 L Staunton (Jaffa) 72.38; 13 S Steadman (Jaffa) 72.47; 14 R Clayden (Felixstowe RR) 63.23; 15 J Midleton (Newmarket) 73.27; 16 H Bush (Un) 74.59; 17 N Bennett (Gt Bentley RC) 76.20; 18 C Lambert (Un) 76.55; 19 M Roberts (Woodbridge) 77.58; 20 V Smith (Jaffa) 78.08.

21 C Wincomb (Jaffa) 78.42; 22 J Morris (Jaffa) 78.55; 23 V Manly (Wymondham) 79.05; 24 N Billam (Un) 79.33; 25 L Mills (Stowmarket) 80.22; 26 L Lowden (Un) 80.33; 27 H Wood (Jaffa) 81.47; 28 V Strowger (Woodbridge) 81.57; 29 S Murray (Gt Bentley) 82.44; 30 S Hunt (Hadleigh) 83.37.

Prize-winning male veterans, over-40: Moore. Over-45: Davy. Over-50: Epps. Over-55: J Driscoll (Col/Harr) 70.09. Over-60: J Morris (Wolverhampton) 69.21. Over-65: G Peck (Harwich) 82.19.

Prize-winning female veterans, over-35: Pyle. Over-40: Suttle. Over-45: Pryke. Over-55: Midleton.

Teams, men: 1 Colchester Harriers, 2 Norwich RR. Ladies: 1 Jaffa, 2 Hadleigh.

Other Hadleigh Hares: P Barton 6911; G Abrey 75.14; J Chisnall 77.41; N Caba 108.44; A Wiltshire 120.18; J Grimwade 122.35.