Ellis and iRun take Corporate Challenge series honours

And while there are some familiar names in medal-winning positions, a new team are overall winners of the main corporate section.

Newly-established Team iRun, who have a shop in The Hornet, Chichester, just pipped multiple winners DSTL Portsdown West, who have won the event for the past few years.

James Ellis, owner of iRun, had expected to feature at the front of the races because of his athletics background, ably assisted by triathlete Dan Bailey.

But it was the improvement of the only female in the team, Megan Anderson, which made the difference in knocking a crucial two minutes from their aggregate score over the series – which almost exactly reflected the overall gap to second place.

Another new team, from Goodwood, just edged out Midhurst Rother Staff for third place.

In the sports category, the runaway leaders after two races, Worthing Hares, failed to have a complete team in race three so the award went to a consistent showing from Running 4 Nell.

They led from Chichester Casuals while Chichester Triathlon lost out by just two seconds to Portsmouth AC’s squad, running under their colourful Oddbins label.

In the women’s section, DSTL Portsdown made up for the disappointment of their men by romping away with the title by nearly 15 minutes from WSCC Ladies and Thomas Eggar Ladies.

It was different in the sports sections where the results team had to re-check all three races to confirm Havant Angels had an aggregate of 2hr 43min 42sec while Chichester Triathletes were just two seconds behind.

There was no such need extra scrutiny for third place with Jessie Joggers Staff team a further 11 minutes back but nearly eight minutes clear of fourth place.

The top three seniors who have run in all three races receive individual awards and the men’s contest was decided by a matter of seconds.

Despite not winning any of the three races, sheer consistency from Ellis of iRun clinched the title from improving Harry Leleu of CWTC by three seconds with total times of 40.47 to 40.50. Mark Burchett from Worthing Hares was just 13 seconds further back.

Top local runner Fay Cripps was a clear winner of the women’s contest in 49.59 – more than a minute in front of Corin Bearpark from Havant Angels with Anne Audrey from CWTC another couple of minutes back.

Results from every team category are on the Corporate Challenge section of the Chichester Runners website.

The 25th running of the event in 2016 will see race nights on the usual three Wednesdays, February 24 and March 9 and 23.

PHIL BAKER