Cragg and Bleasdale win the inaugural Stanmer Park 5

Race report: Stanmer Park 5 - Stanmer Park, June 26, 2011

Mansfield’s Luke Cragg claimed the inaugural Stanmer Park 5-miles in 24min11sec while Hillingdon’s Julia Bleasdale took top spot in the women’s race with 27min11sec placing her second on the season’s UK rankings.

In Cragg’s first UK appearance of the year (barring pace-making duties at a BMC event) after 11 races in the States, the 24-year-old broke away from Wells City’s Ben Tickner with one and a half miles remaining. After covering the final mile in 4min40sec, the fastest of the race, Cragg enjoyed a five-second advantage at the line.

Photo: The men's start of the inaugural Stanmer 5 - eventual race winner Luke Cragg is no 2

“It was a tough race,” said Cragg, “but I’ve got loads in the tank and I am looking forward to having a good summer and running some fast times.”

On a warm, humid morning Tickner was caught by Leeds City’s Dave Webb and the two slugged it out to the end with Tickner prevailing by one second.

Photo: The women's start of the inaugural Stanmer 5 - Justina Heslop is the early eader and eventual race winner Julia Bleasdale in no 27 in group

Returning from Achilles tendon injury and making her debut over the distance, Bleasdale won by the comfortable margin of 20sec over race favourite, Justina Heslop of Clapham Chasers. It was Heslop (currently topping the season’s rankings with 27:09) who made the early pace, but once Bleasdale took over with two laps remaining, she simply extended her lead to the finish. Belgrave’s Getenesh Tamirat was third a further 39sec down.

“It has been a frustrating time for me,” admitted Bleasdale who had only had one month’s full training before the race. “I was training earlier in the year with Helen Clitheroe in Kenya, but three weeks before the World Cross Country championships I picked up the injury that just got worse.”

Men's results

Women's results

For more information and full results click here