GARY Briscoe won his hometown race the Barnsley 10k having promised to do so for his grandmother who passed away that evening.
The Barnsley AC runner finished first in a field of more than 2,000 in the event on Sunday and was thinking of his grandma Ethel Bamforth.
Gary told the Chronicle: “She was given five days to live about ten days before the race and I promised her I would win it for her and share the prize money with her.
“She held on until the evening after the race and I went and showed her my medal. She was asleep but I talked to her and told her I had won.
“It was very emotional but I was really happy to win it for her.”
Ethel was formerly the manager of the old Thornton’s chocolate shop in Barnsley town centre which Gary could see as he approached the finish line, beating his club-mate Scott Hinchcliffe – a former winner of the race – by just five seconds. Gary’s time was 33-19.
Penistone man Gary, 39, said: “She was the manageress of that shop for 30 years. She’s been in the Chronicle before because she used to write rude messages on Easter eggs.
“I could see it as I crossed the line which was a nice moment. If Scott wouldn’t have been seconds behind me, I would have lost it emotionally.
“Scott and I are good friends and we train together. I’ve never beaten him before but no one was beating me in that race. I told him before the race ‘it’s for my nannan and you’re never going to beat me.’
“Me and Scott must have known 1,000 people in the crowd – some saying ‘come on Gary’, some ‘come on Scott’. I am thinking: ‘don’t say come on Scott’.
“I am a marathon runner and his strength is speed. My plan was to run him out hard and drop him on the hill.
“I told him before what I would do.
“It went to plan but he was a bit closer than I had hoped so I had to really dig deep.”
The women’s winner was Ruby Sunman, who competes for Holmfirth Harriers but is a ‘second claim’ runner for Barnsley AC.
She said: “My aim was to get on the podium so to win it is amazing.
“Especially in Barnsley because, although I am not from Barnsley, I have lived in Barnsley for a few years and I do most of my training there.
“The support out on the course is something I would compare to a huge race in one of the big cities like Manchester or Leeds.
“I would like to thank all the organisers because they have created an amazing event in the last few years and it seems to get better every year.
“It’s a difficult course but we like a few hills and I really enjoyed it. It was nice weather but not as hot as a few days earlier. If it had been 30-odd degrees, I would have been on the start line thinking: what on Earth am I doing?”
Ruby was joined on the women’s podium by Barnsley AC’s Lydia Race-Tighe who was second in a course PB of 40-28 and Gemma Thickett who was third with a course PB of 40-36.
Vicky Shaw was fourth woman overall and first over40 with a ten-second course PB in a time of 40-40.
Naomi Drakeford completed a clean sweep of the top five women in 41-07.
Barnsley AC’s Chris Gillott was fifth overall in 33-59 and Wayne Singleton sixth with a course PB of 34-12 while Ashley Abrahams was ninth and third over45 with a PB of 34-57.
Tristan Davies-Bennett was first under 20 and 16th overall in 35-44.
Chris McNicholas 39-24 was second over60 man with 39-24.
Karrie-Anne Nowell set a PB of 49-37 was third in her age group while Riley Turton completed his first ever 10k in 53-21. Lee Yoxall bagged a course PB in 39-35.
There were 44 Penistone Footpath Runners at the event with Sean Pitt leading the club home in 18th place with 36-02. Richard Heppenstall followed in 24th place with 36-44, taking second place in the men’s over50 category.
Jade Crosby was seventh woman overall in 41-19 with a course personal best. Ian Neville was fifth in the men’s over60 category. Rachael Mayston and Suzanne McGill took second and third respectively in the women’s over50 category.
Nick Pepper recorded a personal best, Alex Crosby set a 58-second course best, Dan Cooper recorded his fastest time on the course and Ian McNulty broke 50 minutes again. Sara Wolstenholme improved by more than ten minutes on last year’s time, while Sue Hall won the women’s over65 category and Barbara Haigh won the women’s over75 category.
Barnsley Harrier Adele Selwood ran the race alongside her father Stuart to raise money for Immunodeficiency UK in memory of her brother David Howes who was a long-standing member of the club.
Daniel Galloway ran his first 10k and was the youngest participant at the race, raising money for Barnsley Hospital Charity.
Charlie Holt led home the Harriers as second under 18 boy, only nine seconds away from his best time.
Fiona Davies was first over50, Paula Mills second over60 woman, Vikki Skipper over70 woman and John Hewitt second over80 man.
There were PBs for David Arthur, Jay West, Mia Platts, Lauren Williams and James Morgan.
Jon Barker, Amy Hewitt, Nicola Hepwoth, Helen Valentine, Liz Beecroft, Sam Holt and Emma Wright were all running the distance for the first time.
