March Athletic Club’s Toni Alcaraz qualified to run in England Masters team after half-marathon first in age category

March Athletic Club’s Toni Alcaraz ran in the England Masters Qualifier half-marathon at Helsby, Cheshire, where she was first in her age category with a time of 1:25:29.

She has now qualified to run in the England Masters team on March 15 at The Fleet half-marathon.

Teilo Pearce was also competing and came ninth in the Police Sport UK Cross Country South East Championships at Bury St Edmunds and completed a muddy 9k course in 42:44.

A near perfect day offered March AC runners a chance to shine in the winter sun at this year’s Folksworth 15, a 15-mile race described understatedly as “undulating” by the organisers.

A total of 16 March runners took on the challenging course, often the prelude to the spring marathon training season.

First home, in a superb 27th place out of the field of 462 finishers, was in-form Luke Brown in 1:36:15, fresh from last week’s great run in the Frostbite League.

First lady home was Nina Markillie with 2:19:48.

Nina has now run this race five years on the trot and impressively has pb’d each time, beating last year’s time by five minutes.

Full results, Folksworth 15: Luke Brown 1:36:15, Mick Stacey 1:48:34, Steven Robinette 1:49:01, Daniel Barber 1:49:45, Brian Harding 2:02:06, Phillip Beldom 2:07:40, James Arran 2:10:44, Jon Long 2:15:58, Tom Orr: 2:19:36, Nina Markillie 2:19:48, Stephen Starr 2:19:48, Scott Bywater 2:26:31, Graeme Dedman 2:26:41, Jordan Lancaster 2:41:07, Malcolm Hunt 2:51:33, Suzanne Orr 3:08:30.

SE Region Police Sport UK Cross Country Championships: Teilo Pearce 42:44.

England Masters ½ marathon Qualifier: Toni Alcaraz 1:25:28.