CORNWALL Athletic Club’s Ladies team were at it once again in the recent Virgin Money London Marathon, finishing second in the England Team Championships, extending an impressive run of Team Championship finishes, which has brought the club four podium positions in the last five years.

The team was led home by Emma Stepto, who recorded a time of 2.35.41, who was the second British finisher in the Elite race and also second in the England Championships. Emma also won the Veterans 45-49 age group with the club's second scoring runner, Zelah Morrall, not only finishing second in the same age group as her team captain but producing a new personal best time of 2.47.59 and coming home in a superb 16th place.

The third scoring team member and another of the club's very strong Veteran contingent, Donna Raggett, running her first marathon since 2008, clocked 3.07.43, ensuring the Cornish club finished second, almost nine minutes ahead of London Heathside but on the day were no match for the much younger Ladies from the winning club, Bristol and West AC.

Cornwall AC last won the National Ladies Marathon title in 2011, were second in 2012 and third in 2014 and their combined time of 8 hours 31 minutes 25 seconds, was the fastest ever recorded by the CAC Ladies at this event.

A relatively new recruit to the Cornwall AC Men's team, Falmouth's Paul Smith, who first competed for the club last June, produced one of the top Cornish performances of the day, knocking over eleven minutes off his personal best for the distance, crossing the line in 2.37.48, the second fastest Cornish runner home in 2015.

Cornwall Athletic Club fielded eighteen runners on the day, which included two debutants and eight achieving personal best performances. The other Cornwall AC finishers were, Steve Wherry (2.48.47), Andrew Eddison (2.58.15 PB), Jason Webb (Helston - 2.58.36), Phil Bolt (3.00.36), Paul Reeve (3.10.27 PB), Kathryn Burgess (3.10.45), Adrian Mutsaers (Falmouth - 3.12.05 PB), Helen Pearson (3.14.20), Kevin Williams (3.29.30), Viv Bray (3.30.29 PB), Rachael Thomas (3.32.52 PB), Jenny O'Brian (3.47.06), Kirstie Mutsaers (Falmouth - 3.47.09).