CROWD lined the streets to support the first Ealing Half Marathon on Sunday.

In fair weather, the sell-out race was hailed a success, with the only hiccup being a slight delay at the start of the race, due to an incident in Drayton Bridge Road.

The starting gun was fired at 9.34am by council leader Julian Bell.

The single-lap route took in parts of Central Ealing, Montpelier, Pitshanger, West Ealing, Hanwell and St Stephen’s before returning to Lammas Park via Uxbridge Road and Walpole Park.

Organisers were quick to recognise the contribution of Ealing residents.
Race director Kelvin Walker said: “Ealing has done us proud today. The support from the community and from spectators around the course has been fantastic, spurring on the runners.”

Adrian Lurie, 39, from Ealing, said he had run the route two weeks earlier in training.

“It makes so much difference with the crowds cheering you on,” he said.  “I really hope they [the organisers] are going to do it again.”

“They didn’t tell us about all the hills in the brochure,” said Hiren, 26 from Hounslow. “It was a good course. I felt really well looked after out there.”

Jonathan Stead, of Herne Hill Harriers, was the clear winner in a time of 1:09:51, a minute and a half ahead of the runner-up, John Franklin, of Metropolitan Police AC.

Robert Wilson, of Ealing, Southall and Middlesex AC, took third place in a time of 1:13:09.

Gabriel Carnwath, of Altrincham & District AC, took the inaugural women’s title in a time of 1:23:43, followed by Issy Menzies, of the Army Athletics Association, in 1:25:06 and Jenny Simms in 1:27:11. 

The total number of runners who crossed the finish line was 3,372.

The winners received a £150 cash prize plus £100 worth of Up & Running vouchers, a Garmin Forerunner 610 and a magnum of champagne.

Epilepsy Action was the official charity of the half-marathon.