AROUND 600 runners took part in Truro half-marathon yesterday (Sunday, September 13), running a 13-mile course around the city centre and the surrounding countryside including the Newham Trail, Calenick, Playing Place, Cowlands and Coombe.

The first male runner over the finish line was Tom Morton of Newquay and Par AFC with a time of 1:12:46. The first female runner was Emma Paull of Hayle Runners in 1:29:33.

In the teams league, Truro Running Club’s ladies team triumphed, with garlands for Jenna Bissell, Charlotte Maples, Mary Rossetti, Tanya Coleman, Hellen Mitchell and Lisa Wilson. Hayle Runners fielded the winning men’s team, consisting of Francis Malone Lee, Kyle Hampton, Daniel Millington, Amar Musneckis, Neil Hayhurst and Steven Wherry.

The slowest runner completed the route in just under three and a half hours.

Event organiser Andy Williams of Truro Running Club said the event went very well. “We were a bit nervous beforehand due to all the roadworks in the city centre – we thought it would be a nightmare,” he said.

“But we spoke to Cornwall Council and Cormac, who agreed to help us by moving the works out of the way so we could get round Boscawen Street, and we tweaked the course to go past Truro Cathedral and spend more time in Lemon Quay, where supporters were waving and cheering. It worked wonderfully in the end.”

Club secretary Nigel Knuckey, who is also Truro city councillor for Boscawen and Redannick ran his first Truro half-marathon 30 years ago and his last 10 years ago. “I recently turned 70, so it seemed like a milestone year to run it again,” he said. “My time of 2:22 might not seem great, but I was placed third in my age group, which amazes me – it doesn’t get any easier when you’re 70, but it was a really good day.”