Friday 13th did not prove to be unlucky for the University of Sheffield today, with their athletes winning both the men’s and women’s athletics long distance at Doncaster Dome.
UoS and SHU travelled to Doncaster in the afternoon for the 5k to kick off the second week of varsity. With points at stake, the runners faced the cold temperatures and rising winds around the cycle track.
The men’s race featured only University of Sheffield’s athletes. Harry Forman-Wilshaw took first place with a time of 15:25, followed by Laurence Manley and Stirling Green to complete the podium.
Athletes from both sides took part in the women’s race. Hannah Dale, in gold and black, set a personal best by crossing the finish line first after 18:50. The next person to finish was the University of Sheffield’s Hannah Tumia, before Sophie Wood paced third for a Hallam medal.
After the races, Sammy Rashid, the University of Sheffield’s distance coach, said: “We did fantastically well. It was a shame that Hallam men didn’t have a team, but we had some really good performances.
“And the women did really well. Hannah Dale ran away from the field then kept going which was fantastic. She was aiming for sub-19 and got sub-19.”
Grace Fordham, distance captain for Sheffield Hallam, said: “Personally, I didn’t have the best race. Not many people showed up, but the people who did did really well so I’m really proud of them.”
With more athletics to come on Monday with the Varsity track, both universities are still fighting for the points.
