O’BRIEN BREEZES TO DASH TITLE
Cannock & Stafford AC’s Welsh 800m international James O’Brien braved the near autumnal weather at Saturday’s (August 20th) Lichfield Dash round Cathedral Close to closely beat Tamworth AC’s promising 400m athlete Tom Randolph to win the Dash crown and beat the 12 noon chimes to join the small band of top athletes who achieved both since the event started in 1998.
O’Brien, 19, took a quick line advantage right from the outset and as he hit the back straight in the The Close and the strong wind he battled up the home lap and rounded the final bend to take the cheers of the crowd gathered to welcome back Lichfield’s most unique sporting occasion.
Held for the first time since Olympic year 2012, the return of the Dash is a triumph for Dash founder Kevin Wilson of organisers KP Events and he was pleased to see the event back in its spiritual home; “The dash is really really special to this city and on such a horrible ‘summers’ day the turnout for all the support events for kids, the wonderfully quirky Lichwheel’d and their madcap bikes and cycles and the fantastic atmosphere on the line for the main dash made it all worthwhile. Let’s hope it’s back to stay.”
In the Dash Elite Mile Tamworth AC’s Bikram Singh beat KP Events ambassador Phil Clamp into second place.
Full Dash results
1st James O’Brien (Cannock and Stafford AC) 55.84 seconds (within the chimes)
2nd Tom Randolph (Tamworth AC) 56.10 (within the chimes)
3rd Aaron Brown (Tipton Harriers ) 56.97 (within the chimes)
4th James Whitehouse (Birchfield Harriers) 1:04.40
5th Joey Shirley (Lichfield Football Academy)
6th Wayne Wilson
7th Fiona McKean (Lichfield Running Club)
(Click to enlarge images)