Broadie in fine form at Battersea five mile

17th December 2022 By Cameron Gillies

Bedford’s Harry Brodie took three seconds of his five-mile personal best last night to back up his strong performance under the lights at Battersea Park, London.

Despite temperatures of -2 degrees, snow and train strikes, there was nothing stopping the strong field.

Bedford & County’s Senior Men’s team including Harry Brodie (number 23) at a chilly Battersea Park. Credit: Craig Emmerson, via Facebook

Brodie, who is one of Bedford’s top senior athletes recorded a new personal best in the time of 23:52. This was Brodies seventh record of the year after he recently broke his five-kilometer benchmark in Watford last June.

Brodie, who was running for his hometown club, gained an overall finishing position of fifth, just two seconds away from Cambridge & Coleridge athlete Jonathan Escalante-Phillips, in third spot.

It was a one-way breeze for the men’s top spot, as the strong grit and determination of Shaftesbury Barnet Harrier Henry McLuckie proved to be too dominant for the other top four athletes, winning by nine seconds.

Brodie who’s shown consistency this season patiently waited to up the pace when suitable to ensure him a rightful fifth place, beating Daniel Mulryan by two seconds.

On his season so far, Brodie said: “It’s been going alright up until Christmas when I got tonsillitis, I’m just getting back into the swing of things.

“I had some very decent sessions round Bedford Park, so I’m on track to doing a full weeks mileage next week.

“I’m happy with how the majority of the season had turned out, had some very decent races and ran some decent times especially for these five miles.”

The team was completed with Craig Emmerson, 21st place (25:00), James Minter, 28th place (25:19), and Sam Knee-Robinson, 43rd place (26:31).

Brodie’s performance bodes well for the next Chiltern League cross-country fixture, taking place on Saturday 14th January, which is being held at Campbell Park, Milton Keynes.