BRITISH ULTRA FEST

THE British Ultra Fest at Radley College concluded with a French double in its six-day track race.

Didier Sessegolo and Christine David were crowned men’s and women’s champions as the supreme endurance event reached its climax on Saturday.

Sessegolo’s completed 533.6 miles or 858.7km, a mind-boggling 2,146 laps of the track in the allotted time.

David, who was fourth overall, topped the ladies’ rankings with 460.1 miles - 1,851 laps.

The British Ultra Fest combined six-day, 48-hour and 24-hour races for the first time in the UK.

Competitors could run for as much of their allotted time as they wanted and slept in tents or nearby school buildings.

All athletes wore chips to register how many laps of the 400m track they completed.

Among the records set was a new British vet 65 mark by Richard Brown, who finished seventh overall after completing 405.9 miles.

There was local representation in the 24-hour race, where Woodstock Harriers’ Paul Brackett, from Blackbird Leys, finished eighth after clocking up exactly 100 miles.

Brackett, who was also third vet 50 men home, battled back after feeling unwell overnight and sped up over the final few miles to achieve his target.

Radley College teacher and England ultra marathon international Paul Fernandez, who helped set up the event, completed 62.1 miles in 9hrs 45mins before dropping out.

BRITISH ULTRA FEST RESULTS
SIX DAYS
MEN
1 D Sessegolo (Fra) 533.6 miles, 2 W Sichel (Sco) 515.7, 3 C Ritella (Swe) 486.3.
LADIES
1 C David (Fra) 460.1, 2 E Bauer (USA) 438.6, 3 L Maclean (Sco) 312.3.
48 HOURS
MEN
1 P Perttila (Fin) 186.6, 2 P Simpson (Eng) 174.3, 3 J Horvath (Hun) 159.7.
LADIES
1 P Walker (Sco) 157.1, 2 F Rennie (Sco) 127.1.
24 HOURS
MEN
1 A Tallarita (Ita) 127.3, 2 M Ketteringham (Eng) 121.9, 3 J Mower (Wal) 114.8.
LADIES
1 A Green (Eng) 103.3, 2 R Benzimra (Eng) 86.5, 3 P Darmody (Eng) 75.9.