PAUL Smith had to settle for second place in the latest Duchy Athletics Network Summer Series race at Carn Brea Leisure Centre.

The Cornwall Athletics Club member who lives in Mawnan Smith clocked a time of 9:24 in a 3,000m race held on the venue’s track, which was won by his team-mate Dan Rodgers, who finished 43 seconds ahead.

They had set the pace at the start of the race, but Smith would soon find himself paying the price for this speed as he faded away from the leader as the run went on.

He still had enough in his legs to hold off the challenge of a foursome featuring two Cornwall AC runners, Dave Buzza and Helston’s Emma Stepto, along with Paul Whear of Carn Runners and Newquay Road Runners’ Ken Walker.

It was the latter who would end up in third place with a quick blast of acceleration in the home straight to get clear of Stepto before taking it at the line just in front of Paul Whear in a time of 9:32.

Cornwall AC would get another runner in the top ten as Steve Wherry finished ninth with a time of 9:49.

The host club also had a collection of athletes take up the spots from 11th to 13th place as 15-year-old Tom Slattery, from Falmouth, came ahead of Jason Webb and teenager James Williams, both from Helston.

Bailey Gill, the sole competitor from Falmouth Road Runners, finished 22nd overall in a time of 10:35, which would have placed him second in the evening’s B race.

RESULTS KEY FOR CLUBS BRR Bodmin Road Runners, CAC Cornwall AC, CR Carn Runners, ECH East Cornwall Harriers, FRR Falmouth Road Runners, HR Hayle Runners, MC Mud Crew, NP Newquay & Par AC, NRR Newquay Road Runners, U Unattached.

3K ‘A’ Race: 1 Dan Rodgers CAC 8.41, 2 Paul Smith CAC 9.24, 3 Ken Walker NRR 9.32, 4 Paul Whear CR 9.32, 5 Emma Stepto (1st Lady) CAC 9.33, 6 Dave Buzza CAC 9.38, 7 Alex Daniels NRR 9.42, 8 Jordan Morant HR 9.47, 9 Steve Wherry CAC 9.49, 10 Daniel Costello HR 9.50, 11 Tom Slattery (Under 17) CAC 9.56, 12 Jason Webb CAC 10.05, 13 James Williams (Under 17) CAC 10.10, 14 Scott Abraham HR 10.12, 15 Tom Luton NP 10.12, 16 Emma Schuck (2nd Lady) HR 10.13, 17 Eleanor Davis (3rd Lady) NRR 10.15, 18 Andrew Eddison CAC 10.21, 19 Craig Hall CR 10.27, 20 Paul Sole MC 10.32, 21 Alan Reid U 10.33, 22 Bailey Gill FRR 10.35, 23 John Sole BRR 10.54, 24 Martin Davis NRR 11.04, 25 Phil Bolt CAC 11.06, 26 Barrie Cardew CR 11.11.

3K ‘B’ Race: 1 Floyd Ratcliffe (Under 15) HR 10.29, 2 Dave Pell CAC 11.00, 3 Lee Channon CAC 11.07, 4 Tom Bell HR 11.08, 5 Joshua Taphouse (Under 17) U 11.17, 6 Shane Miller U 11.17, 7 Elowen Penfold (1st Lady/Under 15) NP 11.20, 8 Chris Ullman ECH 11.22, 9 Paul Wright NRR 11.31, 10 Steven Cooling HR 11.32, 11 Nigel Trevena CAC 11.13, 12 Peter Allen NRR 11.36, 13 Jason Axe NRR 11.42, 14 Melissa Reid (2nd Lady) U 11.52, 15 James Manning HR 11.56, 16 Nick Masters HR 12.11, 17 Lucy Paul (3rd Lady) HR 12.15, 18 David Kershaw HR 12.16, 19 Megan Davis (4th Lady) NRR 12.22, 20 John Horton NP 12.24, 21 Martha Carlisle (5th Lady/Under 17) CAC 12.26, 22 Ray Frith NRR 13.22.