Harriers runner Jonathan Barnes is being tipped for an England call-up after a stunning run in the 50K at Gloucester.

Barnes finished second behind Mid Essex Casuals’ Charles Harpur in a time of three hours, six minutes, 56 seconds, a performance that certainly impressed race organiser Norman Wilson.

“That was a really good run,” said Wilson, who himself won the Berlin Marathon in 1977. “I believe he’s done enough to earn selection for England in the Anglo Celtic Plate.”

The 100K race, which this takes year place in Perth on Sunday 24th March, incorporates the British 100K road championship for 2019 and is also a home countries event.

And Barnes wasn’t the only runner from Gloucestershire to feature strongly in the 50K because Stroud AC’s Darren Jewell finished ninth in three hours, 40 minutes, 47 seconds; James Hobbs, of Dursley Running Club, was 12th in 4:11:07 and Clive Poole, who runs for Gloucester AC, was 17th in 4:45:07.

Norman Wilson, meanwhile, was delighted to see Samantha Amend complete in 3:28:07, because as well as being a race organiser he is also a coach.

The Belgrave Harriers runner, who is coached by Wilson, finished sixth overall and first lady and Wilson said: “She ran a PB, I was very pleased with her race.”

The 50K was just one of three races that took place on a big day of running in Gloucester.

The half marathon attracted some 900 runners, around 400 more than last year, and was won by Taunton AC’s Phil Burden in 1:12:28.

Again there were some good performances by competitors from Gloucestershire with Tewkesbury Running Club’s Mark Whyman finishing 35th in 1:24:37.

Cheltenham Harriers’ Fee Maycock was fourth female in 1:26:31 and Corinne Clark, of Cirencester AC, was not far behind in a time of 1:27:41.

More than 300 runners took part in the marathon with Ian Clark leading the field home in 2:45:43.

The annual event in Gloucester is organised by the Beyond the Limitations team of Anne and Norman Wilson, and the next big date on their race calendar is the City of Gloucester 10K on 19th May.