Athletes once again impress at English Road Running Association men’s 12 and women’s 6-stage championships at Sutton Park
ERRA MEN’S 12 & WOMEN’S 6-STAGE ROAD RELAY, Sutton Park, Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands, April 12
On a sometimes sunny, but often overcast day, Bristol & West secured victory in the men’s 12-stage relay, while Aldershot, Farnham & District triumphed in the women’s 6-stage relay.
Just as for the Midland Championship – two weeks earlier at the same venue – Sutton Park’s authorities had decided to allow public access through Streetly Gate at the far end of the long-stage dog leg. This meant that the race was forced into using just the previous short stage for all legs, 12 for the men and six for the women.
Purists and old-stagers rued the loss of the long legs in both men’s and women’s races but others thought that the racing was more competitive and preferred the format. The alternative is to possibly seek a two-lap long stage, with its attendant difficulties, or decamp to a new venue such as Mallory Park where the British Vets now hold their relays.
Bristol & West (Graham Smith)
Men
Midland winners and English National cross-country champions Bristol & West made their intentions clear from the start and stayed ahead for most of the race before Highgate interrupted their party on leg nine through Peter Chambers. This was before Will Battershill stormed to the second quickest time of the day with a leg of 14:30.
It was Bristol’s first victory since their phenomenal 1980 12-stage course record and marked the retirement of their long-serving team manage Mike Down. However, it nearly ended in disaster as Battershill twisted his ankle on some gravel near Keepers’ Pool. He gamely carried on with adrenaline ensuring that he got up the final hill, round the tight turn and up to the finish tape.
Then it was straight to the first aid tent, an ice pack and elastic bandaging.
Battershill, who has a best of 8:21.63 in the 3000m steeplechase, said: “I went out hard from the start as I thought I could catch them but my ankle twisted by the lake. I ran it off after limping.” The fastest lap time would surely have been his without the injury.
As it was, that honour went to Pontypridd Roadent’s Jake Smith, who ran 14:28 on stage seven to advance his club ten spots to eighth place. He said: “I got out very hard and then held it together and I am getting ready for the London Marathon where I want sub-2:10.”
Smith has only had a couple of parkrun outings this year but boasts respective 10km and marathon bests of 29:22 and 2:11:00.
Jake Smith (Graham Smith)
Earlier there was the usual dust up on the opening stage, which was reduced to the 3.165-mile lap previously used for just the short stage here.
After Ben Alcock had led early on for Bedford & County, it was Belgrave’s Matthew Merrick who narrowly took opening stage honours from Highgate’s Seyed Ghafari in 14:46. Merrick said: “I was second then, when we took the corner, I opened my legs and stretched it and he (Highgate) was breathing heavily.”
Bristol & West were back in a close sixth spot thanks to Midland first stage winner Felix McGrath but they soon moved up and Kurt Taylor chased home Liverpool’s Matthew Jackson on stage two, both running 14:58. But the star here was Calum Johnson, who gained an incredible 21 places to fourth for Gateshead with the third quickest time of 14:34.
After Dage Minors gave Bristol the lead on leg three, slow times then kept them clear of the field as Highgate closed, then lost ground with each passing lap, before Chambers gave them hope by taking a five second lead on stage nine.
Earlier on stage five Cambridge & Coleridge’s Jack Gray closed seven spots to fifth before revealing that their “second leg runner had not been released.” Top M45 Alastair Watson was just a tick slower than Gray with a 15:07 clocking before saying: “I’m happy with that but the honour of fastest veteran had earlier gone to Kent’s John Gilbert who ran 15:05.”
Men’s start (Martin Duff)
Alexander Lepretre and Jacob Allen took them 31 seconds clear of Bristol with just one leg to go and they thought they had done enough to hold on. It was not to be, thanks to Battershill’s heroics. Sore ankle and all.
Having a quiet day were 2023 winners Central AC, who had Andrew Butchart as the fastest long leg runner two years ago. Here, the 2021 Olympian helped his club up six places to eighth, on leg eight with 14:43, before admitting that he regretted his move to 26.2 miles, where he failed to finish the 2023 New York Marathon.
He stated that this summer he is aiming for a sub-13 minute 5000m – his personal best of 13:06.21 dates back to 2019.
Bristol team manager Down had missed their Midland victory on the same course two weeks earlier. He was quite seriously ill then and said: “I was in hospital for three weeks and lost all my teeth.” He said that he had finally managed his squad to victory after 21 years of trying.
The present short stage has only been used since 2014 and Emile Cairess held the lap record at 14:43 since 2019, before this year’s outing, but there was a serious revision to the best times this year. This was possibly because athletes who might have run a long stage, had that been on offer, were prominent on the short one.
The top six here all bettered Cairess’ time and nine of the post 2014 course bests were set this year.
Emile Cairess (Graham Smith)
Men (12×3.165M): 1 Bristol & West 3:02:35 (F Mcgrath (6) 14:58, K Taylor (2) 14:58, D Minors (1) 15:22, M Campion (1) 15:17, J Morrow (1) 15:14, D Rigby (1) 15:52, L Burgess (1) 15:18, M Davis (1) 15:07, D Studley (2) 15:48, B Robinson (3) 15:08, J Millar (2) 15:03, W Battershill (1) 14:30); 2 Highgate 3:02:57 (S Ghafari (2) 14:48, T Chadwick (6) 15:26, F Grierson (2) 15:07, F Kent (3) 15:54, M Watson (5) 15:29, D Lewis (4) 15:40, R Poolman (2) 14:50, S Jinks (2) 15:43, P Chambers (1) 14:52, A Lepretre (2) 14:52, J Allen (1) 14:53, J Young (2) 15:23); 3 Cambridge & Coleridge 3:04:27 (L McCarron (10) 15:04, N Shreeve (19) 15:55, L Conway (18) 15:40, S Anthony (13) 15:27, J Gray (6) 15:06, E (3) 15:04, O Newman (4) 15:19, M Bartram (3) 15:48, T Keen (3) 14:43, M Morgan (5) 15:47, N Mapperley (3) 14:50, E Spencer (3) 15:44); 4 Tonbridge 3:05:29 (A Howard (13) 15:07, C Gibbens (5) 15:01, L Mills (9) 15:49, T Higgins (2) 14:54, J MacDonald (2) 15:39, H Fraser (5) 15:55, W Beeston (5) 15:29, S Strange (5) 15:41, B Cole (4) 15:28, J Kingston (4) 14:38, J Crombie (4) 16:07, J Higgins (4) 15:41); 5 Leeds 3:06:13 (J Hall (19) 15:19, L Taylor (13) 15:17, S Flanagan (19) 16:05, A Dunn (20) 16:09, A Cole (16) 15:51, J Woodcock-Shaw (10) 15:29, A Baker (8) 15:40, G Rush (7) 15:08, M Bostock (6) 15:22, J Lunn (6) 15:31, R Allen (6) 15:03, J Sagar (5) 15:19); 6 Belgrave 3:07:00 (M Merrick (1) 14:46, O Garrod (8) 15:39, H Fry (6) 15:27, R Kelly (15) 16:20, E Jodrell (13) 16:03, S Sommerville (11) 15:56, B Coughlan (12) 16:02, H Hart (11) 15:15, R Serif (9) 15:12, J Hancock (9) 15:33, A Fyfe (8) 15:40, N Goolab (6) 15:07); 7 Kent 3:07:36 (R Sesemann (15) 15:10, J Gilbert (7) 15:05, M Nicholls (7) 15:37, H Tivnen (11) 16:05, B Clarke (10) 15:51, J Simmonds (9) 15:36, N Acfield (7) 15:54, J English (6) 15:35, F Delgado (8) 15:47, C Dockerill (10) 15:49, J Collier (9) 15:31, O Hind (7) 15:36); 8 Western Tempo 3:08:32 (B Price (29) 15:34, C Jones (20) 15:27, D Gillett (12) 15:09, D Owen (12) 15:52, J Cann (3) 14:39, D James (2) 15:05, K Evans-Lombe (3) 15:46, P Wylie (4) 15:53, M Kelly (5) 16:20, A Lee (8) 16:21, G Jones (10) 16:12, A Lygo (8) 16:14); 9 Central 3:08:41 (A Marshall (7) 15:00, J Marshall (17) 15:53, L Beagley (16) 15:37, A Dunlop (18) 16:07, J Wood (23) 17:05, S Green (21) 15:51, C Milne (15) 15:08, A Butchart (9) 14:43, H Hickey (7) 14:57, C Phillip (7) 15:42, L Fanotolli (7) 15:40, C Fullerton (9) 16:58); 10 VP&TH 3:10:44 (S Lewis (21) 15:23, R Bartram (24) 15:48, A Gladley (25) 16:01, H Wells (21) 15:43, A Lawrence (12) 15:20, D Howarth (13) 16:13, A Millbery (13) 16:11, J Hotham (15) 16:18, T Holliday (14) 15:51, A Dickson-Bell (14) 16:01, D Bolt (13) 16:15, L Minale (11) ); 11 Herne Hill 3:11:06 (D Shaw (24) 15:27, A Ludewick (11) 15:04, T Austin (11) 15:38, O Mills (16) 16:18, H Bell (21) 16:44, T Patterson (20) 16:20, M Roberts (17) 15:45, S Brashaw (17) 16:03, B Dewar (15) 15:32, A Clarke (13) 15:54, A Russell (11) 16:10, R Tanguy (12) 16:11); 12 Hercules Wimbledon 3:11:49 (C Eastaugh (31) 15:39, F Hessian (15) 15:03, A Walton (15) 15:45, C Wyllie (9) 15:20, J Stockings (7) 15:37, F Slemeck (8) 15:59, S Todd (11) 16:34, G Mallett (12) 15:45, O Carrington (10) 15:50, T Drayton (11) 16:39, V Baranov (12) 16:51, E Mallett (13) ); 13 Pontypridd Roadents 3:12:39 (M Ward (12) 15:06, J Heneghan (10) 15:21, P Copeland (4) 15:08, T Baird (7) 16:01, J Smith (20) 17:26, D Smith (19) 16:21, J Smith (9) 14:28, A Bull (10) 15:36, P Graham (11) 16:18, J Blackburn (12) 16:29, S Boreham (14) 16:51, J Peters (14) 17:34); 14 Meirionnydd 3:12:43 (R Owen (22) 15:23, D Kashi (27) 15:51, D Griffith (21) 15:46, R Challinor (23) 16:06, T Roberts (19) 15:51, A Jones (18) 16:17, G Stuart (18) 16:04, G Roberts (18) 16:14, B Harding (18) 16:48, O Roberts (18) 15:53, M Kendall (16) 16:24, R Bentley (15) 16:); 15 Corstorphine 3:13:32 (A Smith (9) 15:03, A Hoyle (21) 16:04, R Gardiner (17) 15:29, S Livingstone (19) 16:12, C McKenzie (18) 16:00, J Dunn (15) 15:58, J Eykelbosch (16) 16:14, J Barrable (16) 16:12, D Selman (17) 16:01, D Macaulay (17) 16:34, F Smith (17) 16:59, C Hunter (16)); 16 Salford 3:15:00 (C Davidson (30) 15:35, D Barratt (14) 15:06, J Birmingham (13) 15:30, A Ediker (14) 15:56, C Jones (15) 16:30, H Wakefield (7) 14:45, P Henderson (14) 17:18, A Chambers (14) 15:44, G Priestley (16) 16:40, K Darcy (16) 16:29, T Cornthwaite (18) 18:59, B Li); 17 Liverpool 3:16:09 (J O’Farrell (4) 14:56, M Jackson (1) 14:58, M McCarthy (5) 15:57, J Niven (5) 15:30, D Naylor (8) 16:19, T Rogerson (12) 16:41, M Ryan (19) 17:11, H Lupton (19) 16:13, S Campbell (19) 16:55, B Moorcroft (20) 17:04, H Care (20) 17:17, R Patel (18) 17:08); 18 Aldershot Farnham & District (A Pointon (35) 15:44, L Stone (28) 15:40, C Charleston (23) 15:45, C Stephenson (25) 16:29, J O’Connell (17) 15:10, R Lovejoy (14) 15:49, S Eglen (10) 15:16, G Morris (13) 16:25, L Prior (13) 16:29, N Darlington (19) 18:21, J Langham (19) 17:39, J Boswell); 19 Morpeth 3:16:30 (P Smallcombe (16) 15:11, C Avery (9) 15:15, G Lowry (8) 15:29, F Brodie (4) 15:25, P Winkler (4) 15:22, J Dixon (6) 15:56, S Hancox (6) 16:12, C Marshall (8) 16:09, E Bond (12) 17:23, D Melling (15) 16:34, T Straughan (15) 17:35, R Hancox (20) 19:59); 20 BRAT 3:18:33 (D Robinson (55) 16:27, M Pearce (22) 14:41, R Vaughan (27) 16:38, D Bissuel (30) 16:53, W Maule (35) 17:28, J Tuffin (25) 14:51, H Brocklehurst (24) 17:12, O Jones (23) 16:43, D Teasdale (27) 17:55, A Lanz (24) 15:57, M Hill (24) 17:09, L Griffin (21) 16:); 21 Highgate B 3:18:44; 22 Bedford & County 3:19:02; 23 Notts 3:19:22; 24 Chelmsford 3:20:01; 25 Sale 3:20:10; 26 Cambridge & Coleridge B 3:20:26; 27 WG&EL 3:21:33; 28 Kent B 3:21:56; 29 Swindon 3:22:11; 30 Herne H B 3:23:11
Fastest: 1 J Smith (P’pridd) 14:28; W Battershill (B&W) 14:30; C Johnson (Gate) 14:34; J Kingston (Ton) 14:38; J Cann (W Tempo) 14:39; M Pearce (BRAT) 14:41
Aldershot, Farnham & District (Graham Smith)
Women
Aldershot’s women had been a dominant force in their six-stage race since their first victory in 2008, but this was their first win in just under a decade.
They started off with Phillipa Bowden, whose run of 16:53 placed her fifth in the post-2014 timings lists. They then lost the lead before regaining control mid-race and then went on to beat City of Leeds by just over a minute.
Bowden said: “I was in front after a mile but was telling myself there was somebody behind. I like Road Relays, they are good fun.”
It was Jade Morgan who led for Liverpool at the end of stage two after gaining nine positions but chasing her hard throughout were 2019 second placers Herne Hill. This was through the efforts of Lucy Jones, whose fastest women’s lap of 16:48 saw her club gain 12 places to second. Her time placed her fourth on the post-2014 lists.
Jones said: “I am just down from Fort Romeu. I felt smooth and pretty even, although it was warm.”
Herne Hill Harriers (Graham Smith)
Herne Hill stayed second at the mid-way point after Harriett Preedy’s 17:42 for Aldershot put them three seconds ahead. Twins Millie and then Maddie Jordan-Lee pushed the Aldershot lead out to nearly a minute, before Niamh Brown finished things off as the team won by 69 seconds.
Brown, who has been a regular in Aldershot teams in recent years, said: “It’s my first race back after seven months out with a long-term illness before I started back in February. The training is going well but I could not have done it without these guys.”
City of Leeds had moved up to second through Dominique Corradi on stage four, before Georgia Malir improved their position on the penultimate leg. Jenny Walsh had enough in hand to see off the faster Sophie Tooley of Herne Hill.
Belgrave team manager Charlie Dickinson had collapsed during the race but a teammate took him to hospital. He was compos mentis and said the day after the race: “I have been under the cardiology department for a few years with a first degree heart block and, after several tests, they kept me in last night for more tests.
“The outcome is more deterioration in the heart and they are going to fit a pacemaker next week, so hopefully I will be back to normal soon.”
Women’s start (Martin Duff)
Women (6×3.165M): 1 AFD 1:46:01 (P Bowden (1) 16:53, L Gent (5) 18:36, H Preedy (1) 17:42, M Jordan-Lee (1) 17:39, M Jordan-Lee (1) 17:36, N Brown (1) 17:35); 2 Leeds 1:47:10 (H Townsend (5) 17:16, E Curran (8) 18:37, K Ballantyne (3) 17:48, D Corradi (2) 17:48, G Malir (2) 17:46, J Walsh (2) 17:55); 3 Herne Hill 1:47:47 (D Hey (14) 18:03, L Jones (2) 16:48, B Proctor (2) 18:23, O Stillman (3) 18:21, H Keenan (3) 18:41, S Tooley (3) 17:31); 4 Belgrave 1:48:13 (M Corden-Lloyd (16) 18:11, E Bradley (9) 17:45, P Oliver (7) 18:33, S Hicks (4) 17:30, L Peters (4) 18:38, K Popadich (4) 17:36); 5 Guildford & Godalming 1:49:52 (S Lecoutre (4) 17:13, E Warren (3) 17:50, H Knights (8) 19:41, A Crane (5) 17:54, E Hudson (5) 19:13, S Monk (5) 18:01); 6 Team Bath 1:51:07 (T Nickell (15) 18:04, F Spruit (13) 18:31, I Gray (13) 19:21, S Wilson (11) 18:52, A Wallace (6) 18:13, A Domville (6) 18:06); 7 Swansea 1:52:19 (M Williams (26) 18:59, G Tutton (16) 18:25, H Kinane (10) 17:52, C Edwards (6) 18:17, M Mitchell (8) 20:18, S Howells (7) 18:28); 8 Tonbridge 1:52:40 (K Goodge (17) 18:19, C Alexander (4) 17:04, R Lefay (6) 19:03, A Souter (7) 19:16, L Thompson (7) 19:23, L Slack (8) 19:35); 9 Edinburgh 1:52:50 (K Walker (2) 17:04, M Sanchez-Oller (7) 18:37, A Vincent (11) 19:48, V Barthelmess (12) 19:46, H Cox (9) 18:37, P Carcas (9) 18:58); 10 Les Croupiers 1:52:55 (A Beynon-Evans (12) 17:46, N McDonald (14) 19:26, A Griffiths (15) 19:24, M Goddard (14) 19:09, N Kuiper (11) 18:39, L Flynn (10) 18:31); 11 Bristol & West 1:53:10 (C Baker (8) 17:30, K Entwistle (10) 18:33, A Hammersley (9) 18:42, H Green (9) 19:43, K Strange (13) 20:17, D Bruce (11) 18:25); 12 Salford 1:54:09 (S Bent (13) 17:51, E Platt (6) 17:41, E Russell (12) 20:14, L Lombard (10) 18:59, B Donnelly (10) 19:11, N Mason (12) 20:13); 13 Thames Valley 1:54:09 (C Hartley (27) 19:00, H Blake (15) 18:16, E Sheridan (17) 20:04, L Blythe (17) 19:39, L Dasilva (17) 19:40, T Barlow (13) 17:30); 14 Liverpool 1:54:53 (F O’Hare (10) 17:37, J Morgan (1) 17:09, N Donnelly (5) 19:17, M Hope (13) 21:29, B Dowsett (14) 19:59, A Smith (14) 19:22); 15 Belgrave B 1:55:17 (M Canham (25) 18:51, S Haileselase (20) 18:53, A Gandee (16) 19:20, G Holden (15) 19:01, L Goodson (15) 20:13, L Mangan (15) 18:59); 16 Cambridge & Coleridge 1:55:54 (E Ruane (6) 17:18, A Clarke (11) 18:53, E Leggate (4) 17:40, M Hodgson (8) 20:17, R Lloyd (12) 20:17, L Speed (16) 21:29); 17 Birchfield 1:56:26 (B Gunn (3) 17:09, A Taylor (21) 20:41, R Nicholls (14) 18:41, S Banks (18) 20:58, S McManus (16) 18:59, E Watters (17) 19:58); 18 Serpentine 1:58:03 (M Bagnati (28) 19:01, N Sheel (19) 18:40, S Dunley (20) 20:22, M Hemmings (19) 20:13, S Flanagan (19) 20:51, H Woodhead (18) 18:56); 19 Charnwood 1:58:34 (H Seager (20) 18:28, A Seager (22) 19:26, K Jalland (18) 19:44, J Anthony (16) 19:01, R Newport (18) 21:44, K Ramsey (19) 20:11); 20 Kent 1:58:40 (C Oxlade (33) 19:42, C Elms (30) 19:41, A Fawcett (25) 19:32, E Skinner (20) 20:56, M O’Connor (20) 19:58, A Parker (20) 18:51); 21 Steel City 1:59:51; 22 Bristol & West B 2:00:44; 23 Highgate 2:01:12; 24 Royal Sutton Coldfield 2:02:42; 25 Sale 2:04:06; 26 Birtley 2:05:27; 27 Holmfirth 2:06:30; 28 Tonbridge B 2:07:38; 29 Bromsgrove & Redditch 2:07:39; 30 Kent B 2:07:51
Fastest: L Jones (Herne H) 16:48; P Bowden (AFD) 16:53; C Alexander (Ton)/K Walker (Edin) 17:04; B Gunn (Bir)/J Morgan (Liv) 17:09
Billy Eccles (Graham Smith)
ERRA MEN’S YOUNG ATHLETES’ 5km CHAMPIONSHIP, Sutton Park, Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands, April 12
Billy Eccles got the event underway by just getting the better of Mansfield’s Jacob Nugent in the under-17 men’s event, winning by just a few seconds in 15:27 – a big improvement on his 16:12 last year.
He said of his rival: “He got 25 to 30 metres ahead as I faded but I got up and took it with 400m to go, getting around the last corner first.”
The under-17 women followed them around the 5km lap and Lincoln Wellington’s Isla Porter had a comfortable victory over Jasmine Wright in 17:41. She said: “We won the relay last year. With plans to race 1500m and 3000m on the track, Porter states her dream is an England vest.
It was also close in the under-15 boys’ event where Tom Thake just got the better of Goerge Watkins in 16:03. He said: “After two-and-a-half-km we were clear of the rest and we were setting the pace.”
Gabrielle Pinder took the lead of the under-15 girls’ race after one kilometre and went on to win in 17:25.
Isla Porter (Graham Smith)
U17 Men: 1 B Eccles (Bure) 15:27; 2 J Nugent (Mansf) 15:30; 3 J Ryan (Mansf) 15:48
TEAM: 1 Mansfield 13; 2 Bedford & County 18; 3 Tipton 47
U15 Boys: 1 T Thake (Hallam) 16:03; 2 G Watkins (WG&EL) 16:05; 3 K Sridhar (Darl) 16:07
TEAM: 1 BRAT 37; 2 Halesowen 46
U17 Women: 1 I Porter (Linc W) 17:41; 2 J Wright (Salf) 18:01; 3 H Cross (Lov) 18:14
TEAM: 1 Halesowen 15; 2 Liverpool 24
U15 Girls: 1 G Pinder (N Marske) 17:25; 2 I Yorke (Warriors) 17:47; 3 R Muphu (Liv) 18:30
TEAM: 1 Liverpool 21; 2 Warriors Pentathlon 22
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