ERRA Nike National Road Relays

Sutton Park, Sat. 8th Apr. 2006

Left: Heather on the finishing leg one. Right: Jeanette flat out on leg two.

B&R women’s team had been incomplete at the Midlands relays two weeks before but were still able to run in the national six stage event. Heather Blaymire-Brown ran the first three mile leg in 20-39, just fractionally slower than in the Midlands event. The team climbed five places on the second leg as Jeanette Malin improved on her previous outing by six seconds, clocking 20-37. Third leg runner Helen Russell was the only B&R woman to break 20 minutes on the day with a time of 19-56 to maintain the team’s position. The team climbed five places as Jo Hounsell, running only her second race after having a baby last year, recorded 22-13 for leg four. Team captain Ann Stuart ran 22-09 and pulled the team up two places to 42nd. The team finished 39th with Jane Anderson running the anchor leg in 21-53 after missing the Midlands through injury. B&R were only three minutes and five places behind Birchfield Harriers whose fastest leg was run by local athlete Cath Mijovic (18-40). Of our Worcestershire rivals, only Kidderminster & Stourport (30th in 2-00-12) finished with Halesowen fielding an incomplete team.

Left: Helen running B&R’s fastest leg. Right: Jo sets off on leg four.

An exciting race was won by Chester-Le-Street & District AC (1-44-12) who only took the lead on the last leg to win by 30 seconds from Winchester & District AC. Third-placed Bristol & West AC were just another seven seconds behind. In fact the lead had changed hands four times during the race: Hallamshire Harriers first back after the opening leg, local club Royal Sutton Coldfield leading the way after two legs, Sale Harriers taking over on the third before Winchester & District had the best of it for two laps only to be caught at the last. Sixty three teams started the race with forty-five completing the six stages. The fastest leg of the day was run by Hallamshire’s  H. Dean in 16-16.

The men’s national twelve stage relay was also held at Sutton Park on the same day but B&R men’s team had been incomplete at the Midlands relays and so had not qualified. Leeds City led for six legs in the middle of the race but eventually slipped to fourth as Newham & Essex Beagles led over the last four legs to win in 4-10-08. Sale Harriers Manchester were runners up (4-11-39) ahead of third-placed Belgrave Harriers (4-12-09). The fastest long leg and short leg were run by M. Farah (N&E Beagles, 25-27) and C. Thompson (Aldershot, 14-02) respectively. There were sixty-one complete teams and Worcestershire’s only finishers were Halesowen, 54th in 4-55-54.

P.A. 19-4-06