National Women's 4 Stage & Men's 6 Stage
Road Relays

Saturday 17th October 2009
Sutton Park, Birmingham

B&R women's team posted a total time of 1:15:27 for 4 x 4.315 km to finish 66th out of 73 complete teams (there were another 15 starters that did not have four runners). Georgie (Fleming) made a welcome return after her recent marriage to club mate Richard Dando (belated congratulations from us all). Richard was the dutiful husband and had also made the trip from Wales and supported Georgie at Sutton. Jane ran the quickest leg for the team and Ann took 40 seconds off her time from the Midlands Relays.

Name (Pos. at end of leg), Time.

Jane Hawkins (62) 17:04
Ann Stuart (61) 18:14
Georgie Freeman or Dando (67) 20:39
Gemma Clay (65) 19:30

Out of the 18 names that had been entered for the men's relay squad, only eight were still available by the start of the week. Many runners were struggling to recover from last Sunday's Birmingham Half Marathon. By Thursday a few more cry-offs meant that the men's team was no longer viable. A very disappointed men's team manager Len was still going to the relays to support the women's team and three of the younger men took up his offer to run an incomplete team to "go for times". Sean Bowden started carefully near the back of the field on a very competitive first leg and moved through the field to finish 55th out of 87 runners. He was delighted with his time of 18:45 for the 5.847 km lap, over a minute quicker than at the Midlands. On the second leg, Simon Lanckham timed himself at just seven seconds slower than his 21:06 performance in 2008 and was pleased given that it is harder to train now he is at University. Simon's official time was a bit more as he didn't hear his number called and had to vault the barrier of the pen after spotting Sean walking down the funnel from the finish. Mark Appleton, possibly making his senior road relay debut, was our third and last runner and set a good time of 22:59.

(Phil Anderson)