A recap of all the action from the South of England men’s 12 and women’s 6 stage road relays.
SOUTH OF ENGLAND 12 & WOMEN’S 6 STAGE ROAD RELAY CHAMPIONSHIPS, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, March 29
The area championship was the only one to retain the traditional alternate long and then short stages for the men, as the women ran long stage on the second and fourth legs.
None of the medallists from the last few years were on the podium in either the men’s or women’s events on a cold and blustery day.
Men
Cambridge & Coleridge and Tonbridge had not figured in the medals in the last few years, but both clubs had good pedigrees in relay championships. Here just four second separated them at the end of more than four hours running.
Highgate, champions in the past two years, wound up sixth, ahead of another former champion Kent, as 2023 winners Aldershot were fourth albeit nearly two minutes away from the medals.
It had been Sam Gebreselassie from Belgrave Harriers who led after the first leg from Victoria Park & Tower Hamlets’ Alex Lawrence, and then for much of the race it looked like Tonbridge would stroll it.
This came after a fastest long stage lap of 24:50 from James Kingston and then from Ted Higgins, whose 25:25 was third best. They also had Jack Higgins post the fastest short stage time of 14:43.
However, they ran out of steam with a post injury run by the normally reliable Stephen Strange on the long stage 11 and the race was lost.
Cambridge & Coleridge had Jack Gray run mid-race with a fifth best long leg effort of 25:55, before Jonathan Escalante-Phillips’ second quickest 25:44.
Then, finally, Tom Keen turned the knife with the third quickest short stage time of 14:59 and victory went to Cambridge & Coleridge.
Hercules Wimbledon had their moments with good long stage times from Andrew Penney and Charlie Sandison but they were only running for third from the half-distance.
Men (6×8.6km & 6 x 4.9km alternately): 1 Cambridge & C 4:12;18 (C Benyon 26:20, M Walk 15:19, J Moynihan 27:03, W Newcome 15:33, E Spencer 26:46, M Bartram 15:22, J Gray 25:55, T Vickery 15:44, M Morgan 27:22, F Krylander 16:07, J Escalante-Phillips 25:44, T Keen 14:59); 2 Tonbridge 4:12:22 (L Mills 26:46, H Fraser 15:04, A Howard 26:00, T Bawtree 15:41, J Crombie 27:52, J Chambers 15:16, J Kingston 24:50, C Laing 16:00, T Higgins 25:25, J Higgins 14:43, S Strange 29:03, C Chambers 15:36); 3 Hercules W 4:13:11 (G Mallett 26:49, W Lewis 15:01, C Sandison 26:19, J Stockings 15:16, A Penney 26:10, H Silverstein 15:30, O Carrington 27:03, J Bryant 15:45, F Slemeck 27:09, C Eastaugh 15:50, A Milne 26:27, J Hobden 15:53); 4 AFD 4:15:00 (W Smith 27:14, O Russell 15:39, L Stone 27:39, J Gunning 15:59, C Charleston 25:57, D Poulton 15:51, S Eglen 26:26, C Stephenson 15:44, J Blacknell 26:35, A Matthews 15:46, T Doran 26:51, D Blomquist 16:13); 5 Herne H 4:16:34 )Y O’Mahoney 27:36, S Bramwell 14:13, O Mills 26:54, R Hickey 15:45, T Austin 26:45, A ussell 15:44, D Shaw 27:30, H Bell 15:14, A Goncalves 27:53, T Patterson 15:42, S Brashaw 27:35, R Brown 15:37); 6 Highgate 4;17:32; 7 Kent 4:18:49; 8 Herts P 4:23:28; 9 Belgrave 4:24:12; 10 Bedford & C 4:24:30
Just 33 teams finished
Fastest (8.6km): Kingston 24:50; Escalante-Phillips 25:44; T Higgins 25:55; O Bell (Herts P) 25:53; S Gebreselassie (Belg)/Gray 25:55; Charleston 25:57
Fastest (4.9km): 1 Branwell 14:13; J Higgins 14:43; Keen 14:59; Lewis 15:02; Fraser 15:04; T Beale (Bed C) 15:09
Women
Belgrave Harriers have been winning team championships in the last few years, but not here as they have missed out on golds in the same three-year period. That was put right here though.
They won by 100 seconds from Herne Hill with Brighton Phoenix third and 20:24 champions Aldershot fourth. Holders Reading did not put in an appearance.
Earlier, Holly Parker had led for Phoenix on the 4.9km opener, with what ended up as the fastest provisional short stage time of 16:31, ahead of Sophie Tooley, whose mark for Herne Hill was an estimated 16:53.
Phoenix kept the lead on the second leg and 8.6km long stage through Milly Dickinson, as Victoria Park & Tower Hamlets went second thanks to Molly Bryan.
By the half-way point, Molly Canham had brought Belgrave up to challenge Phoenix’ leader Amy Harrisand, before Abbie Brooke swept the eventual winners clear by 44 seconds on the long fourth stage with the fastest provisional long leg time of 29:34.
Herne Hill’s Molly Smith chased hard, with a second quickest 29:44 and they moved up to second, with Phoenix now third.
The penultimate stage, a short one, saw Kristina Popaditch 80 seconds ahead, before Juliet Hodder finished the job with the third fastest effort of 17:06.
Women (4.9km, 8.6km, 4.9km, 8.6km, 2×4.9km): 1 Belgrave 2:09:56 (S Haileselassie 17:18, N Donegan 30:35, M Canham 17:51, A Brooke 29:34, K Popaditch 17:42, J Hodder 17:06); 2 Herne Hill 2:11:36 (S Tooley 16:53, M Coogan 30:47, B Proctor 20:38, M Smith 29:44, S Lockwood 18:18, H Keenan 17:36); 3 Brighton Phoenix 2;16:31 (H Parker 16:31, M Dickinson 30:44, A Harris 18:14, M Trafford 30:38, S Rushforth 18:49, M Edwards 18:55); 4 AFD 2:15:22 (N McLoughlin 17:59, H Preedy 30:33, E Wicks 19:15, L Gent 30:27, A Curtis 19:02, E Stevens 17:06); 5 C&C 2:15:47 (M Hodgson 18:36, J Colley 33:36, J Leggate 17:13, K Lowery 30:33, M Wood 18:47, L Shanahan 17:52); 6 Highgate 2:15:59; 7 VP&TH 2:17:08; 8 TVH 2:18:36; 9 Belgrave B 2:18:55; 10 Guildford & G 2:19:06
33 teams finished
Fastest (8.6km): Brooke 29:34; M Smith 29:44; Gent 30:27; Lowery/Preedy 30:33
Fastest (4.9km): Parker 16:31; Tooley 16:53; Hodder/Stevens 17:06; Leggate 17:13; Haileselassie 17:18
Note: fastest time estimated and provisional