Results from the Welsh Road Relay Championships, Northern Relays, Müller Para-Track Grand Prix, Great Bristol Half Marathon and more

Coverage of Geoffrey Kamworor’s world half-marathon record in Copenhagen can be found here, while day-by-day reports on European Masters Championships action in Italy can be found here.

Other recent highlights are below.

Welsh Road Relay Championships, Pembrey Country Park, September 15

Cardiff AC scored a senior race double at the Welsh Road Relay Championships, Alex Donald reports.

Swansea Harriers were the defending champions in both races but it was the teams from the capital city that were by far the strongest at the 52nd edition of the championships.

The event returned to Pembrey Country Park near Llanelli, hosting a trial trace for the ERRA National Road Relays for the first time and with competitors enjoying far better weather conditions than when torrential rain blighted the races 12 months ago.

The Cardiff women’s team enjoyed a gun to tape victory, led off by Lucy Marland who came home with a 90 second margin after the first leg. UK Inter-Counties champion Jenny Nesbitt was third off for the Cardiff team, comfortably fastest with a time of 19:11. Clara Evans enjoyed the glory leg in a time of 19:25 as the second fastest of the day.

Swansea Harriers cleared out the podium places with silver and bronze team medals.

It took their men’s team slightly longer to settle, taking the lead at the end of the second leg courtesy of British 50km record-holder Dan Nash. Jake Smith increased the lead on the penultimate leg, recording the fastest time over the 5.6km course in 16:48.

Ciaran Lewis was second fastest of the day on the final leg, bringing his team one step closer to taking the victory at the ERRA National Autumn Relays that they have been targeting.

Pontypridd Roadents were the silver medallists led by Paul Graham who was their fastest man and had led after the race outright on the first leg. Aberdare Valley AAC retained their bronze medals from last year.

The event also hosted the championships for masters with team victories going to Les Croupiers RC, Parc Bryn Bach RC, Pontypridd Roadents and Swansea Harriers.

Lloyd Sheppard was the fastest U17 of the day, leading his Cardiff team to victory just three seconds faster than Welsh 1500m record-holder Ben Reynolds. Nia Clatworthy was the quickest U17 woman, helping her Cardiff team to a substantial victory over second-placed Cardiff Archers.

Maldwyn Harriers were U15 boys’ victors with local club Carmarthen Harriers retaining their U13 boys crown. Cardiff took the remaining U15 and U13 girls honours.

Northern men’s 6- and women’s 4-stage Relays, Manchester, September 15

An overcast day saw Leeds men move up from second last year to take the title, but their women could not quite make it a double, Martin Duff reports.

After three successive third places it was Rotherham who moved through from fifth on the penultimate leg to take the title through Nicola Devine. Leeds and Lincoln Wellington finished in close order. However, it was Lincoln’s Abbie Donnelly who was quickest after taking the opening women’s stage.

Leeds’ men have now set their sights on the ERRA 6-stage championship next month as the only national event that they have not previously won. They had an easy run here as Lincoln Wellington, winners for the past two years, failed to put in an appearance.

It was Leeds’ Phil Sesemann who was quickest with a 19:22 split for the 6674-metre long double lap on leg four.

The day had begun with the young athletes’ events and the U13 events held over a three 3.51km stage.

Once again it was just Vale Royal who won two titles in the young athletes’ races. Holly Weedall helped them with a retention of their girls’ title as their boys made it an U15 double.

Müller Para-Track Grand Prix, Kirkby, September 14

An event co-organised by Paralympians Hannah Cockroft and Nathan Maguire gave athletes the chance to compete before World Para Athletics Championships team selection takes place.

Cockroft was among those racing and the multiple T34 world record-holder and global gold medallist finished second behind double T53 world champion Sammi Kinghorn in the 400m, 57.10 to 57.80, and in the 800m, 1:59.16 to 1:59.62.

Maguire clocked 1:42.57 to finish behind Richard Chiassaro with 1:41.99 in the men’s T54 800m.

Libby Clegg continued her comeback by clocking 13.81 for 100m.

Simplyhealth Great Bristol Half Marathon, September 15

Cardiff’s Matt Clowes and Winchester’s Annabel Gummow claimed victory, clocking 65:08 and 77:05 respectively.

Annabel Gummow from Winchester and District AC takes the win for the women in the @SimplyhealthUK #GreatBristolHalf!? pic.twitter.com/l2c04nc1uF

— Great Run (@Great_Run) September 15, 2019

Alex Carter was second in the men’s race in 68:37, while local athlete Harry Allen from Bristol West AC clinched third in 69:30.

Women’s runner-up was Jennifer Beckingham in 80:09, while Kate Drew was third in 80:38.

Almost 10,000 runners took part in the event.

Drei Zinnen Alpine Run, Italy, September 15

Britain’s Sarah Tunstall and Eritrea’s Petro Mamu won the penultimate race in the WMRA World Cup series.

Tunstall clocked 1:41:45 for the 17km course with 1300m of uphill climb to win in a course record ahead of Ireland’s WMRA World Cup leader Sarah McCormack with 1:46:21 and Swiss Victoria Kreuzer with 1:47:40.

Sarah Tunstall is back! Fighting with some injures after Glossglockner race, she's now planning to be selected for Argentina ?? World Champs and running in Smarna Gora ?? for World Cup's last Stage!@FastRunning @BritAthletics @mountainrunuk @EnglandAthletic @KeswickAC pic.twitter.com/6jC5dQ8rvQ

— WMRA (@WMRAmountainrun) September 14, 2019

Mamu improved his own course record with his time of 1:22:37 ahead of USA’s Joe Gray with 1:23:09.

Eritrea’s Filimon Abraham was third in 1:25:55, while Italy’s Francesco Puppi was fourth in 1:27:29 and Britain’s WMRA World Cup leader Andy Douglas fifth in 1:27:48.

Richmond RUNFEST, London, September 14/15

The action started with the Kew Gardens 10km which was won by Olympic marathoner Scott Overall in 30:02 and Lesley Locks in 36:31.

In the following day’s half-marathon, Paskar Owor and Tracy Barlow claimed victory thanks to their respective times of 71:35 and 76:49, with GB international Barlow placing seventh overall.

Marathon winners were 2010 European 10,000m silver medallist Chris Thompson in 2:30:09 and Lindy-Lee Folscher in 2:58:19.

?Congratulations to our marathon winners @Thommo10k and Lindy-Lee Foltscher, who not only take the crown today but have also won a trip to the @Cayman_Islands!! #marathon #runrichmond #richmondrunfest pic.twitter.com/XMYWIQbIxG

— RICHMOND RUNFEST (@RichmondRunFest) September 15, 2019

Marathon Grand Championship, Tokyo, Japan, September 15

Shogo Nakamura and Honami Maeda claimed victory as athletes raced for 2020 Olympic Games places.

Nakamura won by eight seconds in 2:11:28 ahead of Yuma Hattori, while Maeda took the women’s title in 2:25:15 ahead of Ayuko Suzuki’s 2:29:02.

Cape Town Marathon, South Africa, September 15

Celestine Chepchirchir set a course record of 2:26:44 to win ahead of Ethiopians Nurit Shimels (2:27:40) and Gete Mindaye (2:28:32).

Kenyans Edwin Kibet Koech (2:09:20) and Daniel Muindi Muteti (2:09:25) claimed a Kenyan one-two in the men’s race. Morocco’s Mohamed Ziani was third (2:09:29).

Kamila Skolimowska Memorial, Poland, September 14

Konrad Bukowiecki broke the European under-23 shot put record with a throw of 22.25m.

Here is Konrad Bukowiecki smashing the European U23 shot put record at the Kamila Skolimowska Memorial in Chorzow tonight. ? pic.twitter.com/8yo2gD0s6K

— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) September 14, 2019

Steven Gardiner won the 400m in 44.14 ahead of Britain’s Rabah Yousif with 46.02, while Allyson Felix won the women’s race ahead of Justyna Swiety-Ersetic, 51.47 to 51.54.