Leeds take senior men’s gold and Vale Royal the women’s title as Jess Judd produces the individual run of the day in Sunday’s road relays at Birkenhead Park in Wirral

With three of the top five long stages of 8km, City of Leeds retained the men’s title that they had taken when the event was last run in 2019.

Vale Royal took the women’s six-stage event but it was Jessica Judd who again stood out as, just as in 2019, as she posted the fastest long stage.

Men

After Ossama Meslek had run Liverpool’s David Devine close on the 8km opener, Josh Woodcock-Shaw took Leeds ahead on the short 4km second stage and they were never subsequently headed. Paralympic T13 5000m fourth placer Devine’s 22:47 was second fastest overall, while Meslek slotted in fourth best.

David Mullarkey extended the Leeds advantage on the long stage three, his 22:57 being the fifth best effort of the day. Salford closed up three places to second, on this leg, after Chris Richards ran 22:56 for fourth quickest.

Josh Mitchell added a few seconds with the fastest fourth stage clocking, but then David Barratt and Karl Darcy on legs five and six, cut into the Leeds advantage so that the holders now led by just 11 seconds.

That sniff of the lead was short lived for Salford, as Phil Sesemann blasted out the fastest long stage of the day. His 22:46 was fully 46 seconds to the good of Joe Seward’s second-best stage run.

After his 2:12:58 marathon debut in London last October, the 2020 British 3000m indoor silver medallist took time out before road outings in Valencia and Ghent showed that his form was back.

Despite this apparent domination, Leeds could not take things easy as Salford again closed on stages eight and nine through Joseph Moores and Harry Wakefield and the gap to the lead was now just 17 seconds.

Again, Salford victory hopes were dashed as Josh Dickinson, Adam Houchell and ‘glory leg runner’ Nick Hooker all added a few seconds to Leeds winning margin of more than a minute.

Hallamshire spent much of the race in fifth place before Jed Bartlett and then Euan Brown each gained a slot to give them bronze ahead of Blackburn and Morpeth, who had earlier looked a safe bet for third.

Women

Vale Royal took an early lead in the women’s six-stage event through former Leigh runner Abigail Howarth’s 26:33 8km run, that saw City of Hull’s Charlotte Ward just a few ticks down. Then, after ceding the advantage to both Emma McColm’s Preston and then Che Wigfield-Turner’s Hallamshire on the short second and third stages, Vale Royal bounced back to take the lead on the long stage four.

This was thanks to Kate Moulds who, with just two short 4km legs left to run, delivered a 59 second lead for her club. Deep in the field, on this 8km fourth leg, Jess Judd gained nine places for Blackburn to move to ninth spot overall.

With the gaps widening in what turned out to be a low key turn out where just 34 teams finished, her run showed just what a good relay leg runner she is.

Her 25:25 clocking was over a minute faster than Howarth.

Last time out, Olympian Judd had gone fourth on the all-time 10km road list with 31:09 in the Trafford 10km after placing fourth in the European cross-country championships in December.

On the penultimate stage, Hallamshire’s Charlotte Slack was only able to snip three seconds from the Vale Royal lead of Elizabeth Renondeau, the 2021 UK second ranked W40 5km runner,

Many time Euro cross international Lauren Heyes did make inroads into the lead on the final circuit with the fastest short leg time of 12:38 but Sarah Dufour-Jackson saw Vale Royal home with 36 seconds to spare.

Behind, Northern cross-country silver medallist Sophie Tarver matched Heyes’ time to take a share of the fastest lap medal but her Wirral club wound up back in seventh spot.

Salford had a rocky start back in 14th on the first stage but gradually clawed back places before Ruth Jones saw them into the frame on the long fourth leg and Ty Brockley-Langford took heart behind Heyes’ run to claim the third-place team medals.

Men (3x8km, 3x4km alternating, then 6x4km):

1 Leeds 3:04:41 (O Meslek (2) 22:56, J Woodcock-Shaw (1) 11:35, D Mullarkey (1) 22:57, J Mitchell (1) 11:36, G Rush (1) 23:48, S Flanagan (1) 11:54, P Sesemann (1) 22:26, M Abshir (1) 11:35, G Chalmers (1) 11:30, J Dickinson (1) 11:19, A Houchell (1) 11:29, N Hooker (1) 11); 2 Salford  3:05:49 (T Cornthwaite (9) 23:41, M Cayton (5) 11:31, C Richards (2) 22:55, S Hopkins (2) 11:49, D Barratt (2) 23:18, K Darcy (2) 11:43, J Steward (2) 23:12, J Moores (2) 11:19, H Wakefield (2) 11:06, G Priestley (2) 11:35, R Smyk (2) 11:34, C Hardman (2) 12:06); 3 Hallamshire 3:10:23 (C Bell (7) 23:35, J McCrae (4) 11:28, J Hall (5) 23:49, M Fuller (5) 11:45, C Milnes (6) 24:37, A Mason (5) 11:36, J Birch (5) 24:29, K Sexton (5) 12:04, D Lewis (5) 11:58, L Cossham (5) 12:11, J Bartlett (4) 11:34, E Brown (3) 11:17); 4 Blackburn 3:10:41 (R Warner (5) 23:22, D Walton (3) 11:38, B Fish (4) 23:19, J Hindle (3) 12:00, C Davidson (3) 23:41, B Makin (3) 11:59, N McCormick (3) 23:45, N Gaskell (3) 12:52, S Walter (4) 12:27, J Holgate (4) 12:18, L Betts (5) 11:48, T Raynes (4) 11:32); 5 Morpeth 3:10:59 (S Hancox (4) 23:19, J Anderson (8) 12:07, G Lowry (6) 23:43, A Douglass (6) 11:44, G Rudman (4) 23:57, K Reay (4) 11:50, M Briggs (4) 24:20, D Melling (4) 12:04, P Winkler (3) 11:38, T Innes (3) 12:08, C Marshall (3) 11:50, A Lawrence (5) 12:19); 6 Liverpool 3:13:46 (D Devine (1) 22:47, S Flaherty (2) 12:10, T Rogerson (3) 23:20, T Dempsey (4) 12:08, H Blackburn (5) 24:30, D Gezimu (6) 12:33, L Burthem (6) 24:37, J Doherty (6) 12:06, E Dunn (6) 12:26, R Whiston (6) 12:32, A Rutherford (6) 11:58, N Jones (6) 12:39); 7 Sale 3:15:09 (D Gray (18) 24:35, N Martin (9) 11:02, P Robertson (10) 24:52, W Onek (9) 11:41, J Godwood (9) 25:29, P Peters (9) 12:28, D Kashi (8) 24:24, T Stephenson (8) 12:32, N Tynan (8) 12:22, N Barry (7) 11:39, B Brunswick (7) 11:42, M Barnes (7) 12:23); 8 Leeds 3:17:36 (W Indelbu (14) 24:09, T Davies (12) 11:59, C Oddy (12) 24:25, M Burrett (10) 12:11, A Bellew (8) 24:34, S Ellis (10) 13:14, J Cherriman (9) 25:24, R Smith (9) 12:15, J Allison (9) 12:38, J Stewart (9) 12:05, A Markos (9) 12:13, M Salter (8) 12:29); 9 Sunderland 3:20:10 (N Reed (23) 25:02, J Armstrong (15) 11:16, S Jackson (9) 23:54, M Wilson (7) 11:45, O Walpole (10) 25:55, S Armstrong (8) 11:49, J Pomfret (10) 26:20, S Rankin (10) 12:34, A Seed (10) 12:55, C Bell (10) 13:28, M Edwards (10) 13:04, C Gunn (10) 12:08); 10 Derby 3:21:20 (A Pilcher (11) 23:51, M Ward (17) 12:54, B Draper (14) 24:55, D Garji (18) 13:56, J Meader (16) 25:18, C Nightingale (16) 13:10, D Bishop (13) 24:01, J Garji (13) 13:51, J Mitchell (13) 12:50, G Cummings (13) 11:58, J Davies (11) 12:19, J Booth (11) 12:17); 11 Liverpool PS 3:22:52 (T O’Brien (24) 25:03, J Niven (16) 11:25, C Maher (15) 25:13, S Loughlin (13) 11:49, M Wynne (13) 26:00, R Harrison (11) 11:42, O Sutcliffe (11) 25:58, J Bride (11) 12:58, F Foster (11) 13:03, J Dickinson (11) 12:33, C Melling (12) 13:23, K Usher (12) 13:4); 12 Salford B 3:23:00 (D Rigby (38) 27:08, J Dutton (29) 11:52, J Bailey (23) 25:12, O Cook (22) 12:19, A Chambers (18) 24:58, B Lima (15) 12:02, M Collier (19) 26:41, S Bryan (15) 11:58, M Russell (15) 12:49, J Bristow (15) 12:43, S Matthews (13) 12:37, C Tully (13) 12:41); 13 Rotherham 3:23:17 (L Milburn (6) 23:30, J Wragg (10) 12:08, T Halloway (18) 26:55, D Tune (20) 13:40, S Gilson (19) 25:27, S Clegg (19) 12:32, G Sampson (17) 25:30, B Burton (14) 12:18, C Griffiths (14) 12:59, M Parker (14) 12:42, J Mellor (15) 13:07, A Johnson (14) 12:29); 14 Hallamshire B 3:23:33 (T Buckley (21) 24:49, C Fishwick (20) 12:46, R Smith (20) 25:29, D Stevens (16) 12:26, T Power (17) 25:40, J Panthradil (20) 13:05, W Hill (16) 24:59, J Patton (16) 13:15, S Muscroft (16) 13:32, C Battersby (16) 13:01, H Mackie (16) 12:00, B Sharrock (15)); 15 Trafford 3:24:21 (G Tomlinson (10) 23:42, J Wilkinson (13) 12:29, J Ferns (13) 25:00, M Sutton (14) 13:12, T Charles (14) 25:14, R Stevenson (12) 12:31, J Prest (12) 25:10, A Jones (12) 12:54, D Bowers (12) 13:10, S O’Meara (12) 12:35, J Fletcher (14) 14:24, G Marcroft (16); 16 Chorlton 3:25:42 (S Curley (12) 24:04, D Hughes (14) 12:09, J Savage (16) 25:30, B McCormack (15) 13:00, F MacDonald-Oulds (15) 25:42, J Lancaster (14) 12:37, M Devlin (15) 26:08, T Hindmarch (17) 13:24, R Price (17) 13:33, W Fossard (17) 13:20, A Haney (17) 12:36, J Moles ); 17 Rossendale H 3:27:15 (S Corbishley (27) 25:32, M Harris (21) 12:21, J Cleaver (22) 25:50, A Grenfell (21) 12:40, A Mellor (21) 25:23, B Kirkman (18) 12:24, R Webb (20) 27:00, S Greenwood (20) 13:24, J English (20) 13:08, C Clare (20) 13:08, B Dade (19) 12:47, C Snell (18) 13:3); 18 Horwich 3:27:57 (J Scott-Farrington (3) 23:16, S Walsh (6) 12:03, L Foley (8) 24:50, S Fairhurst (12) 13:12, S Bruton (12) 25:59, P Grundy (17) 14:46, J Mercer (14) 24:12, R O’Reilly (19) 15:10, J Bruton (19) 13:10, L Brindle (19) 13:32, M Taylor (20) 14:29, J Goudge (19) ); 19 Border 3:28:16 (J Douglas (8) 23:38, O Dustin (7) 11:43, T Humphries (11) 25:09, H Butler (11) 12:42, N Postill (11) 25:37, R Hodgson (13) 14:06, P Graves (18) 26:48, R Landon (18) 13:03, J Mason (18) 13:30, J Hull (18) 13:44, S Robinson (18) 13:35, G Millican (20) 14:41); 20 Valley St 3:30:35 (D Song (20) 24:48, T Thomas (19) 12:34, J Young (19) 25:17, R Howard (19) 13:05, R Panesar (20) 25:57, J Bundred (21) 13:55, J Hobbs (21) 26:33, G Taylor (21) 13:36, G Mann (21) 13:39, J Shanks (21) 12:49, M Dix (21) 14:31, S Storey (21) 13:51); 21 E Cheshire 3:33:48; 22 Bury 3:34:10; 23 Wirral 3:39:14; 24 Blackpool W&F 3:39:22; 25 Leigh 3:40:08; 26 Sale B 3:40:27; 27 Wigan 3:41:35; 28 Southport W 3:43:33; 29 Leeds C 3:44:42; 30 St Helens Sutton 3:44:53; 31 Salford 3:46:43; 32 Wigan P 3:49:31; 33  Preston 3:49:34; 34 Cheshire Dragons  3:56:01; 35 Liverpool PS B 3:57:47; 36 Saltaire 3:59:34; 37 Kendal 4:06:05; 38 Wirral B 4:06:46; 39 Holmfirth 4:09:26; 40 E Cheshire B 4:13:39

Fastest Long: P Sesemann (Leeds) 22:26; D Devine (Liv) 22:47; C Richards (Salf) 22:55; O Meslek (Leeds) 22;56; D Mullarkay (Leeds) 22:57; J Steward (Salf) 23:12

Fastest Short: N Martin (Sale) 11:02; H Wakefield (Salf) 11:06; J Armstrong (Sund) 11;16; E Brown (Hallam) 11:17; J Dickinson (Leeds)/J Moores (Salf) 11:19

44 teams finished

Women (1x8km, 2x4km, 1x8m, 2x4km):

1 Vale R 1:49:41 (A Howarth (1) 26:33, S Murphy (2) 13:56, H Carrington (2) 14:36, K Moulds (1) 27:41, E Renondeau (1) 13:37, S Dufour-Jackson (1) 13:18); 2 Hallamshire 1:50:17 (L Smith (5) 27:36, E Livera (3) 13:26, C Wigfield-Turner (1) 13:56, N Squires (2) 28:47, C Slack (2) 13:54, L Heyes (2) 12:38); 3 Salford 1:51:20 (S Carroll (14) 29:29, S Bent (9) 13:10, S Mason (4) 13:06, R Jones (3) 28:09, A Bratt (3) 13:58, T Brockley-Langford (3) 13:28); 4 Liverpool 1:52:55 (A O’Brien (4) 27:24, F O’Hare (4) 13:42, I Elliott (3) 14:06, F Corrick (5) 29:36, K Miller (5) 14:06, J Morgan (4) 14:01); 5 Cheshire Dragons 1:53:33 (J Marsden (7) 27:42, L Thompson (7) 14:37, A Cole (9) 14:51, A Bagnall (7) 29:00, C Parsons (6) 13:59, H Cowley (5) 13:24); 6 Rotherham 1:54:12 (K Pearson (11) 29:05, J Blizard (10) 13:38, K Rennocks (5) 13:13, N Devine (4) 28:19, H Fletcher-Poole (4) 14:18, M Taylor (6) 15:39); 7 Wirral 1:56:32 (E Kearney (8) 28:14, A Kearney (12) 16:00, S Phelan (11) 14:25, N Alleyne (11) 28:55, H Kini (10) 16:20, S Tarver (7) 12:38); 8 Derby 1:57:20 (L Palmer-Blount (6) 27:36, R Miller (6) 14:30, V Costa (7) 14:35, V Wills (10) 30:20, E Jones (8) 14:48, B Hudson (8) 15:31); 9 Blackburn 1:59:20 (J Nelson (20) 31:14, A Davies (22) 14:55, E Sagar-esketh (18) 15:02, J Judd (9) 25:25, E Charnley (7) 15:06, L Davies (9) 17:38); 10  Wigan & D 2:00:39 (A Alcock (12) 29:20, S Walley (11) 14:20, R Sidebotham (13) 15:26, L Williams (13) 29:55, K Hamilton (12) 15:52, E Robinson (10) 15:46); 11 Hull 2:00:55 (C Ward (2) 26:37, M Hatfield (5) 14:41, S Lee (8) 15:50, A Hammersley (8) 29:15, L Khan (13) 19:07, N Appleton (11) 15:25); 12 Preston 2:01:31 (R Rigby (3) 27:07, E McColm (1) 13:16, V Osten (6) 16:02, m Lam (6) 29:06, E Essex-Crosby (9) 17:13, J Lock (12) 18:47); 13 Trafford 2:01:51 (V Cronin (10) 28:49, K Meeson (13) 15:32, J Dawes (12) 14:29, E Ellyard (14) 31:48, M Monks (14) 15:34, Z Storr (13) 15:39); 14 Holmfirth 2:01:54 (R Sykes (9) 28:45, C Inch (8) 13:51, C Leaver-Hewitt (10) 15:10, H Croft (12) 30:30, A Smith (11) 16:18, O Dyson (14) 17:20); 15 Bury 2:02:17 (R Marshall (18) 30:17, N Ryan (15) 14:50, K Geelan (14) 14:59, S Thomas (16) 31:16, C Johnston (17) 15:37, H Griffiths (15) 15:18); 16 Sale 2:02:32 (L Martin (26) 31:54, L Armitage (20) 13:57, C Young (16) 14:42, L Barber (15) 30:44, A Brooks (16) 15:18, C Lord (16) 15:57); 17 Border 2:02:48 (K Douglas (27) 31:55, O Mason (19) 13:50, F Smith (19) 15:48, R Douglas (17) 30:37, F Todd (15) 14:19, T Medley (17) 16:19); 18 Warrington 2:05:28 (L Blizzard (29) 32:40, E Turnbull (29) 16:46, J Connolly (24) 15:20, R McQuillan (21) 29:10, F Lawton (19) 16:08, C Andrew (18) 15:24); 19 Salford B 2:05:43 (A Beaman (19) 31:04, E Grime (17) 14:27, E Collier (17) 15:16, L Coucill (18) 32:39, E Russell (18) 14:34, M Guzman (19) 17:43); 20 UTS 2:06:15 (F Hughes (13) 29:24, N Weeks (14) 15:41, E Mills (21) 17:10, S Hunt (20) 31:23, Y Ryan (20) 16:47, F Newton (20) 15:50); 21 Sunderland 2:08:23; 22 Heaton 2:08:25; 23 York Knaves 2:11:03; 24 E Cheshire 2:11:28; 25 Wigan Pm2:12:15; 26 Cheshire Dragons B 2:14:29; 27 Trafford 2:19:38 28 Wigan & D B 2:21:44; 29 Kendal 2:26:04; 30 Warrington B 2:26:17; 31 Horwich 2:32:55; 32 Burnden Rd 2:36:27; 33  UTS B 2:40:47; 34 Wigan & D C 2:43:20

Fastest Long: J Judd (B’burn) 25:25; A Howarth (Vale R) 26:33; C Ward (CoH) 26:37; R Rigby (Preston) 27:07; A O’Brien (Liv) 27:24; L Palmer-Blount (Der)/L Smith (Hallam) 27:36

Fastest Short: 1 L Heyes (Hallam)/S Tarver (Wirral) 12:38; S Mason (Salf) 13:06; S Bent (Salf) 13;10; K Rennocks (Roth) 13:13; E McColm (Preston) 13:16

NORTHERN ATHLETICS YOUNG ATHLETES 5km CHAMPIONSHIPS
The North seems to have taken this relatively new championship to heart and, while no race is held for the under-13 age group, there were bigger fields than previously in the two older age groups.

Josh Blevins the England under-17 1500m silver medallist from last year, won his race in 15:11 to go fourth on the age group lists in his first outing over the distance, as William Strickley, the Northern 1500m champion, took second.

Holly Weedall, who topped the age lists last year went second this, as she took the under-17 women’s title in 16:52.

Oscar Schofield, who was fourth in the English National cross-country, won the under-15 title in 15:54, in a race where a record 51 finished.

English schools 1500m bronze medallist Freya Murdoch was a comfortable winner in the under-15 girls’ event, with 17:18.

U17 Men TEAM: 1 Wirral 23; 2 Stockport 28; 3 Vale R 41; 4 Blackburn 44; 5 Liverpool PS 73

U15 TEAM: 1 Wirral 30; 2 Liverpool 35; 3 Trafford 57; 4 Salford 57; 5 Blackburn 69; 6 Liverpool 74; 7 Wirral B 77; 8 Kendal 80; 9 Sale 98; 10 St Helens Sutton 100

U17 Women TEAM: 1 Blackburn 30; 2 E Cheshire 33; 3 Warrington 37; 4 Wirral 42; 5 Salford 55

U15 TEAM: 1 Salford 24; 2 Worral 30; 3 Wirral B 53; 4 Liverpool PS 53

Individual 5km results to follow once Power of 10 have processed.