Cheshire Dragon’s women and Chorlton Runners’ men join the winners lists as a number of internationals join the Vets movement

After a two year break due to Covid and under new organisation within the BMAF, the relays made a successful return (for the 33rd running) even if it was an earlier than ideal date due to the Commonwealth Games and Covid meant a few late withdrawals and numbers down in many events and a few minor problems needed to tweak next year.

However, what many regard as the very best masters event on the programme showed it is still thriving but will need better support next year to ensure it reaches 35 and beyond as the mounting costs require more teams to enter.

Chorlton Runners win the BMAF Road Relays M35 title while Thames Hare and Hounds win M45 gold as Cambuslang win M65 and Bristol M55 titles pic.twitter.com/JAFEIoCyd4

— AW (@AthleticsWeekly) April 23, 2022

M35 race – Bubbly Chorlton

In their finest moment yet, Chorlton Runners were surprisingly easy winners of the men’s event in 1:38:13 giving them a two minute advantage over Tipton Harriers (1:40:31) who narrowly got the better of Salford for second.

John Beattie, who ran for England in the 2010 Commonwealth Games in India at 10,000m, was a clear winner of the opening leg in 15:33 as Leeds held the lead on the first two legs but it was Chorlton who had the strongest overall team.

Steve Curley (16:04), Matt Devlin (17:02) Tom Charles (16:16) combined to lead by halfway and then James Savage (16:24) and Dean Hughes (16:41) kept them ahead but Tipton were closing on legs four and five,

However a strong final leg from Gavin Tomlinson (15:46) brought them well clear and that proved to be the third best 0f the day.

BRAT finished fourth so it meant the 2019 medallists finished in the same order but a place further down thanks to newcomers Chorlton.

Less than a decade after he ran for Britain in the 2012 Olympic marathon, 2:10 marathoner Scott Overall made a Vets race debut and his 15:29 just got the better of Beattie as fastest leg though he had a very isolated run with huge gaps ahead and he could only advance Blackheath to fifth.

His time was the same as the 2019 fastest Karl Darcy ran in 2019 but the Salford runner was 20 seconds slower this time.

Incredibly, he was not the only London Olympic marathoner as Guernsey finished seventh and their team included 2:13 marathoner Lee Merrien who ran 16:33 here and was also eighth in the 2018 Commonwealth Games.

Merrien also ran a sub four mile (3:59.18 back in 2005), a feat Overall also achieved in 2010 (3:58.61 indoors).

The quickest legs in the BMAF relays were set by former internationals Scott Overall (15:29) and Gemma Steel (17:08) pic.twitter.com/MMFVoiy6z6

— AW (@AthleticsWeekly) April 23, 2022

Men M35 (6×5.08km): 1 Chorlton 98:13 (S Curley 16:04, M Devlin 17:02, T Charles 16:16, J Savage 16:24, D Hughes 16:41, G Tomlinson 15:46) 2 Tipton 1:40:31 (M Williams 16:15, G Whitehouse 17:02, R Meredith 17:22, I Williams 16:13, B Gamble 16:20, D Bate 17:15), 3 Salford 1:40:38 (C Tully 17:22, B Lima 16:45, P Babbister 16:45, K Darcy 15:59, R Hughes 17:21, C Livesey 15:51); 4 BRAT 1:41:30 (D Robinson 16:14, S Dunsby 17:21, C Farrell 17:55, K Welborn 16:26, A Hill 16:51, J Marshall 16:43); 5 Blackheath & B 1:43:17 (F Parkinson 17:26, R Viladell 17:18, M Evans 17:08, A Gibbins 17:52, B Wilson 18:04, S Overall 15:29); 6 Tonbridge 1:44:20 (N Chapman 16:55, J Smith 16:36, J Rendall 17:53, D Bradley 15:56, D Longhurst 18:07, T Woolley 18:53); 7 Guernsey 1:44:29 (A McArthur 17:25, N Mann 17:33, D Emery 18:46, L Merrien 16:33, C Gilman 18:03, S Dawes 16:09); 8 Newark 1:46:36 (J Bailey 16:13, G Gregory 17:39, D Robinson 18:06, D Wheat 17:44, A Dix 19:06, T Marshall 17:48); 9 Leeds 1:46:56 (J Beattie 15:33, J Stewart 17:02, D Burlton 17:30, G Petrie 20:42, S Ellis 18:17, S Lisgo 17:52); 10 Havering 1:48:20 (R Warner 16:13, B Smith 17:42, G Maley 18:53, J Crispin 19:12,I Anthony 19:20, R Middleton 17:00); 11 Halesowen 1:49:56; 12 Middleton 1:51:01; 3 Nuneaton 1:53:06; 14 Datchet 1:53:42; 15 P’boro &NV 1:54:42

 Fastest: Overall 15:29; Beattie 15:33; Tomlinson 15:46; Livesey 15:51; Bradley 15:56; Darcy 15:59

M45 race: Thames flows to another victory

There was a more familiar winner of the M45’s with 2019 runners-up Thames Hare and Hounds just getting the better of fellow former winners Herne Hill.

Though as in the M35’s numbers were down overall the pace up front was good with the three medallists all quicker than 2019 winners Leicester.

Thames’ Simon Baines (16:57), Phil Tedd (16:37), Neil Chishulm (16:59) and Simon Wurr were all inside 17 minutes and that gave them gave a 22 second lead with a 67:32 clocking over Herne Hill  who headed them after three legs (Simon Coombes (first leg leader with 16:50), Andrew Perfect (16:40), John Kettle (16:51) but Ben Paviour (17:33) got overhauled on the final leg.

Leeds (68:26) finished strongly for third with Mick Hill (17:07) and Mike Burrett (16:44) as their closing two legs though it was Tedd (far left in team shot) who got the fastest lap award with a 16:37 which co-incidentally again matched Mark Johnson’s 2019 best to the second!

M45 (4×5.08km): 1 Thames H&H 67:32 (S Baines 16:57, P Tedd 16:37, N Chisholm 16:59, S Wurr 16:59); 2 Herne H 67:54 (S Coombes 16:50, A Perfect 16:40, J Kettle 16:52, S Paviour 17:33); 3 Leeds 68:26 (J Walton 17:12, A Osborn 17:23, M Hill 17:07, M Burrett 16:44); 4 AFD 70:13 (P Young 17:07, K Miyazaki 18:39, S Cooper 17:19, M Symes 17:08); 5 Salford 71:32 (D Hudson 17:56, M Russell 17:32, M Collier 17:30, I Grime 18:34); 6 Chorlton 72:40 (A Hanney 16:56, B McCormack 17:53, D Alderson 19:18, C Banno-Thornton 18:33); 7 Altrincham 73:32 (A Pickford 18:49, R Lane 18:41, E Buckley 18:48, C Bradbury 17:14); 8 Rotherham 76:43 (C Griffiths 17:16, S Marshall 18:35, M Plant 20:00, D Furness 20:52); 9 W&B 77:05 (S Bennett 19:40, G Asbury 18:45, D Owen-Jones 19:19, G Briggs 19:21); 10 Stone 77:36 (B Holmes 20:05, R Williamson 19;23, M Neeld 18;12, P Glover 19:56); 11 Vale R 77:43 (G Williams 18:57, S Doyle 17:37, I Simpson 20:34, B Dooley 20:35); 12 Havering 78:02 (D Meredith 18:12, G Atkins 18:43, S Rand 18:43, J Lendon 22:24); 13 BRAT 78:31 (P Coughlan 18:05, S Pearson 19:41, O Kirkland 20:06, R Gray 20;39); 14 Tipton 78:39 (D Hands 19:07, D Hill 18:48, A Henderson 20;15, L Heathcock 20;29); 15 Havering B 78:43 (M Bland 19:09, M Chester 20:11, S Walker 20:09, P Barrett 19;14); 16 Tonbridge 79:49; 17 Worcester 80;51; 18 Bourneville 81:23; 19 Halesowen 81:44; 20 Cheshire Dragons 83:26

Fastest: Tedd 16:37; Perfect 16:40; Burrett 16:44; Coombes 16:50; Kettle 16:51; Haney 16:56

M55: Bristol fashion another gold medal

Leicester made a brave defence of their 2019 title but ultimately had to give way to Bristol and West in an age group which rarely saw numbers greater than in 2019.

Leicester were only five seconds slower than three years ago despite being without marathon star Tommy Hughes this time.

Bristol and West , who won the M40 four years in a row between 2005 and 2008 were exciting winners.

On the first leg, Altrincham’s Richard Johnson (17:39) just outkicked Leicester’s Gordon Lee (17:41) with Bristol and West through Matthew Robinson third in 18:13. On the second leg Tony Roper (18:30) brought Bristol and West ahead and a strong final leg matching Johnson’s time opened up a 21 second margin with Phil Makepiece (17:46) also quick for Leicester.

He had been the quickest in 2019 with 17:19 to Parry’s 17:26.

However the fastest time came from bronze medallists Guildford and Godalming with Terry Booth’s 17:38 winning the fastest lap award by a single second with the top four separated by just three seconds.

M55 (3×5.08km): 1 Bristol & W 54:22 (M Robinson 18:13, T Roper 18:30, P Parry 17:39); 2 Leicester C 54:33 (G Lee 17:41, G Deacon 19:16, P Makepiece 17:45); 3 Guildford & G 55:13 (D Williams 19:04, M Tennyson 18:31, T Booth 17:38); 4 Salford 56:13 (D Crewe 18:32, S Chambers 18:35, G Dale 19:05); 5 Soton 57:56 (J Grainger 19:29, R Bentley 18:14; P Costley 20:13); 6 Aldridge 58:12 (D Gould 19:37, M Morley 18:15, P Brayford 20;20) 7 Kent 58:19 (L Armitage 19:17, C Lydon 19:41, R Beardsworth 19:21); 8 Leeds 58:50 (G Hull 19:41, M Walton 20:35, M Roscoe 18:34); 9 Leic C 59:17 (R Sheen 19:23, A Hart 19:39, C Southam 20:15); 10 Sheff RC 59:41 (M Juusola 19:09, C Ireland 20:27, G Lowry 20:05); 11 P’boro &NV 59:53 (C Mooney 20:46, S Beard 19:32, D Neal 19:15); 12 Altrincham 60:08 (R Johnson 17:39, G NMicholl 21:11, D Ainsworth 21:18); 13 Buxton 60:11 (T Mitchell-Smith 20:05, A Lidstone 20:51, S Watson 19:15); 14 Cambuslang 60:36 (C Feechan 20:48, D Thorn 20:37, K Newberry 19:11); 15 Winchester 61:09 (M Kwint 19:28, P Horler 20:29, S Oliver 21;12); 16 E Cheshire 61:34; 17 Kenilworth 62:23; 18 C&S 62:49; 19 Aberystwyth 63:19; 20 Datchet 63:47

Fastest: Booth 17:38; Parry/Johnson 17:39; Lee 17:41; Makepiece 17:46; Robinson 18:13; Bentley 18:14

M65: Scots free of the rest

Cambuslang, who won the M40 title back in 1999, 2003 and 2004 easily won the M65 title by well over three minutes.

Paul Thompson easily led home the opening leg with a 19:14 giving the Scottish club a big early lead from Southampton (Noel O’Dowd 20:59).

Frank Hurley (20:34) and Frankie Barton (20:57) extended their advantage.

Norfolk Gazelles came through for second with Stephen Rolfe (20:06) running the third fastest leg and Oxford’s Brian Green ran the second fastest with a 20:01 moving them through to third.

The fifth fastest M65 plus was all-time Masters legend Nigel Gates who will be a M70 next year.

M65 (3×5.08km): 1 Cambuslang 60:45 (P Thompson 19:14, Hurley 20:34, Barton 20:57); 2 Norfolk G 64:06 (P Thompson 22:51, T Arrup 21:09, S Rolfe 20:06); 3 Oxford C 65:05 (J Exley 23:32, S Thorpe 21;32, B Green 20:01); 4 Sheff RC 65:52 (M Quinn 22:01, N Duggan 22:16, R Pearson 21:35); 5 Westbury 66:10 (M Mewse 22:15, D George 23:05, N Gates 20:50); 6 Les C 67:47 (M Tabor 23:00, D Flynn 23:07, D Walker 21:40): 7 THH 68:22 (R Davies 24:21, R Pitt 21:55, R Turner 22:06): 8 Crawley 70:02 (D Beattie 25:23, T Linturn 22:57, D Cook 21:42); 9 Soton 70:34 (D O’Dowd 20:59, N Hotson 24:27, S DeLara 25:08); 10 Charnwood 71:10 (K Lomas 22:57, S Mellors 23:29, P Mensley 24:44); 11 Barnet 74:57; 12 Salford 78:21; 13 Datchet 78:57; 14 Bourneville 92:09

Fastest: Thompson 19:14; Green 20:01; Rolfe 20:06; Hurley 20:34; Gates 20:50; Barton 20:57

W35 – Dragons fly to victory

Relatively New club Cheshire Dragons proved the strongest in the women’s W35 four-stage race to win their first ever road relay title with Louisa Thompson (19:55), Carol Parsons (18:31), Katie Dickinson (22:19) and Helen Harrington (20:14) combining for a 80:59 victory.

Only Harrington had been in their winning three-woman team when they won the cross-country relay title in the Autum.

Sale (81:57) were a minute back in second while Tipton (82:19) were a clear third.

Dulwich’s former 57 second 400m runner at college, Kay Sheedy (19:14) won the opening leg battle to get the third fastest time behind Parsons and Gemma Steel’s 17:08.

Steel had already run the fastest leg in both the Midland and National senior relays and here she predictably added the hat trick though she could only bring Charnwood through to fourth.

It’s worth noting though conditions were far from ideal with 25 kmh winds that the former European cross-country champion must be getting fitter as here she was nine seconds quicker than in her two senior runs.

W35 (4×5.08km): 1 Cheshire D 80:59 (L Thompson 19:55, C Parsons 18:31, K Dickinson 22:19, H Harrington 20:14); 2 Sale 81:57 (L Whittaker 19:16, H Armitage 20:29, A Chinoy 20:26, H Hamilton 21:46); 3 Tipton 82:19 (A Williams 19:23, S Walker 20:36, S Street-Hall 21:36, L Hill 20:44); 4 Charnwood 84:04 (M Jones 24:51, C McKittrick 20:44, E Damant 21:21, G Steel 17:08); 5 Vale R 86:02 (S Tarbuck 20;29, A Begbie 20;30, V Dunn 23:24, H Smith 21:39); 6 Datchet 86:21 (V Gill 21:08, C Foster 22:06, E Twomey 21:35, E McKechnie 21:32); 7 Westbury 86:45 (K Hoffen 23:43, T Chick 21;34, R Lee 21:11, L Richens 21:17); 8 Dulwich R 87:33 (K Sheedy 19:14, K Smith 21:44, S Cooper 23:02, R Davis 23:33); 9 Les C 88:40 (R Walsh 23:30, C Bruce 23:27, M Johnson 25:04, J Edwards 23:47); 10 Cheshire D 94:52 (J Kirkham 23:55, L Meadows 23:06, M Johnson 25:04, J Edwards 23:47); 11 Datchet 97:49; 12 Bourneville 1:44:31; 13 Les C 1:44:51

Fastest: Steel 17:08; Parsons 18:31; Sheedy 19:14; Whittaker 19:16; Williams 19:23; Thompson 19:55

W45 Title goes South (London) again

The top women’s team performance of the day though came from South London who won the W45 title over three legs and they were minutes clear of all the W35s when they finished and had three of the four fastest times.

Laura Taylor gave them a narrow lead on leg one with a 19:52 and that was easily extended by Mary James (19:22) and Sue McDonald (19:31) as the trio won in 58:45 with the latter two running the fastest age group times of the day as they ran just slightly slower than Bristol and West’s winning time from 2019.

Cheshire Dragons headed by Natasha Smith’s third fastest overall time of 19:45 picked up another medal in 60:26 with Tonbridge a clear third in 60:56.

W45 (3×5.08km): 1 S London 58:45 (L Taylor 19:52, M James 19:22, S McDonald 19:21); 2 Cheshire D 60:26 (E Crowe 20:42, N Smith 19:45, S Avery 19:59); 3 Tonbridge 60:56 (S Humphries 19:59, T Oldershaw 20:22, M Heslop 20:35); 4 Stoke 61:51 (M Vernon 20:05, V Hughes 20:25, J Donnelly 21:21); 5 Bingley 64:09 (L Watson 21:16, S Robson 22:07, R Thackray 20:46); 6 S London B 66:20 (A Smith 21:41, S Chan 23:14, H Dann 21:25); 7 Steel 66:34 (F Jeffries 22:58, S Moss 22:28, L Broom 21:08); 8 Westbury 67:37 (J Pemble 23:09, A Rogers 22:37, E Woodworth 21:51); 9 Les C 71:59 (S Prior 24:29, M Amblin 24:37, C Goddard 22:53); 10 Bourneville 72:28 (A Davies 23:50, S Pretlove 24;31, J Glynn 24:07); 11 B&W 73:20; 12 Vale R 73:53; 13 Datchet 74:41; 14 Middleton 77:56; 15 C&S 84:55

Fastest: James 19:22; McDonald 19:31; N Smith 19:45; Taylor 19:52; Avery/Humphries 19:59

W55: Dulwich retain title

Three years ago Dulwich Runners won by three minutes with Clare Elms setting a lap record 18:45 and without the multi record-setter it was bound to be much closer and it was as an all South-London battle for gold was only resolved in the final mile.

Dulwich were still able to field a trio who had all won BMAF relay gold previously and their Michelle Lennon led home the first leg by a second  in 21:31 from South London’s Ruth Hutton. On the second leg, SLH’s Alice Smith’s 21:47 got them past Dulwich’s England international Ange Norris (22:07).

The Dulwich overall women’s captain Ola Balme (22:16) took a  while to reel in SLH’s Pippa Major but a powerful second half gave them victory in 65:54 to 66:28 with Bristol and West missing some of their top runners who were racing elsewhere, third in 67:15.

The fastest leg was Steel City’s anchor Kate Morris (21:13) who was also the fastest in the cross-country relays in the autumn.

W55 (3×5.08km): 1 Dulwich R 65:54 (M Lennon 21:31, A Norris 22:07, O Balme 22;16); 2 S London 66:28 (R Hutton 21:32, A Smith 21:47, P Major 23:09); 3 B&W 67:15 (J Harrison 22:05, S Davies 22:35, R Mushens 22:35); 4 Les C 69:01 (Y Bullen 24:35, K Chapman 22:21, S Watson 22:05); 5 Steel 69:16 (K Scott 23:41, K Clark 24:22, K Morris 21:13); 6 Datchet 71:23 (H Bolt 23:15, E Whittaker 23:58, J Binns 25:10); 7 B&W B 71:37; 8 C&S 77:22; 9 Middleton 81:54; 10 Vale R 83:42

Fastest: Morris 21:13; Lennon 21:31, Hutton 21:32; A Smith 21:47; Harrison/Watson 22:05

W65: Steel magnificent win

2019 runners-up Steel City were clear winners of the W65 race in 75:54 with legs from Stephanie Street (26:00), Kate Woddicor (26:59) and Dot Kesterton (22:55) with the latter achieving the fastest leg.

Hogweed Trotters (78:07) and 2019 winners Worcester (87:42) took the other medals.

In the relays in October, Steel City also won from Hogweed but then there was only four seconds in it.

W65 (3×5.08km): 1 Steel 75:54 (S Street 26:00, K Waddicor 26:59, D Kesterton 22:55); 2 Hogweed 78:07 (C Lovis 26:25, J McAll 28:06, P Curtis 23:36); 3 Worcester 87:42 ( R Hope 27:40, M Crosswell 29:41, C Clark 30:21); 4 Les C 96:00

 Fastest: Kesterton 22:55; Curtis 23:36; Street 26:00

Results from Martin Duff and Nice Work

A history of the race (covering mostly up to 2016), that will be updated shortly, can be found here