5 & 4 Stage Relays and Young Athletes’ Relays 2024 – Report

Northern Athletics Combined Autumn Road Relay at Stanley Park

              Blackpool on Saturday 21st September 2024 – Report by Ken Smith

When Blackpool hosts a road relay it always attracts a large number of athletes and Saturday was no different. A record number of senior men’s teams; 129, and  the highest percentage of that number starting the race; 122 teams.

Organised by Stan Taylor and Amanda Fuller from the host club Blackpool Wyre and Fylde AC – They had even promised a dry day, which it most certainly was.

ALL YOUNG ATHLETES RACES WERE 3 STAGES, EACH 3.2KM

Under 13 Boys.

The first race is always a bit nervous for the organisers, but once they return the course can be said to have been followed. All the races started on the track going 100M down the home straight the wrong way, before exiting the track and turning right onto the paths in Stanley Park. From the stadium, sight of the athletes ceased once they crossed the Italian gardens, and they came back into view from across the other side of the gardens as they swung left, then left again into the stadium with 300m on the track to the changeover point.

The 48 first leg athletes were away precisely on 11.30 and quickly disappeared away from the stadium. The first athlete to return to the stadium was Noah Penfold, North Shields Poly, quickly followed by Charlie Porteous, Bingley Harriers, then Bobby Mcevoy, Liverpool Harriers. It was the consistency of the Liverpool team that was the basis of the victory, with all 3 athletes running under 11 minutes. North Shields Poly retained 2nd place some 28 seconds behind Liverpool with Warriors Pentathlon in 3rd place.

Under 13 Girls.

The under 13 girls started exactly 5 minutes after the boys, with 42 teams competing.

The feature of this race was again the consistency of the winning team’s times. Warriors Pentathlon won, with their 3 times being 11.31, 11.30 and 11.38 and the fastest being Daisy Mcvicar. Not even the 2nd team Hallamshire Harriers could manage 3 sub 12 minutes times. Bingley were 3rd and Liverpool 4th.

Under 15 Boys.

38 teams started for the under 15 boys’ race but it was Southport Waterloo A.C. who not only returned to the stadium in 1st, but their athlete Willian Delamere, produced the fastest time of the race 9.48 minutes, with North Shields Poly James Sturman some 8 second behind him. 2nd placed club Darlington H & AC finished the first leg in 6th place moved up 3 places after leg 2 and they managed to catch and overtake Hallamshire to take the silver medal position by some 7 seconds. Lincoln Wellington were 4th and Derby 5th.

Under 15 Girls.

Blackpool Wyre & Fylde were expecting to do well in this age group. However, illness and a bike crash had reduced the team to just Polly Kershaw who ran well to finish 7th without anyone to take over from her.

44 athletes started but first back was Houghton Harrier Holly Robison, again that first leg produced the fastest time of the day, 10 .49. 6 seconds ahead of Liverpool’s Rebecca Murphy. These were the only 2 sub 11minute time of the race.  The 2nd leg had Kendal’s Emmy Ranner running the 11.32 but more ominously Sale Harriers had moved up from 4th to 2nd with Oonagh Mcmanus clocking 11.34. That left Sale’s Beatrix Soper to overtake the yellow vest of Liverpool and win by 13 seconds. Houghton Harriers recovered from a slower 2nd leg to move into the bronze position. Rotherham were 4th and Birtley 5th

Under 17 Men.

39 teams lined up for this one with strong teams from both Salford and Trafford. It was, however Warriors Pentathlon who were first to the change over, but only by 1 second. Oberon Kearney was timed at 9.20 very closely followed by the black vest of Rotherham’s Mikey Bacon 9.21 and North Shields’ Daniel Watson 9.25. Trafford 6th and Salford 9th. The 2nd leg had Salford’s Evan Grimes pitched up against Trafford’s Pio Aron and both produced the same time 9.31 Evan pulling Salford into the lead and Pio pulling Trafford up into 2nd place. The third leg had no change in the top 2 but North Shields Poly sneaked past Keighley & Craven to take 3rd spot by 1 second. Liverpool Harriers were 5th.

Again, that first leg provided the fastest time of the race.

Under 17 Women.

Lowest number of starters, just 32 and whilst Lincoln Wellington may have won the team race it was one of their B team that finished at the front on the 1st leg, and also produced the fastest time of the day. Faith Taylor ran 10.41 2 seconds ahead of Keighy and Craven’s Maisey Bellwood, with Lincoln Wellington’s A team runner Isla Porter 3rd in 10.46. Salford Harrier Jasmine Wright moved up the club up 15 places on leg 2, but Lincoln Wellington had moved into the lead and those yellow vests of Liverpool were up 6 places, with Holly Cross on the last leg. The gaps were too big even for Holly as Lincoln Wellington won by 69 seconds from Rotherham with Liverpool a further 48 seconds behind in the bronze medal position. Salford 4th and Keighley & Craven 5th.^.

 Senior Women 4 X 5.6 Km

71 senior women lined up on the start. Leeds last year’s winners had to be amongst the favourites again this year, along with Salford, Liverpool and Sale. These teams were however not first back as both Warriors Pentathlon and Border Harriers were neck and neck as they approached the changeover line. Emily Hagg Kearney and Esme Davies were given the same time, and again the fastest of the day was on  that  first leg.

Preston’s Libby Huxley was 3rd and Wirral 4th.

Leeds, as always, build up their teams from a slow start through to a fast finish and today was no different. 6th on leg 1 the team plan put Camilla Mcknespiey on 2nd leg and Eleanor Curran on leg 3 pulled the team up to leave their experienced last leg runner, Jennifer Walsh to run the fastest time on leg 4 and bring home another Leeds City victory, although only by the relative narrow margin of 43 seconds. Salford had recruited Emilia Platt to their team and she showed her class as she ran Salford’s fastest time on leg 2 before handing over to Sinead Bent on 3rd leg, as they hung onto those blue and yellow Leeds City vests. Behind Salford, Vale Royal in their distinctive quartered vests had been reducing the gap finishing some 30 seconds behind Salford, with Liverpool Harriers 4th and Preston 5th, Sale 6th and a sign of the Salford Teams’ strength, Salford B 7th.

Senior Men 6 x 5.6 Km

Was the double double on for the Leeds City team. They won both men’s and women’s titles last year and already had won the women’s this year. They entered a massive 7 men’s teams and had a couple of their stars in their A team.

The 122 starters on the line were all warned by the referee to take care going out of the double gates from the track into the park. Stan Taylor had his top team marshalling in the Italian gardens and all the men passed through there without any incident. The Leeds City A team ran like clockwork to the plan. 10th after the first stage then 5th then 3rd, then Phil Sesemann on 4th all their times were  between 16.01 and 16.42. minutes. Yes there were some challenges to their authority during the race, but never to their overall superiority. They now go through to the ERRA National road relay race on October 5th to try to retain that trophy which they won by 10 seconds last year form Aldershot Farnham & District.

Leg one saw the City of York athlete Angus Mcmillan finish first, but this was never going to be the fastest time. 2nd was another surprise with Clayton -Le- Moors athlete  Birukaduna Kebede^, and Finn Brodie Morpeth, 3rd. Leg 2 had Carl Avery produce the fastest leg time for Morpeth and leg  3 saw Bingley and Olympian Jonathon Brownlee run the 3rd fastest leg time .However the fastest time of the day was produced on leg 3 by Derby’s Ben Connor 15.37  but the challenge to Leeds was not sustained. Hallamshire finished 2nd some 58 seconds behind Leeds whilst Morpeth trailed over 1 minute behind in the bronze medal position. Derby were 4th Salford 5th and Liverpool 6th and Leeds City B 5th.

RESULTS

Mick Hall Photos

Podium photos thanks to Eileen Ingham!

 

Further photos with thanks to David Hewitson!