ERRA Road Relays Sutton Park
Saturday 5th October 2024
Report by Ken Smith
Warm and sunny conditions greeted the athletes as they arrived at Sutton Park for this the 2024 ERRA Combined Autumn Road Relay. It had been a slightly different sight a few hours earlier as only the very top of the course was visible, with mist surrounding everything else.
Under 13 Boys 3 x 3.88 Km
51 clubs lined up for the 11:00 start and it was Liverpool Harriers athlete Bobby Mcevoy who was in 3rd position, with the 4th fastest time of the day, when the returned to the changeover. Liverpool did indeed finish 3rd to take the bronze medal, Warriors Pentathlon 6th and Sale 11th.
Under 13 Girls 3 x 3.88Km
58 teams lined up and Northern Clubs finished in 3 out of the top 4 places. Warriors Pentathlon 3rd after leg 1 moved into the lead on leg 2 and won by 44 seconds. Lincoln Wellington down in 9th after the first leg moved up strongly on leg 2 and finished 2nd, with Liverpool Harriers 4th at the finish and on each leg.
Under 15 Girls 3 x 3.88 Km
67 athletes on the start line for this one but in the finish, there were no podium positions for Northern Clubs.
Highest was Sale 6th, Liverpool 9th and Rotherham 10th.
Under 15 Boys 3 x 3.88Km
Another 67 young athletes were lined up in this race where the winners Dacorum were disqualified from all 3 legs for having a coach on a bike pacing their athletes down the back straight. The highest Northern placed Club was Southport Waterloo in 4th then Derby 13th.
Under 17 Men 3 x 3.88 Km
81 athletes, is an amazing number of entries for this age group. It was the red vests of that famous road running club, Salford Harriers, who dominated. They finished 2nd then 1st and 1st with Evan Grimes clocking the 3rd fastest time of the day. Keithley and Craven were 6th and Blackburn 7th
Under 17 Women 3 x 3.88 Km
57 under 17 women, but another win for a Northern Club with Lincoln Wellington 2nd then 1st and 1st, winning by 54 seconds, Salford 6th and Liverpool 8th.
Senior Women 4 X 4.33 Km
What could Leeds City women do after winning the Northern Championship 2 weeks ago and winning the bronze medal at this championship last year. Not good is the answer and that was in real contrast to the men’s team.
Jennifer Walsh on 1st leg had them in their highest position of the day, 6th but the finished 7th overall and 2nd Northern Club behind Vale Royal in silver medal spot, with Salford 9th and Sale 10th.
Senior Men 6 x 5.88 Km.
Last year Leeds City won by 10 seconds from Aldershot with Cambridge and Coleridge a further 6 seconds behind.
Leeds dominated the Northern Championships at Blackpool last month, and had strengthened their team with the inclusion of Emile Cairess. Thus with 2 Olympians in the team they were clear favourites, although Aldershot were, as always, expected to give them a tough race as were Cambridge and Coleridge. Graham Rush put Leeds in 13 th position after leg 1, where Birchfield were first club back, into action with Emile Cares on leg 2 not followed by Highgate. But the Leeds machine quickly moved only moving Leeds into the top position but clocking the fastest time of the day 16.38. After that the contest was really for 2nd place. Philip Sesemann clocked Leed’s second sub 17 minute time, 16.58, on leg 5 leaving Linton Taylor on last leg to win by 43 seconds
Morpeth were consistent but never in the front of the race finishing 8th and just to demonstrate their strength in depth Leeds “B “ team were 10th Salford Harriers 11th.
Pictures thanks to Eileen Ingham.
