NORTHERN ATHLETICS 12 & 6 STAGE ROAD RELAY AND YOUNG ATHLETES’ 5K
This 2026 venue was the Sheepmount Stadium Carlisle on Saturday 28th March 2026.
The course started in the stadium then went out alongside the river and using the well maintained tarmac paths in Bitts Park looped around the back of the Sands Leisure centre before returning by the side of Carlisle castle to the stadium. Border Harriers were the host club and they provided both an outstandingly flat and fast traffic free course and very enthusiastic marshals. Well done to Ross Landon and his team.
Under 15 5k
The under 15 Boys were first away at promptly at 11.00 behind the lead bike. They probably had the worst of the weather with a hailstorm descending on them at the start.
Setting the standard for the day it the orange vest of host club Border Harriers’ Peter Wayman who was first back into the stadium. He finished in a time of 15.55 some 6 seconds ahead of Stockport’s Harry Shatwell, with the Morpeth athlete Mason Gaylor third in 16.12.
In the team event it was Darlington who packed well at the finish to take the gold team medal, host club Border Harriers silver, and Elswick Harriers bronze, to complete a clean sweep for the North East.
Under 15 Girls
At least the under 15 girls got away in sunshine, although there was no getting away from the cold blustery wind.
A leading group of 3 athletes quickly pulled away at the start, and these dominated the race. Going into the leisure centre tunnel the group were down to two, the Sale Harrier finding the pace of the two leading North East athletes too much. These two stayed in contention all around the loop until Gabrielle Pinder, New Marske Harriers, slowly applied the pressure and began to inch away from Olivia Murphy. At the finish line Gabrielle had increased her lead to 10 seconds over Olivia 17.28, with Beatrix Soper, Sale. third 18.08.
In the team event it was a clean sweep for the North West clubs, who without being in the top 3, showed they know how to pack well to gain team medals. Liverpool, Sale and Salford won team gold, silver , bronze, in that order.
New Marske’s very own Graham Hall presented all the medals in his role as Northern Athletics President.
Under 17 Men
Was the under 17 men’s event an insight into what was to follow in the senior men relay. A Leeds City win for Jake Norris 15.20 from Gateshead’s Alfie Cok 15.27, just ahead of North Shields’s Phoenix Hayton -Rowell by 1 second.
In the team race, again the medals went to the clubs not in the top 5, but who entered a full team and packed well. Blackburn, with 3 athletes in the top ten, and under the canny guidance of George Davies, won gold, Darlington silver and East Cheshire, with another experienced team manager Garry Matthews, clinched the bronze team.
Under 17 Women.
This quickly became a Liverpool pack run at the front of the race, which was dominated by North West clubs. The two Liverpool Harriers women, Rebecca Murphy, and Holly Cross, quickly took the lead on the track before exiting the stadium, and these two yellow vests were always at the front with Rebecca a couple of strides ahead of Holly. Their closest competition came from the Salford athlete Oonagh McManus, and Rossendale’s Ruby Cleaver. Crossing the finish line in 18.13, Rebecca finished 8 seconds ahead of Holly, with Oonagh 3rd in 18.36 and Ruby 4th in 18.53. Not surprisingly Liverpool Harriers won the team Gold and Salford won team Silver.
Women’s 6 stage road relay
Could Leeds City women retain their championship?
This remained the 2 long and 4 short leg format of previous years with 5k the short leg and 7k the long leg. Being a “home “fixture for Border they had two strong teams out and it was no surprise when at the end of that first long stage it was an orange vest of Border Harriers that was first to enter the stadium. Esme Davies finished in fine style, and with the fastest long leg time of the day, in 22:46, finishing 27 seconds ahead of Trafford’s Bethany Reid, with Leeds City’s Heather Townsend 3rd in 23:25.
Next off was the first of 2 short stages. The first short stage saw Border’s Olivia Grace Mason, retain their lead but had it reduced to just 12 seconds by Leeds City’s Georgia Malir. Salford moved up from 7th to 4th and Trafford dropped from 2nd to 3rd.
Leeds City hit the front on stage 3 with Charlotte Van Zelst ahead of Border 2nd then Trafford and Salford. The top two positions never changed after that, despite a fastest short leg time of the day,16.55, from Border Harrier Kate Maltby on leg 5. Leeds won in a time of 1hour 57 minutes and 30 seconds, Border 2nd 80 seconds behind. Trafford and Salford battled it out for that 3rd spot but once Salford got ahead on stage 4 they stayed ahead of their near neighbours. Salford finished 3rd in 2 hours 02 23 seconds, Trafford almost a minute behind in 4th.
Border Harriers won silver team medal and had both the fastest times for the short and long leg. Border Harriers women had clearly enjoyed the home fixture, and Leeds City women had retained their title. What could the men now do.
Men’s 12 stage Road Relay
Would it again be a battle between 2025 champions Salford and Leeds City in this 4 long and 8 short stage format.
Could Leeds’ men do what their women had just done and win the championship, or would host club Border Harriers benefit from their home fixture, and what about Morpeth ?
Leeds City usually start off slowly then move up positions in the middle of the race before unleashing a fast finish at the end. They started off coming home first on stage one, but only by 1 second from Morpeth. Joe Firth clocked 20:14 for Leeds with Morpeth’s Finn Brodie 20:15, Keswick 3rd in 20:20, and Liverpool Pembroke & Sefton 4th.
No change on stage 2 but Morpeth overtook Leeds on stage 3 thanks to Carl Avery who gave then a 27 seconds lead, and Sale moved up from 4th to 3rd
.Morpeth stay ahead for 2 stages before Jenson Connell gave Leeds City a 16 seconds lead on stage 5 over Morpeth, with Salford in 3rd and Sale 4th.
Further down the race there was another interesting battle going on between Leeds City and Salford “B” teams who were 7th and 12th at the close of the 5th stage.
Up front the Leeds machine was now in full power with the lead never substantial, but always with them despite Morpeth’s best efforts.
The 2nd half of the race was now cast in stone with Leeds 1st and Morpeth 2nd and after moving up to 3rd on the 5th leg Salford also retained 3rd position until the finish.
Leeds and Salford both however had one card to play in their ongoing conflict. Leeds played it on stage 6 when Richard Allen pulled out the fastest long leg time of the day 20:06. However Salford left it until that final leg when Harry Wakefield showed how to race the glory leg.
He flew round in 14.28 to produce the fastest short leg time of the day and pull a minute back on the two teams ahead of him.
Vale Royal were 4th and Leeds City “B “ won the battle of the B teams in 5th position, just 38 seconds ahead of Salford “B “ in 6th position.
Spring Road Relays 2026 – Full Results
