Two teams from Beverley Athletic Club travelled to Sefton Park in Liverpool last Saturday to take part in the Northern Road Relay Championships.
The event is open to club athletes of all abilities but also attracts some of the best road runners in the north. There were six ladies per team and each of them ran one 2.4 mile lap. The men’s teams each consisted of 12 runners and they alternated between running one lap and two laps.
The weather was sunny and dry but cooler than the previous few days so conditions were perfect for fast times on the very gently rolling course.
In the ladies race, Sam Allen and Zoe Dale, on legs 1 and 2, ran exactly the same impressive time of 15.40. Zoe, an experienced runner, has recently joined Beverley from Driffield Striders. It was her first relay race and she really enjoyed the experience.
Legs 3 and 4 were run by mother and daughter duo Rachel and Sophie Woolner who have both taken part in relay races before. Although Sophie was nervous before the start she set out at a sensible pace that allowed her to look strong all the way to the finish.
Jayne Dale ran a solid fifth leg, continuing her strong winter form and clocking 16.30. She overtook one team to gain a position before handing over to Kate Ladell for the final leg.
In the men’s race Jeroen Pasman, Ross Flood, and Stephen Dale all made their relay debut for the club. Andy Tate ran a particularly strong short leg in 14:45 whilst James Pearson ran the fastest long leg of the day for Beverley in 25:21.
Although not in the top 25 teams qualifying for the National Road Relay Championships on 14 April, Beverley showed fantastic team spirit and gained valuable experience which will stand them in good stead for the Northern Athletics 6 and 4 stage road relays at Leigh Sports Village on 22 September.
Beverley Athletic Club team results
Ladies: 29th out of 32 teams with an aggregate time of 1:45:02.
The ladies’ race was won by Rotherham Harriers & AC ‘A’ in 01:21:35.
Men: 40th out of 47 teams with an aggregate time of 4:15:47.
The men’s race was won by Liverpool Harriers & AC ‘A’ in 03:27:49.
Reported by Kay Farrow
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