Of Sutton Park... and Ivybridge

BMAF Road Relay Championships
On Saturday 15th May 2010 two teams of three Harriers journeyed to Birmingham to compete in the 23rd National Open Masters Road Relay Championships. The club entered Roger Rowe, Bob Woodall and Jim Wyatt in the over 60's age group and Ray Elston, Mike Allen and John Perratt in the over 70's age group. Les Turner accompanied the two teams as the travelling reserve.

The race consisted of three laps each lap consisted of three miles around the roadway of Sutton Park, Sutton Coldfield's green oasis just north of Birmingham. From the start/finish there is a slight decline before the roadway elevates over almost half a mile before levelling out beyond the first sharp bend to the right. There are undulations throughout the length of the course with very little strictly flat lengths. The course declines down to the turning point (180-degree) where the runners, for a couple of hundred yards, go back to the next left turn onto the homeward stretch, plunging down a long hill. At the bottom, after some undulating twists and turns, the course makes a final right hand turn up the final incline to the start/finish.

From the start the sun was shining with only patchy clouds. The temperature was warm but some areas of shade from the trees adjoining the roadway gave some respite from the sun.

This year the relay had eighty-two finishing teams consisting ladies in the 35, 45 and 55 year age group along with the men's 60 and 70 year age groups. The men's team consisted of three runners and the women's teams consisted of four, the team having to completed the extra lap.

The fastest women's team was Dulwich A C, in the 35 year age group, finishing their four laps in a time of 1 hour 12 minutes and 30 seconds.

The fastest men's team was Barnet A C, in the 60 year age group, finishing in a time of 53 minutes and 19 seconds.

The Harriers V60 team finished in overall 21st position in a time of 1-02-35. Roger Rowe completed his lap in 19-30, Bob Woodall took 20-39 and Jim Wyatt took 22-26.

The Harriers V70 team finished in overall 2nd place taking the silver medals in a time of 1-05-42. Ray Elston completed his lap in 21-29, Mike Allen took 22-54 and John Perratt took 21-19. The first placed V70 team was Bingley AC who completed the race in 1-02-09, with their anchor man, Fred Gibbs, completing his lap in a course record time for his age in 19-55.

The fastest women in the race was Jenny Clague, in the V35 age group, who completed her three mile lap in 16-51 and the fastest man was Desmond Michael in the V60 age group, in a time of 17-18.

Ivybridge 10k
Later on the same evening fo the Harriers, Andy Johnson and Kevin Lingard, competed in the Ivybridge 10k.

The first runner to complete the course was Kairn Stone of Newham and Essex Beagles in a time of 31 minutes and 08 seconds.

The first woman to complete the course was Anne Luke of Tamar Trotters who finished in overall 31st plosition in a time of 38-08.

Andy Johnson finished in overall 62nd position in a time of 40-10. Kevin Lingard finished in overall 343rd position in a time of 50-41.

(RW)