The Tonbridge Athletic Club men’s distance running team have captured a few national titles in recent years, a few after some close battles. However, on Saturday, at Sutton Coldfield they won the National 12 Stage Road Relay Championship in 4 hours 13 minutes and 11 seconds, only 13 seconds clear of runners-up Highgate Harriers. The team came from more than two and a half minutes behind, at the halfway stage, to snatch victory in the last half mile.
The championship, in terms of distance running, is alongside the National Cross Country event, as the most prestigious in club competition. Tonbridge won in 2018, but Leeds were the 2019 champions, the last time that the event was staged, prior to the pandemic.
The event alternates six long legs of 8.66km with six short legs of 5.09km, around Sutton Park, near Birmingham, with 64 teams qualifying and starting.
Corey De’Ath led off for Tonbrdge, coming home 23rd in 26.56, on the first of the long legs, putting the team only 1.14 away from the front. Nathan Marsh, who had come into the team as a reserve, late on Friday, produced a superb performance, moving the team to 10th with 15.28, which turned out to be the 4th fastest short leg of the whole race.
Jamie Goodge moved the team to 7th with a solid 26.49 and Michael Ellis, who is in fine form, moved up another two places with 15.43. Ben Cole, who has been improving each week, ran 26.29 to move into 3rd, after five legs. Miles Weatherseed was probably the most disappointed, as his 15.52 lost a little ground to those in front and, at halfway, the team were 2.36 behind the leaders, Highgate.
Steve Strange is so much stronger than in the past and although he slipped one place, he ran a very good 26.49. Jamie Bryant moved Tonbridge ahead of Bristol into 3rd with 15.42, on leg eight. Then came Kieran Reilly, who recorded 26.10, staying in 3rd, but cutting substantially into the time gap ahead. Highgate’s lead was down to 1.25, after this ninth stage, but Cameron Payas, who ran a good 15.41, slipped ten seconds further back on the 10th leg.
Then came James Kingston, who Tonbridge hoped would go well and he did, recording 25.53, the 7th fastest long stage and ahead of some very good senior internationals. The Highgate lead was now at 53 seconds and Tonbridge were in 2nd., with just the final short stage to go. At the Southern Relay, two weeks ago, Ben Murphy had run 59 seconds quicker than the last runner due out for Highgate. Murphy soon started closing and took the lead with about half a mile to go, to secure an epic win, with a split of 15.39.
The team picked up two sets of medals, for not only winning the British title, but also being the first English team home. Their overall time was some four minutes quicker than when the club previously won, underlining the performance of all twelve members of the team. Most of the squad will now turn their attention to track racing this Summer.
Video here –https://youtu.be/2PAGxXcdUfk
Results – https://www.race-results.co.uk/results/2022/nat1222.pdf
