Photo – Michael Ellis (Team Manager)
Tonbridge Athletic Club competed in the Championship final of the National Athletics League, on Sunday, at Bedford, coming away with a third-place finish from the eight clubs. Sale, Manchester won on the day with 577 points, followed by Crawley (530.5), Tonbridge (504.5) and Chelmsford 486. The result meant that Tonbridge remained in 4th in the 16-club division, where the top three gain promotion. Tonbridge now face a match up against one of the Premier Division clubs, purely based on league performances this year, across the events, to decide if they are promoted or not. At the time of writing this had yet to be finalised.
A-string wins were very hard to come by during this final weekend, when clubs knew that so much was at stake. Tonbridge managed just five wins throughout the day, with just Kirsty Ebbage in the women’s Discus, with 42.54 metres, securing maximum points from a field event. Ben Murphy won the men’s 800m in 1.53.53, Jordan Chambers the 1500m in 3.57.74, with a 54.9s last 400m and James Kingston took the win in the 3000m in 8.32.14, after a fast final kilometre. The final victory came from the men’s 4x400m squad in 3.20.81, where Murphy and Chambers had combined with Ewan Wood and Kieran Eland.
Amongst other highlights were Asha Root finishing 2nd over 400m and running a big personal best of 55.67. Root also finished 2nd over 200m in 25.24 and helped the 4x400m team to 2nd, alongside Emily Bowart, Jess Murphy and Annabel Carter. Alex Shipley finished 2nd in the women’s 800m, with a pb of 2.11.75, whilst amongst several events that he competed in, Lewi Church recorded a pb of 53.72, when finishing 3rd in the 400m hurdles. Team Manager, Michael Ellis ran the 3000m steeplechase and finished 2nd A-string runner in 10.13.36.
On Saturday evening, at Cardiff, Tonbridge had a team invited to the Podium Home Nations Road Race over 5km, where teams from England, Scotland and Wales, competed alongside some representing companies, plus Tonbridge, who were invited as National Road Relay Champions. Ben Cole finished 7th in 14.14, which was a big personal best, with James Kingston just behind in 14.16, also setting a pb. Cole’s time was a Tonbridge over 35 age group record and the fastest in the UK this year, for an athlete in this age category. Alex Howard was 20th in 14.42 and Matthew Dubery 33rd in 15.17, whilst Kieran Reilly, running for the Puresport company team finished 5th in 14.12 and Alasdair Kinloch, making his debut in a Scottish vest, recorded 14.45 in 23rd.
On Bank Holiday Monday, Tonbridge Athletic Club are hosting their 7th Anniversary Open Meeting, at Tonbridge School Track, which will include a wide range of events.