Tonbridge Athletic Club’s men’s team captured the South of England 12 Stage Road Relay Championship, on Sunday, at Milton Keynes, regaining the title that they had won in 2017 and 2018. With a winning time of 4 hours 10 minutes exactly, they won by just 52 seconds from Highgate Harriers, with Bedford in 3rd. The team will now go forward to the National Championships, on the second weekend in April.
The race comprised of six ‘Long’ legs of 8,662 metres, alternating with ‘Short’ legs of 4,987 metres. Alex Howard started the team off and had a superb run to come home 3rd in 25.39, just 13 seconds behind the leaders, from Winchester. Ben Murphy then ran 14.51, moving the team into 2nd with the second fastest short lap of the day, but was overtaken by international Tom Keen, from Cambridge and Coleridge AC.
Tonbridge remained in 2nd place through the next six legs, with Jamie Goodge (26.27), Michael Ellis (15.18), Ben Cole (26.44), Jamie Bryant (15.24) and Steve Strange (26.38) all having very respectable races, before an inspired Cameron Payas ran 15.01.
James Kingston (25.56) went on leg 9, chasing Highgate, who were about 100 metres ahead, before taking the lead and putting Tonbridge into a strong position. Dan Bradley (15.42) and Corey De’Ath (27.10) maintained the lead, before Sean Molloy took over for the anchor leg. Molloy recorded 15.01 to bring the team home, about 300 metres clear of Highgate Harriers, as 49 teams competed.
Head tenth for England
Ollie Head finished 10th in the Home Countries International Cross Country fixture, on Saturday, whilst representing England Schools, against Scotland, Wales and Ireland. The event too place near Swansea in Wales and Head was the seventh Englishman home in the Junior Boys race, for school years 8 and 9. The England team had a convincing victory.
Competing indoors at Lee Valley, Mark McAllister set the fastest ever 100 metres time, by a club member in the over 50 age group, when he recorded 12.33 seconds, whilst Steve Daly ran 43.75 for 300 metres, in the same age group, setting a Tonbridge AC indoor age group record.
Lily Slack (under 17) had her first ever experience of an indoor race, when she ran 2.25.48 for 800 metres.
