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www.belgraveharriers.com |
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SEAA 12-Stage Road Relay - Milton Keynes, 5 April 2009 |
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Above: First stage and Ben Whitby (Windsor, SE&H) sets a searing pace followed by Tom Payn (Winchester), Mehreta Soloman (London Heathside), Stephen Sharp (109) and Aaron Harris (Aldershot, F&D). James Fairbourn (209) took care of the second stage - his first time in the A team.
Above: With the marathon looming Will Cockerell (309) had no trouble dealing with a long leg and we held steady in fifth. Supervet Mike Trees (409) was aiming for 17 minutes on stage 4. He fell away from that pace towards the end of his effort but we were up to fourth and he'd run a cracking 17:27. It gets serious as Simon Jones (509) eats up the gap and is about to go into second spot on stage five - he had taken the lead and given us a 16 second margin by the end of his stint.
Above: By the time Simon Jones (509) and Nick Goolab (609) were finished we were halfway with a lead of one minute and one second. Bedford & County were storming up behind thanks to a powerful run from Darren Deed but James Kelly (709) was rock solid and kept the Bels ahead.
Above: Great running came from Mark Pollard (809) and suddenly we were two minutes clear ... and had master-blaster Phil Wicks (909) to follow. Phil cracked Highgate Harrier Keith Cullen's course record of 23:16 with a superb 23:08. The lead was now just over four minutes.
Above: After a successful indoor campaign Vice-Captain Neil Speaight (1009) was back on the road and gingerly protecting a calf niggle. Feeling under the weather with a cold coming on Russell Dessaix-Chin (1109) nevertheless ran 23:55 - our equal fourth fastest of all time and largely negating the push forward by Aldershot Farnahm & District's Andy Vernon who was himself inside the old record.
Above: And so to the last stage. The race is wrapped up for the Bels but Dan Mulhare (1209) unleashes our fastest short stage run which was also the fastest of the day - 16:27. Captain Stephen Sharp enjoys the moment with protégé Nick Goolab. Photos by Leo Coy, Pat Mead and Steve Wicks
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