AAA Men's 6-stage Road Relay Champs, Sutton Park
A record equalling fourth successive AAA 6-Stage title
Mark Miles, David Anderson, Kevin Nash, Jonathan Blackledge, Spencer Barden and Stephen Sharp - second fastest time ever in terrible conditions. Photo by Mark Shearman
As favourites and with a team two thirds comprised of men who had done it all before – and who’d set the fastest three times on the course – you’d have thought we’d be totally comfortable going into the race. Somehow, though, the pressure rises as the success goes on; favourites sometimes fail – we certainly have – and wins can never be taken for granted.
Paul Freary knows just how the pressure builds. For a couple of months he’d worked hard to get into top shape for this race and yet his team place, like that of others, was never guaranteed; here he was, sixteenth in the National Cross last February yet unsure of his slot in this event until ten days beforehand. Delighted to be “in the six” he planned to tune up with a final race but instead of providing the finishing touch to his form, that race gave him the nightmare of a “twanged” calf muscle. The problem improved considerably throughout the final week but he was fully aware that he could not now go to the start line totally confident that he could offer every sinew in his body to the cause. In spite of the fact that this had been his goal for months, Paul stepped out of the squad. That’s called “putting the team first” and far from letting it get to him, he curbed his disappointment and was out on the course to cheer on the six.
The strong winds of the previous day had died away by race time but a steady drizzle that began early in the women’s race just got worse throughout the afternoon until the roadways were rivulets and the area around the take-over zone a boggy morass.
Pre-race hype and irreverent mockery on an Internet message board had added spice to the occasion but in the face of this our lads were calmly confident and were about to put on a display that was clinical in its execution.
Stage 1
On the front rank, a slightly nervous Kevin Nash prepared for his task to bring us home as close as possible to the leaders. The officials walked the starters down to the line – a brief silence – and then they were away. Having survived the onslaught of 128 opposing elbows Kevin took up station in the leading bunch as the field careered down the slope, round the loop and off up the hill. Information coming back to take-over area gave no indication of our position for the next fifteen minutes – in fact every club but Belgrave seemed to be mentioned by the announcer. Eventually it was Tipton charging through the zone in the form of Matt Shaw. Aldershot and Highgate had both got great starts, coming through within three seconds of the lead but then, good as gold, in a tight bunch just 19 seconds back came “Nasher”. First stage times can fluctuate wildly from one year to the next and although Kev would have liked something faster, we were right where we wanted to be.
Stage 2
Jonathan Blackledge immediately injected some pace and men ahead began to wilt. Along the ridge he was into the top ten and then coming back along the bottom it was top five with Aldershot and Wells City in the last stages of being pulled back but Basingstoke’s Tulba coming up behind like a train. By the end of his stint young Jonathan had caught all but Tipton and Sale while giving way to Tulba who had come up nineteen places. Again, we had a man who felt he hadn’t run as well as he’d hoped – but all we can say is heaven help the opposition when he feels just right.
Stage 3
A stony-faced Spenny Barden moved out onto the road, a mere 16 seconds and three men away from the lead. If this operation was “clinical” then Spen was the surgeon; swift and skilful were the incisions he made into the opposition. By the top of the hill there was nothing in it and then out along the top he moved ahead and relentlessly went away. How many times have we put this man on “three” and seen him take us unto the lead. Much was happening behind. Sale were hanging on to 2nd, Ellis brought Aldershot’s red and green colours back into the frame, Derby came up 12 places and Highgate, who had sagged badly on the second stage, yo-yoed back to 5th with Keith Cullen pulling back 19 men. Illustrious names down the field failed to make an impression: Birchfield’s Kenyan Wilfred Taragon ran 17:44 while Blackheath’s man-of-the-moment Mike Skinner could only pull the Heathens up to 11th with a 17:28. … And all the while Spencer worked away at the front until a wonderful 45 seconds advantage was ours.
Stage 4
It was all over and yet we still had a three-man finish that could have dealt with anything that British athletics could throw at us. Usually preferring to chase, “Sharpy” took on the role of front runner with an assurance that had the lead going up to over a minute – and that from a Morpeth team who were now well into contention thanks to McCormick’s astonishing 16:41. Frazer Thompson, a training partner now of Jonathan B at Oxford University, matched Jon’s 17:41 to keep Aldershot in the hunt but it was desperately close for the minor medals, four seconds covering 2nd to 4th and then another six teams in the next 20 seconds. Stephen’s time was his best ever – superb running considering the conditions.
Stage 5
David Anderson gives every impression of enjoying a “scrap” but that pleasure wasn’t on offer on this occasion. Maybe we can give him an early stage another time. As it was, he cruised along in the teeming rain working that lead out to over a minute and a quarter from a Birchfield team that were boosted by Kahara of Kenya. More significant was the fact that Aldershot, with Chris Thompson to go on the last stage, were a further 30 seconds adrift.
Stage 6
The weather was by now at its most atrocious and yet we were treated to a couple of the fastest times of the day. Our own Mark Miles runs so well from the front, and wearing the broadest of grins he tore past his coach Bud Baldaro giving him a “high five” on the way to a 17:02 clocking – a new club record to eclipse his own 17:08 and 17:09. Awesome! Behind, Aldershot’s Chris Thompson was going even faster, his 16:39 being the second best ever for the lap but the Belgrave lead had actually gone up again and “Milesy” took our colours to the tape in a magnificent 1:44:35, just eleven seconds off our own course record and giving us a fourth successive win and the best four times for the race.
Teams: 1 Belgrave H 1:44:35; 2 Aldershot F&DAC 1:45:55; 3 Birchfield H 1:46:49; 4 Bristol & West AC 1:47:29; 5 Morpeth H&AC 1:47:37; 6 Salford H 1:47:53; 65 teams started; 63 teams finished.
Belgrave: K.Nash (13) 17:44; J.Blackledge (4) 17:41; S.Barden (1) 17:18; S.Sharp (1) 17:23; David Anderson (1) 17:27; M.Miles (1) 17:02.
Fastest: 1 C.Thompson (Aldershot F&DAC) 16:39; 2 N.McCormick (Morpeth H&AC) 16:41; 3 K.Cullen (Highgate H) 17:01; 4 M.Miles (Belgrave H) 17:02; 5 K.Zahara (Birchfield H) 17:10; 6 S.Hepples (Newham &EB) 17:12; 7 S.Barden (Belgrave H) 17:18; 8 R.Whalley (Bristol &WAC) 17:19; 9 G.Tromans (Coventry G) 17:22; =10 S.Sharp (Belgrave H) and P.Tulba (Basingstoke &MH) 17:23; =16 David Anderson 17:27; =33 J.Blackledge 17:41; =39 K.Nash 17:41.
Restored from the club's earlier website, belgraveharriers.com, and published here as originally written.