ERRA Men's 6-Stage Road Relay, Sutton Park, Full result

Five year run comes to an end

To win five times in a row requires more than talent - it requires the continued generosity of Lady Luck - and in 2006, after favouring the Bels for half a decade, she turned her back on us. Losing Mark Miles with a cold followed by a chest infection was a big blow but this problem was chased by another when we learned that Jonathan Blackledge's return from an end of season break had been delayed by tendonitis. And then with race day looming Richard Ward had to pull out with a muscle problem. All this doesn't just hit the A team of course, it filters down to the Bs as well where, additionally, Mike Trees had picked up a hamstring problem, Hassan Raidi was in Morocco, the Skipper was in Vietnam ... and so it went on through 21 names until it became obvious that we weren't going to be able to complete a B squad.

The Beagles had a top team out but we were pleased with our final line-up, still hoping for medals, and Phil Wicks had a grin that stretched from ear to ear when he found he was back in the A team.

Stage 1

There was some talent on parade on stage one. Sharpy looked oh! so fit as he took his place on the start line, and as the gun fired and elbows jostled he took station in a leading bunch that remained intact for most of the lap before Birchfield's Burundian John Ndayisenga, 6th behind Milesy's 5th in the Horwich 5k, made a run for it towards the end and broke away. Michael East headed the bunch for the Beagles but there was really nothing in it as Stephen came through in 4th.

1 J Ndayisenga (Birchfield H) 17:21; 2 M East (Newham &EB) 17:25; 3 D Samuels (Morpeth) 17:28; 4 S Sharp (Belgrave) 17:32; 5 K Heywood (Bristol) 17:35; 6 D Pettit (Peterborough) 17:37; ... 45 J Kimaiyo (Belgrave B) 18:44; 77 teams started.

Stage 2

Paul Freary set off in confident mood and by the foot of the hill was already drifting into the lead as Birchfield began a 24 place crash, Morpeth dropped away and Newham's talented junior Tom Bilham also came back. Paul was still ahead as they ran along the top but he could hear breathing close behind as Bilham came back to give the Beagles a one second lead over Altrincham with Lincoln Wellington and Harrow also squeezing past. Just 12 seconds covered the first five.

1 Newham &EB (+1) 35:15; 2 Altrincham (+7) 35:16; 3 Lincoln W (+7) 35:18; 4 Harrow (+20) 35:26; 5 Belgrave (-1) 35:27; 6 Tipton (+5) 35:35; ... 44 Belgrave B (+1) 37:33.

Fastest: A Bowden (Harrow) 17:17; 2 J Mays (Kent) 17:21; 3 A McLean (Team Soton) 17:21; 14 P Freary 17:55; ... 36 M Byansi 18:49.

Stage 3

Step up Phil Wicks. Originally scheduled for first leg for the Bs, Phil was delighted with the additional excitement of running in the A squad. After weeks of being unable to run because of shin splints, during which he had kept aerobically fit by much swimming and cycling, he was back where he loved to be. There's no doubt that this was a painful run for him as he struggled to suck in oxygen and felt oh! so tired as the lap unwound; but he moved up a place and clocked a time which showed us that there is an extremely low 17 run due to pop out any time he tackles this circuit with a decent background.

Mark Warmby began to push the chips the way of the Beagles and Jason Ward kept "Alty" in contention but as Lincoln and Harrow's challenge faded, into the frame crept the familiar green and white hooped vest of Tipton, back in contention after a couple of years in the wilderness.

1 Newham &EB (0) 52:30; 2 Altrincham (0) 53:03; 3 Tipton (+3) 53:05; 4 Belgrave (+1) 53:19; 5 Sale (+2) 53:40; 6 Aldershot F&D (+7) 53:52; ... 44 Belgrave B (0) 57:02.

Fastest: 1 M Warmby (Newham &EB) 17:15; 2 D Webb (Leeds C) 17:29; 3 N Burton (Tipton) 17:30; ... 11 P Wicks 17:52; 51 P Willis 19:29.

Stage 4

Tipped for a good run, eighteen year-old Kris Gauson set out on stage four. Altrincham's bid subsided and very soon Kris was into 3rd but, now running on his own, his pace judgement let him down. Undoubtedly extremely fit, he was hitting the early part of the stage too hard and by the time the takeover had been reached a posse of five men had jumped him - Scaife (Morpeth), Frank Tickner (a scintillating 17:03 for Wells City), Cox (Bristol), North (Sale) and Robinson (AFD). Newham and Tipton seemed to be comfortably in charge of gold and silver while the Bels - and four other teams - were within ten seconds of bronze.

1 Newham &EB (0) 1:10:01; 2 Tipton (+1) 1:10:55; 3 Morpeth (+4) 1:11:49; 4 Wells C (+12) 1:11:51; 5 Bristol &W (+3) 1:11:52; 6 Sale (-1) 1:11:54; ... 8 Belgrave (-4) 1:11:59; 46 Belgrave B (-2) 1:16:56.

Fastest: 1 F Tickner (Wells C) 17:03; 2 M Geele (Newham &EB) 17:31; 3 D Deed (Bedford &C) 17:39; ... 19 K Gauson 18:40; 50 M Humphrey 19:54.

Stage 5

Nicholls (Tipton) and Vernon (Aldershot) put in the two fastest runs of stage five as the autumnal Sutton Park squalls began bending the trees and showering spectators and racers alike. But third fastest on the road was Simon Jones, reeling in Sale, Morpeth and Wells City, and clocking a time only seven seconds slower than Sharpy on stage one. Quiet in manner and steady in pace Simon's steely determination is proving a real asset to the Belgrave team.

1 Newham &EB (0) 1:27:44; 2 Tipton (0) 1:28:16; 3 Aldershot F&D (+4) 1:29:20; 4 Bristol &W (+1) 1:29:32; 5 Belgrave (+3) 1:29:38; 6 Morpeth (-3) 1:30:08.

Fastest: 1 P Nicholls (Tipton) 17:21; 2 A Vernon (Aldershot F&D) 17:24; 3 S Jones (Belgrave) 17:39.

Stage 6

With Mo Farah lined up for the last lap, the voyage of the Beagles was all but complete. Tipton too seemed safe in second - but what could our Davey do in the way of salvaging a set of bronze medals. He had an eighteen second gap to make up on Aldershot - it seemed possible - but Bristol's last man, setting out a mere six seconds ahead of him, was one Rob Whalley - in good shape and looking to impress the selectors and gain a British Ekiden Relay team slot.

With a way to go to reach top form, David did indeed pull back AFD but Whalley was too big an ask on this occasion. It was good running from our Vice-Skipper but with luck his best form will be seen in that period the other side of Christmas when National Cross and 12-Stage Relays enter our minds.

It was good to view Tipton back near the top and also to see local rivals Herne Hill make the journey to Sutton Park. Commiserations to Wells City who lost Adrian Marriott (rumoured to have been hospitalised the day before) and Notts AC whose first leg runner was injured just as the runners were beginning to line up.

Result:

1 Newham &EB (0) 1:44:46; 2 Tipton H (0) 1:46:24; 3 Bristol &W (+1) 1:47:01; 4 Belgrave H (+1) 1:47:29; 5 Morpeth H&AC (+1) 1:47:58; 6 Aldershot F&DAC -(3) 1:48:03; 73 teams finished.

Fastest: 1 M Farah (Newham &EB) 17:02; 2 R Whalley (Bristol &W) 17:29; 3 D Bilton (LeedsC) 17:45; ... 5 D Anderson 17:51.

Fastest overall:

1 M Farah (Newham &EB) 17:02; 2 F Tickner (Wells C) 17:03; 3 M Warmby (Newham &EB) 17:15; 4 A Bowden (Harrow AC) 17:17; 5= A MacLean (Team Soton), J Mays (Kent AC), P Nicholls (Tipton), J Ndayisenga (Birchfield H) 17:21; 9 A Vernon (Aldershot F&DAC) 17:24; 10 M East (Newham &EB) 17:25.

Restored from the club's earlier website, belgraveharriers.com, and published here as originally written.