ERRA Men's National 12-Stage Road Relay, Sutton Coldfield

Editor’s note, October 2026: this report is restored as it was published on the club’s website in April 2013. Belgrave Harriers later gave up this title. Alberto Lozano de Pedro, who ran stage seven, tested positive for EPO at the Spanish Championships in July 2013. At the request of the other team members and the team manager, the club offered to give up the titles it had won that winter, and the 2013 national 12-stage title now stands with Leeds City AC. Read the English Cross Country Association’s statement.

The official team photo for Athletics Weekly. Back row: Paskar Owor, James Kelly, Neil Speaight, Kris Gauson, Dan Mulhare, Will Cockerell, Matt Taylor. Front row: Phil Wicks, Richard Ward, Alan Mead (team manager), Matthew Graham, Alberto Lozano, Andrew Connick.

Photo above by Mark Shearman. Others mostly by Leo Coy.

National 12-Stage Road Relay Victory

Alan Mead reports:- What a day! What a race! No doubt it will be reported in AW as “the slowest winning time ever”; but what excitement – probably the most exciting in which we have ever been involved.

Going into the race we knew that we had a powerful line up of long stages but the short stages were a bit of an unknown quantity. Anyway, in these days of spread sheets and pre-race analysis it seemed that if all ran reasonably we should come home in 4:13:00 and according to the past three year’s results, that should be good for medals. If the boys could raise their game a little then a win was not impossible. Sometimes, recently, when we thought we had a chance we have given our biggest guns too much to do by putting them on late and the TM was determined that this time we’d make sure that we were right up in contention soon after mid-race – in fact, try to grab a lead – and it would then be up to the tail-gunners to shoot down any attackers coming from the rear.

Race day dawned bright, still and fairly mild, but as 12 noon approached the temperature dropped, the wind got up something rotten and it was obvious that predicted times were going to be difficult to achieve; but hey! it was the same for everyone.

Our lead-off man in the six-stage had been Matthew Graham, and relatively new to this type of racing he was given the same task again. It worked pretty well. Matt was disappointed with his time but we were 22nd and just a minute off the lead as he handed over to Andrew Connick; solid stuff.

For the Beagles a very bad day turned into a nightmare. Knowing that he was going to be a man short of a full squad Bob Smith had stopped some of his runners from travelling but now their first leg runner was in serious trouble and needed prolonged attention from the medics after he crawled home, quite ill, in 63rd. It shows what a knife-edge we all operate on and how a mighty team can be laid low.

The 12-Stage has been in Andrew’s blood for a long time. Ten years ago at the age of 17 he came along to Sutton Park to watch the Bels retain the title – and got himself a run in the Newham & Essex Beagles ‘B’ team to feel what it was like on the road. Planning to run this race all winter Andrew nevertheless pulled out a couple of weeks beforehand with the prospect of a high profile 10k on the Sunday instead – but the lure of a medal was too strong and he was back in the squad with a week to go. Are we glad he came back? He’d pulled back eight places by the time he got to the top of the hill and three more positions were gained by the end of the lap. Great running and we were two seconds ahead of schedule. Blackheath now led from Bristol & West while Tipton had moved through to 3rd. Cardiff, Bedford, Notts and Leeds had all moved forward and things were beginning to shake out.

Matt Graham battles in the pack on stage one. His 27:15 gave us a great start.

Andrew Connick storms the finish slope having gained eleven places.

Coming back from injury problems Dan Mulhare still went considerably below 27 minutes on stage three.

And Bel-GRAVE have moved into 3rd!

Working his way back from injury the possibility of turning out a good team had given Dan Mulhare the shot in the arm he needed. Slated for a 27 flat time there was no way he was going to settle for that. The faithful felt excitement stirring in their bones as the announcer called the runners home at the end of stage three: “It’s Highgate … followed by Cardiff … and Bel-GRAVE have moved into 3rd!” His emphasis on the second syllable underlining his surprise at the threat offered by a previously unrated team. Dan’s 26:44 had taken the Bels up a further eight places. Tipton had only slipped one spot and Leeds were up another nine into 8th. Fastest on the road was Gunby of Woodford who brought his team up fifteen to 7th.

Matt Taylor joined us at the beginning of the winter to get back into athletics after half a dozen years of barely ‘ticking over’. He must be pleased he did. With a sub-72 half marathon last month he’d have preferred a long stage but scampered round the 3 mile circuit holding up well as Leeds, Bedford and Tipton squeezed past. Cardiff had assumed the role of leaders, just over half a minute clear.

The Lion of Nagongera was unleashed on stage 5 with a fast time his quarry. Highgate and Bedford were brought down by Paskar Owor’s chase but Leeds and Tipton both advanced again while Cardiff’s new man Joe MacDonald took the Welshmen out to a 1:23 advantage over Leeds.

Another year, another shoot-out to get into the team: this year the talented Richard Ward almost decided to give his 2013 attempt to get into the squad a miss, but at the last moment he went over to Bushy Park and did what he had to do. “Thank goodness I did,” he later exclaimed, now laying plans to be a minute and more quicker come 2014.

At halfway the signs were that medals of some sort should come our way as we were three places higher than expected and although 41 seconds behind our schedule it was obvious that the blustery conditions were hitting the times and our guys were running as well or better than expected.

Into the big time and totally unphased, Matt Graham took charge of stage four.

Paskar Owor came up two places to fourth on stage five.

Running in an antique vest Richard Ward goes through the pain barrier and at the half way stage we were in 6th place.

The phenomenal Alberto Lozano ran himself into oblivion to set the day's fastest time on stage seven. We were fourth again.

Kris Gauson inflicted major damage on stage eight and took the Bels into the lead.

Now for the big push

Now for the big push. Alberto was fired up and no mistake. His outstanding half marathon in Madrid the previous weekend showed that he was in great form and he flew away from the takeover zone. A phone call to the supporters out on the course brought back the information, “He’s absolutely sprinting!” This man really knows how to hurt himself. Tearing up that final straight and into the funnel his legs were locking up, he was vomiting, he was ‘all in’; but he’d run an amazing 25:39. That turned out to be the fastest of the day and our third best ever behind Paul Evans' 24:58 from 1990 and Phil Wicks' 25:13. Surely it would have been a 25 minute run on a decent day – and nobody has run one of those this century.

Only two places had been gained but the gap had now been reduced to a minute and a quarter behind leaders Cardiff (it had been over three minutes) with Leeds and Tipton well within striking distance. Sadly there had been considerable unpleasantness out on the course as our man and our supporters were subjected to some serious verbal abuse, added to by booing from a well-known coach who was probably born hating anything in ‘claret and gold’. So strong was the language that marshals had to warn those delivering this salty tirade and offered to support us should we make an official complaint. What these detractors don’t seem to grasp is that all this just makes us stronger and the more they don’t want us to win, the more determined we are.

4:24s

It’s been ten years since fifteen year-old Kris joined the Bels and in all that time, and while at Butler University in Indiana he’s donned his Belgrave vest to race whenever possible, and now based at Twickenham that might be a bit more often. Like a bullet heading for the target our strike continued. Tipton came back and we were into 3rd; Cardiff were slumping and we were into 2nd. Kris glanced at his Garmin to check his pace as he ran down from the Jamboree Stone: “4:24s” And now Leeds were overtaken and it remained for Kris to send ‘Wicksy’ on his way with a four second advantage. It had been stated that we should go ahead on 7, 8, or 9 – it was 8!

Now, could that lead be pushed to a minute? Alan Buckley of Leeds is no slouch but looking lean and mean as he goes into his final week before the London Marathon Phil Wicks prised the gap open more … and more. 38 seconds was Phil’s gift to Will Cockerell who then had to face a ferocious attack. He had earlier joshed with James Kelly that he’d be handing over to him with just a three seconds deficit behind the leaders. In fact it was two seconds! The Leeds man had flown after the Belgrave vest up ahead and he must have thought their time had come. But Will had something in reserve and clung on limpet-like as they both climbed towards the takeover area.

All along the TM had felt that James Kelly was going to be key to this race. With a previous best on the circuit of 27:15 it was so obvious, given Jim’s form this winter, that that mark was due for revision; but could he do it when it really mattered? A really nice moment was when James offered his hand to the Leeds man – Simon Deakin – as they waited in the pen and as they stepped forward onto the road with their men charging up the slope, ‘Deaks’ reciprocated and they shook hands again before the battle.

The gap went up to 38 seconds on stage seven thanks to Phil Wicks.

Will 'the limpet' Cockerell locks onto his Leeds rival. Two legs to go and we're still just two seconds off the lead.

James Kelly puts his foot down and turns on perhaps his greatest ever run to get away from Simon Deakin of Leeds.

It's hurting so bad ... but Neil Speaight has faced down a serious attack and now goes away for the win.

Nearly half a minute off his best time

As a medic hovered vulture-like over Will’s body, prostrate on the bracken, the final scenes in the saga began to unfold. Within seconds the Leeds and Belgrave runners were side by side. A call from the course came ten minutes later: “They’re right together.” It was all very well expecting James to run a good leg but if the opposition were offering up a strong runner themselves at that point it might all come to nothing – and in Deakin there was that strong runner. Another call: “James is moving ahead”; and then another: “he’s half a minute clear.” Wonderful. A one minute lead had been the aim at this point; it was 43 seconds as an elated James celebrated taking nearly half a minute off his best time – and that in poor conditions.

As a man who has seen and done most things in athletics Neil Speaight had again been given the anchor role. If anyone would know how to deal with whatever hand he was dealt – it would be Speaighty. The cards were good, but way off a ‘royal flush’. Leeds’ Joe Townsend ran fourteen-and-a-half for 5k last year. Not in that sort of shape for a couple of years Speaighty has been training regularly but recent illness had meant 12 days without running at all. Going off pretty hard, Neil was soon in pain – and his rival was going faster. The gap was coming down. Cold rain was now falling and with vest and hair soaked it was not a pretty sight as Neil plugged away. The gap was eight seconds … it was four seconds … would he tuck in behind and turn it into a kicker’s race? But our man’s racing brain was working well; he’d still got stuff in the tank while the 23 year-old may well have given a lot to bridge that gap. And so it proved: the Belgrave man dug deeper and deeper as the last hills were climbed. It was going the other way now; the gap started to grow again and as a tired Neil raised his arms to take the tape the margin was 16 seconds – and amazingly we were six seconds inside our target time.

The portents are good

As we have already said - what a race. There’s no doubt that Leeds were missing a few guys and had fought so hard. Just the merest twitch by any of our runners would have reversed the result. But we too have some eight other men who will be fighting to get back into this squad and the portents for further success are good.

A nice touch as the party in the tent wound down was the spontaneous clapping that broke out for ‘Wicksy’ as he set out for home and his final week before London where he will wear his Belgrave vest and hopefully be part of our scoring team – quite apart from shooting for a time that will qualify him for the World Champs later in the year.

ERRA Championship

1 Belgrave H 4:12:54; 2 Leeds City AC 4:13:10; 3 Cardiff AC 4:14:55; 4 Notts AC 4:15:56; 5 Bedford & County AC 4:17:11; 6 Central AC 4:19:05; 80 teams started, 72 finished.

Belgrave runners (team change, team position, ranking on stage). M Graham (-, 22, 22) 27:14; A Connick (+11, 11, 7) 14:53; D Mulhare (+8, 3, 2) 26:44; M Taylor (-3, 6, 28) 16:03; P Owor (+2, 4, 7) 27:16; R Ward (-2, 6, =24) 16:06; Alb. Lozano de Pedro (+2, 4, 1) 25:39; K Gauson (+3, 1, 1) 14:20; P Wicks (0, 1, 2) 26:29; W Cockerell (-1, 2, 13) 15:53; J Kelly (+1, 1, 1) 26:51; N Speaight (0, 1, 9) 15:26.
Fastest long stages (5.38 miles): 1 Alb. Lozano de Pedro (Belgrave H) 25:39; 2 J MacDonald (Cardiff AAC) 26:01; 3 J Taylor (Morpeth H) 26:03; 4 P Martin (Stockport) 26:06; 5 A Sanchez (Derby AAC) 26:12; 6 D Russell (Highgate H) 26:17; … 9 P Wicks 26:29; 20 D Mulhare; =27 J Kelly; 51 M Graham; 53 P Owor; … 456 runners.

Fastest short stages (2.99 miles): 1 S Mitchell (Bristol &W) 14:13; 2 K Gauson (Belgrave) H) 14:20; =3 J Poole (Blackheath H) & M Bergin (Bedford &C) 14:22; 5 J Gray (BRATS) 14:28; 6 F Baddick (Newham &EB) 14:31; 18 A Connick; =66 N Speaight; 117 W Cockerell; =140 M Taylor; =150 R Ward; … 450 runners.

SEAA Championship

1 Belgrave H 4:12:54; 2 Bedford & CAC 4:17:11; 3 Woodford GwEL 4:20:27; 4 Highgate H 4:22:30; 5 Shaftesbury BH 4:24:31; 6 Tonbridge AC 4:24:41; 24 teams started, 22 finished.

Fastest: Alb. Lozano de Pedro & K Gauson.