ERRA National 12 Stage Road Relay, Sutton Park, Sutton Coldfield
What a Finish!
“It felt like a win,” said Neil Speaight, as his team mates crowded round him at the end of the race to celebrate third place.
Ok, so that’s a bit of an exaggeration, there’s nothing quite like collecting the gold medals at the end of the ultimate road running team race; but he had a point and our eighth set of medals in as many years was well worth celebrating.
Our master-blaster had been saved until the final stage as, based on last year’s times, it was just possible that he would set out somewhere under a minute behind Leeds City’s 12th man. But the Yorkshire club had raised their game in the intervening twelve months and their own hero Darran Bilton didn’t run a bad last lap himself. Notts AC are also on the up and their 12th man was second fastest on the stage, thus taking them out of reach. So Neil’s final attack for the Bels was reserved for Newham & Essex Beagles who had threatened to win at one point before finally finishing the race out of the hardware. Pity poor Beagle Andy Robinson, far from his fittest and having to face such an onslaught.
A wonderful start
Some four hours earlier our newly anointed Captain Steve Sharp, taking over the role from the inimitable Will Cockerell, had set out for the Bels on the first long stage. He gave us a wonderful start to bring the team home in 3rd and his 26:26 moved him well up our all-time Belgrave list, nestling between Justin Chaston (2001) and Steve Halliday (1993) in 9th. He’s already promising another long stage next year! Salford’s Andi Jones had grabbed the lead and Leeds had made their intentions clear by claiming 2nd place.
Surviving an argument with a car while out training a month or so earlier, followed by a bout of ‘flu’, Richard Ward had won the battle of the time-triallers to occupy one of the last team places available; but he celebrated his inclusion in the team by going out too hard – and paid for it as the lap unwound. Instead of a 15:10 clocking which would have brought him home just in the first half-dozen, he was nearly 30 seconds slower, gasping apologies for his over-exuberance as he made his way down the finish funnel. Rich has more sub-15 performances than any Belgravian except Jonathan Blackledge – but he didn’t enjoy this outing!
Salford had extended their lead through Tomas Abyu and the Beagles were up to 2nd but it was Birchfield heading the field after three stages as Salford slipped out of contention. Paul Freary ran a controlled effort, looking good, and at two-thirds distance a glance at the opposition left and right of him, followed by another at his watch, was followed by a determined effort to up the pace a little. Sunderland and Derby fell behind but OWLS had stormed past to take up 3rd place and Notts had also squeezed through – so we remained in 11th, two and a quarter minutes off the lead but bang on our predicted schedule.
Junior record from Nick Goolab
Paul recently celebrated his 40th birthday and as the oldest man in the team he now handed responsibility for our progress to the youngest in the squad, 18 year-old Nick Goolab. What a storming run Nick produced. Whilst later admitting to worries during the run that he might have overcooked it, he looked so smooth as he flew around the short stage to remove 3 seconds from our Club Best by a Junior. … And then back to another old stager in Al Stewart – out of the team since 2003 but in the three appearances up to that date – silver, gold and gold! Al had proved himself by running a solo trial at Battersea the previous week and was now back on the road that he knows so well in Sutton Park.
Some solid running then, but we were still in 11th and 3 minutes 49 seconds off the lead. Could Shaun Moralee improve our fortunes? He’s a very talented young 1500m man and having seen young Nick do the business would have liked to have turned in something similar. As it was, his 14:56 importantly took us up three places as we entered the second half of the race. Birchfield still persisted in the lead while behind them Sale, Leeds, Notts and the Beagles chopped and changed; but Woodford Green were beginning to raise a few eyebrows, as were OWLS.
Courageous Jim
James Kelly went out for the Bels – but within ten minutes was suffering from his chronic Achilles tendon problem. Showing great courage Jim managed to keep going without limping but could not run freely down the slopes. Nevertheless, his time was up to par and only Phil Nicholls of Tipton, fastest on the stage, came past. Up at the sharp end Leeds had now taken the lead through Dave Webb and Notts had slipped into 2nd.
Now, what could Jon Blackledge do, the first of three short-stagers that would hopefully hammer in some spikes to help us climb into the medals? He set off scarily fast and soon Birchfield, Sale, Tipton and Swansea vests were swirling in his slipstream. Jonathan's best ever run of 14:18 took us to within 49 seconds of the medals and at last we were breathing down the necks of Woodford Green who were occupying 4th place.
Aggressive running
Our Scottish Cross Country Champion Mark Pollard set out just three seconds adrift of Woodford’s Matt Shone and soon the two were locked together before Mark’s aggressive running began to move him away. But Sale Harriers weren’t finished yet and as the two London teams slugged it out, Cornish came up three places for the Manchester club and we remained in 5th. Mark’s final time of 27:24 was again spot on our pre-race prediction for him. Newham had see-sawed with Notts AC and were now in 2nd thanks to Moumin Geele’s 25:42 – second fastest of the day.
Step up Stephen Davies. Fastest short stage of the day at the SEAA race – and the way he set out it looked as if he was intent on doing the same at Sutton Park. It was a painful second half of the circuit for Steve as he had indeed overdone the early part of the lap but his final time was still a terrific 14:18. There was no change in the team order but Leeds were beginning to come back a little, the Beagles were beginning to scent a victory and although it would take a disaster by both of these to let the Bels in, we still felt there was some excitement to come as we were now just 21 seconds away from medals – albeit still in 5th place.
Ever-improving Simon Jones
One of the key men in our teams these days is the ever-improving Simon Jones. He took half a minute off his best time for the course to move way up the all-time list just behind Dave Anderson and equal to Phil Wicks as he swiftly disposed of Sale. He was even ten seconds faster than Leeds’ Alan Buckley but, fast as he was, Simon was unable to make any impression on Notts AC in 3rd for whom Ian Boneham ran fastest on the stage to place them neck and neck with the Beagles as the scene was set for the final act. So with one lap to go and in spite of some incredibly hard work by our men, we were still one minute and three seconds adrift of medals. As the Newham and Notts runners went off, Neil took his place on the start line crouching almost like a sprinter … waiting for “Jonesy” to arrive … and then he was away.
No holding back
There was no holding back by “Speaighty”. He blasted the start, eager to make up ground fast so that he could at least see his quarry. Leeds were safely in the hands of Darran Bilton while Notts AC had one of the speediest men of the day with Bruce Raeside at their disposal, but taking the graveyard shift for the Beagles was a far-from-his-best Andy Robinson. By the Jamboree Stone, about half-way round, the information from the course was that the gap was down to 45 seconds. No, sadly it looked as if it was going to be 4th for the Bels. Approaching Keeper’s Pool Beagles’ boss Bob Smith was able to shout to his man, “You’re ok. Speaight’s not in sight.” But oh! my Lord! ... a second later there he was ... like a shark that could sense blood and had thrown his whole being into a final frenzied attack. The rest of the Belgrave team were assembled near that final corner, screaming and urging him on.
Up at the finish, Leeds and Notts had gone through, and hearing the frantic shouts of supporters 300 metres away but unable to see over the brow of the hill, the eyes of all were peering along the finish straight, eager for a glimpse of the colours that would be next to appear over the rise. More shouts ... was that? ... yes ... it was claret and gold ... it was Neil! And then behind him, but “all in”, it was Andy Robinson for the Beagles. Neil had swept past him as they entered the final straight and then stormed the slope as if it was the last stretch of an Olympic 1500m!
A super race. Congratulations to Leeds City AC and Notts AC … and commiserations to Newham & Essex Beagles who had medals snatched away after occupying 2nd or 3rd place for no less than nine stages. And well done to all of our team. Every second fought for by every man was so important in the end – and our medal streak goes on.
1 Leeds City AC 4:09:40; 2 Notts AC 4:11:01; 3 Belgrave H 4:11:58; 4 Newham & Essex Beagles 4:12:16; 5 Tipton H 4:16:02; 6 Woodford Green w EL 4:16:23; … 59 teams started; 52 teams finished.
Belgrave – S Sharp (3) 26:26; R Ward (11) 15:38; P Freary M40 (11) 28:00; N Goolab U20 (10) 14:37; A Stewart (11) 28:06; S Moralee (8) 14:56; J Kelly (9) 27:31; J Blackledge (5) 14:18; M Pollard (5) 27:24; S Davies (5) 14:18; S Jones (4) 26:35; N Speaight (3) 14:09.
Fastest long stages 5.38 miles: 1 J Ndayesenga (Birchfield) 25:33; 2 M Geele (Newham &EB) 25:42; 3 I Boneham (Notts AC) 25:53; 4 P Nicholls (Tipton) 25:58; 5 A Ford (Blackpool) 25:59; 6 D Webb (Leeds City) 26:01.
Fastest short stages 2.995: 1 A Baddeley (Harrow) 13:39; 2 F Tickner (Wells City) 13:55; 3 A Vernon (Aldershot F&D AC) 14:08; 4 N Speaight (Belgrave) 14:09; 5 A Bowden (Harrow) 14:10; 6 S Hepples (Newham &EB) 14:11; … =9 J Blackledge and S Davies 14:18.
Restored from the club's earlier website, belgraveharriers.com, and published here as originally written.