ERRA National Men's 6-Stage Road Relay, Sutton Park, Sutton Coldfield
Somewhere over the
The race might not have gone our way but for those who turned up without strong club loyalties it was one of the best in years. The result was in doubt ‘til the end. Our boys wore a black ribbon in memory of key supporter Pat Mead while the Newham boys sportingly carried a claret ribbon in similar vein – they weren’t going to do us any favours but should they cross the line in first place then they would share a little of the glory with us; a nice touch. Thanks to injury problems Captain Phil Wicks was reduced to “supporter” for the day while “come-backers” James Kelly and Neil Speaight, both short on fitness, ran the course all afternoon to gee the boys up; nice to have them there.
G-o-o-l-a-b
Somehow a promised five minute delay to the start was reduced to less than two minutes as runners were still jostling for their “rightful” places on the start line and an official standing in front of the 83 first-stagers was overwhelmed by the surge precipitated by the early gun. Way back in about 30th place as they charged down the slope was Nick Goolab – but already putting in some powerful running as he eased his way into the top fifteen as the field entered the first loop and then top six or seven as they came out of it again. It was all, “Johnny Mellor of Liverpool,” according to the announcer but when the motorbike hove into view it was Scotland’s Shettlestone Harriers' blue and yellow colours at the head of the field, worn by Tewelde, chased hard by Whitby (Windsor), Gardener (Derby) … and G-o-o-l-a-b in fourth stripping a quarter of a minute from his previous best.
With confidence a little dented by a cold, ‘Sharpy’ was below his best with a first ever clocking outside 18 minutes. But the net loss was only a single place as Swansea and Bedford came through and Windsor drifted back. Ominously a whole posse poured through the takeover area on Sharpy’s tail including Aldershot just three seconds down. Shettlestone were already 17 seconds clear of second place and 48 seconds up on the Bels.
The Scottish club pushed on again to the halfway point, their lead stretching to 41 seconds, but it was all change behind as Jonny Hay took our local rivals Aldershot into second place, chased by Kent AC, Tipton (through Ryan McLeod’s fastest of the day) and Cardiff. Normally a cert for a mid to high 17 minute run, Steve Davies had also marginally gone over 18 minutes and we were now in 9th. This wasn’t going our way.
Dan our fastest
On leg four Shettlestone suddenly looked vulnerable as their lead shrank to just three seconds and Bedford’s Mark Draper all but took his club into the lead. Most onlookers were now favouring the Southern club. Our own ace Dan Mulhare clocked the Bels fastest of the day – 17:20 – to home in on the medals in an official fifth, although he was right alongside our conquerors from Rushmoor Arena – Aldershot.
And just when it seemed Bedford would sweep into the lead it was now Tipton making a forward run thanks to Phil Nicholls. The whippets were ahead and it looked as if the clock had been turned back a decade – were they going to pull it off? Cold rain blasted the takeover area while a glorious rainbow promised a crock of gold medals to any one of half a dozen teams still in the hunt. But it began to look as if it wouldn’t be the Bels and that we might struggle to get a medal of any kind as a disappointed Simon Jones found AFD getting away from him … and Altrincham’s Andy Norman bringing Altrincham up as well. We were in sixth with one to go.
Paskar on a charge
At last Bedford’s solid squad could not be denied any longer. Tipton dropped away, Shettlestone too had run out of master-blasters … and the Bels had Paskar Owor on a charge. Could he get us into the hardware? Altrincham were disposed of and then he set about Aldershot’s Paul Rogers, taking back 17 seconds and squeezing into fourth. It was Tipton under pressure now as the gap to the frame narrowed all the way up the finishing straight … but the line came 100 metres too early for the Bels who had to be content with the cruellest spot of fourth, just five seconds behind bronze medals and eight seconds behind silver. Even winners Bedford & County were only 42 seconds up the road - a great run for them as they got their hands on the trophy for the first time.
1 Bedford &CAC 1:45:42; 2 Shettleston 1:46:16; 3 Tipton H 1:46:19; 4 Belgrave H 1:46:24; 5 Aldershot F&D 1:46:28; 6 Newham & EB 1:46:58; … 83 teams started and 79 teams finished.
Belgrave: N Goolab (team position 4, stage ranking 4) 17:21; S Sharp (5, 27) 18:05; S Davies (9, 12) 18:01; D Mulhare (5, 3) 17:20; S Jones (6, 7) 18:02; P Owor (4, 4) 17:35.
Fastest: 1 R McLeod (TiptonH) 17:03; =2 M Draper (Bedford &CAC) and T Humphries (Cannock &S) 17:04; 4 S Overall (Blackheath &B) 17:05; 5 A Ford (Sale H) 17:08; 6 T Tewelde (Shettlestone) 17:10.
Restored from the club's earlier website, belgraveharriers.com, and published here as originally written.