SEAA Women's 6-Stage Road Relay, Milton Keynes

No medals this time

At the beginning of the week the Belles looked like possible medal contenders with strong A and B teams for the Southern 6-stage. But as is usual with the relays those early team plans didn't materialise and as athletes became ill, injured and more, the team changes began to happen on an hourly basis – leading right up to the start of the race!

Stage 1

Following their Reigate relay head to head, Sarah Murphy for the As and Heidi Cayzer for the Bs set off on the first leg. Team entries appeared down on recent years, possibly because of the weather, international duties and the mothers day clash. By the end of the first stretch reports came back that Sarah Murphy had taken the lead and was running strong, but the pace set was too high and although Sarah posted the Belles fastest time of the day the team were now in 10th spot. Having injured her ankle at a cross country race earlier in the season Heidi was only just returning to fitness and found the fast paced opening leg hard going.

1 M Lee (Marshal MK) 19:08; 2 F Cliff (Chelmsford) 19:36; 3 B Yff (Serpentine R) 19:40; 10 S Murphy (Belgrave 'A') 20:26; 25 H Cayzer (Belgrave 'B') 23:36.

Stage 2

Catherine Bryson took over the baton for the As somewhat relieved that she didn’t have to start off with the lead spot. Another superb runner, Catherine is also returning to form following a long-term injury. Having modestly estimated her abilities over the distance Catherine more than justified her selection for the A's, maintaining the Belles 10th spot. Trooper Sarah Gailey improved on her last year’s time, despite the blustery winds and will take the strength from the roads and cross country back onto the track for 400m races.

1 Winchester &D (+6) 38:32; 2 Marshall MK (-1) 40:09; 3 Woodford GwEL (+6) 40:49; 10 Belgrave 'A' (0) 41:57; 23 Belgrave 'B' (+2) 47:28.

Fastest: L Elliott (Winchester &D) 18:30; 2 F Kennedy (Ealing S*M) 20:24; 3 B Pritchett (Woodford GwEL) 20:30; 10 C Bryson ('A') 21:31; 22 S Gailey ('B') 23:52.

Stage 3

The ever improving Helen Smethurst took over for leg three and showed her road running ability spans the range from 5km to marathon. A strong and consistent 20:53 was an excellent posting for Helen and she was delighted to maintain the Belles position, bringing the gap between 6th and 10th spot down to 10 seconds. Christine Bertram had swapped from the A team into the B team concerned about a niggle she was carrying. Maybe it was the lack of pressure on her and the ability to relax and enjoy her run, but Christine’s time was the fastest B string of the day and worthy of an A team position.

1 Winchester &D (0) 58:33; 2 Woodford GwEL (+1) 1:01:12; 3 City of Norwich (+5) 1:01:27; 10 Belgrave 'A' (0) 1:02:50; 20 Belgrave 'B' (+3) 1:09:24.

Fastest: 1 R Proctor (City of Norwich) 19:36; 2 E Patel (Winchester &D) 20:01; 3 K Philp (Garden C) 20:07; 10 H Smethurst W40 ('A') 20:53; 15 C Bertram ('B') 21:56.

Stage 4

Tilly Heaton has shown consistent form over the winter but observers may have spotted that she’s been missing a bit of that spark from recent years. She's still extremely competitive and loves to chase people down and Tilly's leg was significant in bringing the Belles up 3 places into 7th. Team manager Catherine Eastham put herself on the line for the B team and was pleased to clock a PB over the course.

1 Winchester &D (0) 1:19:12; 2 Bedford &C (+3) 1:21:09; 3 Woodford GwEL (-1) 1:21:25; 7 Belgrave 'A' (+3) 1:24:08; 19 Belgrave 'B' 1:32:33.

Fastest: 1 R Gibbs (Bedford &C) 19:32; 2 G Greenhalgh (Woodford GwEL) 20:13; 3 K McBride (Marshall MK) 20:23; 8 M Heaton ('A') 21:18; 21 C Eastham 23:09.

Stage 5

The team leaders had settled into position and it didn’t look like the order would change with Winchester’s lead increasing over each stage. Caroline Shanklyn, who's shown considerable promise over the cross country and in training with Charlie Dickenson's group, set off on her first southern relays for the Belles. The wind was beginning to pick up and the first drops of rain were starting but Caroline fought on and although pipped by Highgate's Svenja Abel who clocked the fastest leg of the stage, brought the Belles back a respectable 8th. 800m runner Vicki Goodwin, with her distinctive track runners style, took over for the B's and using the race as an endurance speed session kept the Belles in the top 20. Sadly, with no-one to handover to, that is where the B team's battle ended. It’s frustrating that we've not completed a B team in the 6-stage yet, especially as we were the leading B team by the end of stage 5.

1 Winchester &D (0) 1:39:43; 2 Bedford &C (0) 1:40:42; 3 Woodford GwEL (0) 1:41:27; 8 Belgrave 'A' (-1) 1:46:18; 19 Belgrave 'B' (0) 1:56:39.

Fastest: 1 S Abel (Highgate) 18:52; 2 N Sykes (Bedford &C) 19:33; 3 I Thornburgh (Marshall MK) 19:57; 12 C Shanklyn ('A') 22:10; 18 V Goodwin ('B') 24:06.

Stage 6

Vicky Clarke took on the last leg last year and just narrowly missed out on bringing the Belles home with a gold medal. Starting off in 8th spot it was too much of an ask for her to get anywhere near the medal positions this time round, but Vicky is another gutsy runner who likes to chase and set off intending to do battle. Despite clocking the 5th fastest leg of the stage and the Belles 2nd fastest leg of the day, the gap was just too great and the team's position was maintained with the Belles home in a solid 8th position.

1 Winchester &D (0) 1:58:58; 2 Bedford &C (0) 2:00:56; 3 Woodford GwEL (0) 2:01:58; 8 Belgrave 'A' (0) 2:07:01; 28 teams started; 21 teams finished.

Fastest: 1 K Hazlitt (Winchester &D) 19:15; 2 A Critchlow (London H) 20:09; 3 S Morris (Bedford &C) 20:14; 5 V Clarke ('A') 20:43.

Fastest all stages (5,506m):

1 L Elliott (Winchester &D) 18:30; 2 S Abel (Highgate) 18:52; 3 M Lee (Marshall MK) 19:08; 4 K Hazlitt (Winchester &D) 19:15; 5 R Gibbs (Bedford &C) 19:32; 6 N Sykes (Bedford &C) 19:33.

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