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

There were some times set on stage one that would have shown up well in the men's race and in the thick of this action Catherine Bryson set the Belles team going with a 19:19 clocking - our fastest of the day. Further back, Southern 20k Race Walking Champion Maureen Noel took a break from "heel and toe" action to sample life on the road relay circuit. Eventual winners Bedford & County ended lap one a lowly 19th.

While Thames took over from Windsor at the front, Helen Smethurst came home 9th, handing over to Rosie Powell. Now Shaftesbury led, and just as the order was chopping and changing at the front, so it did further down the field as Sarah Gailey completed leg four for the Belles and sent Juliette Clark on her way.

Our most experienced relay runner with five SEAA 6 stages behind her, "Jules" move up five places as Aldershot took their turn at the head of the procession. It just remained now for team manager Catherine Eastham to close in the team for a very respectable 11th place - now that's something the men's outfit just cannot aspire to!

A Team: C Bryson (7) 19:19; H Smethurst (9) 20:36; R Powell (11) 21:35; S Gailey (12) 21:18; J Clark (7) 20:23; C Eastham (11) 23:12.

B Team: M Noel (29) 22:46; J Beecroft (29) 23:57; Clare (25) 20:43; team dnf.

Teams: 1 Bedford & County AC 1:54:07; 2 Aldershot F&D AC 1:54:59; 3 Shaftesbury BH 1:5:46; 4 Highgate H 2:02:32; 5 Arena 80 2:03:39; ... 11 Belgrave H 2:06:23; 24 teams finished.

Fastest: 1 J Wilkinson (Bedford &C) 17:41; 2 S Morris (Windsor SE&H) 17:54; 3 S O'Sullivan (Thames H&H) 18:08; 4= S Abel (Highgate H) 18:15; 4= V Webster (Shaftesbury BH) 18:15; ... 19 C Bryson 19:19.

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