Roundup of all the action from the Northern England Men’s 12 and Women’s Round 6 road relays.
North of England Men’s 12 & Women’s 6 BEM, Carlisle, Cumbria, 28 March
Leeds City won both the men’s 12 and women’s 6 stage relays in Carlisle and the Yorkshire-based outfit were impressive throughout the day.
Men
Leeds reclaimed the men’s title, which they lost to Salford last year, and did so by a minute behind 2023 winners Morpeth, with the hosts another minute adrift in third.
The rest of the clubs could be in a different race as fourth-placed Vale Royal were almost ten minutes off the podium.
They got off to a good start with Joe Firth clocking 20:14 over 7km and held the lead in the short second leg when Osama Meslek posted the fastest leg in 14:58.
This was before long-term Morpeth man Carl Avery gave Morpeth the lead in the third leg, which was then held by Liam Roche before they lost the lead.
This was due to Leeds’ Jensen Connell running 20:30 for his 7km, before Daniel Franks added to his lead in stage six; the eventual winners are now 23 seconds ahead.
That lead was further extended after Richard Allen ran the fastest 7km of the day in 20:06.
James Tilley and William de Vere Owen ate into Leeds’ lead in stages nine and 10, but Gavin Chalmers sealed it all with his second fastest short lap of 14:43.
Harry Wakefield rounded out Salford’s bronze medals with a 14:28 effort. They had earlier started fifth in the opener, finished third second then fourth before claiming their third place finish on lap five. Then they were about a minute off Morpeth at half distance.
Men (legs 1, 3, 5 and 7: 7 km, others 5 km). 1 Leeds 3:23:53 (J Firth 20:14, O Meslek 14:58, J Beattie 20:55, N Marsh 15:12, J Connell 20:30, D Franks 15:23, R Allen 20:06, W Tighe 15:15 W Tighe 11:10 15:36, S Flanaghan 15:30, G Chalmers 14:43); 2 Morpeth 3:24:55 (F Brodie 20:15, G Lowry 15:08, C Avery 20:19, L Roche 15:31, L McCourt 20:50, A Swinburne 15:31, C Coulson 20:23, J Fiddaman 20:23, J5:2135, J Owen 14:58, J Owen 15:58). Hancox 15:54, E Hetherington 15:15); 3 Salford 3:25:37 (M Brown 20:33, J Wood-Doyle 15:26, D Barratt 20:53, C Darcy 15:28, C Davidson 20:49, T Cornthwaite 15:21, J Birmingham 20:40, J Birmingham 20:40). J Hoards 5:210, C Rowlinson 15:41, G Beardmore 15:36, H Wakefield 14:28); 4 Vale R 3:35:12; 5 Leeds B 3:38:20; 6 Salford B 3:38:58; 7 NSP 3:39:48; 8 Gateshead 3:42:40; 9 Wednesday 3:43:23; 10 Border 3:44;15
A total of 35 teams finished
The fastest (7 km). 1 Allen 20:06; Fert 20:14; Brody 20:15; Avi 20:19; Coulson 20:23; Dinner at 8:30 p.m
The fastest (5 km). Wakefield 14:28; Chalmers 14:43; de Vere Owen/Meslek 14:58; Tighe 15:00; F Day (Sales) 15:07; March 15:12
Women
Leeds were always there or thereabouts after being third in the first period and then second after taking the lead and holding it at half-time.
It was Border who topped 24-year-old Esme Davies’ 22:46 on the 7km opening stage, with Leeds’ Heather Townsend third behind Trafford’s Bethany Reid in 23:13.
Border maintained the lead through Olivier Mason on the second leg as Leeds moved into second thanks to Georgia Malir before Charlotte Van Zeist moved to the front of the race.
They were then half a minute off the mark and took a further lead on stage four before really extending it to five thanks to Eilidh Bell’s 17:22.
All four of the Leeds short runners’ times were in the top six, while Townsend and Potter’s longs were the third and fourth best.
Border staged a late rally to try to salvage things but it was too late and even Keith Maltby’s fastest short stage of the day at 16:55 was not enough and they finished within a minute.
Third-placed Salford were four minutes behind after taking that position after the third stage after a steady start to seventh. Fourth-placed Trafford put up a fight but the rest were nowhere to be found.
Women (legs 1 and 4: 7 km, others 5 km). 1 Leeds 1:57:30 (H Townsend 23:25; G Malir 17:24; C Van Zeist 17:47, S Potter 23:40; E Bell 17:22, S Luker-Edwards17:49); 2 Border 1:58:50 (E Davis 22:46, O Mason 17:52, S Addison 18:31, R Brown 23:43, R Douglas 19:00, K Malby 16:55); 3 Salford 2:03:23 D Slattery 25:13, I Appleby 18:27, E Russell 18:16, J Wright 24:06, K Reynolds 18:30, A Bratt 18:49); 4 Trafford 2:04:19; 5 Steel City 2:10:26; 6 Bury 2:12:12; 7 Sale 2:12:41; 8 Keighley & Craven 2;13:16; 9 Wednesday 2:16:53; 10 Border B 2:17:11
Only 25 teams finished
The fastest (7 km). Davis 22:46; B Reid (Traff) 23:13; Townsend 23:25; Potter 23:40; Brown 23:43; Wright 24:06
The fastest (5 km). Maltby 16:55; Call 17:22; Malachi 17:24; N Moynihan (Sell) 17:42; Van Zeit 17:47; Luker-Edwards 17:49;
