All the news from the BMAF Open Masters Cross Country Relay Champs in Long Eaton, Derbyshire.
Salford Harriers dominated the main men’s age groups, while Gemma Steele again led Charnwood to the youngest women’s team award on Saturday (October 25) in what was announced to be the last hosted by the Long Eaton club at the venue for 10 years.
Men
Not only did Salford AC take the first two team places in the M35 class, they also added the M45 race, both of which were over five 3kms.
Such was their dominance that their men, led by Harry Wakefield with the fastest lap of the day in 9:01, had the four fastest age group times.
However, they were outclassed in the opener as Macclesfield’s M45 Ian Fisher clearly ‘won’ the first lap in 9:33, a time that was not only the fastest in his age group but the third fastest of any male.
He said he recently returned to the sport because his son, who competes in the Under-13s, shows promise and wants to help him progress.
After nine years out, Fisher returned to racing in 2025 to win the M40 British Masters 1500m, but here in the M45 age group. “It was my first time at the track in 20 years,” said the former Inverclyde runner.
Gary Priestley had driven the first M35 round for Salford and then it was all red vests as Carl Darcy, Wakefield, Tom Hodgson and finally Carl Hardman finished the job.
Their B team soon progressed to a second M35 slot and possible silver BMAF medals, but were denied that honor as only one team from each club can score. As consolation, the five of them were awarded a bottle of Plonk each.
Salford’s M45 may have led Wilson’s Macclesfield on Stage 1, but after a steady start Richard Gardiner saw them take the lead on Stage Four, before their M50 Gareth Raven saw them home in 10:09, third best M45.
He led Aberdare’s Martin Rawlings in 10:03 and his club was rewarded for the long journey with runners-up M45 team medals.
Leeds again took the lead in the M55 section of the race and it was John Walton who got them off to a good start before Martin Roscoe took them further ahead midway through the race.
Walton had competed in the Yorkshire Marathon six days earlier, where he beat team-mate David Parkin for the M55 award.
Here it was Parkin who recovered from his first ever marathon to beat his rival by just two seconds for the fastest M55 lap in 10:28.
Walton said. “I’m doing another (marathon) in Valencia.”
The M65 men ran with the women and it was Oxford City who took the lead after the first leg with Brian Greene’s 12:56. Two faster laps of 11:45 and 12:43 by Steel City’s Jed Turner and Chris Ireland, however, sealed victory for the Sheffield outfit.
Men M35 (5×3 km). 1 Salford 47:47 (G Priestley (1) 9:44, C Darcy (1) 9:24, H Wakefield (1) 9:01, T Hodgson (1) 9:44, C Hardman (1) 9:54); 2 Salford B 51:31 (b Five (3) 10:05, j Bailey (2) 10:01, M Latham (2) 10:06, d Rigby (2) 10:04, d Hudson (2) 11:15); 3 Covenant God 51:43 (l shawl (2) 9:54, H Mohammadiha (3) 10:14, H Speed (3) 10:09, P Eccleston (3) 10:47, A Boon (3) 10:39); 4 Long Eaton 51:45 (D Magalella (4) 10:07, D Hawley (4) 10:19, W Lunn-Pigula (4) 10:20, J Tribus (4) 11:01, R Howe (4) 9:58); 5 Milton Keynes 54:03 (S Tuttle (7) 10:24, J Peters (5) 10:41, A Stone (5) 10:57, J Down (5) 10:46, S Ratcliffe (5) 11:15); 6 Nuneaton 54:31 (G Hodgkins (10) 11:05, T O’Rourke (9) 11:12, M Collins (7) 11:03, L Melling (6) 10:32, C Jordan (6) 10:39); 7 Wolverhampton & Bilston 54:46; 8 Holm Pierpont 56:57; 9 Aldridge 57:00; 10 Bakewell 57:07
Fastest: H Wakefield (Ointment) 9:01; K Darcy (Souk) 9:24; T Hodgson (Oxuq)/ G Priestley (Oxuq) 9:44
22 teams finished
M45 (5×3 km). 1 Salford 53:16 (S Warburton (8) 10:57, B McCartney (4) 10:30, R Hughes (2) 10:44, M Collier (1) 10:56, G Raven (1) 10:09); 2 Aberdare Valley 54:17 (I Clark (13) 11:44, A Lewis (10) 11:27, M Jacklin (8) 10:39, R Gardiner (4) 10:24, M Rowling (2) 10:03); 3 Southampton 54:41 (E Hughes (3) 10:25, J Smith (3) 10:48, S Mercer (4) 11:34, M Law (2) 11:13, J Curtis (3) 10:41); 4 Mansfield 55:41 (D Nugent (4) 10:27, D Cass (2) 10:33, J McIntyre (3) 11:36, D Powell (3) 11:37, B McClemens (4) 11:28); 5 Peterborough & NV 56:14 (S Fell (2) 10:14, M Tuff (5) 11:26, D Lewis (1) 10:24, R Moulton (5) 12:46, A Stowe (5) 11:24); 6 Macclesfield 56:18 (I Fisher (1) 9:33, J Carr (1) 11:23, G Briggs (5) 11:58, R Adams-Mercer (7) 12:48, M Walker (6) 10:36); 7 North Derbyshire 57:56; 8 Redhill RR 58:25; 9 Long Eaton 60:15; 10 Milton Keynes 62:14
Fastest: I Fisher (Macc) 9:33; M Rowling (A’dare) 10:03; G Raven (Salf, M50) 10:09
13 teams finished
M55 (4×3 km). 1 Leeds 44:11 (J Walton (1) 10:30, M Roscoe (1) 10:52, P Townsend (1) 12:21, D Parkin (1) 10:28); 2 Beeston 47:56 (J Hunt (3) 11:21, S Barnes (3) 12:29, M Lyons (4) 13:25, A Taplin (2) 10:41); 3 Salford 48:11 (M Russell (2) 10:58, S Chambers (2) 11:33, I Grime (2) 12:18, T Rayner (3) 13:22); 4 Redhill RR 48:55 (O Jones (4) 12:11, T Metcalfe (6) 12:35, P Newton (3) 11:56, S Nash (4) 12:13); 5 Macclesfield 49:52 (R O’Keeffe (8) 13:10, M Lynas (4) 11:13, D Croft (6) 13:23, J Noakes (5) 12:06); 6 Halesowen 50:03 (B Gardner (5) 12:29, M Headley (5) 12:05, S Duck (7) 13:57, D Lewis (6) 11:32); 7 Southampton 50:12; 8 Kimberley & District 56:20; 9 Mansfield 56:23; 10 Holm Pierpont 59:45
Fastest: D Parkin (Leeds) 10:28; Jay Walton (Leeds) 10:30; A Taplin (Beest) 10:41
M60: M Roscoe (Leeds) 10:52
M65 (3×3 km).
1 Steel City 39:03 (P Brown (7) 14:35, Ireland (3) 12:43, J Turner (1) 11:45); 2 Warrington 40:06 (S Ogden (4) 13:40, D Gill (2) 13:29, D Norman (2) 12:57); 3 Oxford City 41:04 (B Green (1) 12:56, B Vaughan (1) 13:49, S Thorp (3) 14:19); 4 Long Eaton 42:03; 5 Charnwood 43:26; 6 Sutton at Ashfield 52:23
Fastest: J Turner (Steel) 11:45; C Ireland (Steel) 12:43; B Green (Oxf C) 12:56
M75 (3×3 km). 1 Beeston Ac 50:26 (J O’Donnell (2) 18:11, M Davey (1) 17:01, M Read (1) 15:14); 2 Salford 57:00; 3 Holme Pierrepont 71:44
Fastest: M Reed (Beest) 15:14; H Partridge (Holme P) 16:03; M Davey (Beest) 17:01
Women
Charnwood’s W35s have been quite dominant here in recent years and once again Gemma Steele and one of the Potter twins have ensured they have a good showing again.
Both Potters were due to run here, but Jane had a suspected fault, so her club drafted their best W55, former British and Irish Masters Cross-Country winner Keith Ramsey, into their team. His first leg time of 12:02 was comfortably the fastest in his age group and he says he was promised that medal even though he was running in the W35 team.
Juliet Potter led Charnwood in the second round with the second best W35 time of 11:26 before Steele again finished the job with the fastest lap of 10:54.
Potter said. “It was my first race for a long time and I’m happy today because yesterday was my 44th birthday.”
For his part, Steele, who will represent England at the Masters International as a new 40-year-old, said: “It’s hard when you’re at the front and working hard on the (small) hills.”
Rachel Rozhdestvenskaia’s third-fastest 11:38 anchored home Sale was second.
The young women were led off the stage in their opening lap by Mansfield’s Hayley Gill, whose 11:36 stood up well for the rest of the race.
He said: “It was a good course and the ups and downs give you a bit of a break.” Gill also soon moved up an age group and said: I am 50 years old in December and I am expecting a good year.
Her club, anchored by W45 second-fastest Caroline Hay of 12:06, won her age group by almost a minute over Milton Keynes and Sale.
Bristol & West have been the dominant W55 team in the Masters race for the last few years and it was no different here. Sarah Everitt, Claire Jolliffe and Jill Harrison posted the three best times of any W55 team runner as their club won by more than seven minutes, but the team took just five.
Yate & Sodbury have also been top W65’s recently and it was no different here as Mary Derrick’s 14:26 lead saw them take their age group again.
Women
W35 (3×3 km). 1 Charnwood 34:22 (K Ramsey (3) 12:02, J Potter (1) 11:26, G Steel (1) 10:54); 2 Sale 36:07 (L Barber (1) 11:46, J Welsh (2) 12:43, R Rozhdestvenskaya (2) 11:38); 3 Macclesfield 38:16 (F Sharpley (2) 11:59, E Cameron (3) 13:33, H Saunders (3) 12:44); 4 Birchfield 38:45 (E Watters (4) 12:05, S Conway (4) 13:35, S Ellen (4) 13:05); 5 Mansfield 38:57 (L Riddle (5) 13:06, K Huntington (5) 12:59, C Dinescu (5) 12:52); 6 Stoke City 39:12 (K Butler (8) 13:29, M Vernon (6) 13:02, J Donnelly (6) 12:41); 7 Bakewell 40:16; 8 Sale B 41:41; 9 Beeston 41:50;10 Redhill RR 42:31
Fastest: G Steel (Charn) 10:54; Juliet Potter (Charn) – 11:26; R Rozhdestvenskaya (Sell) 11:38
16 teams finished
W45 (3×3 km). 1 Mansfield 37:23 (H Gill (1) 11:36, G Newbould (2) 13:41, C Hay (1) 12:06); 2 Milton Keynes 38:20 (W Weber (2) 12:29, M Allen (1) 12:21, J Rees (2) 13:30); 3 Sale 38:30 (H Armitage (3) 12:38, A Chinoy (3) 12:39, H Hamilton (3) 13:13); 4 Macclesfield 39:19 (K Heppenstall (6) 14:11, A Markley (4) 12:37, K Redman (4) 12:31); 5 Redhill RR 43:14 (M Butler (5) 13:58, S Simpson (6) 15:15, C Rogers (5) 14:01); 6 Kimberley & D 43:36 (N Chamberlain (8) 14:22, S Garside (8) 14:59, K Herbert (6) 14:15); 7 Mansfield B 44:02; 8 Macclesfield 44:17; 9 Beston 45:17; 10 Nuneaton 45:33
Fastest: H Gill (Mansf) 11:36; C Hay (Mansf) 12:06; M Allen (Mil K) 12:21
13 teams finished
W55 (3×3 km). 1 Bristol & West 39:47 (S Everitt (1) 12:47, C Jolliffe (1) 13:36, J Harrison (1) 13:24); 2 Sale 47:04 (J Cordingley (2) 14:24, L Rowlinson (2) 15:30, H Reagan (2) 17:10); 3 Beeston 47:39 (M Pardon (3) 15:12, C Challender (3) 16:25, C Bexton (3) 16:02); 4 Long Eaton 48:53; 5 Notts Women R 62:08
Fastest: C Ramsey (Charn) 12:02; S Everett (B&W) 12:47; J Harrison (B&W) 13:24
W65 (3×3 km). 1 Yate and Sodbury 45:13 (M Derrick (1) 14:26, C Lavis (1) 15:57, M Grace (1) 14:50); 2 Steel City 47:28; 3 Aldridge RC56:39
Fastest: M Derrick (Yate & S) 14:26; D Kesterton (Steel) 14:34; M Grace (Taye & S) 2.50pm
(nn) is the team position after the respective round.
