Northern 6 Stage Road Relays -Sat 22nd Sept

Picture © Steve Angus athletesinaction.co.uk

September for many athletes and clubs up and down the country, marks the beginning of the road relay season. While a constant presence on the national fell relay scene, Keswick AC have not entered a team to the road relays for a number of years, but recent seasons have seen the development of a good squad of road runners at the club and one that it was felt could challenge for a top 25 finish at the Northern area-relays which would gain them qualification to the National 6 Stage Road Relay, an event of some prestige on the athletic calendar.

This year the Northern event was at Leigh Sports Village hosted by Leigh Harriers AC, for Cumbrian clubs only a short drive down the M6, and indeed on the day teams were present from Kendal, Barrow, Border Harriers and Keswick AC.

The format of the event is six legs of approximately 6.4km, each being made up of two laps around the complex with a start and finish in front of the grandstand on the athletics track. The lap incorporated some narrow sections with tight turns and stretches of rough cycle path, as well as some more open stretches on good tarmac surfaces, which made for exciting and competitive racing throughout.

Steve Hebblethwaite got the team off on the first leg with a time of 19:29 which saw them placed 30th, handing over to John Beetham, who worked hard for 21:07 on the second leg and did well to return the team in 41st place, amongst a tight group of clubs who were each in the hunt for a top-25 National qualifying place. It was great to see the return of Josh Hebson to a club team and in posting 20:42 he showed he is in good shape after time out to injury through the summer, moving the team up 5 places to 36th. Ian Davies, himself enjoying a good spell free of injury, was able to gain the club a further place to 35th with two stages left to run.

Picture © Bryan Dale

It is at this point in the relay that tactics can play a part, and clubs that have 'front-loaded' their teams with their better runners on the early legs can be exposed by a lack of depth in their team. Choosing to place two more experienced and in shape runners on the penultimate and final leg paid off for Keswick with Russell Maddams clocking a strong 19:35 to reign in another four places, before handing over to Carl Bell who posted 19:00 with an inspired and gutsy run that saw him overhaul a further seven clubs, including rivals Kendal AC.

Picture © Bryan Dale

Cheered on by delighted team mates Carl crossed the line two hours and forty three seconds after Steve had set off, and in 24th place to qualify the club for the National 6 Stage Road Relay next month. First place was taken by Altrincham & Dist AC in 1:49:25, ahead of Liverpool Harriers & AC, and Salford Harriers & AC.

L-R: Steve, Josh, Ian, Russell, John, and Carl