Ethan Gibbs, Fraser Williams and Oliver Henderson of the Under 15 ‘A’ side were the stand out performers of eight teams sent by Bedford and County Athletics Club to the ever popular National Cross Country Relay Championships in Mansfield on Saturday 1 November.
The team won a thoroughly deserved silver medal, placing second out of 96 teams in the Under 15 age category, finishing four seconds behind eventual winners, Bracknell Athletics Club.
Berry Hill Park in Mansfield has been a consistent host of this event for over 30 years, welcoming over 1,000 cross country runners from across the age groups, although competitors who were used to the track were in for a surprise, when large sections of the course were changed.
“The park has been subject to significant development this year, so whilst the venue is unchanged, the event is to be held over a very different course than in previous years”, said the organisers pre-race.
Not that that perturbed the three Bedford teenagers, who collectively ran the 6km course in 19:28.695, including a scintillating second leg of 06:17 from Williams, jumping from 14th to second in a matter of minutes.
Gibbs opened the race with a time of 06:39, before Williams’ pacey second leg – the fastest of all second legs in their race – before Henderson saw his side home to silver with a time of 06:31 in the final leg.
Top ten finish for the Under 13s and Junior Men
Out of the other seven Bedford-based teams competing, the Under 13 Boys were one of two other trios to gain a top ten finish, coming home in eighth place thanks to excellent runs from Tyler Kemp, Elliot Janes and Isaac Morgan.
They too were aided by an excellent second leg from Janes, who overtook 12 competitors to propel Bedford up to 13th place, before Morgan completed the job with an equally superb run of 07:22 to take his team into the top ten.
The Junior Men, otherwise known as the Under 20s, also finished in the top ten; the trio of Theo Beale, Mackenzie Kotrys and Jacob Schuricht coming home in ninth place.
Elsewhere, the Under 13 Girls trio finished a very respectable 23rd from 80 teams, while their older Under 17 counterparts also finished well to rise to 20th in their race out of 62 teams, thanks in large to a rapid final leg from Megan Reynolds. The Under 17 Boys finished in 63rd out of 100.
Both the Senior Men and Senior Women also ran solid races; the Men’s ‘A’ team consisting of Ed Blythman, Noah Campion – who overtook 14 runners – Harry Brodie and Alfred Yabsley coming home in 12th, while the Women’s ‘A’ side finished 24th out of 122 competing teams.
Bedford Masters athletes compete in Madeira
Elsewhere at Bedford and County Athletics Club, four Masters athletes have been in action in warmer climates at the European Masters Championships that took place in Madeira at the beginning of October.
Tennyson James was part of the Great Britain M65 side that won 4x400m gold, and also helped set a new European Record in the process.
James was also sixth in the M65 400m final, fifth in the M65 200m final, and fifth in the M65 300m hurdles final, as he demonstrated that he is one of the top Masters athletes in Europe.
Darren Kerr came 18th in the M55 shot put, but fared much better in the M55 Throws Pentathlon, finishing sixth.
Roy Chambers was also on good form but just missed out on a medal, finishing fourth in the M35 Javelin.
Graeme Packman came 10th in the M70 Discus, 13th in the M70 Shot and 15th in the M70 Throws Pentathlon.
