Runners Show Heart in Northern Road Relay Championships

A small group of Beverley Athletic Club athletes travelled to Catterick Garrison last weekend to take part in the Northern Road Relay Championships.

The event is open to club athletes of all abilities but also attracts some of the best road runners in the north.

All but one of the Beverley ladies was competing in this event for the first time and against strong competition they finished in 21st place out of 25 teams.

Ladies’ team captain Kate Ladell competed in the event last year as a member of her previous club in Sheffield and encouraged her new clubmates at Beverley to take part this year.  She was delighted with the result.  “I’m very pleased with how we all ran and supported each other as a team,” she commented afterwards, “and I’m looking forward to more relays with Beverley Athletic Club in future.”

The ladies each ran a 4km lap and Rachel Woolner volunteered for the first leg.  She put in a strong performance against some fast young runners before handing over to Amanda Ritchie, a very experienced road runner who is currently on her best form for several years.  New member Justine Anderson ran the third leg and flew round the course overtaking several other teams.

Nicola Glover followed and more used to running longer distances looked strong on the last incline of the course.  Jayne Dale performed well in the fifth leg before handing over to Kate Ladell.  Ladell was cheered on around the course by all the other Beverley runners and was also spurred on by the men’s teams racing with her to the finish.

Men’s team captain Stuart Little praised the ladies afterwards: “They were all clearly working very hard for each other and were all entering into the team spirit required for events like this.”  He was disappointed that Beverley was unable to field a full men’s team of twelve but reported that the five Beverley men who did take part all ran well over the rolling and twisting course.  The distance for the men’s race alternated between 8km and 4km legs.

Stuart Little, James Pearson and Steve Peacock all took part in the relays last year but for Matt Chadwick and Andy Tate it was a new experience.

The men will have to wait another year before competing in the relays again but the ladies will be back in action in April at the National Road Relay Championships at Sutton Park in Birmingham.

Beverley Athletic Club finishing times:
Ladies 4km Rachel Woolner 17.55; Amanda Ritchie 18.01; Justine Anderson 17.01; Nicola Glover 18.05; Jayne Dale 16.56; Kate Ladell 15.39.
Men 8km: Matt Chadwick 26.33, James Pearson 25.19; Steve Peacock 27.27
4km: Stuart Little 13.15; Andy Tate 15.06.