SEAA women's 6-stage road relay, Milton Keynes
A good day and a terrific turnout of Belles
A warm sunny Spring day greeted no less than a record 16 (sixteen!) Belles arriving at the Milton Keynes track ready for the 6-stage road relay. A solid A team finished a creditable 6th, ahead of all our local teams except the winners. The B team were an impressive 15th out of the 34 teams that started.
It was also good to have people coming along to run in an incomplete C team who were just behind the B's when they finished on the fourth stage. They all helped to make it a very enjoyable day for all.
Leg 1
Top 15 was the aim for the Alice Reed kicking off for the A team. This can be a very difficult leg with many teams putting there strongest runners here. But Alice kept her head, ran her own race and finished well within the target. Fiona Maddocks is running better than ever with an 800m PB just a couple of weeks ago, and she ran brilliantly to finish just a couple of places behind Alice. Jurgita Levertavicuite was also really pleased with her run of just over 20 minutes for the slightly long 5km leg.
Leg 2
Then the long second leg. Our trusty captain Sammi Amend never lets the club down but was feeling under the weather and dizzy half way round. She still got herself round in a good time, only perhaps about a minute off her best. Jess Reed ran a good strong leg for the B team with the reliable Lizzie Goldie-Scot not far behind for the C's.
Leg 3
Rachel Brown is another good new recruit like Alice, and she ran very well to pick off five places for the team with the Belle's second fastest short stage time. Stephanie Hewitt took over for the B team and although perhaps suffering from rather too many recent races, nevertheless got round well, picking off a couple of places. It was so good to see Jojo Rhodes pleased with her run back in the team after so many injuries.
Leg 4
Stage four is another long leg of just under 8km. Marathon runner Jane Vongvorachoti ran very strongly for the A team moving them up another three places to 8th with the 12th fastest long leg of the day. Mimi Corden-Lloyd has improved so much over the winter but here she bravely got round after suffering from a frozen lower leg and had to attended to by first aid at the finish. Kelley Haniver took that leg for the C team with a very strong run finishing in 25th place.
Leg 5
Georgie Fenn took over for the A team on the fifth leg and stormed round in the Belles' quickest short leg, the 11th fastest of the day. She moved the team up another place to 7th. Keri MacKenzie, lightly trained but multi talented produced, an excellent leg for the B team taking another three places.
Leg 6
Finally, the sixth stage, 'the graveyard shift'. By this time the gaps between teams are often minutes long and here was no exception. Mhairi Hall, brought the A team up one more place despite her dodgy knee having restricted her training over the last few weeks. Emma Howsham, herself just recovered from a foot injury, had a very encouraging run to finish off for the B team moving them up into the mid teens.
Results
Teams; 1. HHH 2:06;37, 2. C & C 2:09;04, 3. TVH 2:10;40, ….
6. Belgrave A 2:15;40, A. Reed 19:11 (13), S. Amend 29:40 (16), R. Brown 19:08 (11), J. Vongvorachoti 28:26 (8), G. Fenn 18:26 (7), M. Hall (6).
15. Belgrave B 2:24;06, F. Maddocks 19:40 (15), J. Reed 31:17 (23), S. Hewitt 20:13 (21), M. Corden-Lloyd 33:32 (24), K. MacKenzie 19:31 (21), E. Howsham 19:53 (15).
Belgrave C team; J. Levertavicuite 20:20 (20), L. Goldie-Scot 32:41 (26), J. Rhodes 20:43 (25), K. Haniver 31:31 (25).
Fastest legs
Short; 1. K. Snowden (HHH) 16:48, 2. S. Chapman (WSEH) 17:19, 3. H. Archer (C & C ) 17:25, 11. G. Fenn 18:26.
Long; 1. T. Barlow (TVH) 26:58, 2. H. Timmins (TVH) 27:02, 3. S. Ward (HHH) 27:14, 12 J. Vongvorachotii 28:26.