A storming anchor leg by steeplechase international WILL BATTERSHILL, which surely ranks him right
up among the country`s top road runners at the present time, ensured our men`s team achieved the
top six target they had set themselves in the autumn National 6 stage road relay championship that
was held at its traditional venue at Sutton Park in Birmingham on Saturday.
What`s more, but for a takeover mishap at the end of the 4 th stage that cost us nearly half a minute,
we would certainly have been challenging Bedford for 4 th place as they ended up only 23 seconds
ahead of Will at the finish.
Even so a medal position in the event that we have only achieved once as B&W in 2006 proved as
elusive as ever, with defending champions Leeds Citwho dominated the race once EMIL CAIRESS had
put them in front on the second leg, Shaftesbury-Barnet, and new Southern champions Cambridge
and Coleridge still just out of our range despite the fact that we posted our best ever overall time for
the course.
That time too of 1:46:05 would have been well inside the 1:46 mark that is now virtually at least
needed to make a serious medal challenge, which is genuine evidence that our team`s upward
progress is being sustained, bearing in mind too that one of the team`s star runners JACK MILLAR
was absent. As things were the four runners in our line-up that were in the Midland championship
winning team all ran between 10 and 20 seconds faster than they had done a fortnight ago.
There may have been a swirling breeze along the top of the course, but under mellow autumn
sunshine conditions for the event were as good as can be expected at this time of the year, and
Birchfield`s Eritrean teenager AARON GEBRAMARIAN (16:54), the recently crowned National junior
cross country champion, took full advantage, setting a searing pace from the start of the opening
stage that ensured there would be little room for tactical manoeuvring at the front of the race as he
literally became a hare to chase.
Our team captain KURT TAYLOR (17:20) was given the opening leg to make sure that we would be
right in the race from the off and he wasted no time in joining the front pack chasing the young
Eritrean. That was essential if we were to present a serious medal challenge and Kurt hung on well
to finish just inside the top ten in 8 th place in a time 12 seconds faster than he had recorded when
clocking the third fastest time overall in the Midland championship qualifier.
In an equally competitive second stage BEN ROBINSON (17:54) ran nearly 20 seconds faster than he
had at the Midland race, yet still had to concede six places, so competitive was the pace at the front,
though we were still only just over half a minute off a medal position.
Despite only running four seconds faster than Ben, MILAN CAMPION (17:50) made up three of the
lost places to leave us only just outside the top ten at halfway, a progression that MAX DAVIS
(17:58), whom it was reassuring to see back in action after an injury ravaged summer, maintained on
the 4 th stage as he too gained another three places to lift the team up to 8 th .
TAKEOVER MISHAP
It was then that the takeover mishap occurred as Max, who had clearly run himself to a standstill to
keep us in the medal hunt and was struggling on the run up to the finish, was somehow missed by
the takeover official who never gave JOE MORROW the incoming number to set off with the result
that Joe, who had not noticed Max coming I, was left waiting until JOE CONNORS, who was waiting
to start on the same leg for the B team, told him that he had seen Max finish and that he should
have already gone.
As Joe recorded his own time at 17:51, which being 16 seconds faster than he had run at the
Midlands was consistent with our other runners` improved times, it suggests that he lost more than
20 seconds before setting off as his official time was recorded as 18:13. Whatever the reason for the
mistake in the meantime Aldershot had passed us, leaving WILL BATTERSHILL (16:50) back in
9 th place and having to try and catch rather than hold off Aldershot`s former National junior cross
country champion WILL BARNICOAT (16:56), who had clocked the fastest time of 16:36 in last year`s
race.
Undaunted Will never gave up the pursuit, and while both of them ultimately gained three places by
catching and passing the Highgate, Hercules Wimbledon and Morpeth runners in front, the gap
between them, which was less than the length of a cricket pitch along the top of the course, hardly
altered though Will did actually reduce it to just five seconds at the finish to ensure we made the top
six position targeted.
“It was unfortunate when I realised what had happened at the previous changeover, but I must
admit I was pleased to be chasing Barnicoat rather than the other way round and having to hold him
off, and trying to catch him certainly pushed me all the way, “ claimed Will, who was clearly well
pleased to have run 15 seconds faster than the fastest time overall he had set at the Midlands and to
end up with the third fastest time of the day behind only Olympic marathon star EMIL CAIRESS
(16:38) and World championship cross international ZAK MOHAMMED (16:43).
B TEAM TRAVAIL
Ironically the 5 th position we would at least have earned but for the takeover mistake was matched
by our B team, who finished fifth of the second teams, finishing 38 th in the race behind Leeds (10),
Aldershot (17), Cambridge and Coleridge (21) and Bedford (33), that too despite first stage runner
ALEX STEWART (19:04) twisting his ankle on the first corner and struggling all the way round to make
sure the rest of the team were able to run.
“It was painful going up the hill to the top of the course, but it wasn`t too bad thereafter and I knew I
had to keep going otherwise my clubmates wouldn`t have been able to run” said a disappointed Alex
who ended up back in 57 th place.
In stark contrast taking over from poor Alex young Loughborough student FLYNN JENNINGS (18:50)
proved the revelation of the team, running nearly a minute faster than he had at the Midlands to
pull back three places, a progression that two other relative newcomers to the club ALASTAIR
MATHESON (18::44) and DYLAN RIGBY (18:46) maintained by matching their Midland times to both
gain six places and lift the team nearer the top half of the field in 42 nd position.
Although JOE CONNORS (19:34) was unable to maintain the forward momentum on the penultimate
stage, HUGH SADLER (17:57) underlined his class by picking up six more places on the anchor leg to
finish the team just inside the top 40 in 38 th position. After his eye catching 6 th place in the recent
Vitality London 10K in 30:36, it was heartening to see Hugh back in club colours and ready to make a
major contribution to the team`s on going drive for success. The time he ran was still only the
5 th fastest among the B teams, which just underlines the depth needed to compete with the top
clubs in the country.
PETE`S MARATHON BOOOST
However with our longest lasting South West member from Cornwall PETER LE GRICE also back in
action at last, and following up his 5 th place in that Vitality London 10K just ahead of Hugh in 30:02 by
finishing third in the Chester marathon at the weekend in an impressive time of 2:18:32, hopes are
high that the new season, which started so memorably with the club`s first ever victory in the English
cross country men`s championship three weeks ago, could turn out to be the best in the 20 years
since our rebranding as Bristol and West.
“Whatever your race plans please make sure that you`ve got the dates of February`s National cross
champs and April`s 12 stage road relay stamped in your diaries as I feel we are ready to mix it with
any of the top men`s teams in the country now,” urges team captain Kurt, who is about to extend his
own competitive horizons by running in next weekend`s Chicago marathon!
Meanwhile the new season continues apace this coming weekend with the opening Gwent League
race at Pembrey, the team for which my colleague Chris Elson is coordinating as usual, and it`s
followed in two weeks` time by the first of the annual cross country relays on October 19, the
Midland area championships at Aldersley stadium, Wolverhampton, where we will be defending the
men`s title again. Two teams have been entered, and if you have not done so already, please let our
team captain Owain, Chris or myself know if you are up for it asap. It`s on a course that all those
who`ve done it have really enjoyed.
MIKE DOWN (Team Manager)
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