Leamington ladies equal club record at Sutton Park

Leamington C&ACs National Road Relay team of Zara Blower, Monica Williamson, Martine Verweij and Kelly Edwards with team manager Alex Montgomery.

Ideal running conditions over the 4.315k course saw Swansea Harriers break the hour barrier for the four stages, while Leamington clocked 1:08:46, which was just five seconds down on their best National race time, set in 2011.

Lead runner Zara Blower came back in 17:04 to put Leamington 56th out of the 85 starting teams.

Super Vet Monica Williamson then stormed around in 16:55 to move the team up four places before Martine Verweij’s 17:55 edged them into 48th.

After an absence of 18 years at the road relays Kelly Edwards (nee Monk) brought them home, backing up her recent sub 40 minute 10k at Worcester with an impressive time of 16:52.

Fastest individual time of the day went to Stockport Harriers’ only runner Eleanor Vernon whose 14:11 was the slowest fastest time for nine years.

Leamington C&AC also entered five teams in the English National Young Athletes Road Relay Championships, run overa 3.86k course.

With all the best teams in the country taking part the standard was high and Leamington rose to the occasion with their under-17 women producing the best performance of the day to finish 29th in 48:17.

Issy Davis ran strongly for 14:56, with Molly Gibbins clocking 16:30 and Asha Chakrabarti beating her recent Midlands Road Relays time by more than a minute-and-a-half to come home in 16:51.

The club showed its strength in depth in the under-17 men, with both their A and B teams performing strongly.

Dan Wilkinson (12:59), Kieran Chahal (13:26) and Sam Wadsworth (13:35) finished 31st out of 53 teams, while the B team were 47th in 42:23.

Alex Ibbs ran 14:02, Bal Kandola (14:25) picked up four places and Greg West (13:56), standing in for the injured Toby Loveday, overhauled another seven runners.

The under-13 girls dipped 50 seconds below their Midlands time, with Alice Parsons picking up six places on the last leg to put them 46th out of 59 completed teams.

Parsons’ time of 17:33 was 44 seconds faster than her Midlands run.

Emily Lovett (16:36) and Ana Lovett (17:54) completed the first two legs.

The under-15 boys found the going tough, with Daniel Chahal (15:48), Matthew Chambers (15:13) and Cian McKeaney (14:45) coming home 51st out of 55 completed teams.