National Road Relays 2010 - Part One

Aldershot, Farnham & Distinct 'A' team added to their 4 Stage victory in the Southern in September with another convincing victory in the National Championships at Sutton Coldfield on the 16th of September writes Alastair Aitken for Runners Digest.
Emily Wicks was sixth on the firth leg in 14:56; Louise Small moved Aldershot into 3rd spot on Lap 2 in 15:03 then Commonwealth representative Charlotte Purdue took her team into the lead at the top of the hill on Lap 3 in the fastest leg  of the day (13:55). " I ran steadily and worked my way through" said 19 year old Purdue, already running really maturely. It was only left for Emma Pallant to finish it off and she was easily good enough to do that in 14:20. The first three teams were
1 Aldershot 58:14; 2 Charnwood 58:50, 3 Bristol & West AC 60:05.
                         
Charlotte Purdue
 
The Commonwealth Games: " It was great experience running as a senior in my first international as a senior"
 Did it give her the experience of knowing how the Kenyans run?
   " I had already run against Kenyans in Britain when they came over in the World Cross country Championships and I really knew what they were like!"
      Events for her to do in the future.
         " I will see how it goes in the future 5/10k and those sort of distances'
          ' I like the relays, a lot of fun for the club'
    ' My favourite surface is the road., I have always run faster on the road and Mick Woods has always said that about me."

Emma Pallant now 21
 
"The year started OK coming back from injury then, I twisted it again at the Gateshead Grand Prix so being out since then but came back at the South Of England road relays .Things are going better now so good over the last month. It is a pleasure to be in the winning Aldershot team so many times
    About her coach Mick Woods
"Although he has group sessions he cares about the individual person . He tailors the sessions for the individual and helps on a 'One to One' basis, as well as having a group to work with.'
    How did it all begin for Emma?
   " It was the local cross-country races and my sister Rachel was doing them. She was Year 3 and I was year 5.
 I wanted to beat her and we have always been competitive in everything we do. I beat her and MIck Woods saw me at the end of the race when I came 16th. (I was 7 years old) He said '" You a re good for a young one'. Come along- He spotted me and kept me going ever since."

THRILLING NATIONAL SIX STAGE FOR THE MEN
 
Unlike most recent years this year was the most exciting as Bedford & County AC overhauled Shettleston Harriers on the anchor leg reports Alastair Aitken exclusively for Runners Digest.
     It was the first time a Scottish club won a six stage medal in the history of the event when Shettleston Harriers obtained silver medals. A club with over 100 years of history too. One must admit though Newham & Essex Beagles were without Mo Farah, Lee Merrien and Moumin Gala so, they slipped to sixth but out of 81 starters, which is still good to my mind.
    On Leg One It was a bit of a ragged start with officials holding the runners back. Just after half the leg done Liverpool's Johnny Mellor (sixth 17.24) was seen at the front of the group as the race unfolded but in the closing stages Tsegai Tewelde (17.10) went to the front with only Ben Whitby of Windsor (17.13) moving through and challenging and finishing second with Jonathan Gilby of Derby AC in third (17.16) and Nick Goolab giving hopes for a revival by Belgrave in 4th (17:21). That was the place they eventually ended up with.
    On Lap 2 Tewoldeberhan Mengisteab (Shettleston H) maintained the lead for his club in a lap time of 17.28 but 1500m runner Richard Weir (17.39) had moved Derby up to second . Nielsen Hall (16 to 4) was eating up the tarmac for Bedford & County behind that in fourth place finishing just behind Marc Hobbs of Swansea (17.44).
    On lap 3 Tsegezab Woldermichael (17.28) started to make people think that Shettleston might win but despite his lead, there was a change behind that as Jonathan Hay of Aldershot moved his club from 7-2 but AFD were without Andy Verrnon and Ben Moreau which made a vital difference later on. .Ryan McLeod, who won the Geoff Moulden Wimbledon 10k organised by Richard Xerri two weeks before, took Tipton from 22-4 in 17.03, which was the fastest time of the day.Another fast run but much further back was Scott Overall of Blackheath & Bromley who took his team from 53-27 in 17:05.In sixth place on that leg was Dan Dalmedo (18:18) but still the club were seriously in the reckoning
    On Lap 4 Mike Gillespie kept Shettleston in the lead with an 18:08 clocking but things were beginning to hot up behind him with Mark Draper running the second fastest time of the day (17:04) and he took Bedford from 6 to 2 with Michael Aspinall (17:28) making sure Tipton were in the hunt for medals third in 17:28.
    On Lap 5 Phil Nicholls (17:21) sent Tipton from 3 to 1 by the Jamboree stand but, he was well aware of how good Darren Deed of Bedford ( 2nd in 17.39) was and timed his run accordingly. Shettleston had slipped back to third with Amanuel Hagos (18:11) and so it was all dependant on the final leg which gave cause for great excitement.
    On Lap 6 Mathew Janes (17:42) of Bedford stuck to his task well and caught Nigel Stirk (18.29) on the long hill and Shettleston' s Mathew Gillespie (18:08) moved his club up from 3 to 2 by the finish. However it was good to see the local club Tipton obtaining bronze medals in their Centenary year.