Morpeth retain men’s title while news of 5km PBs for Thomas Keen and Revee Walcott-Nolan at Battersea

NORTH EAST ROAD RELAY CHAMPIONSHIPS, inc Signals Relay, Hetton-le-Hole, Sunderland, Tyne & Wear, February 18

Morpeth’s men notched up their fourth win in a row but their women were unable to make it a hat-trick of victories as North Shields Poly booted them back to fifth, Martin Duff reports.

Once again it was Carl Avery who anchored Morpeth home in the six-man event but they had to come from behind after Joe and then Scott Armstrong had given Sunderland a big early lead.

Alex Brown then restored the established order by the mid-race point with a 10:06 split for the 2.2-mile third leg, before Chris Parr, Connor Marshall and Avery finished things off. His 10:19 was good enough for second best behind Brown as the Morpeth margin stretched to well over two minutes.

Sophie Pickett had given Elswick’s women a good start with a 12:15 split but then Charlotte Penfold’s 12:13 saw North Shield Poly ahead mid-race and then Jackie Penny’s 12:37 got them home on the anchor.

Old closed on the last leg with the fastest women’s split of 12:11 but it was too late and NSP won by more than two minutes.

The women’s masters’ race had seen Olympian Alyson Dixon put Sunderland Strollers ahead mid-race, with the fastest split of that group, with 12:27, but then former English National age group champion Justina Heslop saw Elswick home with the next best effort of 13:17.

Men (6×2.2M): 1 Morpeth 64:26 (S Hancock 11:02, J Young 10:57, A Brown 10:05, C Parr 11:02; 2 Sunderland 66:22 (J Armstrong 10:28, S Armstrong 10:45, S Rankin 11:26, S Jackson 11:05, J Ridding 11:41, A Hughes 11:27); 3 Gateshead 68:35 (J Blevins 10:41, D Alexander 11:18, M Linsley 11:29, J Cripwell 11:25, D Richardson 11:35); 4 Morpeth B 69:32 5 Gosforth 69:55; 6 NSP 71:41

Fastest: Brown 10:06; Avery 10:19; J Armstrong 10:28; A Bailes (Birt) 10:31; J Blevins (Gate) 10:41; L Gamble-Thompson (N Marske) 10:46

M40 (6×2.2M): 1 NSP 73:06 (B Cook 11:59, P Houghton 12:01, I Dunn 12:12, R McConnachy 12:05, P Coulson 12:20, G Cook 11:59); 2 Elvet 75:09; 3 Sunderland 77:15

Fastest: M Barker (Sund) 11:43; M Kearney (Elvet) 11:51; B Cook/G Cook 11:59; G Watt (Elvet) 12:02

M50 (4×2.2M): 1 N Marske 52:46 (M Murray 12:27, J Shaw 12:47, C Thornton 13:57, P Cleasby 13:35); 2 Morpeth 53:26; 3 Elswick 53:39

Fastest: Murray 12:27; L Bennett (Morp) 12:36; M Turnbull (Elsw) 12:51

Women (4×2.2M): 1 NSP 51:24 (H Waugh 12:31, C Penfold 12:13, K Joslyn 14:03, J Penny 12:37); 2 Elswick 53:43 (S Pikett 12:15, I Bungay 13:23, B Russell 15:54, P Old 12:11); 3 Durham 55:13 (S Chin 14:35, K Elger 14:07, L Lynn 14:09, C Dillon 12:22); 4 Tyne Br 55:51; 5 Morpeth 56:30; 6 Houghton 56:45

Fastest: Old 12:11; Penfold 12:13; Pikett 12:15

W35 (4×2.2M): 1 Elswick 56:41 (F Smith 14:18, C Lowes 14:51, H Bough 14:15, J Heslop 13:17); 2 Sunderland Str 59:01; 3 N Marske 59:23

Fastest: A Dixon (Sund Str) 12:27; Heslop 13:17; S Thornton (N Marske) 13:54

CARDIFF 10 / 20, Cardiff, February 19

Josh Griffiths won the 10 mile by nearly five minutes in 50:37.

Overall (10M):

1 J Griffiths (Swan) 50:37; 2 S Richards (P’pridd R) 55:24; 3 O Williams (Les C, M35) 55:25

Women:

1 K James (Pontypridd Roadents) 64:36; 2 T Jenkins (Porth) 67:16; 3 C Merwood (CDF Runners) 68:43

W50: 1 S Leech (Swan) 69:27

Overall (20M):

1 T Flitcroft (Les C) 2:01:21; 2 M Thomas (Croft A, M45) 2:02:19; 3 D Craig (Les C, M45) 2:07:11

M55: 1 B Vaughan (Western Tempo) 2:14:39.

M65: 1 D James (Les C) 2:16:56

Women:

1 E Wookey (Llis) 2:17:26; 2 M Zubizarreta (Les C, W50) 2:30:25; 3 H Jenkins (Porth) 2:36:32

Full results on Power of 10 here

RUTHIN 5km / 10km, Ruthin, February 19

Overall (5km):

1 M Baker  17:21; 2 A Ryder (P’atyn) 17:23; 3 D Hinde (M40) 17:57

Women: 1 N Jones (Card, U17) 21:30; 2 L Evans (Denb, W45) 23:18; 3 N Jones (U20) 24:59

Overall (10km): 1 R Stacey (York A) 35:33; 2 S Hughes 36:42; 3 G Coleman (Buck) 37:53

Women: 1 L Parry 44:46; 2 C Purdie (Wrex, W40) 45:41; 3 E Evans (Meir) 46:35

TAVY 5km, Tavistock, February 18

Overall: 1 J Benford (Bide) 15:51; 2 S Larkham (Tav, M35) 16:04; 3 J Heatley (SWRR, M40) 17:09

Women: 1 N Kelly (Tav) 17:55; 2 S Lake (Tav, W40) 19:11; 3 H Smith (Tav) 20:33

W55: 1 J Jeeves (Tav) 20:45

FRIDAY NIGHT 5km UNDER THE LIGHTS, Battersea Park, February 17

Thomas Keen, only 21 years old and a former European under-18 3000m champion who improved his 800m PB to 1:46.18 last summer, showed his endurance is also in fine fettle as he run a PB 14:07 in this floodlit event.

A few weeks earlier he had run a 7:48.99 3000m PB in Boston and here he beat Josh Grace by four seconds with Ben Alcock third.

Olympic 1500m athlete Renee Walcott-Nolan also set a PB as she  beat European 5000m sixth-placer Calli Thackery with surprising ease in 15:48 with Surrey league winner Georgie Grgec in third as the first 18 were inside 17 minutes.

Women: (5km): 1 R Walcott-Nolan (Lut, W) 15:48; 2 C Thackery (Hallam, W) 15:56; 3 G Grgec (Herne H, W) 16:06; 4 B Kidger (Phoe) 16:08; 5 A Griffiths (AFD) 16:12; 6 M Davies (Sale) 16:20; 7 A Shipley (MKDP) 16:27; 8 V Hopkins (Ton) 16:32; 9 E Bolton (Salf) 16:36; 10 H Hall (Win) 16:41; 11 J Wood (Hill, U20) 16:45; 12 E Bell (Leeds C) 16:47; 13 H Seager (Charn) 16:50; 14 A Clement (B&B, W35) 16:52; 15 A Hobday (Herne H) 16:52; 16 S Monk (G&G) 16:55; 17 S O’Gorman (Salf) 16:59; 18 G Reynolds (Herne H, W40) 16:59; 19 S Winter (High) 17:00; 20 L Neate (Win, U20) 17:04; 21 E Moyes (AFD) 17:07; 22 N Bretherton (B&W) 17:07; 23 K Miller (Liv H) 17:09; 24 L Hawkins (Soton) 17:10; 25 C Thorp (Ports, W35) 17:14; 26 M Collings (Woking, U20) 17:18

W35: 3 S Winstone (Soton) 17:26.

W55: 1 S McDonald (S Lon) 19:58.

U20: 4 R Paton (W’bury) 17:26

“I had a blood test and all my levels were right in the red zone.” @ReveeNolan on why she called off her indoor season and how she mentally recovered to record a stunning 5km PB of 15:47 at @podium5k in Battersea ?

?️ @TimAdams76 pic.twitter.com/t8C831Us5S

— AW (@AthleticsWeekly) February 17, 2023

Overall (5km): 1 T Keen (C&C) 14:07; 2 J Grace (AFD) 14:11; 3 B Alcock (Bed C) 14:13; 4 J Cornish (HW) 14:14; 5 J Sanderson (G&G) 14:14; 6 C Brisley (NEB) 14:15; 7 A Melloy (C&C, U20) 14:15; 8 F Batkin 14:16; 9 F Jennings (Bide, U20) 14:17; 10 F McNally (Phoe) 14:20; 11 A Penney (HW) 14:21; 12 O Bell (Herts P) 14:21; 13 M Ward (Card) 14:22; 14 D James (Western Tempo) 14:23; 15 A Lepretre (High) 14:25; 16 J Domoney (Salis) 14:28; 17 C Sandison (Fulham) 14:29; 18 E Chuck (Dulw, M35) 14:29; 19 A Pointon (AFD) 14:31; 20 T Bridger (C&C, U20) 14:31; 21 B Rushman (Herts P) 14:31; 22 C Davis (BRAT) 14:32; 23 J Beattie (Leeds C, M35) 14:32; 24 J Hancock (Unatt) 14:33; 25 C Thomas (TVH) 14:36; 26 K Omar (Bir) 14:37; 27 D Nolan 14:37; 28 J Trigwell  14:38; 29 T Straw (Linc W) 14:38; 30 G Brown (Chilt) 14:42; 31 C Jones (Corn) 14:43; 32 H Brodie (Bed C) 14:45; 33 R Wilson (Linc W) 14:46; 34 C Eastaugh (HW) 14:46; 35 E Spencer (C’field) 14:50

Victory for Tom Keen in 14:06 at the elite men’s race at the @podium5k PUL5K event in Battersea ?

A brilliant night for the @NewBalanceUK athlete ? pic.twitter.com/YG0qCQVsHj

— AW (@AthleticsWeekly) February 17, 2023

Overall (5km): 1 L Mccarron (Derry) 14:36; 2 A Walton (HW) 14:37; 3 R Slade (Chilt) 14:40; 4 J Fiddaman (Blyth) 14:42; 5 R Serif (Vale R, U20) 14:42; 6 N Bowker (Clap C, M35) 14:43; 7 T Wright (Bexley) 14:44; 8 T Fawden (High) 14:45; 9 J Morrow (Oxf U) 14:45; 10 F Grierson (High) 14:48; 11 C Dockerill (Kent) 14:49; 12 T Niner (B&H) 14:49; 13 J Noblett (Lut) 14:50

M40: 1 I Williamson (C&C) 15:04.

U20: 2 T Shaw (York) 14:54; 3 T Spencer (C’field) 15:03; 4 J Vaughan (Bir) 15:05; 5 A Hudson (Sutt) 15:07; 6 D Adams (Norw) 15:09; 7 M Ruby (Poole) 15:28; 8 T James (Craw) 15:45

Full results on Run Britain here

CATTLE CREEP, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, February 18

Overall (5.8M):
1 W Shippin (Redway) 32:20; 2 R Robinson (Rumble) 34:18; 3 D Martin (Rumble) 34:37

M40: 1 M Maxwell (Rumble) 34:30

M50: 1 S Billiness (Redway) 37:11

Women:
1 R Hawkins (Bucks & Stowe) 37:19; 2 M Pank 39:44; 3 R Edwards (W50) 43:30