Results from relays action at Wormwood Scrubs, Graves Park and Aldersley, plus the Amsterdam Marathon, Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon and more

Click here for a report on Sunday’s Simplyhealth Great South Run, while other highlights are below.

South of England Cross Country Relay Championships, Wormwood Scrubs, October 19

Hercules Wimbledon (pictured) won the men’s race by 12 seconds.

They dominated initially with Will Woodcock (13:42) and former English indoor under-17 800m champion Charlie Eastaugh (13:54) the quickest on the first two legs and at halfway they had a 21-second lead on Herne Hill.

On leg three Alex Lepetre ran a superb 13:09 which powered Highgate into a seven second lead as he overhauled Finn Johnson (14:07).

Pete Chambers ran the equal fourth best leg of the whole championships with a 13:48 but he was powerless to respond to Ross Franks who ran the second fastest of the day with a 13:29 to give Hercules victory. Herne Hill took bronze.

Wycombe Phoenix were clear winners of the women’s race as they had three of the four fastest times.

Start of the senior women’s race at the South of England XC relays at Wornwood Scrubs pic.twitter.com/p5NjGrAhrq

— AW (@AthleticsWeekly) October 19, 2019

Zoe Doyle, the world masters W40 indoor 1500m and 3000m champion, opened up a gap of around 80 metres fater the first leg with a time of 11:48.

Clapham’s Olivia Matthews (12:02) won a battle for second (12:02) with another world and European masters champion, Clare Elms (12:04).

There was little change on leg two as Wycombe and Clapham were again the fastest though Emma Headley (11:51) took a few seconds out of Alex Cook (11:54). The lead was still 11 seconds as Mel Wilkins set off 60 metres ahead of Lucie Custance.

Wilkins secured the win for Wycombe as she powered clear with easily the fastest leg of the day with a 11:28 clocking.

Clapham finished a minute up on the third team, Trent Park Trotters.

North of England Cross Country Relays, Graves Park, Sheffield, October 19

Leeds retained Northern women’s title, with Georgia Mair fastest with 12:15 over the 2-mile hilly and muddy lap, writes Martin Duff.

Her team-mates Alice Leake and Jenny Walsh were both within 13 seconds of her opening stage time.

They won by 45 seconds from a couple of Rotherham teams.

Putting out a winning men’s relay team for the first time this year, Lincoln Wellington regained the title they last won in 2017.

Joe Wilkinson anchored for them with their fastest two mile split of 10:27.

Earlier, junior international Josh Cowperthwaite had ‘won’ the opening stage with the best split for Middlesborough. The 18-year-old’s split was 10:23 as his squad held on for third behind Hallamshire

Midland Cross Country Relays Championships, Aldersley Stadium, October 19

Rugby & Northampton took the men’s title as Bristol & West won for the women, writes Martin Duff.

The men’s winners hit the front through Ben Musgrove by the end of the penultimate circuit before William Gardner finished things off with the third quickest lap time of 19:01.

The time by Tipton’s Peter Brookes of 18:34 was the fastest of the race and Tipton teams placed second and third.

Bristol & West came from behind to take the women’s race over the same distance.

Wolverhampton’s Amelia Samuels had comfortably led home the opening stage runners with the quickest women’s time of the day at 20:39.

Wolves then held on to second spot comfortably as third placed Nuneaton were two minutes further back.

TCS Amsterdam Marathon, Netherlands, October 20

Ethiopia’s 20-year-old Degitu Azimeraw ran the second fastest ever marathon debut to win in a course record of 2:19:26 (70:00/69:26).

She led an Ethiopian clean sweep ahead of Tigist Girma (2:19:52) and Azmera Gebru (2:20:48).

The men’s race was won by Kenya’s Vincent Kipchumba in 2:05:09 (63:01/62:08) ahead of Ethiopia’s Solomon Deksisa (2:05:16) and Kenya’s Elisha Rotich (2:05:18).

Ross Skelton was the top Brit in the men’s race, clocking 2:19:21 in 17th, while Hannah Oldroyd was 11th in the women’s race in 2:44:53.

Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon, Canada, October 20

Canadian all-comers’ records were set in both races as Kenya’s Philemon Rono won the men’s event in 2:05:00 (63:07/61:53) from Ethiopia’s Lemi Berhanu (2:05:09) and Filex Chemonges with a Ugandan record of 2:05:12, while Kenya’s Magdalyne Masai won the women’s race in 2:22:16 (71:40/70:36) from Ethiopia’s Biruktayit Eshetu (2:22:40) and Kenya’s Betsy Saina (2:22:43).

Magdaleine Masai Robertson of Kenya has broken away from the other lead women and cracks the tape!

Unofficial: 2:22:09 – Canadian All-Comers RECORD! pic.twitter.com/265slyYxet

— Toronto Waterfront Marathon (@TOwaterfront42k) October 20, 2019

GB international Josh Griffiths was 13th in 2:15:20 and, running for England, Nick Earl was 18th in 2:18:03.

In the women’s race Earl’s England team-mates Johanna O’Regan and Kate Drew were 22nd in 2:45:43 and 26th in 2:49:31 respectively.

EDP Lisbon Half Marathon, Portugal, October 20

Titus Ekiru and Peres Jepchirchir claimed a Kenyan double in 60:10 and 66:54 respectively.

Ugandans Timothy Toroitich (60:53) and Thomas Ayeko (60:56) were second and third respectively in the men’s race, while Vivian Kiplagat (66:55) with Dorcas Kimeli (67:43) completed a Kenyan clean sweep in the women’s race.

Airtel Delhi Half Marathon, India, October 20

Ethiopia’s Tsehay Gemechu retained her title and took 50 seconds off her course record when winning in 66:00.

Join us as we felicitate our Top-3 International Elite Women for a deserved podium finish at the #ADHM2019.#GoBeyond pic.twitter.com/htOpDB3siq

— ADHM (@runadhm) October 20, 2019

Her compatriot Andamlak Belihu won the men’s race for the second consecutive year, winning in 59:10 for the third fastest time in Delhi and just four seconds off the course record.

Hytteplanmila, Hole, Norway, October 19

Jakob Ingebrigtsen broke Sondre Nordstad Moen’s Norwegian 10km record and also improved the European U20 best as he clocked 27:54 on his 10km debut.

He ran 5km splits of 14:01 and 13:53.

‼️‼️‼️New Norwegian ?? 10km record and 2019 European Best for @JakobIng at Hytteplanmila: 27:53.https://t.co/XX3eBrX9pX pic.twitter.com/u9DSmyKKW1

— NFIF (@Norsk_Friidrett) October 19, 2019