North-west club take victory on the roads of Sutton Park on Saturday in impressive style

Old-timers were moaning things aren’t what they used to be with the quality diluted due to athletes missing due to warm-weather training, marathon commitments and Covid. However, there was no lack of quality up front as Salford Harriers ran out easy winners of the women’s six-stage.

Eleanor Bolton gave the northern team a great start with a 29:40 opener for the long leg which put them 59 seconds up on Basingstoke and Mid Hants’ Kate Estlea’s 30:39. Bolton’s time would stand up as the day’s fastest.

Thereafter short leg runners Amelia Bratt (19:30) and Samantha Mason (18:18) increased the advantage before a switch to the long leg saw Anna Bracegirdle run a superb 29:49 just six days after smashing her PB with a 2:34 at the Therme Manchester Marathon.

That time was only beaten by Bolton with Estlea the third fastest almost a minute slower.

Running in complete isolation from all other women, Sarah Carroll (19:30) and Sinead Bent (18:00) came home 3min and 45sec clear in 2hr 14min 47sec.

Start of the women’s 6 stage at the Relays at Sutton Park pic.twitter.com/MGaEWSDAD3

— AW (@AthleticsWeekly) April 9, 2022

Highgate (2:18:32) moved into second on leg three thanks to a strong run from Yasmin Goater and, though dropping to third on leg five, Karina Thornton moved them back into second on the final leg.

Basingstoke held a medal position throughout and were a clear third in 2:19:15.

Birchfield (2:20:26), Liverpool (2:22:03) and Hallamshire (2:22:11) were next in line.

The top 10 were completed by Kent AC (2:23:46) – up from 12th to 7th on the final leg – Charnwood (2:24:28), Thames Hare and Hounds (2:24:57) and Rotherham (2:25:14).

Disappointingly less than 30 teams finished with all three reigning English area champions failing to show and most of the area championship fastest leg runners were absent too.

One that wasn’t was former European cross-country champion Gemma Steel, who moved from 11th to sixth on the third leg and her 17:17 was easily the quickest short leg from the Salford pair of Bent and Mason.

A more detailed report with fuller results will follow.