North East relay wins for Morpeth and NSP UK road results

Morpeth retain mens 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

Morpeths 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.

Morpeth win (David Hewitson)

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 Elswicks women a good start with a 12:15 split but then Charlotte Penfolds 12:13 saw North Shield Poly ahead mid-race and then Jackie Pennys 12:37 got them home on the anchor.

NSP win the womens race (David Hewitson)

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

The womens 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 (62.2M): 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

Start of the mens relay (David Hewitson)

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 (62.2M): 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 (42.2M): 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 (42.2M): 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 (42.2M): 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

Justina Heslop anchors Elswick to a masters womens win (David Hewitson)

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 (Ppridd 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 (Patyn) 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 OGorman (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 (Wbury) 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 (Cfield) 14:50

Victory for Tom Keen in 14:06 at the elite mens 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 (Cfield) 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