Athletics News

Thames Valley Harriers beat Harrow to National Athletics League title

Thames Valley Harriers beat Harrow to National Athletics League title

West London club win Premiership crown at the Alexander Stadium in Birmingham

Thames Valley and Harrow came into the third and final match with one win each and it was the Valley holders who came out on top to make it four league championships in a row.

Meanwhile the pretenders to join the Premiership for next year, two from each mini-area league, battled it out to succeed the two relegated clubs in the top flight.

It was Shaftesbury and Sheffield who made it.

Meanwhile the other 16 clubs from the areas had a chance to compete in a one-a-side team competition in a match reminiscent of the old Plate finals and it was Chelmsford who came out on top.

PREMIERSHIP, round 3, Alexander Stadium, Birmingham, August 3

The track action started early at 11:45 and Windsor, Slough, Eton & Hounslow, who were already assured of remaining in the premiership for next summer off to a good start.

It was through Tyri Donovan with a 49.28 in the 400m hurdles as hosts Birchfield, who needed to do well to stave off relegation, had Efekemo Okoro was also under the 50-second barrier.

This was at the same time as their James Tomlinson was winning the men’s discus with 57.17m and third ranked Alexander Farquharson the long jump with 7.83m.

Donovan had set his personal best in the June match at Eton at 49.23 while fellow Windsor athlete, Charlotte Payne, the UK championship silver medallist, won her third league match of the season with 67.56 in the women’s hammer.

Thames Valley also started well as Jess Tappjn took the women’s low hurdles with 58.45 and followed it immediately as Basil Rock won a tight men’s 800m in 1:53.60 to throw down a marker to their Harrow rivals who were having a lack lustre start to the match.

However, it was Sale who led after the first four track events, thanks to good minor placings, before Nick Walsh led them to a double in the men’s 100m with 10.28 that was adjudged the best track performance of the day and they led from TVH after the first six track events.

But after eight had been scored Sale and the Valley were tied on 111 points ahead of Blackheath & Bromley’s 96, as Harrow had moved up to fifth thanks to a double in the men’s 3000m steeplechase, led by Tom Dugre’s 9:13.55. However more than two hours after the early field events had started, none had been added to the team scores.

Finally, the first event on the programme, the women’s long jump was declared and it was a win for Windsor’s Alice Hopkins with a legal…

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