Leeds City AC go back-to-back while Herne Hill claim victory at Sutton Park in Birmingham
ENGLISH ROAD RUNNING ASSOCIATION NATIONAL ROAD RELAYS, Sutton Park, West Midlands, October 5
Leeds City AC’s men and Herne Hill Harriers’ women came out on top in the senior races at the latest edition of the England Road Running Association National Road Relays.
There was unbroken sunshine at the start of the meeting – with temperatures rising to approximately 17 degrees – and as the afternoon wore on, the wind picked up but there was no rain.
Overall, clubs in the North picked up five team titles to the three claimed by those in the South.
Start of senior men (Graham Smith)
Men
Leeds City AC started the event as favourites, especially after drafting in their two Olympic marathon runners – Emile Cairess and Phil Sesemann.
It was no surprise then that the Yorkshire club retained their title and took the trophy home for the third time, as they also won it in the pre-Covid year of 2019.
Veteran Graham Rush gave them a steady start, before Cairess blasted Leeds City AC in front on stage two, running 16:38 – just five seconds off Mo Farah’s lap record around the current Sutton Park course.
Cairess, who clocked 2:07:29 to finish fourth in the marathon at the Olympics, was competing for the first time since Paris and duly took Leeds City AC from 13th to a 14-second lead over Birchfield Harriers, who led the first leg courtesy of Aron Gebremariam.
Gebremariam, who is the English national junior cross-country champion, clocked 16:54, just ahead of Highgate’s Jacob Allen (16:57) and City of York’s Angus McMillan (16:59). “I then led from 2km to go,” said the Birchfield man, adding: “I am the new Mo Farah.”
Emile Cairess (Graham Smith)
Cairess dominated the second stage, with Zak Mahamed – who represented Great Britain over 10,000m at the European Championships – running 16:43, gaining 26 spots for Southampton AC to third overall at that point.
Cat Mills, who ran for Leeds City AC on the third leg, increased their advantage to 25 seconds, with Cambridge & Coleridge and Shaftesbury Barnet Harriers in second and third respectively, courtesy of storming runs from Thomas Keen and Jeremey Dempsey.
Shaftesbury’s Jamie Dee ate into the Leeds City AC lead on the fourth leg, so that when Richard Allen finished, the gap was 33 seconds before Phil Sesemann set off.
Sesemann front ran a stage best of 16:58 to increase the Leeds margin to almost a minute over Shaftesbury…
CLICK HERE to Read the Full Original Article at AW…