Club runners out in force on the road and country

Morpeth Harriers took the men’s six-stage relay and it was their Peter Smallcombe who led on stage one with a 10:23 clocking ahead of Houghton’s Chris Coulson’s 10:29 and these two then remained as the fastest overall throughout the race.

Later, it was Gateshead who came through to take second, mainly thanks to Matt Linsley’s second stage 10:41.

It was a similar story in the masters’ race where Conrad Franks led the opener for Gateshead and they then never looked back but the fastest leg went to Tyne Bridge’s Jarlath McKenna at 10:57.

In the women’s race, Molly Pace gave North Shields Poly a solid lead on the opening stage before Charlotte Penfold popped in the fastest women’s lap time of 12:12 and the race was effectively over.

Men (Signals Relays, 6×2.2M): 1 Morpeth 65:22 (P Smallcombe 10:23, C Marshall 10:56, E Kelso 11:12, E Hetherington 11:08, S Hancox 10:57, A Brown 10:46); 2 Gateshead 66:22; 3 Tyne Bridge 67:34

Fastest: Smallcombe 10:23; C Coulson (Hought) 10:29; M Wilson (Sund) 10:33

M35+ (6×2.2M): 1 Gateshead 69:54; 2 Sunderland 71:32; 3 Tyne Bridge 72:38

Fastest: J McKenna (Tyne Br, M40) 10:57; S Jackson (Sund, M40) 11:04; M Hedley (Tyne Br) 11:07

Over-50 race (David Hewitson)

M50 (4×2.2M): 1 NSP 52:00; 2 Elvet 52:18; 3 Darlington 52:33

Fastest: J Clifford (Darl) 11:58; D Milligan (Elvet) 12:22; G Bracken (NSP)

Molly Pace, Jacqueline Penn, Charlotte Penfold and Darcey Tullis (David Hewitson)

Women (4×2.2M): 1 NSP 50:55 (M Pace 12:34, C Penfold 12:12, D Tullis 13:23, J Penn 12:46); 2 Morpeth 52:15; 3 Tyne Bridge 53:53

Fastest: Penfold 12:12; L Turner (Birt) 12:17; C Dillon (Hought) 12:21

W35 (4×2.2M): 1 Jarrow & H 55:49; 2 Elswick 55:52; 3 Sunderland Strollers 56:34

Fastest: Penfold 12:12; A Dixon (Sund St) 12:41; J Heslop (Elsw) 12:57

Charlotte Penfold (David Hewitson)

BIRMINGHAM RUNNING FESTIVAL HALF-MARATHON, Sutton Park, Sutton Coldfield, February 16