BRISTOL & West AC’s senior men extended their fine record in the Midland Counties Six Stage Road Relay Championships with another podium finish at the weekend.
“Our men`s team succeeded in maintaining their remarkable medal-winning record held over the traditional 6K lap in Sutton Park, but in one of the closest four-way finishes in recent years they had to be content with the bronze medals in third place,” said team manager Mike Down.
Remarkably as the race entered the sixth and final stage of a compelling contest only 20 seconds separated the top four teams.
Fortunately Notts AC had held back their ace runner, Freddie Hessian, for the climax and he unleased the fastest time of the day to take the east Midlands club from third to first overhauling Birmingham Running A&T (BRAT) and long-time leaders Western Tempo, the Cheltenham-based club.
But B&W had held back their top man, Kurt Taylor, for the finale too and while he was not at his very best following marriage and honeymoon he still ran a storming leg to lift the club from fourth into third place.
“Kurt realised early on he was never going to catch Hessian,” added Down. “For his part Kurt said he did not feel at his best, but he still not only set the seventh fastest time overall and moved us into the bronze medal position ahead of Western Tempo but also got to within ten seconds of silver medallists BRAT by the finish.”
Midland Counties Road relay Championships, Sutton PARK, Birmingham
Senior men: 1 Notts AC ‘A’ 1:47:40; 2 Birmingham Running A&T ‘A’ 1:48:03; 3 Bristol & West Ac ‘A’ 1:48:14 (Jack Millar (3) 17:52; Josh Moody (4) 18:19; Max Davis (2) 17:46; Jonathan Thewlis (2) 18:06; Adam Stokes (4) 18:29; Kurt Taylor (3) 17:42).