FOR Bristol & West AC stalwarts Phil Parry and Sian Davies Parry the 2022 British Masters Road relay Championships at the weekend were a day for mutual family celebration.
The husband and wife team both ended up with medals as they turned back the clock to remind everyone of the competitiveness and class they showed on numerous occasions in their long racing careers.
Parry, who has been with the club for decades and always a loyal servant, was joined by Tony Roper and Matt Robinson to won the gold medals in the over 55s event around the hallowed roads of Sutton Park, Birmingham.
Robinson, with the sixth fastest time of the day, gave the team a solid start in third before Roper (ninth fastest) took Bristol & West into the lead by 14 seconds which Parry, with the second fastest time overall just a second off top spot, extended by another seven seconds for an emphatic victory from Leicester Coritanian and Guildford & Godalming AC.
The club were also among the medals in the female over 55s age group with Sian joined by Jill Harrison, who has also been in the sport since the 1970s, plus Rosey Mushens to finished third behind Dulwich Runners and South London Harriers.
Harrison recorded the sixth fastest time of the day with Davies 11th quickest and Mushens 12th best.
In ninth place were the B&W B team of Felicity Russell, Anne Dockery and Maggie Salter.
In the M65 age group the B&W trio of Jon Goodland, Mike Chipping and Dave Bedwell, just missed out on the medals in fourth place.
Just behind in fifth was the Westbury Harriers trio of Mike Mewse, David George and Nigel Gates, who clocked the fifth fastest time of the day.
The Westbury quartet of Kate Hoffen, Tamsin Chick, Rebecca Lee and Lucy Richens finished seventh overall in the over 35s age category while in the W45 race the club trio of Jayne Pemble, Alison Rogers and Emma Woodworth were eighth.
Three places behind came the B&W squad of Julie llogu, Henrietta Anstey and Kate Druett.
Elsewhere the Hogweed Trotters trio of Caroline Lavis, Janet McAll and Pat Curtis, who ran the second fastest time overall, picked up the silver medals in the over 65s class. Well done ladies.