Mansfield Harriers' veteran ladies steal relay limelight

The club's ever-improving ladies' team stole the limelight as Mansfield Harriers' familiar blue and green vests were worn with distinction across the country, from Sutton Coldfield to Edinburgh.
Mansfield Harriers successful ladies team at the National Masters Road Relay Championships.Mansfield Harriers successful ladies team at the National Masters Road Relay Championships.
Mansfield Harriers successful ladies team at the National Masters Road Relay Championships.

Sutton was the venue for the National Masters Road Relay Championships, and Harriers’ over-55 ladies finished an excellent seventh after fine performances by Christine Fell, who clocked 24.48 minutes, Tina Copcutt (26.32) and Maddy Collinge (24.01).

Not to be outdone, the over-35 ladies placed a creaditable 16th in a very strong field. Bev Armstrong opened with 21.19, supported by Angela Purdue in 23.17, Amanda Shaw in 26.01 and Kahli Johnson, who ran a superb last leg in 20.13.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Harriers’ men also competed in the highly competitive over-35s’ event and finished 17th after a sharp first leg from Mark Johnson, who recorded 16.00, followed by Andy Wetherill in 17.19, Chris Allcock in 17.08, Gary Morley in 18.16, Phil Shaw in 18.17 and Garry Hodgkins in 19.02.

Edinburgh staged its Festival Of Running, which included a full marathon, tackled by Harriers quartet Matt Bradbury, Jemma Arbon, Caroline Rye and Lyndsey Stevenson. Only a month after running London, Bradbury put in a fantastic performance to clock three hours, 41 minutes, while Arbon, ten years on from her last marathon, recorded 5.30, just ahead of marathon debutants Rye and Stevenson, who finished in 5.35.

Five Harriers also ran in Edinburgh’s half-marathon, with Maddy Collinge winning the over-65 category and Sarah Bradbury defying a bad fall early on to post a new best time of 1.57.

Related topics: