Westbury Harriers ladies pulled a stunning performance out of the bag to win the Midland 6 stage relays with the 6th fastest winning time ever! Team manager Tamsin Chick took a leaf out of Alex Ferguson's book and kept both the team and the opposition guessing, refusing to announce her team until 48 hours before the race!
On the day itself, Debbie Marsden gave the team a great start, as she put a period of injuries and illness behind her to run 17.33 to place the team 3rd after leg 1 behind Birchfield and Notts. Sophie Voller then put in a time of 17.55 to place the Harriers 2nd, but over two minutes behind Birchfield. Vicky Tester took over and managed to close the gap by 50 seconds, running a time of 18.15. Leg 3 was also the turn of Annabel Gummow to run the fast time ever at the midland 6 stage clocking a stunning time of 15.50 - one that would have been highly respectable in the men's race - as Bristol & West came in 3rd, just 20s behind Westbury. Robyn Golding then clocked the 2nd fastest leg 4 time of 18.19, as the lead at the front was closed to 48s.
Luckily the Harriers had two of their big guns in reserve, as Emma D'Alton ran the fastest time for the Harriers of 17.16 to close the gap to just 16s. It was then left to Lucy Richens, who ran a stormer of a leg in 17.17 to overtake Birchfield come the top of the hill and cruised away to a 35s victory with a time of 1.46.35. She not only surprised herself but also the organizers, who didn't have the tape ready in time, but so ecstatic was Lucy she didn't notice that and wanted to go and run the course again!
We also had a complete B team, which finished a highly respectable 14th (and top B team), thanks to Lizzy Smith (18.51), Tamsin Chick (20.53), Sarah Thorne (21.10), Victoria Howlett (22.38), Evita Gonzalez (20.41) and Kelly Winstone (19.30).
Meanwhile the men improved on previous years with a 17th place showing. John Collier got them off to a solid start with 29.12 for 18th place, Will Massey then pulled them into 16th with 16.15, before Felix McGrath took the Harriers to their highest spot of the day 12th place, with a 9th quickest on the leg time of 16.48. Charlie Jones then ran the 2nd long leg in a time of 32.41, handing over to Chris Palmer in 19th place. Chris then pulled out a cracker of a time of 16.38, 10th fastest leg 5 and the Harriers up to 18th. Gregg Ward then managed 16.50 (a great effort having been working until 2am) and the club were in 16th. Robin Phillips then ran another great leg with 31.59 and the club in 17th. Jullian Bailey-Gard Jnr then took the club into 15th with a time of 17.31, before Rick Wallis, in his first race for nearly 3 years, clocked a time of 18.05 for 16th. John Terry then took on the challenge of the final long leg and a time of 31.00 dead saw the club in 17th, before Malc White in 18.35 and Matt Lavis in 19.28 closed the team out in 17th.
A corker of a day, and a ladies team performance that was hard to beat with all 6 counters in the fastest 27 of the day! The beginning of a new era of ladies athletics in the SW - bring it on!
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