Grantham Running Club take part in the Saucony English Cross Country Relay Championships

Grantham Running Club acquitted themselves very well against high calibre competition in the Saucony English Cross Country Relay Championships.

The event at Berry Hill Park in Mansfield attracted some of the country's top cross-country athletes.

The expectations of the Grantham teams were realistic, yet there were some very strong, competent performances.

This included a few course personal bests with several members of the team achieving quicker times than last year while there was also a national relays debut for nine of the Grantham team.

Sarah High - who competed for the women's A team - said: "We all agreed that it really is the taking part that counts.

"Berry Hill Park is a great place to compete and there was a super team spirit with everyone being supportive of each other.

"It was great to have a good club turn-out which also included our on stand-by reserve, Russell Maksymiw."

The club fielded six teams - three women's and three men's - to participate in this prestigious event which is always a definite date in the Grantham Running Club calendar.

The women in teams of three each ran a 3k lap while the men in teams of four each ran 5k over a 'proper' cross country course that consisted of rough grassy parkland, woodland and several testing inclines.

All the Grantham team were of the opinion that the dry ground and perfect weather made for excellent running conditions which made participating very enjoyable overall, far better than last year's soul destroying wet and muddy conditions.

Participants, teams and gun times were posted as follows:

𝗪𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻 𝗔 - 44:10mins - placed 70th out of 105 teams - Sophie Davis, Sarah High, Harriet Morgan; 𝗪𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻 𝗕 - 45:41mins - 76th - Marj Spendlow, Nicci Whittaker, Andrea Ward; 𝗪𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻 𝗖 - 49:40mins - 90th - Caroline Davis, Paula Ebbins, Melissa Winter.

𝗠𝗲𝗻 𝗔 - 1:20:11- 104th out of 163 teams - Dean Riggall, Matthew Atter, Sam Jepson, Russel Whittaker; 𝗠𝗲𝗻 𝗕 - 1:33:55 - 140th - Tom Feeley, Peter Jennings, Robin Atter, Alan Carley; 𝗠𝗲𝗻 𝗖 - 1:46:09 - 146th - Cameran Hoggan, Andrew MacAllister, Jack Holroyd, Dale Towning.

Belgrave Harriers women and Shaftesbury Barnet Harriers men won the senior titles.