The Southern Road Relay Championships were held at the Crystal Palace Stadium last Sunday. The Senior Men’s race consists of a team of 6, each running 6 Kms, starting and finishing in the iconic, although somewhat dilapidated, Crystal Palace Stadium and then out through the adjacent park.
This is always a fiercely contested race with the best distance runners from across the South of England competing. Medway & Maidstone AC had 2 teams competing. Aldershot Farnham & District AC took the team gold, with Tonbridge AC taking silver and Cambridge & Coleridge bronze. The race saw some very strong runs on the hilly course from the front end runners, but Medway & Maidstone’s A team still managed a creditable 30th place out of 99 teams. With the first 25 qualifying for the National Road Relays in 2 weeks time, their placing should provide the club with an entry as several B teams don’t count leaving them the 23rd A team. The B team was 61st.
Tewelde Menges led off the A team, with the best time from the club on the day, with 18.23, followed by Ben Tyler in 18.42, Chris Rampling 19.30, Tom Collins 18.46, Marley Godden (U20) 20.13 Mark Wilkins 19.34 closing the team.
The B team first lap runner was Quinn Austin (U20) 21.34, followed by Harry Collins 20.40, Daniel St Martin 21.00, Jacques Cunningham-Marsh (U20) 19.52, Barry Royden (who was standing in at the last minute after already running 12 miles in the morning!) 21.49 and finally Neill Wright 20.58.
