NEMAA Relays, 1st May 2024

Claremont was represented by 5 teams in this year’s North East Masters Relay Championships. This event always has a more relaxed feel than other relays with fewer teams, fewer club tents – and no speedy youngsters!

Although the race took place at the traditional venue of Bedewell Park / Campbell Park in Jarrow (with Race HQ at Monckton Stadium), the course was slightly amended from previous years. The sharp left turn off the top path (by the bin!) and subsequent right turn (where loads of runners cut the corner!) were removed, with runners staying on the outside path as it curved around the park through the trees. This made the course shorter and probably faster for most.

The first race was for women and over 65 men’s teams, and Claremont were led out by Sarah Kerr, Nicki O’Brien and Julie Cross, all of whom have been in age-category winning teams here before, with Sarah and Nicki winning the entire race 2 years ago. After the inevitable fast start as the women tried to get into a good position on the path, the race settled and the field was fairly spread out by the time the runners completed their first lap.

Sarah was first home and handed over to Shilpa Iyanna, who was running this event for the first time. Nicki was next and handed the imaginary baton to Catherine Young, the 3rd member of the 2022 winning team. Catherine may not be back to her best yet since becoming a mum, but she is still pretty nippy and handed over to Heather Steel with her team well placed and now first of the 3 Claremont teams. Heather had a strong run to bring the team home in a very respectable 9th place.

For the other teams, Shilpa handed on to Sonja Fenske (me neither, veterans look younger every year!), while the 3rd team was completed by super-sub Gill Milne and the ever-dependable Lucy Keating.

Mark Anderson and Paul Bastow were the lead-off runners for the men’s teams. Mark is in a rich vein of form at the moment and had a momentous battle with Jonathan Gilroy, running for his first claim club of Jarrow, Jonathan just edging it in a photo finish. Mark when will out for revenge when the two of them lock horns again next week in the Gordon Smith’s.

Mark handed over to Howard MacLennan, who was once again defying the pain of a long-term injury to compete in his sky blue vest. For the other team, Paul, after a very impressive performance in his 2nd relay for the club, passed the baton to Roberto Marzo. Robbie is another in good form and he caught Howard just before the end of the first lap to take the lead in the battle of the Claremont teams.

I took over from Robbie and almost immediately gained a few places. The new route meant that we seemed to get to the path along the bottom of the park very quickly. Here I was puzzled by somebody behind me shouting “Keep right, keep right”. I wasn’t quite sure why, but I did as I was told before realising that it was the lead bike rider shouting to clear a path for the race leader who was coming in to finish his 2nd lap. I thought that I was having a good run, but nothing brings you back to earth like watching a real runner pull away from you and disappear into the distance! He must have won by a fair margin as none of the other fast lads passed me. The second lap of a relay is usually when you just have to dig in and hope you last, but I still felt OK and overtook a few more runners. I reckoned that I must have gained 7 or 8 places, but pride comes before a fall, and I couldn’t respond as 3 men overtook me in the last 100 metres or so. Oh well, I never did have a sprint finish!

Jim Crinnion was last leg for the other team and posted a very similar time to me, so we must have maintained the same relative positions. All in all, a good night’s racing and, all happy with our achievements, it was time to devour Gill’s carrot cake, which is, after all, what we came for.

Thanks also to team captain Laurie Johnson and Roberto’s family for their support. Although injured and supposedly resting, Laurie had brought his kit in case there were any last minute drop-outs – he definitely leads from the front – and I think we all got a boost from little Elena’s cheers as we came into the final straight!

Women
Position	Runners	Time
9	Nicki O’Brien Catherine Young Heather Steel Team Time	12:08 12:29 11:53 36:30
18	Sarah Kerr Shilpa Iyanna Sonja Fenske Team Time	11:02 16:02 12:24 39:28
23	Julie Cross Gill Milne Lucy Keating Team Time	12:40 16:03 13:26 42:09

Men
Position	Runners	Time
25	Paul Bastow Roberto Marzo Tom Tinsley Team Time	10:58 10:26 11:08 32:32
38	Mark Anderson Howard MacLennan Jim Crinnion Team Time	09:43 13:21 11:14 34:18