Catch up on latest local sporting action
TEAM Bath AC’S senior men delivered a rousing finale to the Gloucestershire Cross Country League season to snatch the runner-up spot in the final match on Sunday.
Going into that fourth and final fixture, Team Bath trailed the University of Bath squad by 36 points, a deficit that even team manager and endurance coach Paul King admitted offered them only an “outside chance” of success.
But, fired up by the occasion, the men responded in superb fashion to secure those silver medals behind runway winners Cheltenham & County Harriers.
“The senior men did good beating the Uni boys by over 40 points and so taking overall second place behind Cheltenham for the season,” said King.
“Aidan Daniel again impressively brought home the team.”
The Team Bath six of Daniel, who finished fourth, Robert Eaton, Stephen Rose, Patrick Cobb, Chris Elmer and Mark Mackintosh not only overturned that 36-point deficit but also put another 23 on them to emphatically secure those silver medals.
In addition, Daniel cemented third equal place overall with university student Toby Garrick, Mackintosh was crowned veterans’ over-55 champion and Tom Hutchison placed second overall in the over-60 age category.
Despite seeing the team silvers snatched away from them, Bath University claimed the overall individual title with Remi Adebiyi claiming his first win of the campaign on top of a third and seventh, which combined proved enough to beat Cirencester’s David Bell by just one point.
For good measure the university also added the women’s individual title as Victoria Hiscock clinched back-to-back wins on top of an earlier second place.
In the young athletes’ races, Team Bath’s under-13 boys’ squad continued their dominance to wrap up a double gold success. Harry Maxwell secured his second win from three starts to confirm the individual title with brother Joshua placing third on the day for sixth overall.
With solid support from Josh Newton, the Team Bath boys added the overall team title by 32 points from Cheltenham.
“The under-13 boys have had an excellent season finishing overall first with Harry Maxwell overall first as well,” added King.
Elsewhere Dylan Stoneman clinched equal third overall after placing fourth in the final under-15 boys’ race and India Ibbotson was fourth in the under-17 women’s race.
■ ON the roads, Natasha Lewis smashed her personal best in the Vitality Big Half Marathon in Greenwich, London, on Sunday.
Lewis placed 33rd overall from a strong field in a time of 80mins 15secs, which carved 4:26 off her 2019 best of 84:41 which she ran in Bristol and puts her second in the 2020 South West rankings.
■ TEAM Bath newcomer Peter Grist opted for the Jersey 10k road race and made the trip worthwhile with a pleasing victory in a time of 36:22.
■ CLOSER to home, Harry Williams was third overall and first under-20 in the Two Tunnels 10k trail race in a time of 36:30.
Team Bath clubmate Chris Milbourne was fourth in 36:45.
In the women’s race, Lizzi Pitt was runner-up (40:16) behind Southampton’s former England Athletics U17s 800m medallist Jennifer Beckingham, who was fourth overall in a PB of 36:33.
■ THE date of the annual Team Bath AC Fieldfest has been confirmed for Sunday, April 19. The programme will be the same as last year but there will be restrictions on the numbers, which will be determined on a first come, first served basis. The closing date will be Friday, April 17 so it is advised to get entries in early, especially for long jump and javelin.
■ BEFORE then, Bristol & West AC will be staging an open meeting for young athletes at the Whitehall stadium, Bristol, on Wednesday, March 25, for age groups from under-11 to under-17. For full details, go to the Bristol and West website.
■ Athletics coverage in the Chronicle is sponsored by Running Bath.