Stilton Striders up to the task at English National Relays

The Melton running club sent three teams to compete against all of the major running and athletics clubs from across the country on Saturday.

After a few weeks of solid rain, plus hundreds of runners racing earlier in the day across all the junior age groups, the undulating course through woods and fields in Berry Hill Park became a total mudbath.

First up for the Striders were the ladies, running laps of 3km each, with Katie Hateley on the first leg.

She handed over to Amelia Fisher before Anne Craddock brought home the ladies in 94th place out of 148 teams.

The men faced laps of 5km, and the A team of Ian Drage, Sean Elkington, Ian Bickle and Tom Boden came 106th, while the B team of Simon Bottrill, Andy Nicholls, John Houghton and Anthony Ison finished 141st out of 190 teams.

All of the teams produced great performances, with everyone rising to the occasion.

Other local teams with notable performances were Charnwood Ladies who fielded international runner Gemma Steel and were eighth, while Wreake and Soar Valley men, featuring international Sam Stabler, were seventh in the high-calibre event.

Everyone enjoyed the challenge and the support from other club members, and are now looking forward to racing in the first of six Derby Runner XCs on Sunday, November 17 around Holly Hayes Woods, in Whitwick.

* The following day, five Striders ran in the Shepshed 7, a popular race consisting of two laps through the private De Lisle Estate.

The start and finish was also hampered by heavy rain, making it difficult to run through the start/finish section because of the heavy footfall on the grassed areas.

The overall winner of the 526-strong field was Hinckley’s Simon Birch (38min 49secs), and first home for the Striders was Alan Thompson (49.21) in 55th position.

He was followed by Greeba Heard (53.53) who took second spot in the female vet 50 category.

Next in was David Hall (60.04), followed by Liz Taylor (62.02) and Chris Genes (78.01).