Double Silver Glory for Harriers at Midland Counties Road Relays
The Kettering Harriers kicked off their winter campaign in spectacular fashion at the Midland Counties Road Relays, clinching two team silver medals in the Under 15 Girls and Under 17 Women’s categories. It marks their best result since 2021, when they famously took home double gold in the U13 Girls & U17 Women’s races.
Held in the scenic surroundings of Sutton Park, the regional championship drew top clubs from across the Midlands and beyond, from as far afield as Bristol and Stoke. With all junior age groups tackling the same 3.88km course, the event served as an early season marker for athletes returning from their summer break.
The under 15 Girls produced a Nail-Biting Finish, with the closest contested race of the day
U15 Girls Silver Medallists from left, Marianna Owen, Millie Sharp, & Bella Lamb
.jpg)
The U15 Girls A-Team, newly strengthened by the arrival of Bella Lamb from R&N AC, delivered a thrilling performance. Lamb run the opening leg for the ‘A’ team and she produced a fine performance just short of her course PB in 14:21, the 6th fastest leg on the day, to bring the team home in 3rd place. Lamb got a great start just sitting off the leading pack at the tricky uphill start and she managed to work her way back into contention in 3rd place 9 seconds ahead of the 4th place team. Millie Sharp held the position with a strong run in the second leg (15:20), keeping the Harriers within striking distance, just 1 second off Silver medal position.
The drama unfolded in the anchor leg, where England international Mariana Owen faced a late surge from Mansfield AC’s Charley Whysall who went by her 300m from the finish. With just 80 metres to go, Owen summoned a final burst of speed to edge past Whysall, out dipping her on the line to take the team Silver Medal. Both teams were awarded the same combined time of 43:46, just 10 seconds behind winners Bristol & West AC. Owen knew she had to dig deep, the final hill is a brutal finish, but she wasn’t letting go of the Silver medal. The finish was even more remarkable as Whysall had produced the fastest leg on the day (13:34) but she had nothing more to give once Owen made her late move. Owen’s run was the third fastest of the day and a 46-second course PB for her, a measure of her continued improvement over the past year.
Marianna Owen, with a magnificent finish to take the team Silver Medal on the line
.jpg)
The U15 Girls ‘B’ Team also impressed with Amelie Heron in the opening leg who produced a great run in 15:33, a course PB of 26 seconds, to bring the Harrier's home in 16th position. Sabina Lawton made two places in the second leg with a fine run of 15:59, also a 15 second course PB, to hand over to the Harriers anchor leg in 14th place. Elsie Bennett produced a strong run of 16:41 to bring their team home in a very respectable 16th place, ahead Of local rivals Corby A/C (18th place) and Rugby and Northampton (36th place) to show the strength in depth in the Harrier's squad.
Under 17 Women’s surprise Silver
U17 Women's Silver Medallists from left, Luan Power, Peyton Almond, & Jess Lamb
.jpg)
The U17 Women’s A-Team matched the younger girls’ success with an unexpected silver medal. Peyton Almond opened in 14:56, keeping the team in the mix with a fine run to finish in 7th place. Jess Lamb, older sister to Bella, powered through the second leg in 15:09, gaining three places to hand over in 4th place which was still 20 seconds adrift of a podium finish, and 40 seconds off the Silver medal position.
Luan Power, a recent addition from Wreak & Soar Valley, ran a storming anchor leg in 14:41—reeling in both Leamington AC and Bristol & West AC to secure second place with a combined time of 44:46. Power kept her focus and trusted her pacing, reeling in her competitors gradually, her anchor leg was the 7th fastest time of the day. Power is making great progress and she is hoping to return to the sort of form which saw her hold UK top 10 rankings as a junior athlete.
Luan Power with a fantastic final leg to secure the team Silver Medal
.jpg)
The B-Team, hit by injuries, ran as an incomplete team over 2 legs with a standout performances from Iona Ellwood (15:10 PB), to bring the team home in 10th place, with debutant Esther Chapman, finishing 20th place after her 2nd leg.
The U15 Boys produced the top finish on the day for the male athletes, with Ben Scott in the opening leg producing a top quality run to bring the team home in 9th place with 13:10, handing over to Joshua Spavins, who was short of fitness having just returned from injury. The Harriers maintained their prominent 9th position with Spavins completing the course in 14:13 with a strong run, handing over to anchor leg Oliver Smith, who was also returning from injury. Smith ran a strong leg in 14:05, a course PB, to bring the Harriers home in a highly respectable 12th place out of the 31 complete teams, ahead of local rivals R&N who finished in 23rd place.
U15 Boys team from left, Ben Scott, Joshua Spavins, & Oliver Smith
.jpg)
The U17 Men also fared well with a strong top 20 finish with the trio all setting course PB’s. Zachary Scott returing from a injury hit summer showed he is returing to good form with a fine opening leg in 13:27 for 22nd place. Harlee Hooker produced a superb 2nd leg run to take 5 places with 12:59, a 42 second PB and bring the Harriers in in 17th place. George Sharp anchored the team running a great final leg in 13:22 to bring the team home in a very respectable 18th place.
In the younger age groups, the U13 Girls team, all making their debut in this competition, earned valuable experience in finishing the race in 23rd position. Opening and fastest leg of the trio was from Olivia Henderson who finished in 30th position in the tough opening leg in 18:32, handing over to Senudi Wanshanatha who ran her leg in 20:08 for 31st place. Cassidy Almond ran a fine 3rd leg to make up 8 places in 19:17 for a 23rd place finish. The U13 Boys sadly had to run an incomplete team, with Callum Johnson running a fine race in the opening leg, a 46 second course PB, in 15:27 for 22nd place. Sebastian Knights-Branch, making his debut in the competition ran well in the 2nd leg in 17:14 and 31st position after 2 legs.
The only Senior/Masters representation on the day saw the Senior Men finish in a very respectable 44th place, with the 6 man team all competing over 5.88km. With a mixture of youth and Masters athletes the Harriers opening leg was U20 Lucas Rogers who has been flying on track over his preferred 800m distance. Rogers ran a fine race to show his endurance is in a good place with a time of 18:47, and 43rd place. U20 George Seporovic, also ran a strong 2nd leg in 19:30 and 47th position. The first of two Masters athletes drafted in the senior mens team was M40 Matt Almond, who ran a very competitive 20:09 to maintain a top 50 place, handing over to M40 athlete Gordon Heron who also ran a competitive 21:06 for 52nd place. U20 Ellis Johnson made up 2 places with his 5th leg of 20:43, with anchor Joshua Cannell taking a further 6 places with a super run of 18:45 and fastest split from the Harriers, to bring the team home in a fine 44th place out of the 97 complete teams.
Senior Man Josh Cannell with the fastest split on the day, made up 6 places on the final leg.
.jpg)
WWith the National Road Relays just two weeks away on the same course, the Harriers junior squads are poised to take on the Nation’s elite, with stiffer competition a certainty. If this weekend’s performance is any indication, the medal winners in particular will be a force to be reckoned with.
Congratulations to all athletes, coaches, and supporters. The Harriers are flying high—and the season has only just begun.