English Road Relay Championships: 14th April 2018 Sutton Park Birmingham: our seventh year in the national top 10 at Sutton Park came home with a podium place at last....

Rotherham Harriers made a significant step forward at this event, the mens 12 stage team finished in 22nd place - their best performance for over 20 years in this competition, and the women's team - who had never been outside the top 10 for the last 6 years finally made the podium in a National road relay championships - winning bronze medals.

Pictured: ladies team

Samantha Hughes on the 1st leg.

Natasha Hatswell sets the 5th fastest short leg time on stage

Hayley Carruthers sets the 10th fasest long leg time on stage 4

Daniel Kestrel sets the clubs best long leg time on stage 5

Gareth Sampson on leg 4.

These performances have not been achieved overnight, the consistent club performances over the last 10 years have not gone unoticed, and this consistency coupled with the incremental improvements in team performance have started attracting runners to join the club. In the teams there were 2 athletes making their first appearance for the club - Nicola Devine & Sarah Lowery, whilst Lee Milburn (running the club's fastest short leg time) and Hayley Caruthers made their debut in a National event.

The addition of these talented athletes combined with an already strong squad made these landmark performances possible.

There were individual stand out performances; Natasha Hatswell was 5th fastest overall on the short stage - just 15 seconds behind GB International Elle Baker - who had been presenting Natasha with her club award a week earlier. Hayley Carruthers showed that her fastest long leg time in the Northern event was no one off, by recording the 10th fastest long leg time.

Leeds City Ac's team were in fine form and were almost 3 minutes clear of 2nd placed Highgate Harriers. Rotherham were 26 seconds in front of 4th place Highgate.

Both men's and women's team times were more than 2 minutes better than the previous best times on this course, a credit to the athletes in the teams, and to the two team managers; Nigel Brookes and Pete Shaw.

The Rotherham B team were an exceptional 20th place and again 1st Northern club B team

Women's 6 stage results

1 Leeds City AC 'A' 2:11:27

2 Cambridge & Coleridge AC 'A' 2:14:19

3 Rotherham Harriers & AC 'A' 2:15:45

1 Samantha Hughes (12) 31:27

2 Natasha Hatswell (3) 17:39

3 Zara Knappy (5) 18:55

4 Hayley Carruthers (3) 30:39

5 Nicola Devine (3) 18:31

6 Sophie Cowper (3) 18:34

20 Rotherham Harriers & AC 'B' 2:33:00

1 Sarah Lowery (15) 31:50

2 Natalie Harris (19) 20:12

3 Jenny Reed (18) 20:20

4 Joanne Goodier (21) 36:44

5 Naomi Armitage (23) 22:02

6 Rebecca Platts (20) 21:52

Fastest of all long legs

1 Tracy Barlow Thames Valley Harriers 29:07

2 Stevie Stockton Leeds City AC 29:22

3 Annmarie McGlynn Thames Valley Harriers 29:39

10 Hayley Carruthers Rotherham 30:39

Fastest of all short legs

1 Julia Paternain Cambridge 17:02

2 Eleanor Baker Stockport 17:23

3= Lucy Crookes Leeds City 17:24

3= Julia Cooke Birchfield 17:24

5 Natasha Hatswell Rotherham 17:39

Men's 12 stage results

1 Tonbridge AC 'A' 4:17:24

2 Highgate Harriers 4:18:56

3 Swansea Harriers 4:19:42

22 Rotherham Harriers & AC 4:33:55

1 Luke Cotter (28) 27:56

2 Joseph Massingham (31) 16:52

3 Elliott Smales (26) 27:47

4 Gareth Sampson (26) 16:49

5 Daniel Kestrel (22) 27:31

6 Rhian Hastey (24) 17:41

7 Aidan Johnson (23) 28:45

8 Lee Milburn (21) 16:43

9 Jonathan Johnson (23) 29:42

10 Philip Hoole (22) 17:53

11 Arron Larkin (23) 29:29

12 Richard Harris (22) 16:47