As schools go back and track races wind down the winter road and x-country season starts with the traditional North West Road Relays. On Sunday this took place at the popular Ormskirk venue running around the paths surrounding Edge Hill university. The weather wasn't very popular with the spectators with constant rain all day. This didn't seem to affect the athletes with some great racing across the U11 to senior age groups.

Starting off the day was the girls and boys U11 relay over a 1.5km distance. Having done a few races last year Betsy Widdop and Cora Black showed their experience pacing their legs of the relay and recording two great times (7.52 for Cora, 2nd fastest u11 girl from the Greater Manchester teams and 8.10 for Betsy who ran the 5th fastest Greater Manchester time). In the boys race Harry Crowhurst lead the team off with the fastest time of the day (7.47) by a Trafford runner. He was backed up by two young athletes competting for the first time Oliver McKiernan (8.21) and possibly the youngest runner in the whole race Harry Amer (8.48). With such a young team they ran brilliantly to finish 5th Greater Manchester Team.

Moving to the under 13 age group over a longer 2.8km course, Mya Black (12.43) lead the girls off followed by May Gibbons-Hughes (12.20) who recorded the 14th fastest time by a Greater Manchester runner. In the Boys race Ethan O'Brien stayed with a quality group running first leg and was dragged around to a time (10.13) good enough for 2nd fastest Greater Manchester athlete overall and handing the team over in first place in the Greater Manchester County race. Thomas Fotheringham (possibly the youngest runner in the u13 boys race) took over and exceeded expectations by holding onto the lead recording an impressive 11.19 time. Paddy Widdop on last leg had the Salford Met, Sale and Eash Cheshire runners just behind him as he set off and coming into the final 200m he had slipped to 4th place but Paddy is getting a reputation as a runner with one of the fastest sprint finishes around. He closed back up on 3rd place coming around the final bend ready to pounce and unfortunately the 3rd place runner slipped in the wet conditions giving Trafford boys the 3rd place.

Unusually Trafford athletes were thin on the ground in the U15 age group. With no boys running, it was left to Beth Stanley (11.52) and Anna Thomas (13.32) in the Girls race, with Beth recording the 14th fastest time by a Greater Manchester athlete.

In the U17 age group both the Mens and Womens Trafford teams picked up medals. The Womens team finishing 3rd and 5th in the Greater Manchester County with Rachel Bowden (10.48) recording the 6th fastest time of the day for Greater Manchester athletes. Rachel was backed up by Ursula Bailey (11.39) and Isobel Thomas (11.22) in Trafford's 'A' Team, with Anna Taylor (11.51), Sophia Bowman (13.17) and Gracie Hunt (13.06) making up the 'B' Team. In the U17 Men's Race Tim Ye (16.17) paced the 5km race well sitting at the back of a strong lead pack in the early stages. He worked his way through to break away leading the race down the final 800m, just getting caught on the line by the fast finishing Blackburn runner. Evan Lewis (17.33) then stayed close to the lead three handing over to Tio Austin (16.25) on last leg with the Team 2nd placed Greater Manchester team. Tio closed on the leaders but he also suffered a fall in the last 200m of the twisty course in the wet conditions. Overall Tim and Tio ran the 5th and 7th fastest times of the day and the team picked up the Greater Manchester silver medals. Evan Horwell (18.03) also had a solid run on first leg for the 'B' team.

The senior relay race was held over the same 5km course and it was three 17 year old training partners who set the standards finishing 3rd in the Senior Womens Greater Manchester County champs. Ava Clough (18.04) lead the team continuing her improvement from this summer recording the 2nd fastest Greater Manchester time of the day. Sara Clough (18.10) moved the team into the lead and Eleanor Nicholson (21.16) running the third fastest Greater Manchester time on the last leg held onto the bronze medals. Showing good strength in depth Traffords 'B' team Zoe Storr (20.45), Amy Cauley (21.01) and Louise Ambler (21.36) finished 5th overall Greater Manchester and only 30 seconds behind Trafford's Cheshire team Liz Ellyard (20.44), Lauren Robinson (19.55) and Sara Harris (23.15) finished 6th in the Cheshire champs. Well done to Trafford women's 4th team of Mel Monks (24.27), Louise Mangan (23.48) and Sue Exon (30.24) finishing 14th team in the Greater Manchester champs. In the Men's race Trafford again had a mixture of young and old athletes and it was 51 year old Jeff Prest who continued to set a great example to the teenagers clocking 16.23 on the 5km course. Jeff was running in a non scoring 'B' team along with Dan Atkinson (18.29), Josh Watson (17.15) and Richard Turner (19.59). Trafford's 'A' team finished 7th Greater Manchester team Seb Patrick (17.37), Tom Rogers (17.18), Joe Daly (16.43) and Joe Deighton (17.03).

Full Results can be found at : https://nwroadrelays.niftyentries.com/Results/North-West-Road-Relays-2024