European Mountain Championships

Steve Vernon finished first Briton in 20th at the European Mountain Championships

The Harriers’ Lloyds TSB Squad had athletes competing in three championships over the weekend.

At the European Mountain Championships on the edge of Germany’s Black Forest Steve Vernon finished first Briton in 20th after being with the leaders up until half way

Steve fell away in the second half of the race with a stitch but managed to hold on for a top twenty place.

At the Olympic Trials Ben Styles and Becky Lyne competed in the 800 metres, Ben at his first senior championships finished 8th in his heat.

Becky was just edged out in her heat in 2-06 making the following days final as a fastest loser.

In the final despite a brave move to take the lead at the bell Becky finished eighth.

The English Schools’ are a place where the first footstep on the athletic ladder to the top begins.

The Squad had three athletes at the Championships, in the 1500 metre Junior Boys’ Jack Nixon ran close to his best to finish 10th in 4-25.

Luci McLoughlin ran her season’s best of 4-39 to finish 7th in the Senior Girls’ 1500 metre final and Mike Cooke 8th in the Senior BoysÌ final in 4-01 from the 15 starters.

The Cotswold Way Relay

Report: Isaac - 3/7/08

Following on from his recent success in the British Mountain Running Championships Steve Vernon joined nine of his club mates to do battle with 67 other 10-man teams in the Cotswold Way Relay.

It wasn’t going to be the pace of the team, nor the severity of the climbs that would be our downfall, it was the inability to read a map, follow directions or even know left from right. With all the other 67 teams being located within spitting distance of the Cotswolds and being able to do recces of the course as part of their club training nights.

Stockport Harriers with a team consisting of 3 ladies and seven men and an age range from sixteen to sixty (happy birthday Brian!) eventually finishing some 45 minutes behind a very good Chepstow Harriers’ team who are local enough to know every blade of grass along the course.

The Cotswold Way Relay, organised by Team Bath Athletic Club, cuts an undulating trail from Chipping Campden to the centre of Bath in a 110 mile route taking in every hill and climb along the way, each leg is run as a separate race and times added up at the end of each leg - really well organised and finishing up in the centre of Bath outside The Abbey before moving on to the presentations and plentiful rehydration at the excellent facilities at Bath Rugby club.

Having performed so well already the team, or possibly teams are looking forward to next year’s event.