Brighton Phoenix displayed road running dominance for the third year in a row with senior victories in both races at the Sussex Road Relay Championships on Saturday.
In the women’s race, like last year, Beth Kidger clocked the fastest lap in a time of 10:33s. Together with team mates Tara Bage and Milly Dickinson, the Brighton Phoenix senior women were clear winners.
The men’s team bettered their win of last year by over three minutes going from 59:54s to 56:25s. It was a Crawley athlete though who took the individual lap gold, Paul Navesey, in 9:14s. George Mills (Phoenix) did run faster, 9:10s, but although he was in a senior team, he is still U20 so took the top lap title in this age category. Alice Cox-Rusbridge (Chichester) won gold for the U20 women in 12:08s.
Both Under 17 fastest laps were won by first year in the age group athletes. Harriet Bloor (Hailsham) in 11:38s and Chichester’s Liam Dunne 10:03s. Dunne was also the fastest individual in the U15 boys last year.
All senior teams ran a new, traffic free 2 mile course this year at the annual Christ Hospital, Horsham, event.
Bodyworks dominated the U15 girls’ relay from the start with Eloise Key handing the baton to Daisy Burton who then passed to Bethany Cook. The team clocked 18:35s, 30 seconds faster than their winning 2018 time. Cook’s individual time of 5:58s was also the quickest on the day. Brighton and Hove also enjoyed success in this age category with their A team taking silver and B bronze.
Worthing District Harriers won the boys’ race in 17:13s, 21 seconds ahead of second place Crawley. Crawley’s Dylan Hanslow ran the fastest lap in 5:42s.
The Championships had kicked off with the Under 13 girls’ race where Brighton and Hove A and B teams dominated placing first and third. Crawley took team silver and it was one of their athletes who was fastest on the day. Stephanie Shaw in 6:30s.
Lewes’ Louis Goodwin ran an astonishing, record breaking, anchor leg for the winning U13 boys’ team. His time of 5:43s was 17 seconds faster than the best in 2018 and 3 seconds faster than the previous course record. The Lewes' team time of 18:03s was also a new course record. Chichester were second and their time of 18:19s would also have been a new course record.
Arena 80 dominated the women’s Masters’ races winning both W40 and W50 events. Arena’s Julie Briggs was fastest W50 in 11:22s and Helen Buller (Worthing District Harriers) in the W40 in 11:44s.
Brighton and Hove won the M40 title with their first leg runner, Howard Bristow (9:52s) the fastest on the day. Jonathan Burrell (Lewes) clocked 10:37s for the best M50 leg helping his team to collective victory.
Helen Dean (Chichester) ran the best W60 leg in 13:41s and John Lowden (Brighton and Hove) the top M60 in 11:44s.
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