In-form Kettering Harriers trio lead way in national road relays

The Harriers U13 girls team of Elsie Bennett, Tiggy Guthrie-Brown and Clara Booth

Kettering Town Harriers' Under-13 girls led the way for the club in the National Road Relays at the weekend, claiming a brilliant top 10 finish.

Just two weeks on from Midland Counties Road Relays, the Harriers youngsters were again in action, this time at Sutton Park and held over the traditional 3.88km course.

At the Midlands, the Harriers U13 girls won bronze over a 1.6km course, and they showed their versatility with a superb performance over the longer distance in a competition which attracts some of the best teams throughout the UK.

In all, there were almost 60 teams from the across the country competing.

Elsie Bennett setting in well with the Harriers and top individual placing on the day (20th fastest in her age-group)

Elsie Bennett was lead runner for the U13G and she turned in a brilliant performance to slice an incredible minute and a half from her previous best over the course.

Bennett, who recently joined the club from Rugby & Northampton AC, paced the tricky steep climb at the start perfectly, and ran a fine race finishing her leg strongly in 12th place in 15:04.

That was was the 20th fastest time on the day.

Clara Booth ran a superb second leg and also smashed her course PB by more than a minute to make up a single place and bring the Harriers home in 11th in 15:44.

Lara Turner gritty performance to make 25 places in her second leg

With Tiggy Guthrie-Brown on anchor also running a terrific race and slicing 44 seconds from her PB in 15:22 and making a further place, it was an outstanding top 10 finish for the Girls.

The U13 Boys also showed their strength over the longer 3.88k distance with a 17th place finish out of the 50-plus teams competing.

Joshua Spavins, who is a bottom year U13, competed over the opening leg to finish in 19th place in 14:13, setting the 32nd fastest time on the day.

Spavins handed over to Ollie Smith who maintained 19th place running a 16 second course PB in 14:56.

Joshua Spavins fine run with the 32nd fastest split on the day and still bottom year in the age-grpup

Rafferty then Davey anchored the team and made up two places with a 20 second course PB of 15:15 for a fine top 20 finish.

In the U15 Boys race, George sharp smashed his course PB by almost three minutes with a fine opening leg of 13:44, which saw him in 49th place.

He handed over to Finley Brooker who ran 14:43 (53rd), with Harlee Hooker making up seven places on the final leg to bring the team home in 46th place with a 50 second course PB in 14:13.

The U17 Women finished in 28th place with opener Chelsie Locker completing the course in 15:44 (39th).

Lara Turner then put in a gritty performance to take 25 places in 15:25, with her run a 24 second course PB.

The anchor runner Charlotte Jackson then sliced a huge 45 seconds off her course PB to bring the team home in 17:29.

The U17 Men finished 61st.

James Clutton opened up in 15:26 (61st) before handing to Joseph Pickering who ran 13:24 to make up nine places.

That left it to anchor Dylan Ransom and he brought the team home in 13:44 minutes, making up an additional 12 places.

With the transition into longer cross country distances now complete, the opening cross-country fixture for the Harriers squad will be held in Derby this weekend.