On the penultimate day of competition at the European Masters Championships, the British relay runners were very successful with 10 golds.
The team started with gold in the W75 4x100m event led by triple W85 champion Kathleen Stewart (competing 10 years out of age group) plus three other gold medalists Sally Hine, Sarah Roberts and Emily McMahon, clocked 71.56 to Germany’s 88.55.
The W70 race was closer as Doreen Craig, 800m and 1500m champion Anna Garnier, Anne Nelson and double sprint champion Helen Godsell saw Great Britain run 65.02 to Sweden’s 66.64.
Germany (63.21) narrowly won the W65 as Angela Kelly, Hilary West, Jeanette Ashton and Claire St John Coleman combined for second place in 63.31, just ahead of the Dutch’s 63.44.
It was also close in W60, with Germany edging out the British team of Mel Garland, Julie Hicken, Eni Font Freide and triple jump champion Jo Willoughby, who ran 57.48, in 57.38.
However, Britain returned to the gold standard in the W55s. Juliet Sidney, Diane Wright, Stefanie Dornbusch and double sprint champion Christine Harrison-Bloomfield ran 53.84 to Germany’s 55.55.
It was Sweden’s turn in the W50 category, which narrowly won with 51.10. Great Britain again came second when shooting champion Paula Williams, Yvette Henry, 300m hurdles winner Sarah Loades and 400m winner Tracey Ashworth ran 51.25.
Great Britain were also silver medalists in W45, courtesy of Anita Saunders, Janelle Quinn, Lourdes Bradley and Louisa Vallins ran 52.45 to Germany’s 51.64.
There were 10 teams in the W40 that required two races. The Netherlands won in 49.85 compared to Great Britain’s 50.21. The British team consisted of Catherine Peck, Lucinda Cash-Gibson, Naana Adusei and Lisa Boland.
Great Britain won their fourth women’s W35 gold when Allison Wilder, Krystle Balogun, Katy Lord and Stacey Downie ran 49.21 well ahead of France.
The first men’s relay, the M75, was won by Germany in 57.85 and Great Britain in fifth place in 64.17, but it should be noted that the team was over 80 years old and Alan Forse, James Smith, Mel James and Victor Novell set a British record in the M80.
However, the British M70 team took gold when Wally Franklyn, Adrian Essex, long jump champion Robert Stevenson and triple sprint champion Steve Peters ran 54.36 to defeat Germany’s 54.74.
Following their dominance in the individual events, it was no surprise that the M65 team also dominated, as Pat Logan, triple sprint champion John Wright, Ricardo Huskisson and Andy Hunter combined for a 49.22 well ahead of Germany’s 52.49.
Great Britain (with a team of Wole Odele, Vincent Elie, Ron Hunter and Neil Vondy) won their M60 heat in 49.85, but only took bronze, as Germany (48.35) and Italy (49.57) were faster in the second heat.
Great Britain also took bronze in the M55 thanks to David Shortridge, John Munroe, Michael Osunsami and Leeroy Golding, with 51.39 behind France’s 48.88.
He was also third in the M50s with hurdles and long jump champion Joe Appiah, Trevor Hodgson, Joshua Wood and Mike Coogan running a fast 46.16 but finishing well behind Italy (44.64) and France.
Great Britain ran a fast 44.32 in the M45 to win gold again, while Marvin Edwards, hurdles champion Mensah Elliott, Oliver Pool and Alan Robertson left Ireland (45.22) almost a second late.
Poland won the M40s with a slower time of 45.26 and Great Britain placed fifth in 46.98.
However, the fastest relay came last as Great Britain accelerated to 43.17, one second ahead of France (44.18) with a team of Damaine Benjamin, Byron Robinson, Nicholas Atwell and Duayne Bovell.
Great Britain did not participate in the mixed V75 plus 4×400 relay won by Germany and a team of Cooke, Roberts, Ian Willoughby and Godsell finished second in 5:06.70 in the V70, to Germany’s 4:57.21.
Sweden won the V65 relay in 4:35.66 and the British team of Stephen Kemp, Jeanette Ashton, Steve Taylor and Louise Jeffries was third in 5:09.67.
The British V60 team of Vincent Elie, 400m champion Virginia Mitchell, Wole Odele and steeplechase champion Lisa Thomas won easily in 4:04.77 to Ireland’s 4:20.32. Odele and Elie previously medaled in the 4x100m.
Spain took the honors in the V55 event in 3:56.45 and Great Britain seventh in 4:34.49.
Sweden won the V50s in a fast 3:44.59 and Great Britain came second in 3:47.46 with a team of individual European champions: Scott, Loades, newly crowned 800m winner Charlie Thurston and Ashworth.
Italy won the V45s in 3:49.72 and Great Britain was seventh in 4:08.91.
Sweden won with the V40s in 3:39.33 and Great Britain was fifth with 3:49.65.
However, once again Great Britain saved the best for last and accelerated to the V35 golds, courtesy of Lewis Robson, Krystie Balogun, Craig Cox and Kat Sutton and clocked 3:36.07 to Poland’s 3:39.65.
