March Athletic Club enjoyed the return of their Knowles Transport Hereward Relay and Ultra event
March Athletic Club’s Knowles Transport Hereward Relay and Ultra returned after a three-year absence.
The club welcomed 90 local relay teams and 12 ultra runners to a bright but bitterly cold Peterborough Athletic track on Sunday, November 28, for the first time since November 2018.
The 2019 race became a victim of a very wet autumn, with large parts of the course flooded and 2020’s race was stopped by Covid-19 restrictions.
The race, which began in 1998, is a four-stage relay following the route of the Hereward Way from Peterborough to Ely via Whittlesey and March - a distance of 39 miles. The brave ultra runners tackle the entire course of bridleways, fields, bridges and tracks solo.
Teams from Cambridgeshire, Norfolk and Lincolnshire took part, with the first team home the Ryston Leverets in 3:57:24, closely followed by the Abominable Cambridge Endurance team in 4:01:49. March AC was fielding 5 teams; the first March team home was Barry’s Bolts in 18th place in 4:37:37. They were followed in by Long’s Legs in 29th place in 5:09:47.
March AC had some great individual runs, with Kanina O’neil in 18th place for leg one, the 6.9 mile Peterborough - Whittlesey leg in 44:47. Steve Robinett was in 20th place for leg two, the 10.5 mile leg from Whittlesey to March, in 1:15:20. Glen Watts came in a superb 5th place in leg 3, the 11.5 mile leg from March to Welney in 1:12:27. Andy Cole came home in 12th place in 1:11:54 for the final 10.9 mile leg from Welney to Ely.
March AC took time to thank Eye Running Club, Fenland Running Club and Three Counties Running Club for helping with marshalling duties on the day.
Full March AC Results:
Barry’s Bolts 4:37:37 18th
Long’s Legs 5:09:47 29th
MAC Beldom 5:22:52 43rd
Motty’s Marauders 5:30:41 50th
A Certain Kind of Madness 5:53:34 74th
Leg 1:
Kanina O’neil 44.47
James Arran 52:30
Mike Blackledge 52:32
Tina Lambert 55:15
Sonia Witham 1:00:30
Leg 2:
Steve Robinett 1:15:20
Dean Markillie 1:19:19
Tim Brammer 1:23:37
Phil Beldom 1:29:18
Bryan Newman 1:34:56
Leg 3:
Glen Watts 1:12:27
Barry Head 1:25:36
Jason Mottram 1:32:15
Jon Long 1:32:31
Wendy Harrison 1:51:07
Leg 4:
Andy Cole 1:11:54
Walter Beldom 1:25:27
Hugh Harris 1:28:15
Steve Starr 1:40:37
Michelle Seward 1:46:18
