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The Women's National Six Stage Road Relay 2014 (Part One)

ALDERSHOT & FARNHAM & DISTINCT AC won their fifth consecutive Six Stage Road relay at Sutton Park, Birmingham.
On the 1st Leg the leader was Laura Whittle from the local Royal Sutton Coldfield club in 14:06 with Sara Treacy 2nd in 14:22 but close at hand in third position was Aldershot's Amy Griffiths in 14:26 (57 clubs started the first leg).
It was on the second leg that Aldershot went ahead and stayed there for the rest of the race.
   It was LOUISE SMALL who went into the lead  for the winning team in an individual time of 14:53.
   "I caught 'Burchfield on the downhill and caught the other girl climbing on the uphill. I just wanted to keep the momentum going and build on the gap."
   Her biggest memories "A long time ago. It would have to be 2009 European when I got the bronze. That was very special."
   "I am definitely on the way back. The season has been so, so. I started off looking to qualify for the Europeans but unfortunately I picked up an injury so that impeded me in that race then, had to have a bit of time off and then coming back into it."
   "I have just turned 22 as it was my birthday last week"
Did she feel she would do something in the Summer
   "The track season is my aim. I have not had a track season in four years because of a series of injuries and a few operations so, this year I am looking forward to my first real track season, looking to get all PB's across the board."
   "I finished graduating at St Marys last year with a 1st in Sports Coaching. I have just started a job going into schools and teaching children PE, which I really enjoy and I have just applied for a PGC in Primary School teaching which I am starting in April, doing Part-Time at St Marys. I am really looking forward to do that with qualifications at the end of it hopefully".
                              SUSAN PARTRIDGE
The World Half Marathon Copenhagen, March the 29th Susan was 40th in 73:16
  "It was not too bad but I was a little disappointed that I might get a little bit quicker. I am not 100% yet, my fittest anyway."
  "I am now starting my build up for the Commonwealth Marathon (for Scotland) and been Pre selected for that. So, coming up I am just going to get some proper marathon training in. I had had a long time Achilles injury and so, I have just been gradual with the building up the mileage".
   Her Start "I grew up on Oban. My Dad was a runner. Alan Partridge, a 2:22 marathon runner. A good club runner and ran for Scotland a couple of times."
   "For me I am just building up I will do some races. I need to build my miles up a little bit as it has not been very high. I will probably go out and train in Boulder which would be nice." She added "I enjoyed to-day."
   Her Best racing memories "Last year-London and the World Championships as well. The London was in April I did 2:30.46. It is always nice to run fast times but when I end my running career the position will be that I was 9th in the London and always been 10th in the World. The times people may always run faster but it may not be that special but it will always be nice to say 9th in the London, that is always an achievement because they were very different races. One was very hot very hard and quite slow and the other was a PB run."
   EMELIA GORECKA  brought Aldershot home at Sutton Park on the anchor leg in the fastest time of the day of 13:51.
   "I had been too ill to race at one stage but good to get the training in recently. It made me stop and re-group and, I kind of train better and then, it is a point I can progress." She studies at Royal Holloway (London University). Emelia will be going shortly for a few weeks in America to be with her brother who runs and have some races in the Boston area."

First Six teams:-
1 Aldershot Farnham & District AC 1:27.00 (Amy Griffiths 14:26; Louise Small 14:53; Jessica Andrews 14:45; Lillian Partridge 14:17; Georgie Bruinvels 14:45; Emelia Gorecka 13:51)
2 Swansea Harriers 1:29:28
3 Bristol & West AC 1:32:03
4 Birchfield 1:32:26
5 Morpeth Harriers 1:32.47
6 Rotherham Harriers 1:33:15