Shrewsbury Athletic Club is no stranger to relays at Sutton Park, Birmingham but 2018 is the first time teams have taken part in the British Masters Road Relay Championships. Competition for Masters (or, as they used to be known, veterans) give those athletes aged 35 and over the chance to race against others who are a similar age. And the Shrewsbury AC Masters did the club proud. In far from perfect weather conditions, rain showers, and a cold blustery wind, the M55+ team achieved a superb 7^th place finish from the 36 teams that started, while the M35+ team finished a very creditable 17^th from the 42 teams that participated. Leg times for the 5.17Km course were: Over 55: Graham Jones 19/30, Haydn Jones 20/10, Richard Jones 19/48. Over 35: Robert Fox 18/02, Richard McKenna 18/35, Kevin Francis 19/07, Paulo Pinheiro 18/42, Andy Lewis 21/40, Pete Middleton 18/02. Honours for the fastest leg of the day were shared by Robert Fox and Pete Middleton.

The opening race in the Shropshire Summer Fell Race Series, the Caradoc Classic, took place at Church Stretton, with Gill Evans 120^th in 57/56 and 1^st Lady Veteran Over 55, making a successful start to defending her age category crown, which she has won in the previous five Series. Bethany Pinches finished 150^th and 2^nd Under 19 Woman in 44/23 and Gordon Trevor finished 159^th in 58/09.

In other races, Matt Hall completed the Mid Cheshire 5K in 83^rd place in a personal best time of 16/01, making it three personal best times in the month of April. Sara Willhoit was 1^st Lady in the Droitwich Half Marathon in 1/31/09 and Pete Hughes finished 442^nd out of 3400 runners in the Newport Marathon in 3/31/16. Sara Willhoit, Paul Jones and Scott Hall have been selected to represent Shropshire in the British Inter Counties Fell Running Championships in Derbyshire later this month.

Photo: British Masters M55 Team - left to right, Haydn Jones, Graham Jones, Richard Jones