Autumn Relays

Last updated 9-Jun-10

Blyth

Running Club

Autumn Relays

The Autumn Relays are a 3 person team handicap event for members of Blyth Running Club only, and take place on a 2.35 mile course around Kitty Brewster Industrial estate, normally on a Wednesday evening in October. The 2009 event will be the 19th running on the current course, the 23rd in total.

HISTORY

The event takes its name, unsurprisingly, from the Top House pub near the Sports Centre; the trophy we all run to try and win was donated by them in time for the second event. For the first four years, the event followed a route around Newsham Road, Plessey Road, down Broadway and back along Princess Louise Road. After one or two close calls with traffic daring to get in the way of runners hell bent on winning, or at least catching the person in front, this route was abandoned in favour of the current course after the 1990 race. This was due to concerns over safety, since runners had to cross several roads during the race. From 1991 on, the course has been the one most people are familiar with, around the top end of the Kitty Brewster Industrial Estate. At 2.35 miles this course is slightly longer than the original one, which is why 1989's winning time is not the course record.
For the first six years there were separate men's and ladies teams, with prizes for each; from 1993 onwards the teams were mixed, with only one team prize.

History Facts and Figures List of Winners 20 Best Times Top of page

LIST OF WINNING TEAMS

NEW COURSE

Year	First Leg	Second Leg	Third Leg	Time	Teams	Category
1991	Alex Hutchinson	Michael Pease	Dave Kitching	42:24	8	Men
1991	Jocelyn Smith	Gill Margerrison	Teresa Gaughan	55:14	5	Ladies
1992	Peter Merryweather	Keith Willshire	Steve Gillespie	41:55	10	Men
1992	Angela Soutar	Christine Willshire	Gill Margerrison	54:01	3	Ladies
1993	Brian Southern	John Gaughan	Dave McKenzie	40:20	12
1994	Cath Coultate	Rob Marshall	Andy Brown	41:37	13
1995	Steve Bangs	John Mallon	Steve Gillespie	41:47	12
1996	Robbie Barklay	Frank Aniolkowski	John Mallon	42:15	12
1997	Jonathan Dickinson	Mark Walbank	George Young	42:09	10
1998	Tom McCullock	Allan Kenny	Martin Gaughan	43:21	11
1999	Cath Young	Steve Walker	Joe Frazer	44:11	12
2000	Denis Moss	Geoff McLane	Dale Stafford	43:57	14
2001	Nina Revely	Steve Walker	Robbie Barkley	44:09	14
2002	Kevin Westwood	Ron Ingram	Ian Richardson	45:02	10
2003	Dave Bradley	Gareth Hope	Ian Richardson	44:21	13
2004	Aynsley Herron	Alec Sewell	Michael Stott	44:25	11
2005	Kevin Westwood	Ged Baister	Robbie Barkley	44:05	8
2006	Dave Logan	Cath Young	Rob Hall	44:48	13
2007	Adam Smith	Terry McCabe	Robbie Barkley	41:45	12
2008	Steve Bush	Leanne Herron	Adam Robinson	45:01	14
2009	Richard Shullinglaw	Graeme Stewart	Adam Smith	45:30	13

OLD COURSE

*In 1989, one team was disqualified after one runner (Michael Cole) took a wrong turn at the top of the course.

History Facts and Figures List of Winners 20 Best Times Top of page

Year	First Leg	Second Leg	Third Leg	Time	Teams	Category
1987	Michael Morris	Brian Southern	Michael Cole	46:00	13	Men
1987	K. Timlin	Christine Thompson	Carol Barratt	01:01:12	5	Ladies
1988	Allan Kenny	Joe Frazer	Mick Robinson	40:52	13	Men
1988	Linda Kenny	Shiela Reay	Carol Barratt	55:07	5	Ladies
1989	Martin Rowell	Paul Wearmouth	Steve Gillespie	40:04	16*	Men
1989	Judith Hankin	Trish Goodwin	Caroline Robson	53:08	5	Ladies
1990	Michael Black Snr.	Dave Kitching	Rob Hall	40:35	13	Men
1990	Christine Thompson	Trish Goodwin	Cath Coultate	56:12	4	Ladies

FACTS AND FIGURES

Course Records:

Congratulations must surely go to Steve Gillespie, who has completed all 23 races. Below is a table listing all runners who have completed 10 or more races.

Both Robbie Barkley and Cath Young (Coultate) have recorded four wins each (Robbie - 96/01/05/07, Cath - 90/94/99/06), Steve Gillespie has 3 (89/92/95) and numerous people have two wins each.

During the twenty three years of the event, at least 257 different people have taken part, running in 304 teams. The individual figure might be even higher, but results for the first few ladies events are not quite complete.
In 1988, husband and wife pairing Allan and Linda Kenny were winners in both men's and ladies categories, both running first leg; this was emulated in 1992 by Keith and Christine Willshire, both running the second; since the event is now for mixed teams, this can't now be repeated.

History Facts and Figures List of Winners 20 Best Times Top of page

ALL-TIME 20 BEST TIMES

History Facts and Figures List of Winners 20 Best Times Top of page

Steve Gillespie	23	Dave Cox	13	Keith Willshire	11
Rob Hall	18	Martin Gaughan	13	Gareth Hope	11
George Young	18	Robbie Barkley	13	Eddie Woods	10
Cath Young	16	Joe Frazer	13	Alan Kenny	10
Aynsley Herron	15	Ron Ingram	13	Kenn Reay	10
Ralph Dickinson	14	Steve Walker	13	Andy Brown	10
John Mallon	14	Dave Morris	12	Helen Morris	10

New Course: 1991 - 2008					Old Course: 1987 - 1990
Pos.	Name	Time	Year	Race Posn	Pos.	Name	Time	Year	Race Posn
1	Andy Brown	11:42	1993	1	1	Tony Horsley	11:48	1990	1
2	Andy Brown	11:42	1994	1	2	Rob Hall	11:51	1989	1
3	Sean Kirtley	11:59	2005	1	3	Ross Hope	11:52	1988	1
4	Paul Whalley	12:01	2009	1	4	Tony Rowley	11:56	1990	2
5	Andy Brown	12:02	1998	1	5	Dave McKenzie	11:58	1989	2
6	Paul Whalley	12:04	2008	1	6	Tony Horsley	12:03	1989	3
7	Andy Brown	12:05	1992	1	7	Rob Hall	12:11	1990	3
8	Dave McKenzie	12:10	1995	1	8	Rob Hall	12:12	1988	2
9	Rob Hall	12:16	1995	2	9	Martin Gaughan	12:12	1990	4
10	Mark Wallbank	12:16	1995	3	10	Chris Robinson	12:13	1989	4
11	Paul Whalley	12:16	2007	1	11	Martin Gaughan	12:13	1989	5
12	Dave McKenzie	12:18	1993	2	12	Ross Hope	12:14	1989	6
13	Andy Brown	12:18	1999	1	13	Steve Gair	12:14	1989	7
14	Gary Jones	12:19	2008	2	14	Dale Stafford	12:19	1990	5
15	Robbie Barkley	12:22	2004	1	15	Andy Griffin	12:21	1988	3
16	Robbie Barkley	12:24	2000	1	16	Michael Black Jr.	12:23	1989	8
17	Andy Brown	12:26	1996	1	17	Andy Griffin	12:24	1989	9
18	Dave McKenzie	12:28	1994	2	18	Andy Brown	12:28	1988	4
19	Dave McKenzie	12:29	1998	2	19	George Young	12:29	1989	10
20	Dave McKenzie	12:30	1997	1	20	Chris Robinson	12:30	1990	6

Team -	40mins 20secs	Brian Southern, John Gaughan, Dave McKenzie (1993)
Male senior -	11mins 42secs	Andy Brown (1993 & 1994)
Male veteran -	12mins 16secs	Rob Hall (1995)
Female senior -	14mins 33secs	Leanne Herron (2009)
Female Veteran -	14mins 57secs	Helen Morris (2007)