There was an unexpected twist to the ERRA English National Spring Road Relay Championships in Sutton Park, Birmingham, on Saturday 12 April 2025. Due to circumstances beyond the organisers' control, Sutton Park’s Streetly Gate remained open to traffic during the event.

This meant that for the first time since the event's inauguration in 1967, the men's 12-stage race was not held over alternating short and long legs, but all stages were on a 5.08K course. Similarly, the women's 6-stage relay was held over the identical 5.08K route, with 68 metres of elevation per lap. The shorter overall distance resulted in a closer race than often unfolds at this annual fitness test for England's top clubs, who had qualified through the earlier Area Relay Championships. 

Bristol & West AC started sixth and thereafter were never outside the top three. Their well-balanced dozen won in 3:02:35 (for 61 kilometres) from Highgate Harriers (3:02:57) and Cambridge & Coleridge AC (3:04:27). A total of 65 teams finished in less than four hours.

While the relay is a rare road racing team event, plenty of kudos are still attached to the fastest legs. This year's speediest split was laid down by Jake Smith (Pontypridd Roadents). His 14:28 on leg 7 was a course record and two seconds faster than Will Battershill's 14:30 final leg that took Bristol & West AC to the title. 

The women's team title was far more clear-cut after Philippa Bowden (pictured leading #A201) ran the second fastest time (16:53) to give Aldershot Farnham & District AC the lead on the opening stage.

Liverpool Harriers briefly led after the second stage but it was Aldershot all the way to the tape from the third leg, winning by over a minute in 1:46:01. The runners-up were Leeds City AC (1:47:10) and Herne Hill Harriers (1:47:47) for whom Lucy Jones ran the day's fastest time (16:48) on the second stage. There were 43 teams home in just over two and a half hours.

The Sutton Park programme included the English National Young Athletes 5K Championships and the winners were Billy Eccles (Bure Valley Harriers, 15:27) and Isla Porter (Lincoln Wellington AC, 17:41) at under-17, and Thomas Thake (Hallamshire Harriers, 16:03) and Gabrielle Pinder (New Marske Harriers, 17:26) in the under-15 races.

Full results by Graham Fecitt and photos by Bryan Dale at Race-Results here.

Photo of women's relay start courtesy of Mark Hookway (Tonbridge AC) on Flikr