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Cambridge Harriers win Penshurst Relay 2024

Summer Relay Is A Success

You cannot beat the excitement of a relay team event...

Rarely does a brand new event on the calendar arrive fully formed – and fully sold out – but that's what happened last week at the inaugural Tonbridge AC Midsummer Relay at historic Penshurst Place and Gardens on Wednesday evening (3 July).

The host club had some experience using the area for training runs so the 4K multi-terrain course was familiar to club members, although the steep climb on the out-and-back course surprised many of the visiting clubs!

Entries were capped at 100 teams of three with 94 finishing trios. The race started and finished close to the impressive 14th-century Manor House, once the property of King Henry VIII, the ancestral home of the Sidney family since 1552.

Local knowledge may have helped as Tonbridge AC raced to victory in 38:00 from Central Park Athletics (39:28) and Tunbridge Wells Harriers (39:36). Tonbridge also claimed the top award in the women's teams (45:56) from Tunbridge Wells Harriers (47:24) and Paddock Wood AC (49:01). The popular mixed team category podium was filled by Cambridge Harriers (43:27), Sevenoaks AC (44:40) and Sporting Events UK (45:43).

A statement on the Tonbridge AC website reads: "Tonbridge AC would like to thank all clubs and participants for supporting our inaugural summer relay event and competing in such good spirit and with great enthusiasm. Congratulations to all runners on tackling and completing the challenging course.

"Thank you to Penshurst Place for provision of an excellent course and for making their facilities available and thank you to all marshalls, volunteers, and supporters for enabling this first event to progress.

"The event could not have gone ahead without generous sponsorship from Birketts, Amicus Accountancy, and the Springbank Clinic in Sevenoaks, with prizes kindly donated by the Running Hub in Southborough, Recovery Room Therapies in Hildenborough, Up and Running in Sevenoaks and Water Process Solutions. We hope to welcome many of you back next summer."

Check out this video to get a real feel for the event...

Full results and a preview report are at the runABC South race listing here.

Photo of winning mixed team courtesy Charlotte Knee Photography

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