This autumn we managed to turn adversity into opportunity by giving some new faces a chance to run the 6 stage relays while some of our regulars where unavailable. For the Southern 6 Stage in September we fielded three new faces for the event (Graeme Garner, Lee Haze and Phil Sanders) beside three members with more than 20 appearances between them.

The new combination performed well finishing 19th, easily inside the required qualifying standard for the National 6 Stage Championships. With many of the competitors returning from scheduled breaks this was a good chance to blow away some cobwebs and get the winter’s running started. It was particularly good to see the new faces step up and take a deserved place on our A team for an event that is always high on our list of annual targets.

http://www.afd.org.uk/results/senior09.doc

Kent A.C. 1:59:25
Rich Munn 19:42
Phil Sanders 19:51
Jermaine Mays 18:38
Andrew Dunwoody 19:58
Graeme Garner 20:35
Lee Haze 20:41

Again for the National 6 Stage we mixed experienced hands with novices to the event. With James Connor stepping in to replace Rich Munn we had half the team tying the record for number of appearances in this event by a Kent AC athlete and the other half all making their debuts. Jermaine Mays, James Connor and Andrew Dunwoody all appeared in the National 6 Stage for the 8th time. With James and Jermaine being a good bit younger than Andrew it looks like those two will have to fight it out to see who can take that record the furthest - can they make 15 or even more?

The team performed well with Jermaine predictably being our fastest leg, but with all others pulling their weight we finished a creditable 42nd in a very strong competition which featured many of the biggest names currently in British distance running. See below for Kent results, full results at this link (http://www.race-results.co.uk/results/2009/nat609.htm)

42 Kent AC 1:55:10
Phil Sanders 19:44
James Connor 18:15
Jermaine Mays 17:48
A Dunwoody 19:01
Graeme Garner 20:12
Lee Haze 20:10

Although we were not at our strongest this year we continue to develop as a club and this year was no exception. A continued presence in competition at this level shows we now sit comfortably at the top table of British road running and with new faces coming into represent us hopefully some of them will be the club stalwarts to set a new record number of appearances in the future!

Andrew D