BROMSGROVE and Redditch Athletics Club had a boost with two wins and a second place at the Cotswold Hilly 100 Relay Race.

The A team came home second behind Leamington AC with the B team and mixed teams first home in their sections.

Each team fielded ten runners for the ten mile course which started and finished in Stratford via Chedworth.

No race marshals were on hand to keep the runners on course and teams had a choice of start times.

B&R B were led off by Roger Beacham (73-21) at 6am and the A team by Gordon Hardy (67-54) at 7am.

On leg 2 for the 'A' team, English international veteran Phil Carbutt, ran an excellent 59-50.

He was followed by Paul Knight (65-20), Clive Brown (68-24), Ian Keyte (62-10), Steve Clews (63-29), Dave Cleverley (65-30) and John Lammas (66-54) to put Redditch third with two legs remaining.

The B team runner on leg 2 was Steve James (73-14), followed by Reg Gardner (64-24), Mark Graham (71-32) and Gordon Marshall (72-51). Both Tony Woodwood (76-56), on leg 6, and James Preece (78-52) on the following leg, had the misfortune to stray off course, but it did not affect the final outcome.

Pete Hawcroft (65-11), Alan Elsmere (65-11) and Mike Leci (76-30) completed the last three legs.

The consistent running by all members of the B team meant that they won their category in a time of 11 hours 58 minutes and six seconds.

On leg 9 for the A team, Richard Malin showed what good form he is in by producing the best run of the day of 52 minutes 22 seconds.

On the final leg, Kevin Lanckham (61-17), made the most of an error by the Massey Ferguson runner who missed the turning to Loxley and so brought the A team home in a well deserved second place in a time of 10 hours 33 minutes 26 seconds.

A B&R mixed team, which started at 5am, won their category in 12 hours 30 minutes 47 seconds.

Thanks are due to Colin Brooks who provided support for all of the runners and to organiser Ashley Sherrin.

Money raised went to the Welcombe Hills Special School in Stratford.