Athletics Men's road-relay team round off a terrific winter season with national title win

THE success in adding yet another men’s national title to the Bristol & West AC's roll of honour surely cements this winter as the greatest in the club's history.

- Kevin FAHEY

Last weekend the over 35s team retained their title at the British Masters Road Relay Championships, with the squad of David Awde, Matthew Battensby, newcomer Alistair Burleigh, Andrew Grigg, Robbie Stewart and Ben Robinson purring like a high-performance supercar around the Mallory Park motor racing circuit.

For Robinson it was yet another gold medal in a winter that has seen him racing better than ever before, having also won the British & Irish Masters Cross Country individual title and featured in the squad that won the National 12-Stage Road relay title for the first time. Indeed, it is fair to say that he is probably the first man in history to have won all those three events in a single season!

Just to re-cap the success of this winter here is a list of the major titles the senior men and masters have now accumulated.

2024

September 14: English National Cross Country Champions for the first time in the club's 142-years history (event postponed from previous winter due to weather).

2025

January 4: South West Cross Country Champions for the 18th successive time. Jack Millar made it four wins on the trot to become the most successful individual runner in the history of the event.

February 22: English National Cross Country Champions, retaining title at Parliament Hill, the traditional ‘home’ of the event.

March 29: Midland Counties 12 Stage Road Relay Champions.

April 12: National 12-Stage Road Relay Champions. The first time as Bristol & West AC that the club has won this prestigious event, the previous success coming as Bristol AC with their legendary team in 1980.

May 3: British Masters Road Relay Champions. The squad retained their M35 title.