NEARLY 100 teams took part in the popular Tavistock Relays, which returned on Thursday evening after a year’s break due to the global coronavirus pandemic.
The relays, hosted by Tavistock AC, have been going for more than 30 years and always attracted good fields, with teams of four running a 1.1 mile course on the banks of the River Tavy in The Meadows park.
There were three different relay races – juniors, women’s and men’s/mixed – while there was also a family fun run beforehand.
The men’s event, which saw 36 teams finish, was won by GTR in a total time of 20.46 minutes. Their team was made up of Nathan Brown, Adam Stokes, Mat Bradley and Simon Fiske.
Second home in 21.26 minutes was the Tavistock Run Project quartet of Ben Neale, Lewis Mills, Jim Cole and Corin Russell.
Tamar Trotters were third in 22.32 minutes with Richard Ham, Jacob Landers, Alan Williams and Matt Harries making up their team.
Neale, running the first leg for Run Project, was the fastest overall in 4.49 minutes, with Brown second in 4:57 and Landers, who had won the Armada 5k the night before, third in 5:06.
Tavistock AC dominated the women’s event, with their teams filling the top two places.
Their ‘Gang of Four’ took the victory in 24.46 through Isabella Page, Tilly McDowell, Charlotte Walker and Kristyna Cade.
The TAC Ladies quartet of Emma Ryder, Charlotte Tilney, Jodi Armstrong and Joely Byetheway were second in 25.19.
Tavistock Run Project were third in 25.21. Hannah Smith, Emma Baker, Holly Cole and Claire Fraser made up their team.
Ryder was the quickest in 5:45, with Fraser second in 6:05 and Walker third in 6:08.
The junior event produced some good performances with host club Tavistock AC and City of Plymouth particularly impressing.
Tavistock’s Year 11/12 boys’ side, nicknamed the Demons’, made up of Abe Reid, Will Russell, Dan Luckham and James Wheeler were first home in 22.37 minutes.
Tavistock’s Year 9/10 ‘Upstarts’ team were second overall and first in their category in 23.22 minutes. That side was made up of Ewan Dix, Noah Reid, Jacob Holland and Fynn Baker.
The third team home overall and first girls’ quartet were City of Plymouth Year 9/10, who clocked 24.49 minutes courtesy of Molly Gilbey, Immogen Rickard, Martha Wilson and Molly Shorey.
Tavistock AC’s Tigers side of Sebastian White, Harry Shaw, Lara Dix and Reuben McCaulay were first Year 7/8 team in a time of 26.29 minutes. That was the same time that City of Plymouth’s Year 7/8 girls’ team of Madeleine Jones, Isabella Morris, Millie Westwood and Abbie Chapman clocked.
Ewan Dix was the fastest junior in 5:09, finishing just one second ahead of Plymouth’s Thomas Jones, with Tavistock RFC Flankers’ Schaefer Mann third in 5:27.
Shorey was the quickest girl in 5:50, with team-mate Gilbey second in 6:02 and Tavistock Lara Dix third in 6:06.
Results can be found HERE.
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