North-west London team create club history as Tonbridge and Swansea replace Shaftesbury Barnet and City of Sheffield in the top flight

The final weekend of the National Athletics League saw the third round of the Premiership at Alexander Stadium in Birmingham, whereas down the A34 at Horspath Arena in Oxford the pretenders to join the top flight, the leaders in the four mini-area-leagues, battled things out to join them next year, Martin Duff reports.

In the event it was Harrow who comfortably won the Premiership as Shaftesbury Barnet made a swift return to the mini-area-leagues after failing to make a mark at the top table, along with City of Sheffield, who join them in the drop despite a stronger showing here.

They will be replaced by Tonbridge and Swansea, who both raised their game from the mini area leagues to replace them.

NATIONAL ATHLETICS LEAGUE PREMIERSHIP, round 3, Alexander Stadium, Birmingham, August 16

After the conclusion of the second premiership match at Derby, it seemed that it was Harrow who had narrowly won their second match and were odds-on favourites to depose Thames Valley as champions.

However, well after the match, the position was altered as league chairman Len Steers explained: “Match scores from the Derby fixture were changed due to athlete eligibility issues following a joint review with UKA.”

This meant that it was Thames Valley who narrowly headed Harrow in that match, so both clubs came into this final fixture tied on 15 match points and whoever came out on top here would be league champions. In the event it was really no contest as Harrow blew the four-time champions away after a slow start to the match.

It was Thames Valley who drew first blood as Samuel Clarke took the 400m hurdles in 51.01 ahead of Shaftesbury Barnet’s Jubril Adeniji’s personal best 51.36. Then Shaftesbury, who were looking to avoid the drop, had English champion Hayley McLean win the women’s 400m hurdles in 56.36.

In a pedestrian 800m, Robert Shipley won for Sheffield in 1:56.25 before Annie Tester gave Birchfield a win in the women’s race with 2:08.24.

Harrow then had Luke Dorrell with the men’s 100m in 10.41 as Nia Wedderburn-Goodison made it a club double in the women’s event with 11.53. Her time was ranked the best among the women on the age gradings as 18-year-old Matthew Ajayi’s 100m in 10.57 was the best among the men.

This meant Harrow moved up to second behind Thames Valley after eight events as the two rivals were pulling clear of third placed Glasgow Jaguars.

Harrow then got their noses in front by 142 to 138 after nine events had been declared thanks to Terry Fawden’s steeplechase win, but early field event results had still not been finalised, so were not on the totals more than two hours into the meeting.

Woodford Green saw Sam Khogali just shave TVH’s Archie Yeo’s early 7.63m long jump in round five with a 7.74m leap.

After 14 events Harrow went further ahead, 235 to 198, as Sheffield and the rest trailed and this was in part due to a series of B string wins after strong, albeit not winning, A string performances and then more than 50 points clear half-way through the competition.

Windsor had been having a lean time but Charlotte Payne was out to a season’s best of 70.03m in the women’s hammer. Her club were safe from relegation in the league but later Jake Norris and Taylor Campbell were both over 70m in the men’s hammer, albeit split by Birchfield’s Craig Murch.

After their slow start, Harrow continued to pile up the points and, after 21 events had been posted, now led their local rivals by 57 points, thanks to Sophie Hamilton’s personal best 53.76m javelin win, as Shaftesbury and Woodford Green were vying for the wooden spoon. Despite this, Shaftesbury had McLean win the women’s 400m in a personal best 53.57.

Birchfield continued to post an improved performance after coming into this final competition back in a sixth placed league spot. They had Efe Okoro win the men’s 400m in 46.99 after just dipping Harrow’s Thomas Hockley.

The women’s match triple jump had Adelaide Omitowoju take maximum points with 13.16 behind double Jamaican Commonwealth champion Kimberley Williams’ 13.53m as Harrow continued to pile up points and they again did so in a tight men’s 1500m where Andrew Milligan just got the nod in 3:52.02.

Thames Valley responded in the women’s race as Charotte Buckley just got home ahead of Harrow’s Suzie Monk in 4:26.13.

Sheffield were battling for survival in the league and their Lee Thompson just got the nod against a stiff wind in the men’s 200m in 21.09 but it was Harrow who won again in the women’s 200m thanks to Shiloh Wright-Taipow’s 24.04.

A tight women’s pole vault saw Nemiah Munir just nip it for Thames Valley over Birchfield’s Tilly Hooper, who both cleared 4.32m to head Jade Ive’s 4.22m for Shaftesbury.

There was a guest in the women’s 2000m steeplechase where world W45 record holder Kirstie Booth beat all of the match runners with 6:58.67 and another in the men’s javelin where UK runner-up Ben East threw 73.70m ahead of Birchfield’s Benji Pearson and Harrow’s Thomas Holmes.

His team-mate Zac Davies won the shot with 16.28m and they saw their club move further ahead after 29 events with 494 to 409 and it seemed all over bar the shouting.

Birchfield had been languishing in sixth spot coming into this final match and had a double win in the men’s 3000m thanks to Kadar Omar and Omar Ahmed to wind up third in both this match and the final table. They just pipped Glasgow Jaguars who had Berachia Ajala take the men’s triple jump with a first round 15.22m leap.

A little earlier, Adele Nicoll had added the women’s shot for the Stags with a 16.24m toss.

Thames Valley did fight back thanks to French indoor and England 2024 junior champion Ethan Glyde, who took the high jump with a season’s best 2.12m.

However, Harrow finished with a flourish to win all four of the relays as their margin yawned to nearly 100 points as Thames Valley’s run came to an end.

Match: 1 Harrow 689; 2 TVH 592; 3 Birchfield 456.5; 4 City of Sheffield 421; 5 Glasgow Jaguars 417; 6 WSEH 402.5; 7 WG&EL 389; 8 Shaftesbury 352

100 (1.3): 1 L Dorrell (Harr) 10.41; 2 J Watson-Brown (Bir) 10.52; 3 J Smith (TVH) 10.56

200 (-1.9): 1 L Thompson (Sheff) 21.09; 2 J Williams (Harr) 21.19; 3 B Snaith (WG&EL) 21.50

400: 1 E Okoro (Bir) 46.99; 2 T Hockley (Harr) 47.04; 3 V Dos Santos Soares (TVH) 47:31

800: 1 R Shipley (Sheff) 1:56.25; 2 D Howells (Harr) 1:56.70; 3 B Rock (TVH) 1:56.75

1500: 1 A Milligan (Harr) 3:52.02; 2 J Dempsey (SB) 3:52.76; 3 W Perkin (TVH) 3:52.93

3000: 1 K Omar (Bir) 8:20.07; 2 O Ahmed (Bir) 8:22.31; 3 N Whittaker (TVH) 8:33.69

110H (-0.3): 1 E Akani (WG&EL) 14.16; 2 J Dean (WSEH) 14.43; 3 R Cottell (Harr) 14.81

400H: 1 S Clarke (TVH) 51.01; 2 J Adeniji (SB) 51.36; 3 B Francis (Glas) 51.37

3,000SC: 1 T Fawden (Harr) 9:17.71; 2 J Geddes (SB) 9:29:30; 3 N Faulkner (TVH) 9:36.25

HJ: 1 E Glyde (TCH) 2.12; 2eq R Corrin (TVH)/J Heath (Sheff) 2.07

LJ: 1 S Khogali (WG&EL) 7.64; 2 A Yeo (TVH) 7.63; 3 A Farquharson (Bir) 7.15

TJ: 1 B Ajala (Glas) 15.22; 2 T Tshireletso (WG&EL) 15.19; 3 J Bright-Davies (TVH) 15.05

PV: 1 T Whalley (TVH) 5.02; 2 eq R May (Bir)/J Harris (TVH) 4.82

SP: 1 Z Davies (Harr) 16.28; 2 G Winter (WG&EL) 15.38; 3 L Lammie (TVH, U20) 15.38

DT: 1 N Percy (Harr) 65.69; 2 Z Duquemin (SB) 54.90; 3 G Thompson (SB) 53.73

HT: 1 J Norris (WSE) 73.74; 2 C Murch (Bir) 71.74; 3 T Campbell (WSEH) 70.42

JT: 1 B East (T Kennet, gst) 73.70; 2 B Pearson (Bir) 64.05; 3 T Holmes (Harr) 63.06

4x100: 1 Harrow 40.75; 2 TVH 40.91; 3 WSEH 40.94

4x400: 1 Harrow 3:11.41; 2 Birchfield 3:11.45; 3 Sheffield 3:12.83

Women

100 (1.0): 1 N Wedderburn-Goodison (Harr) 11.53; 2 G Dale (WG&EL) 11.76; 3 L Fraser (Glas) 11.96

200 (-1.4): 1 S Wright-Taipow (Harr) 24.04; 2 A Njeri (Bir) 24.10; 3 C Kelsey (Sheff) 24.23

400: 1 H McLean (SB) 53.57; 2 R McCann (Harr) 53.79; 3 N Groves (WG&EL) 54.98

800: 1 A Tester (Bir) 2:08.24; 2 C Buckley (TVH) 2:09.19; 3 B Ansell (Glas) 2:09.26

1500: 1 C Buckley (TVH) 4:26.13; 2S Monk IHarr) 4:26.61; 3 L Gilbert (WG&EL) 4:27.30

3000: 1 B Ansell (Glas) 9:42.27; 2 C O’Connor (Harr) 9:51.88; 3 L Wilkinson (WSEH) 9:52.65

100H (-1.2): 1 E Nwofor (TVH) 13.26; 2 M Jessop (Harr) 13.58; 3 J O’Dowda (Sheff) 13.65

400H: 1 H McLean (SB) 56.36; 2 S Elliss (TVH) 60.07; 3 R Callan (Glas) 60.86

2,000SC: 1 K Booth (Taunt, gst, W45) 6:58.67; 2 J Heller (WSEH) 7:04.76; 3 R Clutterbuck (WSEH) 7:10.41

HJ: 1 J O’Dowda (Sheff) 1.75; 2 E Chilvers (WSEH) 1.72; 3eq B Bovell (Harr)/K Fowler (Glas)/G Wall (Bir) 1.67

LJ: 1 H Wallace (Glas) 5.99; 2 R Jerges (Harr) 5.88; 3 A Hopkins (Harr) 5.81

TJ: 1 K Williams (JAM, gst) 13.53; 2 A Omitowoju (Harr) 13.16; 3 S Hibbert (SB) 13.05

PV: 1 N Munir (TVH) 4.32; 2 T Hooper (Bir) 4.32; 3 J Ive (SB) 4.22

SP: 1 A Nicoll (Bir) 16.24; 2 J Rowland (Sheff, W35) 13.24; 3 J O’Dowda (Sheff) 12.86

DT: 1 S Mace (TVH) 47.73; 2 S Du Toit (Harr) 44.92; 3 T Tunstall (Harr) 44.91

HT: 1 S Payne (WSEH) 70.03; 2 A Merritt (Harr) 58.09; 3 A Barnsdale (Sheff) 57.87

JT: 1 S Hamilton (Harr) 53.76; 2 H Court (TVH) 48.50; 3 P Meekings (WG&EL) 41.74

4x100: 1 Harrow 46.23; 2 Glasgow 46.41; 3 WG&EL 46.65

4x400: 1 Harrow 3:38.08; 2 Glasgow 3:46.56; 3 WG&EL 3:47.12

Note: no wind readings given for horizontal jumps

Final standings: 1 Harrow 23 (1964); 2 TVH 22 (1856.5); 3 Birchfield 14 (1289); 4 Glasgow 14 (1265); 5 WSEH 12 (1266.5); 6 WG&EL 11 (1255.5); 7 Sheffield 9 (1138.5); 8 Shaftesbury 3 (1012)

NATIONAL ATHLETICS LEAGUE QUALIFYING MATCH, Oxford, August 16

The Horspath track adjacent to the sprawling mini car factory saw the pretenders to the Premiership hope to fare better than the two clubs who gained promotion last year.

In the event, it was Tonbridge and Swansea who go up to the top flight.

Herts Phoenix had drawn first blood as Edward Laws won the men’s 400m hurdles in 51.48 but Ted Higgins of Tonbridge won the men’s 800m in 1:50.96. Sale won the women’s event as Isabelle Burke’s 2:10.62 just headed City of York’s Megan Ledden. Sale then added the men’s 100m against a strong-ish wind in 10.42, through Nicholas Walsh.

Kissiwaa Mensah then gave Chelmsford their first win in the women’s event with 11.66 so that after six events there were 10 points separating leaders Swansea from her club in fourth.

More wins for Sale from Melissa Booth in the long jump and Hannah Blood in the women’s hammer, ensured that their club were still in touch with leaders Swansea, for whom Michael Jenkins had won the discus with 56.72m. after nine events

Sometimes good for age performances can be overlooked in senior leagues but here, in the women’s high jump, 55-year-old Julia Machin was over 1.63m, for Crawley, to add a centimetre to her own British W55 record and here topped the age graded performances.

This was ahead of another veteran, 46-year-old Paul Grange of Chelmsford, who ran 1:55.07 in the A string 800m.

After 16 events, Swansea were 18 points clear of Tonbridge and Chelmsford, who had William Nuttall win the steeplechase and this followed a win by Jake Cover in the sprint hurdles.

Sale had been adding individual wins thanks to Sam Ebonine in the long jump, Freya Dockerty in the sprint hurdles and Annabel Amadin in the women’s discus but still tailed the leading three clubs, who had better B string performances.

Herts Phoenix had a second win in the women’s 400m as Lauren Rule clocked 55.21.

After 18 events had been posted it was Tonbridge who narrowly led from Swansea and Chelmsford thanks to Henry Marshall who won the 400m in a personal best 47.83 and Jack Higgins the men’s 1500m.

The Kent side also had junior Lilly Slack win the women’s 2000m steeplechase, in 7:22.68, in her first outing over the barriers but, once again, uptake was poor in this event, with just six takers out of a possible 16.

Sale had high hopes of a return to the top flight and saw Lucy Armitage post a 1500m personal best when winning in 4:19.25, but were 28 points down on Tonbridge and Swansea after 24 events even after Marcus McLean had won a wind-assisted 200m in 21.08. Then Melissa Booth added the triple jump to her long jump win but they were still way out of a promotion spot.

After 30 events Tonbridge and Swansea, for whom Pat Swan won the men’s shot with 17.09m, were still 47 points clear of third placed Chelmsford, whose sprint double by Kissiwaa Mensah in 11.66 and 23.83 had been a great help but not quite enough, even with her leg in the sprint relay win.

With just six events to be scored it was still close between Tonbridge and Swansea as Chelmsford inched closer but things were looking late for the Essex based outfit despite Seb Clatworthy’s 2.08m high jump win.

However, they bran out of events as Tonbridge and Swansea were clearly going up with just two events remaining to be scored and it was Tonbridge who kept winning thanks to Charlotte Alexander in the women’s 3000m and both their men and women in the 4x400m relays.

Match: 1 Tonbridge 583; 2 Swansea 555.5; 3 Chelmsford 502; 4 Sale 483.5; 5 York 435; 6 Crawley 405; 7 Herts P 348; 8 Yeovil 205

100 (-1.7): 1 N Walsh (Sale) 10.42

200 (1.7): 1 M McLean (Sale) 21.08

400: 1 H Marshall (Ton) 47.83

800: 1 T Higgins (Ton) 1:50.96

1500: 1 J Higgins (Ton) 4:04.31

3000: 1 A McMillan (York) 8:27.45

110H (0.1): 1 J Cover (Swan) 14.56

400H: 1 E Laws (Herts P) 51.48

3,000SC: 1 W Nuttall (Chelm) 9:21.32

HJ: 1 S Clatworthy (Chelm) 2.08

LJ: 1 S Ebonine (Sale) 7.07

TJ: 1 L Guest (Yeo) 14.36

PV: 1 C Shuall (Swan) 4.63

SP: 1 P Swan (Swan) 17.09

DT: 1 M Jenkins (Swan) 56.72

HT: 1 O Graham (Chelm) 57.86

JT: 1 B Jones (Yeo) 62.31

4x100: 1 Sale 41.29

4x400: 1 Tonbridge 3:16.99

Women

100 (-1.4)/200 (0.7): 1 K Mensah (Chelms) 11.66/23.83

400: 1 L Rule (Herts P) 55.21

800: 1 I Burke (Sale) 2:10.62

1500: 1 L Armitage (Sale) 4:19.25

3000: 1 C Alexander (Ton) 9:40.51

100H (1.6): 1 F Dockerty (Sale) 14.18

400H: 1 S Lisk (Swan) 61:40

2,000SC: 1 L Slack (Ton, U20) 7:22.63

HJ: 1 eq M Quick (Swan)/E Thomas (Ton, U20) 1.63

LJ/TJ: 1 M Booth (Sale) 5.82/12.05

PV: 1 C Jones (Swan) 3.33

SP: 1 J Hopkins (Chelm) 13.36

DT: 1 A Amadin (Sale, U20) 43.85

HT: 1 H Blood (Sale) 56.53

JT: 1 E Meakins (Herts P) 40.50

4x100: 1 Chelmsford 47.62

4x400: 1 Tonbridge 3:57.21

Promoted: Tonbridge and Swansea

Note: no wind readings given for horizontal jumps