Telford relay their pace through the park

Men's and women's teams earned their slots through the Midland Championships at Sutton Coldfield.

And each actually ran faster in the Nationals, staged on the same picturesque course in Sutton Park.

In the Midland Championships Telford AC's women's quartet finished 21st out of 90.

Each runner took on a 4.3 kilometre course, team boss Rachel Coupe taking the first leg and finishing 34th in 17 minutes 43 seconds.

Fian Sweeney, on her senior road relay debut, ran the second in 17:39 and picked up 10 places to be 24th.

Isabel Bradley, from Wellington, rose three further places to 21st in 17:47 before Amelia Reynolds clocked the fastest club leg of the day in 17:35 to maintain 21st place.

The men's relay was staged over a 5.8 kilometre course with teams of six. Telford were 24th out of 100.

Alban Jolys opened in 20:13 to finish 34th. Broseley's Alex Burrows, newly up from Under-17, scorched round in 19:48, the fastest Telford time and moved the team up to 27th.

Team manager Chris Bagshaw picked up five more places with 20:22 and Jamie Davies' 21:02 moved them up one more spot to 21st.

Another Under-20 runner, Hayden Beebee from Wellington, clocked 21:38 before Rob Nash made his road relay debut to bring the team home 24th in 20:53.

Telford AC B finished 54th. John Garmson ran 21:58; Rob Hughes' team-best 20:40 picked up 15 places.

Paul Coupe stopped the clock in 21:48, while Paul Williams recorded 22:53 and James Foster, on his club debut, 24:09. Jimmy Hayes ran the final leg in 25:09.

In the National Championships, Telford's Women finished 39th in an event won by Swansea Harriers.

Michelle Clarke ran the club's fastest leg of the day in 16:28 for 47th. Jess Harvey, back from her Chicago triathlon, ran 17:37.

Sweeney took the third leg in 17:21, lopping 18 seconds off her Midland time and moving the team up to 44th.

Rachel Coupe clipped 13 seconds off her earlier run to clock 17:30 and bring the team home 39th in 68:56 overall, almost two minutes quicker.

The Men's six-stage team also ran faster than in the Midlands contest, coming home 58th in 2:02:45.

Jolys was almost a minute faster in 19:26 to finish 65th. Burrows was again the club's fastest but went even quicker to clock 19:02 – a 46-second improvement which moved the team up to 59th.

Bagshaw was also quicker and took the club to its highest position of the day, 55th.

Beebee was faster by just over a minute in 20:37 and Coupe, promoted from the B team, ran 21:30, 18 seconds faster. Tony Paul made his road relay debut and stopped the clock in 22:00.