NYMAC Tom Wall 1 Mile Relays, 21 Aug 2023

It was time for the mile relay race around Stewart Park in Middlesborough again and it was a lovely Summer’s evening for it. This time I was on the first leg so I felt like I was under pressure to start well for the rest of the team.

A runner from each team, both men and women start together so there’s a bit of jostling at the start but I was near the front and got away well. The run starts downhill so it feels great until about half a mile in when you think “Is that all I’ve done?”. The route then continues around the park with a 180-degree turn before going up a sharp hill to the finish line. I knew the hill was coming and pushed a bit harder to get up it as that’s where the crowds were but when I got to the top, my teammate wasn’t there! There were lots of other runners on the side lines waiting to come out onto the course for their turn so I shouted her name a few times and suddenly she squeezed through the crowd and took the baton.

Despite the delay with the handover, our team still came first in our category and I got a PB, making me the fastest woman in my club for the second time this year, as well as coming 8th lady overall.

Sarah Hunter