SWINDON Harriers team manager Simon Dill had no hesitation in declaring the senior men’s top-ten finish in the Midland Counties 12-Stage Road Relay Championships as one of the best in the club’s history.

“Generally, I think – considering the form and shape some of our guys were in with some having been away and not at their best – Saturday was one of the best results we have ever had as a senior men’s team,” said Dill.

“Most of the guys are Swindon born-and-bred, and that is great for the club. It was just a battling performance from everyone. We also had a great atmosphere within the team.”

Simon Byrne continued his super year by running the fastest long stage in 27:28, which was the 11th equal-fastest overall. Meanwhile, the fastest short-stage runner was Harry Wood (16:17) to lift the team into sixth place – their highest of the day.

“Harry had a stormer!” added Simon.

There was also ‘a stormer’ for Ella Spencer (18:06) as she won the Midland Counties 5k title for Under-15 girls, with clubmate Eloise Foster (18:26) runner-up and Faith Herring (20:48) eighth to secure a terrific team gold.

“What with the success of the U17 women as well, it was another day that really helps to put the club on the map,” added Dill.

“But that has taken years of hard work by coaches, team managers and runners.”

In the U15 boys’ race, the Harriers’ pair of Anubis Molina-Zekri (17:30) and Arthur Widdows (17:56) finished sixth and seventh, respectively. In the U13s event, Finley Byrne was 16th (20:29) and Jesse Bryant 21st (21:11).

Carys Prosser battled tenaciously to finish ninth in the U13 girls’, and Josh Burns was sixth in the U17 men’s age group.

Elsewhere, there were big PBs for Andrew Fulford (78:25) and Dean Cooke (1:31.57) in the Reading half marathon while Michael Tune (85:50) was first veteran over 55.

Gary O’Brien was fourth and top veteran O50 (29:28) in the Highworth five-miles road race.

And Tye-Leo Stroud, who is coached by Tony Jackson, ran a legal PB of 11.72secs in the 100m at Winchester on Sunday. He has already set PBs for 60m and 150m this year.