Race Date Saturday 28th March 2026
Report from Rob Byers
With the venue remaining as “TBC” until just weeks before it was both a shock and relief when it was finally confirmed that Border Harriers AC would be hosting the event at Sheepmount Stadium, Carlisle. Unfortunately, and rather understandably, a six hour round trip to run 5K was a very tough sell for many, and the team managers once again scrambled to try and make up numbers.
We opted to book a couple of large B&B’s in central Carlisle for the night before, a great chance to catch up with the latest banter and get a good night’s sleep before the fireworks the following day. With the event kicking off at lunch time we even had time for a group breakfast, followed by a leisurely stroll past the castle and into Bitts Park, which contained the majority of the route.
Competitors ran either 5K (Short leg) or 6.8K (Long leg), both of which started and finished on the remarkably well kept athletics track. The surprisingly scenic route snaked through Bitts Park and alongside the castle with only a very brief incline around halfway through. Tactics were important. With a stiff Easterly headwind, running alone through the 3-4K markers was undesirable and it was certainly worth burning a few matches to catch anyone in front just to provide the respite of someone to hide behind through this section. (Editor: not often an option for those on the latter legs where the field is usually far more strung out.)
Seth Kirby kicking things off in absolutely grotesque conditions (Ruth Hirst Photography)
Seth Kirby got things started for the men, putting in a monumental shift in some rather unpleasant conditions. Subsequent legs pretty much experienced the full four seasons, alternating between glorious sunshine and cold rain. Quality performances across the board kept us in contention for that crucial spot at Nationals. Of particular note were Malcolm Baggaley putting down a new 5K best of 18:22 and Will Leaning who left his usual comfort zone of running on the fells, without whom we wouldn’t have been able to register a complete team. The men, finishing with 04:00:10, were anchored home in 22nd by Sam Doyle.
The women (final time 02:10:26) were led out by Caroline Brock who immediately positioned the team in the top third of the field. Remarkably, the subsequent legs only managed to gain positions, helped in part by a strong Steel City relay debut from Leanne Muscroft. (Editor: Leanne ran seven seconds faster than Caroline with the club’s the half marathon record rivalry continuing.) The women finished fifth in the North, bettering last year’s result by a further three places with only some serious heavy hitters above them now.
Leanne Muscroft, one of the lucky ones to enjoy some glorious sunshine during her leg. (Rob Byers)
Steel City Results:
| Mens A | Leg | Position | Time | 5K equivalent |
| Seth Kirby | 1 (Long) | 23 | 22:10 | 16:00 |
| Robert Byers | 2 (Short) | 20 | 16:22 | 16:22 |
| Gareth Winter | 3 (Long) | 17 | 22:15 | 16:03 |
| Louis Wood | 4 (Short) | 19 | 18:22 | 18:22 |
| Brendon Wain | 5 (Long) | 21 | 24:12 | 17:28 |
| Malcolm Baggaley | 6 (Short) | 20 | 18:22 | 18:22 |
| Edward Shattock | 7 (Long) | 22 | 24:36 | 17:45 |
| Ben Baxendale | 8 (Short) | 22 | 19:26 | 19:26 |
| Will Leaning | 9 (Short) | 24 | 20:23 | 20:23 |
| Hal Roberts | 10 (Short) | 23 | 17:43 | 17:43 |
| Steven Cahill | 11 (Short) | 22 | 17:56 | 17:56 |
| Samuel Doyle | 12 (Short) | 22 | 18:16 | 18:16 |
After exchanging places for a couple of legs, Leeds City AC were first of 41 complete teams with a total time of 3:23:53. Fastest long leg was from Richard Allen (Leeds) 20:06 with Harry Wakefield (Salford) fastest short leg in 14:28.
| Womens A | Leg | Position | Time | 5K equivalent |
| Caroline Brock | 1 (Long) | 10 | 25:54 | 18:41 |
| Helen Roberts | 2 (Short) | 7 | 19:20 | 19:20 |
| Emily Green | 3 (Short) | 5 | 20:00 | 20:00 |
| Leanne Muscroft | 4 (Long) | 5 | 25:47 | 18:36 |
| Kathryn Liddiard | 5 (Short) | 5 | 19:30 | 19:30 |
| Sarah-Jane Brown | 6 (Short) | 5 | 19:54 | 19:54 |
With multiple drop outs as race day approached, Steel City had the luxury of a travelling reserve with Hannah Holiday making her mark in an “incomplete team”.
| Womens B | Leg | Position | Time | 5K equivalent |
| Hannah Holiday | 1 (Long) | 18 | 28:50 | 20:48 |
A strong second half saw Leeds City AC pick up gold in the women’s relay in 1:57:30 ahead of 28 other teams. Fastest leg was from Esme Davies (Border) with a first leg effort of 22:46. Leanne’s time placed her 14th fastest on the day.
Full results: Northern Road 6&12 Stage Road Relays 2026
The Steel City squad cheering Sarah-Jane Brown home in a remarkable fifth position. (Rob Byers)
With the dust settled on the Northerns, both men and women have been invited to the National Road Relays in Sutton Park, Birmingham on the 11th April. In recent years this has been one of the highlights in the club calendar so anyone interested is highly encouraged to get registered through the usual form. It’s a great opportunity to hang out, race and see some of England’s finest battle it out at the sharp end.