Bury Athletic Club got the winter season off to a medal-winning start at this weekend’s North West Road Relays with two silvers and a bronze.

Held at Woodbank Park, Stockport, the event incorporates the Greater Manchester Championships.

First to win a silver medal was the under-17 women’s team. Sophie Whittaker ran a superb first leg, coming home in third place overall and second Greater Manchester team and covering the 2600m course in 8mins 56secs, the fifth fastest time of the day. This position was maintained by great runs from Eleanor Boyle (9:55) and Lauren Booth (9:58) to secure a well-deserved silver medal.

These exploits were matched by the senior women’s team who also took silver in the Greater Manchester event. Katie Geelan covered the 3600m course in a time of 14:08 on the first leg to place the team 11th overall and fourth Greater Manchester. Donna Cartwright maintained 11th place overall, but lifted the team to third in Greater Manchester with a run of 14:10 before Katie Buckley lifted Bury three places to eighth overall and second in Greater Manchester with a run of 14:04. Bury’s B team of Nicola Harland, Lucy Hodson and Sophie Sasimowicz combined for 21st place overall and second B team in the County.

Earlier in the day, Bury’s u13 boys snatched a surprise bronze medal in the Greater Manchester event, taking sixth place in the North West race.

Francis Woodcock produced a superb first leg of 8:57 for fifth place. Oliver Donnelly maintained momentum for Bury with a run of 9:34 before Ben Forrest’s final leg of 8:54 lifted Bury back to sixth place overall and bronze medals in the Greater Manchester competition.

A young u13 girls’ team acquitted themselves superbly in an event that included medalists from last year’s national relays. Charlotte Farnworth ran 10:23 for 17th place overall on the first leg before storming runs from Daisy Worthington (9:54) and Harriet Vaughan (9:55) lifted Bury to an excellent eighth place overall and fifth Greater Manchester team. For the B team, Ellie Carter ran a superb first leg to edge out Farnworth, with Esme Guy and Heledd Rimmer bringing the team home in 15th overall and the second-placed B team.

Bury’s u15 boys took 10th place overall, Sam Brooks finishing 17th on the first leg, with George Yates lifting the team to 13th, before a very strong run from Marcus Dey of 8:18 took Bury into the top 10.

The B team of Alex Bennett, Jack Stainton and Patrick Watson came home in 19th place. In the u15 girls’ event, Bury’s team of Lucy Alcock, Melissa Thompson and Rebecca Gartland finished 19th, whilst the incomplete team of Jenna Allen-Cartwright and Teegan Brady acquitted themselves well. The u17 boys’ team of Harry Stainton, Iestyn Rimmer and Patrick Hanson took 13th place in their race.

An encouraging sign for Bury was the presence of three teams and the relative youth of the A team, which finished 19th overall and seventh in Greater Manchester. Ben Coop led the team with 28th place in a time of 12:27 for the 3600m, before David Cullen lifted Bury to 23rd with 12:18, Benn Heywood to 21st with 12:42 and Luke Harreld gained a further two places, running 12:46.

The B team of Byron Edwards, Josh Taylor, Adam Connell and Giles Bennett took 38th from the 66 teams that started, whilst the C team of Dave Carroll, Rob Granby, Dave Avery and Paul Gardner finished 50th.

Bury’s athletes continue the road relay season this weekend with the Northern Championships at Birchwood in Warrington.