Perrio applies finishing touch to glorious area title

Both of Guernsey Athletics Club’s FNB-supported senior endurance squads have qualified for the approaching ‘Nationals’ following record results at the annual event, but the women reached another level entirely in supplanting their previous best result of fourth.

Laura McCarthy, Jenny James, Sarah Mercier and Louise Perrio worked up a gap of nearly a minute on second-placed Highgate to win in 1hr. 9min. 25sec. over four undulating three-mile legs.

McCarthy ran a solid starting leg of 18-07 to get Guernsey into the top half of the field by the first changeover.

This was followed up by James, and in what was arguably the performance of the day by relative standards, the fast improver managed to hand off within the top 10 after an excellent 17-33.

But Guernsey had deftly saved their two trump cards for last and Commonwealth Games athlete Sarah Mercier could be counted upon to move up a few more places, eventually sealing a brilliant 16-45.

As a result, Mercier handed off to fellow distance stalwart Perrio in third overall and she knew exactly what needed to be done.

Perrio picked up those last few positions to also dip under 17min. and secure a much-awaited victory.

‘I’m very proud of the team effort, we’ve been aiming at a medal for a long time and to get our crack team out and to be rewarded with gold feels very good,’ said anchorwoman Perrio, who is shortly due to take over as the club’s endurance director.

‘I thought I was in third – corroborated a quarter of the way in – and that I was catching first and second. I was then balancing making that catch with not blowing up and being caught, and I’m relieved to manage it.’

The favoured Aldershot, Farnham and District quartet could only muster fifth in the absence of several top national-level names.

There was some uncertainty among the young men’s squad as Alex Rowe opted out over fears that he would struggle to co-ordinate the race with his transfer to Bath University, and a heavily taped-up Rich Hann proved no option either.

U23 reserve Chris Way stepped in late alongside fellow youngsters Richard Bartram, Dan Galpin and Ed Mason, together with James Priest and distance ace Ryan Burling, and the men held together for a record best 32nd place over six lots of 3.6 miles.

Bartram’s sub-19 starting leg was a star performance, while the Bath University-based Galpin came close to this in the second and positions remained fairly stable from then on until Burling took a few scalps with an 18-05 anchor leg, despite some heavy mileage in his legs as he prepares for the Frankfurt Marathon.

Although likely hindered by the sudden squad shifts in a very well-contested field headed by the dominant Aldershot, the men also attained nationals qualification after making the top 25 ‘A’ teams.

To add further accomplishment to the day, consistent shows of strength by Warwick Helps, Sean Galpin, Simon Ingrouille and Adie Lihou earned the Guernsey veterans 13th in the V40 race.

The ERRA National Autumn Road Relays take place in Birmingham on 6 October and Guernsey will send both the women’s and men’s squads.