Medway and Maidstone AC finished in the top 20 in the Saucony English National Cross-Country Relays at Berry Hill, Mansfield on Saturday.

Tonbridge AC gained medals of every hue in the young athletes’ relays, including a magnificent national title for the under-17 men’s team.

Stockport Harriers won the senior men’s four stage title in 1hr4min25sec from Leeds City and City of Norwich. Medway and Maidstone was the leading Kent team (18th) in 1hr8min39sec, 10 seconds ahead of Blackheath and Bromley Harriers. Tonbridge AC finished 30th as 157 teams completed the course.

Mike Coleman (pictured) got Medway and Maidstone off to an excellent start (16.31) and he was followed by Jack Tyler (17.11), Ben Tyler (17.30) and Tom Collins (17.26). The Tonbridge quartet in action was Steve Fennell (17.00), Dan Bradley (17.46), Greg Cole (18.16) and Karim Habibi (17.51).

The silver medal Tonbridge under-20 men’s team that finished 16 seconds behind champions Stroud and District was Luca Russo (9.03), Robbie Farnham-Rose (8.54) and Henry Pearce (9.08). Farnham-Rose took the lead on the second leg with the ninth fastest time of the race.

There was a golden reward for Max Nicholls (9.25), Laurie Probert (9.13) and Sean Molloy (9.27) in the under-17 men’s event.

Bronze was the colour of the medals for the Tonbridge under under-17 women’s team of Nicole Taylor (9.18), Ruth Bourne (9.08) and Sophie Foreman (9.12). Bourne was the eighth fastest athlete overall.