20 February 2017

British Athletics’ Club:Connect campaign returned for the 2017 with events taking place both at the British Athletics Indoor Team Trials on 11-12 February and the Müller Indoor Grand Prix Birmingham on Saturday 18February.

At the Team Trials in Sheffield, points were on offer for the clubs of all athletes competing, with each athlete winning one point for their club and the top eight in each event winning an extra eight points for the winner down to one point for eighth place.

One club dominated proceedings, with Birchfield Harriers taking both men’s and women’s titles by a considerable margin to win two grants for £500.

On the women’s side, the winning margin was a huge 39 points, with the Birmingham based club amassing a total of 74 points ahead of Windsor Slough Eton & Hounslow in second place with 25 points.

The men’s championship was slightly closer, as Birchfield finished on 73 points to Shaftesbury Barnet’s 56 points.

Winners for Birchfield included Bethan Partridge in the women’s high jump, Elliot Giles in the men’s 1500m and Jarryd Dunn in the 400m.

Saturday’s Müller Indoor Grand Prix Birmingham was again kick started by some thrilling races in the Club:Connect events, which saw a number of local clubs contest the 4×200 relay events.

Prior to the likes of Mo Farah, Elaine Thompson and Laura Muir sending the Birmingham crowd into raptures, local athletes were given the opportunity to run on the very same track, in front of the same 7,000 strong crowd.

In the u13 girls 4x200m a blistering last leg saw Birchfield take the spoils in a time of 1.59.35, ahead of Royal Sutton Coldfield and Coventry Godiva. In the boy’s equivalent Coventry Godiva were runaway winners, stopping the clock in 1.57.66, with Solihull and Small Heath second and Cannock & Stafford third.

The under 15 girls event went the way of Solihull and Small Heath, whilst the boys race was a real cracker, Sutton Coldfield eventually prevailing in a three way tussle.

Birchfield Harriers took their second victory of the day in the u17 women’s race, whilst it was the yellow vests of Solihull & Small Heath and Halesown who finished one-two in the u17 men’s event.

All of the winning clubs in the Club:Connect events will receive a cheque for £250 to support their development.

Full results for the Müller Indoor Grand Prix Birmingham can be found here: http://www.britishathletics.org.uk/results/20170218_birmingham/timetable/index/index.html