Two teams from Biggleswade Athletic Club competed in the Greensand Ridge Relay last weekend. Based on previous years, race day was guaranteed to be sunny and hot, and this held true for Saturday’s event. The first of the two BAC Teams’ members to run – Natalie Garner (representing the Mixed BAC Team) and Andrew Hedley (BAC Open Team) - set off just before midday and not a cloud was in the sky.
The Relay is organised by the South Midlands Orienteering Club and incorporates a 34-mile section of the Greensand Ridge Walk, broken down into six legs for a total of 40+ teams to take on. Starting at Waterside Park in Leighton Buzzard and finishing in Northill, the route passes through Stockgrove Country Park, the Woburn estate and alongside the Millbrook Proving Ground, with many scenic views of the Bedfordshire countryside along the way as well.
The BAC Teams did a sterling job wayfinding and changeovers proceeded smoothly for those incoming and those waiting to take the ‘baton’. The runners for the final leg (Damien Pitts and Ian Skerratt) arrived in Northill looking strong to complete the race for BAC later that afternoon. All competing teams then gathered at the adjacent The Crown pub for well-deserved post-race refreshments and to hear the overall results.
Out of the 43 teams participating, BAC’s Mixed Team achieved an overall team position of 20th and the BAC Open Team 23rd. Further details on each individual member’s times are below:
| Leg | Leg Start/Finish | Runner | Time |
| Leg 1 | Waterside Park to Stockgrove (5.5 miles) | Natalie Garner | 0:46:43 |
| Leg 2 | Stockgrove to Woburn (3.9 miles) | Juliet Grimwood | 0:38:43 |
| Leg 3 | Woburn to Millbrook (9.1 miles) | Nicky Upperton | 1:14:33 |
| Leg 4 | Millbrook to Deadmans Hill (5.7 miles) | Paula Faller | 0:51:27 |
| Leg 5 | Deadmans Hill to Deamdmans Cross (5.5 miles) | Giles Hawthorne | 0:47:39 |
| Leg 6 | Deadmans Cross to Northill (4.7 miles) | Damien Pitts | 0:38:12 |
| Total Time | 4:57:17 |
| Leg | Leg Start/Finish | Runner | Time |
| Leg 1 | Waterside Park to Stockgrove (5.5 miles) | Andrew Hedley | 0:52:38 |
| Leg 2 | Stockgrove to Woburn (3.9 miles) | Ian Grimwood | 0:36:44 |
| Leg 3 | Woburn to Millbrook (9.1 miles) | Nick Haworth | 1:12:24 |
| Leg 4 | Millbrook to Deadmans Hill (5.7 miles) | Richard Hill | 0:51:29 |
| Leg 5 | Deadmans Hill to Deamdmans Cross (5.5 miles) | Charlie Arnold | 0:45:56 |
| Leg 6 | Deadmans Cross to Northill (4.7 miles) | Ian Skerratt | 0:50:24 |
| Total Time | 5:09:35 |
