There are few better ways to spend a summer evening than watching relay racing in full flow, and Poole Park once again provided the perfect backdrop as the annual Poole Festival of Running Relays brought together clubmates, rivals and friends for one of Dorset’s most enjoyable fixtures.

The format is refreshingly simple but fiercely competitive. Teams of four each tackle a leg of just over 5km, with every second counting as runners race back to the changeover before sending their next teammate on their way. The quickest cumulative time claims the honours.

Although based in Poole Park, the course offers a different challenge to the familiar Saturday morning parkrun. After setting off from the fountain, runners initially follow the usual route towards the cricket pavilion before heading around the lake in a clockwise direction rather than the customary anti-clockwise circuit. After passing the changeover area they head straight into a second lap before finally handing over to their waiting teammate.

Bournemouth AC was well represented throughout the evening, with several teams featuring club members.

Corbin’s Cruisers, consisting of Adam Corbin, Mike Akers, Jack Barwick and Paddy McCalister, were looking to make their mark, while the BAC Ladies – Run Now Wine Later quartet of Emma Caplan, Kate Bowers, Helen Beddoe and Vic Chapman were aiming to challenge for the women’s honours.

There was also mixed team Catch Us If You Can, featuring Kitty Cook, Amelia Lawrence, Clint Taylor and Tom Casson, while Hugo Richardson doubled up with two impressive legs for the MVPs alongside Stacey Dickinson and Lawrence Wickham.

Elsewhere, Jack Davis and Stu Bowers lined up for the aptly named Precisely Fuelled and Hydrated team with Jonathan Clemas and Ant Gritton, while Sanjai Sharma represented The Even Wilder Wildwood Wanderers.

Flying start from Corbin

Adam Corbin wasted little time stamping his authority on proceedings, producing a superb opening leg of 17:03 to record the third quickest first-leg time of the evening and immediately put Corbin’s Cruisers into contention.

Only two athletes were quicker, with another runner boasting Bournemouth AC connections, James Phillips, setting the early benchmark in 16:15, while one of Dorset’s brightest young prospects, Buddy Mitchell, clocked an excellent 16:54.

Another talented youngster, Finn O’Mahoney, followed with 17:10, while Hugo Richardson expertly paced young Josh Allutt around in 18:17 on the first of his two outings.

For the BAC Ladies, Emma Caplan got proceedings underway with a strong and composed 19:33.

Kitty Cook also continued her excellent recent form. Having broken 20 minutes at parkrun with a 19:39 personal best only a fortnight earlier, she produced another quality run of 19:46. Given the relay course is slightly longer than parkrun, it represented an even stronger performance with a faster average pace.

Amelia lays down the gauntlet

The second legs saw plenty of momentum shifts.

Mike Akers maintained Corbin’s Cruisers‘ challenge with a solid 18:43, while Jack Davis impressed with a speedy 17:39 for Precisely Fuelled and Hydrated.

Kate Bowers ran well for the BAC Ladies, stopping the clock at 20:33.

The standout women’s performance, however, came from Amelia Lawrence. Taking over from Kitty Cook, she produced a tremendous 18:30 – the fastest women’s leg of the entire morning – setting a target none of the other female competitors would ultimately match.

Among the men, Poole AC’s Max Collins was quickest on the second leg with 17:30, propelling Running Free 2 into the overall lead before handing over to fellow Poole athlete Joseph Usher.

Race for the podium

Jack Barwick kept Corbin’s Cruisers firmly in the mix with an 18:59 third leg before handing over to Paddy McCalister.

Clint Taylor faced the unenviable task of following Amelia Lawrence’s blistering run for Catch Us If You Can but responded well with a determined 21:32 before sending Tom Casson out on the anchor.

Helen Beddoe completed a solid 21:12 for the BAC Ladies before Vic Chapman prepared for the final leg.

Vicki Ingham of Poole Runners produced an impressive 19:03, although even that wasn’t enough to better Amelia Lawrence’s outstanding split.

Up front, Joseph Usher showed exactly why he is regarded as one of Dorset’s premier middle-distance athletes. Fresh from becoming Dorset County champion over both 400m and 800m, running 1:52.08 for 800m only the previous week, and after posting 4:20.75 for the mile earlier this season, he maintained Running Free 2’s advantage with an excellent 17:14.

Collins seals emphatic victory

Any lingering doubt about the outcome disappeared on the anchor leg.

Charlie Collins, who enjoyed a remarkable winter by winning all four senior men’s Wessex League cross country races, including the Dorset County Championship fixture, before claiming the Dorset 3,000m title on the track and recording victories at the Bournemouth Bay Half Marathon and a runner-up finish at the Broadstone Quarter Marathon, demonstrated his class once again.

Blasting around the course in a sensational 15:42 – comfortably the fastest leg of the evening – he sealed victory for Running Free 2 in 1:07:01.

Ben Shawyer’s excellent 17:06 helped BSB Boiz secure second in 1:09:50, while Tony Revell’s rapid 16:49 carried the Redline Rev Squad into third in 1:10:35.

Strong BAC performances across the field

One of the performances of the evening came from Hugo Richardson. Having already completed an 18:18 opening leg, he returned to run an outstanding 16:52 anchor leg, helping The MVPs finish fourth overall in 1:12:01.

Precisely Fuelled and Hydrated also enjoyed an excellent morning. Following Jack Davis’ 17:39 and Ant Gritton’s swift 17:19, Stu Bowers brought the team home in 19:11 as they claimed fifth place overall.

Corbin’s Cruisers completed an excellent team display when Paddy McCalister ran 19:18 on the final leg, securing sixth place in a combined time of 1:14:03.

Catch Us If You Can finished 11th overall after Tom Casson produced a strong closing leg of 18:20. More importantly, the quartet claimed the Mixed Team title, with Amelia Lawrence’s outstanding women’s fastest leg proving a decisive contribution.

Another Richardson was also among the action, as Wilf Richardson clocked an impressive 18:18 to help Jorj’s Team finish 13th in 1:20:04.

The BAC Ladies – Run Now Wine Later capped an excellent evening when Vic Chapman completed the anchor leg in 19:01, securing not only 14th place overall in 1:20:20 but also victory in the all-female competition.

Laura Rothwell guided Rev Rockets home as second female team and winners of the women’s 18-39 category, while Poole Runners’ Iain Ferguson finished strongly with 18:33 for PRJ Quadkids Quartet 2.

Sanjai Sharma completed the final leg for The Even Wilder Wildwood Wanderers in an officially recorded 19:04, although he admitted afterwards he wasn’t entirely convinced the timing reflected reality as that it would have been his quickest run for several years.

The event concluded with another fine run from Poole AC’s Brian Underwood, whose 17:12 anchor leg brought Worst Pace Scenario safely home.

As ever, the Poole Festival of Running Relays delivered exactly what club relays should – fast racing, friendly rivalry, outstanding teamwork and plenty of encouragement ringing around the park. With Bournemouth AC represented across the field, there was plenty to celebrate, from podium-worthy individual splits to team trophies and another reminder that relay racing remains one of the highlights of the local road running calendar.