VALE Royal Athletics coach Sean McGrath is celebrating what he calls "arguably the best performance ever by the club" after his runners dominated the Cheshire County Road Relay Championships on Saturday.

The Winsford-based club stormed to four wins at the Ellesmere Port event, with victories for the senior men's and ladies' teams, and the under-15 and under-13 boys, who destroyed the fields in their 3 x 2300 races.

There were also some outstanding individual performances, particularly from Simon Ruscoe, part of the triumphant men's senior 6 x 5000m team along with Mike Weedall, Kenneth Moss, Peter Bate, Thomas Carter and Allister Dauber.

The Winsford athlete collected a medal for the fastest time of the day, clocking 14 min 36 sec in his 5000m leg.

And Jane Groves - who, along with Alex Carter and Jackie Thorn, was a member of the victorious senior ladies' 3 x 5000m team - scooped a medal for the fastest 5k lap of the day, 16 min 52 sec.

Sean expressed his satisfaction at how far the athletes have come since the Winsford and Mid-Cheshire clubs merged four years ago to compete under the Vale Royal banner.

He said: "The two clubs joined to make a stronger club and these results prove how much it has paid off.

"Other years we have had some stunning results but this is arguably the best, with the juniors doing well and the senior ladies winning for the first time."

The most pleasing aspect for Sean was the way the results reflected his commitment to the development of young athletic talent.

He added: "Three of the senior men's teams, and two of the ladies, came all the way up through the juniors, which shows how well we're developing the juniors.

"This was a masive event and to win so many is a massive achievement."

Vale Royal Athletics Club trains on Thursday nights at Barton Stadium, Winsford, 7-9pm. The juniors train at Woodford Lodge High School on Thursdays, 6-7pm.

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