Introducing the National Relay Championships 2024

England Athletics is proud to announce the first National Relay Championships for over 40 years. Birchfield Harriers will host this event on Sunday 25 August 2024 at the prestigious Alexander Stadium, adding another date to the National Championships calendar for 2024.

Teams and invitations

The top 16 or 24 England Athletics affiliated clubs in each age group on Power of 10 at midnight on 4 August (after the last NAL and YDL fixtures) will be invited to enter.

Clubs will be allowed one team per age group.

• 4x100m: 24 teams in each age group(U15B, U15G, U17M, U17W, U20M, U20W, SM, SW)
• 4x300m: 16 teams in each age group (U15B, U15G, U17W)
• 4x400m: 16 teams in each age group (U17M, SM, SW)
• Mixed 4x400m (as offered by YDL): 16 teams (U20M, U20W)
• Universal 4x100m: 4 invited teams

Invitations to clubs will be issued on 5 August and those clubs will have until 10pm on 11 August to accept.

Should further spaces be available after this - entries will open for other clubs to submit teams via the Roster Athletics platform.

Timetable

• 12pm: Relay heats
• 12-3pm: Open Junior field events
• 2pm: Open track events
• 4pm: Relay finals
• 5pm: Presentations

As demonstrated at the World Relays in the Bahamas, athletes representing in the finals will assemble in the infield and then go to their stations for each race. There will be innovative and sustainable prizes awarded to winners.

International success for Birchfield Harriers relay squads

Birchfield Harriers have a rich history of success in the AAA National Relays, winning both 4x100m and 4x400m in 1958 and 1960. So, it is very appropriate that they are hosting the English National Relays - in conjunction with England Athletics - this year.

When Birchfield Harriers were formed, they were mostly endurance runners who ran in cross country and road races. Team events were very similar to today’s cross country team scoring: first so many to count, aggregate scores of individual places. The club's first athlete to gain an Olympic Gold medal was Arthur Robertson, who in 1908 was part of the GB team who won the 3-mile team event. The relay race did not really become popular till after the First World War. Birchfield athletes have so far collected 80 medals at major championships, including 25 golds. And there are lots of other famous relay contributions, most recently Matt-Hudson Smith seems to be liking relay running - European medals in particular!

Birchfield at 1936 Olympics

Birchfield athletes first made an impact in 1936. And it was a family affair; Godfrey Brown won a silver medal in the 400m, and then a gold in the 4x400m relay. Not to be outdone, his sister Audrey, who had been selected for the Women’s 4x100m, qualified for the final where they were up against a very strong German team, who had broken the World record in the semi-final.

The Germans were using the Olympics to demonstrate how strong their nation had become after their defeat in the Great War. The German Chancellor, Adolf Hitler was present hoping to award the gold medals to the German team when they won the relay. All was going to plan, with the German women well in front as they went down the back straight. As their second runner approached the third takeover, with Audrey Brown chasing in third place, the German baton was dropped. This gave the American team the lead and Audrey handed the baton to the GB last leg who held on for the silver medals. Her medal is now in the club's archive. Mr Hitler had left before the medals were awarded. So, he probably didn’t touch this one.

Athens 2004 and Los Angeles 1984

Mark Lewis-Francis gained his medal when in Athens he held off the apparently invincible USA team. The GB team had very smooth takeovers and gave Mark a narrow lead. Most people watching expected Maurice Green to overtake and win for USA, but Mark just kept going and held them off.

In the Men's 4x400m at Los Angeles in 1984, the USA were way out in front, GB were 5th or 6th at the last takeover, but then the legendary Birchfield Harrier, Phil Brown took over and caught everybody - except the Americans.

World Championships

Another Gold, this time in front of a home crowd in London, at the 2017 Worlds, was thanks to a great leg by Birchfield’s Danny Talbot. Derek Redmond also helped GB to 4x400m Gold in Tokyo Worlds in 1991.

History by Stuart Paul, Birchfield Harriers archivist

Top photo by Mark Shearman