Herne Hill Harriers saw off some strong competition to retain the men’s over-40 British title at the British Road Relay Championships in Birmingham on Saturday.

The eight-man team trailed some of Britain’s best veteran runners and the extent of the challenge facing them became clear when they trailed in 14th out of 36 teams at the end of the first leg.

However, they had moved up to fifth place by the halfway mark and took thelead for the first time by passing main rivals Bristol & West and Salford Harriers by the end of stage six.

Harriers eventually finished 13 seconds clear of Bristol.

Herne Hill also won Sunday’s National Young Athletes League match beating hosts and local rivals Croydon Harriers by more than 50 points.

The win puts the club in a strong position for promotion into the premier division.

At the Southern Men’s League Division Two match on Saturday, Herne Hill Harriers’ senior men’s team finished in a disappointing fifth place. With four matches to go, the club are looking to avoid relegation battle.

Last week, Herne Hill Harriers finished in second place in the Southern Counties Veterans League.