JERSEY’S star athletics quartet flew the flag high on the big stage, finishing an impressive fourth in both the 4 x 100m and 4 x 400m events at the England Athletics Relay Championships.
Steven Mackay, Jamie Oldham, Tyler Johnson and Ted Chamberlain proved that Jersey’s athletic talent is up there with the nation’s best, nearly securing medals and sealing a 4 x 400m Island record in the process.
If the achievement wasn’t remarkable enough, this was Jersey Spartans’ first team in history to grace the track at the national relay championships, culminating in what was an immense historic moment for the Island.
“I think we did really, really well, performing above our expectations and doing Spartans, as well as the Island, proud,” said Chamberlain.
“We are all immensely proud of what we’re doing, the team really felt the whole Island were behind us and, to come fourth against the nation’s very best, is a massive achievement.
“For a little Island like Jersey to take on some of the UK’s biggest teams, with huge athlete pools from major cities like London or Birmingham, just goes to show that we are up there with the best in the country.”
Conditions were “perfect” on the day at Birmingham’s prestigious Alexander Stadium, as Mackay described the hot weather as a great help to warming up. Spectators also brought their A-game, as Johnson detailed the atmosphere, saying: “The atmosphere was brilliant to experience, air horns were always going off and everyone was cheering, it was so alive.”
Preparation was rather short notice, with Chamberlain’s late induction to the team leading to two training sessions on the week of the championship, trying to master the changeovers.
“It’s been seven years since Ted (Chamberlain) competed in the 100m, so we did a couple sessions from Wednesday, on the week of the championship, to work on changeovers and other aspects,” said Mackay.
“To come in on such short notice, Ted didn’t look out of place at all, and really proved himself to be a dependable part of the team.”
Chamberlain added: “I felt prepared, as I knew that we did all we could in those sessions to work on the changeovers, and I was so lucky to work with such high-calibre athletes.
“I know I’m quick, so had no doubt about speed, I just didn’t want to let my teammates down. I trusted the other lads and myself to perform well in the changeovers, and I honestly believe we were one of the best in that area.”
First up was the 4 x 100m final, where all four were aiming to begin their day on a high note. That wasn’t going to be easy however, facing off with top teams like the Thames Valley Harriers, City of Sheffield Senior Men and Woodford Green AC with Essex Ladies.
There wasn’t any sign of pre-event jitters, as all four hold extensive championship experience. That energy certainly carried into the race, as all went smoothly to culminate in a stand-out performance.
“Everyone was super confident going into the 4 x 100m race, we ran through some changeovers in the warm-ups and they felt great, that was a real boost,” Mackay continued.
“During the race, everything went according to plan, the changeovers were slick and everyone was super-focused. On that final stretch, it was just that bit too far to catch the top three, if it was 200m I believe I could have done it, but that’s how racing is.”
Thames Valley Harriers, known as London’s best athletics club, took first place in style, with a blazing 40.47 second time.
The Caesareans’ smooth performance, clocking an impressive 41.95 second time, earned them fourth place overall on the leaderboard, trailing the bronze-medal winning Eastbourne Rovers AC Senior Men by a mere 0.15 seconds to just miss out on the podium.
“To be so close to the medal was brilliant, but of course a bit bitter-sweet as well, because we know we had so much more there,” said Johnson.
“However, to come in and perform how we did, everyone was buzzing. As a team, we’re consistently clocking sub-42 in this event, which is a seriously good time and shows we belong at this level.”
There were only three hours between the 4 x 100m and 4 x 400m contests, so every minute was used to rest and recover, which is vital to performance.
“Recovery after the 100m is paramount, many think you can just get up and run fine straight after, but that’s just not the case,” Chamberlain explained.
“The 100m event really does take it out of you, as you’re going full tilt, so the gap between races was all about resting and staying loose, getting ready to complete the whole process all over again.”
Then came the 4 x 400m, but contrary to the prior race, some were “incredibly nervous”, looking to Johnson, as the team’s most experienced member, for counsel.
“There were nerves among the team before the event, even I was nervous, but saw them looking so I wanted to stay strong,” Johnson added.
“Being part of the team really helped lighten the load, as everyone is sharing that feeling and helping each other wherever possible.
“Talking helped a lot as well, one came up to me expressing their nerves, to which I simply replied saying ‘I’m scared too, it’s fine to feel that way, but use those nerves, really lean into it and run’.”
However nervous they were before the race, the Jerseymen seemed to blaze their way on the track, once again putting together a class performance to finish fourth, clocking a three minute, 17.32 second time.
Although the gap between them and the podium was slightly bigger this time around, there was no excuse for getting heads down, as the Islanders broke the Island record, signifying their effort as Jersey’s fastest ever 4 x 400m team.
Johnson continued: “Over the past few outings, we’ve started to really put the record away, and that time on the weekend we can really take a sledgehammer to and remove a good couple seconds, as my split in Orkney was a lot faster.”
What’s clearly apparent with this group is a great sense of togetherness, making for a tight knit team. Competing together in events, such as this one and the Island Games, have been massively credited to creating this excellent team chemistry.
There are no signs of complacency after this achievement, as all remarked they felt there was “so much more”.
“Our team was made up of two 100 and 200 metre sprinters, a 400m runner and a 1500m runner, and we competed against relay-specific teams with great success, which shows how strong our athletes are,” said Mackay.
“After we finished the races, we just felt there was so much more to give, we gave our all on the track but we know we can go faster, which is exciting for the future.”
“What we’ve done this year is set the baseline for others to aspire to, and you can be sure we’ll keep pushing and build on these times,” said Chamberlain.
Following a remarkable debut for Jersey Spartans’ starring quartet, the team hope this is the beginning of a real breakthrough locally, encouraging and inspiring more to get involved in the sport and go for it.
“Jersey Spartans have great strength and depth in their ranks, honestly there’s some real good young athletes coming up who can soon challenge and compete for spots. At the end of the day, all we want is to strengthen the sport, and this is the way forward.
“We need to keep pushing forward, competing and showing our ability at this level whilst also being louder in promoting athletics. This sport tends to get overlooked in favour of others, so if we are loud in showing that the opportunities and the pathway is there to compete with the best, then that will hopefully drive athletics forward locally.”
Mackay added: “Inspiring the younger generation is my number one mentality, I really hope this is a breakthrough moment to inspire those coming up to really go for it, but at the end of the day it’s down to them.”
