A record that has stood for more than 40 years has been kicked from the record books by a team of young athletes.

The previous 4x100m best at Stevenage & North Herts Athletics Club was 43.2 seconds, set in 1982.

The current senior sprint coach, Paul Keeble, was in that squad and he has now helped the quartet of Nile Odejimi Riley, Jamie Joseph, Ed Laws and Jacob Kinchin-Smith to clock 43.0.

The record-breaking run came at the second Southern Athletics League fixture of the season at the club's home base at Ridlins.

And it wasn't just in the relay where the home squad shone.

An age group record that had stood for 13 years was also wiped from the books, Esme Searle breaking the 1500m steeplechase best in the U17s with a time of 5:36.0.

There were also a string of wins for the men with Ed Laws (400m hurdles), Nile Odejimi-Riley (triple jump) and Bobby Pitman (discus).

Pitman also won the B final in the pole vault B while Jamie Joseph (200m), Dylan Baines (long jump) and Kinchin Smith (triple jump) also taking top honours.

The women’s team saw A & B wins in a number of events.

Shannon Rapacchi was victorious in the long jump, triple jump, discus and pole vault while Libby Taylor ad wins in the shot, discus and hammer.

Searle was back to take a triple jump win with Emily Rapley (long jump), Louise Hampton (shot), Loren Ragoobar (hammer) and Sandra Reed (100m hurdles) also successful. 

That was another to leave SNHAC tied for second with Herts Phoenix, eight points behind round winners London Heathside.

Ed Laws of Stevenage & North Herts AC. Picture: SNHACEd Laws of Stevenage & North Herts AC. Picture: SNHAC (Image: Stevenage & North Herts Athletics Club)

The victory for Laws in the hurdles was enough to see him advance to the British Athletics Championships.

The 20-year-old from Ickleford will head to Manchester this weekend, with the event this year also doubling as the Olympic trials.

Laws, who has been with SNHAC since he was nine years old, has focused on the longer hurdles event from 2019 and since then has had a regular top 20 place for his age category in the country.

Edward has raced before at the Manchester stadium, representing Hitchin Boys’ School twice at the English Schools Championships.

Sophie Russell of North Herts Road Runners won bronze for GB. Picture: NHRRSophie Russell of North Herts Road Runners won bronze for GB. Picture: NHRR (Image: North Herts Road Runners)

One North Herts Road Runners had a dream debut on the European stage.

Representing GB in the 30-34 age group, Sophie Thrussell took a bronze medal at the European Aquathlon Championships in Coimbra, Portugal.

She completed the 1,000m swim in 15:53 and the 5km run in 19:49, with an efficient 1:56 transition helping her to an overall time of 37:38, three seconds ahead of an Irish competitor.

She said: "It was quite eventful, with the planned format changing the night before from run-swim-run to swim-run due to cooler water temperatures than anticipated.

"That didn’t stop my plans for a non-wetsuit swim.

"I was really happy with my performance, but it wasn’t until I checked the results that I knew I had made it to the podium.

"Finishing third in my age group at the European Championships is an absolute dream for a debut."

The Bass Belle 10k took a group of Squirrels to Bassingbourn, over a mixture of road and farm tracks.

The biggest challenge according to Natalie Phillips was the heat, which required all runners to consider their pace a little more carefully.

Phillips finished in 48:54 with Anna Greetham (52:27) and Matt Roberts (52:27) behind.

Further up the road, Ed Price was fourth in 37:58 with James Dalton clocking 43:38.

Gillian Knowles of Fairlands Valley Spartans after the NHS Rainbow Run.Picture: FVSGillian Knowles of Fairlands Valley Spartans after the NHS Rainbow Run.Picture: FVS (Image: Fairlands Valley Spartans)

Fairlands Valley Spartans had Grant Ramsay at Bassingbourn.

He clocked 38:53, his best performance in two years, which placed him fifth overall and the first runner in the 50-plus group.

Alison and Paul Shelley ran the St Albans Summer Solstice 10k with Paul getting his wish of a sub 40-minute time, finishing in 39:23.

Alison is coming back from an ACL injury and got under her target of 55 minutes with 54:48.

The Rainbow Run was raising funds for the East & North Hertfordshire Hospitals charity.

This was the third edition of the event with Spartans' Lloyd Dias, Jim Brown Penny Schenkel and Gillian Knowles among the 500-strong field.

Claire Pullen and Tricia Hopper completed the Herts Hobble, an off-road event starting at Baldock and passing through Wallngton, Ardeley and Graveley before looping back after a total of 26.4 miles.

They completed it in 6 hours 40 minutes.

Stevenage Striders at the Midweek League. Picture: STRIDERSStevenage Striders at the Midweek League. Picture: STRIDERS (Image: Stevenage Striders)

Stevenage Striders had their latest match in the Midweek League, taking them to Harlow.

They had a big squad too, a total of 48 split between 19 ladies and 29 men, and they powered the club to third on the night, the men in second and the ladies fifth.

It all means that after three rounds, Striders are third and looking for promotion.

Stevenage Phoenix and Stevenage & North Herts Athletics Club at the Midweek League. Picture: PHOENIXStevenage Phoenix and Stevenage & North Herts Athletics Club at the Midweek League. Picture: PHOENIX (Image: Stevenage Phoenix)

Stevenage Phoenix were also represented at Harlow, teaming up with Stevenage & North Herts in the league.

Alex Walsey was the first of them home, followed by Ian Harvey in a new age category club record for the 10k distance.

Jodie Kantas was the first lady Phoenician to finish while there was another club record, Ken Hall in the over-70s group.

Those results helped the combined team consolidate their fifth position in the division.

The final scoring fixture is at Trent Park on Thursday.

Three from the club took on the Herts Hobble, the trio of Emma Mead, Lisa Liversidge and Phil Gover completed the route in 6:37.

Graeme Hulstrom was one of the 455-strong field at the St Albans Summer Solstice 10k, finishing in 1:02:05.

The Midsummer Munro half is said to be the toughest half marathon in the UK, held mostly on rough tracks but with superb views over the North Downs and the Mole Gap.

Tackling a total of 3,680 feet was Lewis Green who clocked a time of 2:54:51.