Telford Athletic Club seal the title and promotion deal
Telford Athletic Club are set to take a step up in standard after being crowned champions of the Birmingham District Senior Men's Cross Country League Division Three for the second season running.
The club, who celebrates its 50th birthday this year, topped the standings in 2025 and thought it would be competing in Division Two having attended the League AGM and been assigned a home fixture.
But a few weeks later, a little-known rule that states a team that had been relegated the previous season for failing to field six runners, are not only relegated but are also ineligible for promotion for a further 12 months was brought to the league's attention.
As a result, Telford AC had another year in Division Three, but made sure it was only a one-season stay thanks to a series of impressive displays.
In the first fixture of the four-race season at Leamington back in November, which celebrated the 100th year of the Birmingham League, Telford took the Division Three honours with five runners in the first 10 and seven in the first 23.
Telford also won the B team race and the Masters event, which is for runners over 35 years old.
Chris Rimmer finished second in the Division Three race and first in the over 35s. He was chased home by his team-mate Dan Onyango, who was fifth, while Jack Cole was seventh, Tomos Hales ninth and Charlie Preece 10th.
At the second race, held in Cofton Park, Birmingham in December, Telford finished second behind winners Tamworth.
That left Telford second in the overall standings on 175 points. Tamworth led with 138.
Onyango led the Telford team home in third place with Hales finishing eighth.
Jordan Stamp (14th), Paul O'Brien (18th), Craig Standrin (36th) and Dean Gapper (41st) were Telford's other scorers.
The third race in the series was due to be hosted by Telford AC at Attingham Park, near Shrewsbury, but was cancelled due to heavy snow.
Telford then turned on the style on the final race, held at Coombe Abbey in Coventry.
Rimmer led from start to finish to win by 50 seconds, while Onyango came home third, which secured him the overall winner's medal and the overall Masters title.
John Mason, in his first cross country race of the season, was the third Telford man home in 13th, followed by captain O'Brien in 20th. Ioan Huruban (21st) and Preece (24th) completed the scoring six.
Telford finished with 82 points on the day, exactly 100 points ahead of their nearest rivals Tamworth to claim the league title with 257.
Tamworth (320) and Nuneaton (409) finished second and third respectively and will join Telford in Division Two next season.
