Despite feeling a little unwell over recent days, Morpeth Harrier Laura Weightman, still managed to pull out all the stops to claim a superb Commonwealth Games Bronze Medal for England in the Women’s 5000m, on the final day of Track and Field activity at the 25,000 capacity Carrara Stadium,
on the Australian Gold Coast, on Saturday 14th April 2018. Weightman waited until the final two laps of the twelve and a half lap event, which she was running for the first time at International level, before sensing her opportunity of gaining a possible second Commonwealth medal, her first being the Silver that she won in the 1500m in Glasgow in 2014, as she chased down Australia’s Celia Sullohern, who was then lying in fourth place, having shaken off fellow Brit Eilish McColgan, running for Scotland, and Kenya’s Eva Cherono. Cherono’s Kenyan team-mates Helen Obiri, the World Champion, and Margaret Chelimo Kipkemboi, had already drawn clear of the rest, and were having their own independent battle for the Gold and Silver medals. With just under 300m remaining, in a soaring 25 degrees, Weightman passed a hopeful medal opponent Juliet Checkwel of Uganda, to run on to claim a well earned Bronze medal behind Obiri and Kipkemboi, posting a finishing time of 15m25.84s, twelve seconds adrift of the winner. In the end, an exhausted yet joyful Weightman concluded that she had judged her tactics perfectly, and was delighted to take her Bronze medal, her third on the World stage, and thanked her coach Steve Cram, who was endeavouring to remain perfectly calm in his BBC commentary role. Fellow Brits, McColgan, running for Scotland, Wales’s Melissa Courtney, a medallist over 1500m, Northern Ireland’s Emma Mitchell, and Steph Twell, also of Scotland, finished in sixth, ninth, thirteenth, and fourteenth places respectively. News from America, on Saturday 14th April 2018,
Scott Beattie of Morpeth Harriers posted an excellent 3m58.75s, when winning the Men’s 1500m at the John McDonnell Invitational meeting held at Fayetteville, Arizona. Sam Hancox led a Morpeth Harriers one, two, three home at the head of the field in the annual Port of Blyth 10k Road Race, organised by Blyth Running Club, on Sunday 8th April 2018. Posting a time of 31m59s, which was two seconds outside his 2016 winning time, Hancox, who had spent most of 2017 on the side-lines with injury, put the boot in as early as the first 3k, going away from the rest of the chasing field, that included his Morpeth club colleagues Karl Taylor and John Butters, who finished second and third in respective times of 32m48s, and 33m09s. This was a brand new personal best for Butters by around ten seconds, and Butters was also the first veteran man home, and the trio also enjoyed an emphatic team victory. Race conditions were excellent for all, with just a whisper of wind, and temperatures had risen from recent somewhat, as a total of 585 finishers covered the route from the Port of Blyth to Seaton Sluice Harbour and back, a field that in addition to Hancox, Taylor and Butters, included ten other Morpeth Harriers. Next to finish behind Butters was Colin Archer, who finished 28th overall in 36m32s, sixty-one seconds ahead of Matthew Boyle, who finished 41st. The next home for Morpeth was Jake Masterman, who finished 56th in 38m15s. Next came Morpeth’s first Female finisher, Helen King who was sixth Woman, and third Over 40. Helen finished 94th overall in 40m02s, a brand new personal best. One place and five seconds behind Helen, was club colleague Lorna MacDonald, who was seventh Woman finisher. Other Morpeth Harriers in action were Paul Bellingham (132nd) (7th O/55 Man) 42m20s, Norman Clark (264th) (3rd O/65 Man) 48m38s, Susan Smith (270th) (60th Woman) (6th O/50 Woman) 48m45s, Claire Hiscock (420th) (129th Woman) (30th O/40 Woman) 57m08s, and David Gray (432nd) (3rd O/70 Man) 57m29s. PHOTOS FROM 2018 BLYTH 10K
Wow!!, What a superb beginning to the outdoor season for Morpeth Harriers Under 17 Man Andrew Knight, who putted 16.56m at the Kieran Maxwell Memorial Track and Field Meeting, held at Darlington’s Eastbourne Athletics Facility on Sunday 8th April 2018. It represented a new lifetime best for the Paul Reed coached athlete, whose previous best had been 15.74m. The improvement of nearly 80cm is quite remarkable so early in the season, and there is a great deal to look forward to from this young gentleman in the forthcoming months. Another Morpeth Harrier in action at the meeting was Dean Lonsdale, who was second fastest in the Senior Men’s 800m, posting a time of 2m04.19s, it was his first ever outing over the two-lap event. Having his second road outing in the space of a month, Morpeth Harriers former International Nick McCormick showed that he is rounding into improved competitive form, when he finished fifth in the Podium 5k, once again being held at Barrowford, near Burnley on Saturday 7th April 2018. McCormick clocked 15.07s, which was forty eight seconds adrift of race winner and fellow International Tom Lancashire of Bolton Harriers |
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