97 runners completed the annual Morpeth Fair Day Fun Run, run over approximately one mile,
on a course encompassing Bridge Street, Telford Bridge, Carlisle Park, and finishing in Oldgate under the Clock Tower on Sunday 9th June 2019. The enthusiastic field, comprising of Year 8 and below pupils were set off by the New Mayor of Morpeth Alison Byard, at 10.15am approximately, and were led home four minutes and forty-four seconds later by Morpeth Harrier Bertie Marr, who attends school in Rothbury. In winning, Marr also set a brand new course record, beating last years record set by fellow Harrier Sam Tate by nine seconds. Second place, and one second adrift was Joe Dixon, also a Morpeth Harriers, who is also in Year 8 in Chantry School in Morpeth. Third place again went to a Morpeth Harrier, and that was fellow Chantry pupil Liam Roche, who posted a time of 5m01s. Posting a time of 5m52s, and finishing seventh overall, was Freya Caygill, who is also a Morpeth Harrier, and a Year 7 pupil at Chantry School, who was first Girl finisher. Second Girl finisher was Ellie Kennedy, who attends Shanklea School in Cramlington, is in Year 6, and was tenth overall in 6m03s. Third Girl finisher was Zoe Parker, who was fifteenth overall in 6m20s, who is in Year 6 at Newminster. As usual all finishers received a Goody Bag, courtesy of the Morpeth Chamber of Trade, and Morpeth Harriers, who organised the event on their behalf, wish to thank all their members and friends who helped on the day to ensure smoothness and safety of the event. Thankfully the fine weather also played its part. Photos courtesy of Gordon Dixon Despite heavy and persistent overnight rain, which ultimately led to the cancellation of the Durham Schools Track and Field Championships, competitive action in the annual Northumberland Schools equivalent went ahead as planned, at Hexham’s Wentworth Sports Centre on Saturday 8th June 2019.
The prevailing conditions certainly made life difficult for athletes, especially in the Field events, where despite such matters, competitors got on with things in hand, and produced some quite exceptional performances, some being of championship best standard. Amongst those athletes were no less than thirty-six from the ranks of Morpeth Harriers, who between them managed a total of fifteen event wins on the day. In the case of the Junior and Intermediate events, the first two places guaranteed each athlete a place at the Inter Counties Championships at Gateshead this coming Saturday, the final steppingstone before the English Championships, being held at Birmingham in Mid-July. One of the Morpeth star performers, representing East Northumberland, was Senior Javelin thrower Bobbie Griffiths, who masterminded her sixth successive Javelin title in the event, having won every year, beginning in 2015, when she was a Junior, having also won as a Minor in 2013. On Saturday, Griffiths won by throwing an on the day best of 38.20m, which although was around four metres adrift of her lifetime best, was only a mere 26cm short of her own championship record for the event last year. Two Morpeth athletes did break championship records on Saturday however, one being a very much in form Jessica Gardiner, also of East Northumberland, who won the Intermediate Girls Hammer with her best throw of 40.34m, beating Griffith’s 2017 record of 39.84m, thus taking 50cm off the old figure. Second to Gardiner in the Hammer competition, was fellow Morpeth Harrier Amy Lott, also representing East Northumberland. Lott threw a best of 29.59m and went on to achieve championship success in the 80m Hurdles, winning in 12.1s. Gardiner also enjoyed a clear victory in the Discus, with an on the day best of 30.16s. Morpeth’s other championship record breaker was Alice Geoghegan, representing Newcastle, who broke club colleague Mia Belton’s 2018 figure of 43.90s, when winning the Junior Girls 300m in 42.1s. Geoghegan already holds an English Schools qualifying time, after winning last months North Eastern title at Middlesbrough, where she posted an impressive 41.86s for the distance. There was also a second win on the day achieved by Geoghegan, as she triumphed in the Junior Girls Javelin, where she produced an on the day best of 25.26m. The aforementioned Mia Belton, representing Tynedale, was also in championship winning form, producing identical clocking’s of 13.1s, when winning her earlier heat, before going on to take the final, thus safeguarding her route to those forthcoming Inter Counties Championships. Senior Boy Ruaridh Lang, representing East Northumberland, was a very comfortable winner of the Discus, where he produced an on the day best of 43.30m, which was agonisingly just 48cm short of his own lifetime best, and 51cm short of Jack Smith’s 2014 record. Second place went to his Morpeth club colleague Luke Haxell, who produced an on the day best of 29.04m, throwing that weight of implement for the very first time in competition. In the Intermediate Boys 800m Final, East Northumberland, and Morpeth’s Ben Waterfield, managed to get under two minutes for the first time, winning in an impressive 1m59.6s. Rory Leonard (East), was a very comfortable winner of the Senior Boys 1500m, posting a time of 4m01.3s, however was clearly not relishing the conditions. Charlotte Earl (East), produced a new personal best performance of 10.22m, when winning the Intermediate Girls Triple Jump with 10.22m. Max Marr of Morpeth Harriers, and representing East Northumberland, won the Intermediate Boys Long Jump, producing a lifetime personal best of 5.81m. In the Intermediate Boys 1500m, Morpeth’s Rowan Bennett, representing Tynedale, won in a time of 4m12.9s. Club colleague Dylan Gooding, representing East Northumberland, finished third in 4m23.2s. In the Junior Girls High Jump, Morpeth’s Lucy McConnell, representing East Northumberland, won with her clearance of 1.40m. Nat Arkle of East Northumberland won the Junior Boys Shot, by producing an on the day best of 10.47m, which was a good 80cm clear of his closest rival. Arkle had also got through to the Final of the 200m by winning his heat in 25.4s, but could only finish fourth when it mattered, posting a time of 26.0s. Also making the final of the 200m was fellow Morpeth Harrier Harry Brown (East), who produced a personal best of 27.0s, when finishing third in his heat, but was two places behind Arkle in the Final, clocking 27.5s. Other Morpeth Harriers who look set to appear at Saturday’s Inter Counties by virtue of second places in Finals are, Dylan Davies (East) (Intermediate Boys 3000m) 9m53.5s, Daniel Dowd (East) (Intermediate Boys Javelin) 40.60m, David Sanderson (East) (Intermediate Boys Discus) 32.65m, Rhiannon Hedley (North) (Intermediate Girls 800m) 2m27.5s, Holly Peck (East) (Intermediate Girls 1500m) 4m52.6s, Abbie Ross (East) (Intermediate Girls Long Jump) 4.37m (PB), and Rosie Winter (East) (Intermediate Girls Javelin) 24.68m. Further Morpeth Harriers performances, some of which may put them on standby for call up were as follows. Matthew Walton (East) (Junior Boys 800m Final) (10th) 2m23.3s (PB), Ryan Davies (East) (Junior Boys 1500m Final) (6th) 4m42.4s, Bertie Marr (North) ( Junior Boys 1500m Final) (8th) 4m48.5s, Edward Gardiner (North) (Junior Boys Javelin Final) (4th) 26.22m, Harry Brown (East) (Junior Boys Javelin Final) (6th) 25.34m, Oliver Geoghegan (Newcastle) (Junior Boys Javelin Final) (8th) 24.29m (PB), Edward Gardiner (North) (Junior Boys Discus Final) (9th) 20.30m, Olivia Carruthers (Newcastle) (Junior Girls 300m Final) (4th) 45.8s (PB), and (Junior Girls 75m Hurdles Final) (3rd) 13.8s, Max Marr (East) (Intermediate Boys 100m Final ) (6th) 12.5s, Josh Adams (East) (Intermediate Boys 100m Final) (7th) 12.5s (PB), and (Intermediate Boys 200m Final) (5th) 25.6s, Theo Brown (East) (Intermediate Boys Discus) (3rd) 29.33m, Amber Witt (East) (Intermediate Girls 100m Final) (3rd) 13.2s, and Rosie Winter (East) (Intermediate Girls 200m Final) (3rd) 28.0s. Two Morpeth Harriers had the honour of turning out in England Masters competition on Sunday May 26th 2019,
to compete against the Celtic Nations in the Simplyhealth Great Birmingham 10k. Difficult conditions and a challenging course mitigated against fast times, but in an event dominated by England veterans, Helen King was 8th in the Over 40 category in 40m 6s and Dave Nicholson 9th in the Over 60 in 40m 15s and both later professed themselves ‘elated’ to pick up their first representative honours. There was some compensation the following weekend for Helen, however, as she was first female finisher in the Bamburgh 10k on Sunday 2nd June 2019, in a time of 39m 45s. (Eagle-eyed Big Brother fans might have noticed in the UKA newsletter that the Geoffrey Beattie who ran for the Celtic Nations was the original ‘psychologist’ for the eponymous Channel 4 series.) The second meeting of North East Regional BMC events were held at Chester Le Street’s Riverside Track on Monday 3rd June 2019. A total of twelve athletes from the ranks of Morpeth Harriers competed in the eight 1500m races on the programme. Fastest from the club on the night was Carl Avery, whose new lifetime personal best time of 3m59.61s, saw him finish fourth in a hotly contested Men’s A race, which was won by former Gateshead Harrier Chris Parr in a time of 3m53.95s, now running in Jarrow and Hebburn’s colours, the club of his late grandfather. Another Morpeth Harrier to feature in the A Race was Alistair Douglass, who had run at Sport City in Manchester the previous day, in the final of the 800m at the Northern Athletics Championships. Douglass finished ninth in 4m11.55s. Second fastest Morpeth Harriers performer on the night was Under 20 athlete Ross Charlton, whose new personal best time of 4m03.92s, saw him finish sixth in a hotly contested Men’s B Race. Other Morpeth Harriers finishers in the B Race were Adam Pratt, fresh from his Northern Steeplechase Gold Medal win, who finished ninth in 4m09.71s, and another Under 20 Man Daniel Melling, who was delighted to achieve new figures of 4m10.56s, when finishing just behind Pratt in tenth spot. In the C Race, Morpeth’s George Lowry finished second, posting a seasons best of 4m07.83s. Another second placed Morpeth performer was Under 17 athlete Dylan Gooding, who posted a finishing time of 4m18.93s, in a Mixed gender D Race. Gooding was eighth fastest in his age group on the night. In the Mixed gender E Race, brothers Dylan and Ryan Davies finished in ninth and eleventh places respectively, both clocking personal best times of 4m37.94s, and 4m41.01s. Holly Peck of Morpeth Harriers finished sixth in a Mixed gender F Race, posting a time of 4m53.09s. North East Women’s Steeplechase Champion Rachelle Falloon of Morpeth Harriers won the G Race, which was an all-Women affair, posting a new personal best time of 4m59.35s. Rounding off the night’s Morpeth performances was Taylor Murdy, who finished eighth in the Mixed gender H Race, posting a new personal best time of 5m34.99s. BMC Regional Race Leeds Competing in his third race in five days, persistence certainly paid off for Morpeth Harrier Alistair Douglass, who made the journey south to Leeds Beckett University, to compete in the BMC Regional 1500m B Race, posting a brand new personal best time of 4m03.14s, bettering his previous figures for the three and three quarter lap event by a fraction of a second from his clocking at the opening North East Grand Prix Meeting at Monkton in April. Douglass finished sixth out of thirteen in his event, and he was sixth fastest of twelve competing Senior Men in the five races on offer at the meeting. Four athletes from Morpeth Harriers were medal winners at the first day of competition at the annual combined Northern Athletics Senior and Under 20 Track and Field Championships, sponsored by Start Fitness, h eld at Sport City in Manchester. Adam Pratt won a much-prized Gold Medal in the Senior Men’s 3000m Steeplechase, posting a new personal best time of 9m35.42s, taking an excellent twenty-two seconds off his previous figures. He won by a margin of one second from Leeds City’s Mohamed Abshir, with Wharfedale Harrier Lee Athersmith a further nine seconds adrift in third place. Specialist throwers Ruaridh Lang and Bobbie Griffith’s, who have only recently been sitting A levels at King Edward VI School, are the proud owners of respective Silver Medals. Lang finished a very close second in the Under 20 Men’s Discus, only just losing out for Gold by a mere forty centimetres with his best throw of 42.51m. Gold Medal winner was Aran Thomas of Wakefield. Griffiths threw a best of 39.90m in the Under 20 Women’s Javelin to secure a Silver Medal behind Pendle AC’s Zoe Ellen Kidney, who produced an on the day best of 41.02m. The third medallist, and a much prized and much deserved and popular Bronze win, went to Under 20 Man Matthew Waterfield in the 400m. In his earlier heat he finished a very close second, posting an excellent 50.49s, however in his later run final, Matthew truly excelled, as he posted a new lifetime best of 49.39s, just missing out by a mere fraction for Silver to Sale Harrier Thomas Baines. The Gold Medal went to Leon Stubbs of Preston, who clocked 48.67s. Waterfield’s Morpeth Harriers Coach Eddie Hedley reflected afterwards how pleased and proud he was in his athlete’s achievement. He wasn’t sure if Waterfield was going to line up at the championships, due to the fact that over the Bank Holiday he had developed a worrying niggle, and had also endured the pressure of important exams, however having made the Start Line, was very pleased with the end result, as a coach he could only advise, and Matthew had to carry out the hard part, and he had done that with much distinction. Morpeth Harriers gained another medal on Sunday’s second day of competition, courtesy of James Young, who only fractionally missed out on a Gold Medal, when he finished a very close second to Preston’s Matthew Wiglesworth in the Senior Men’s 800m. Young was also just fractionally adrift of his lifetime best, when he posted a time of 1m52.66, to the winners 1m52.55s. It was a double for Wiglesworth, as he had won Gold in the previous days 1500m. Young must have been thoroughly sick of the sight of the Preston man, as he had also finished second in the earlier run heat, clocking 1m57.18s, a heat that also saw fellow Morpeth Harrier Alistair Douglass qualify for the final, as he finished fourth in 1m57.54s. Douglass finished seventh behind Young in the final, posting a time of 1m59.66s. In the Under 20 Men’s 800m Final, Morpeth Harrier Kieran Hedley finished fifth in 1m57.37s. Watch James Young in action at Sports City in the 800mts
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