Two Morpeth Harriers were in action at the second Northern Athletics Indoor Open Meeting,
held at Sheffield Arena on Saturday 7th December 2019. Both were delighted to achieve new personal bests from their respective efforts. In her first taste of competition as an Under 17 athlete, Mia Belton was tenth fastest with her clocking of 8.30s in her heat of the 60m, where she finished eighth, and was up against opponents three or four years her Senior. Club colleague Amy Lott managed two event wins, which also gave her two new personal bests. Running as a second year Under 17 athlete, she won her individual 60m sprint, producing the eleventh fastest time of her age group, with a clocking of 8.34s. In her much favoured 60m Hurdles, Lott easily outclassed her rivals, as she posted an excellent new personal best time of 9.00s. Both girls are eagerly looking forward to an excellent indoor season. Club members will by now be aware, that on the evening of Monday 2nd December 2019,
our Young Athletes Coach Paddy Paulsen experienced a hefty tumble, whilst out with her usual club training group. Those with her will have also experienced a great deal of shock in witnessing the incident, as there is no doubt that she experienced great pain following her ordeal, and Medical Assistance was urgently required. It is most fortunate that Caroline Balsdon, an athlete/parent was on hand to call for this in emergency, and the required paramedics were quickly to the scene near Mafeking Roundabout, and that Assistant Coach Chris Elder was also on hand to administer assistance. Thankfully following this, Paddy was quickly taken to Cramlington Hospital, where her injuries were subsequently diagnosed as a severely broken shoulder, further complicated by a fractured collarbone (clavicle), which have subsequently been operated on. Paddy currently remains at the hospital, being kept under observation until Doctors and specialists are confident enough to allow her to return to her home. In the meantime, she is very much buoyed by all the concerned well wishes she has received, and would like to thank all those who assisted her at her time of pain, and also to assure all of her training group, who may have been somewhat traumatised by witnessing her accident, that she will return fit and well, to see them, hopefully sooner rather than later. Morpeth Harriers & AC would wish to convey their best wishes to Paddy at this time, in the hope that she manages to make a full recovery, and to extend their thoughts also to her Husband Egil, and her two sons Hans and Henrik, who are also valued members. In light of all of Paddy’s recent excellent hard work in organising our annual Presentation and Fundraising Evening, this particular setback is most upsetting and untimely for her, and very undeserved to say the least, and we all sincerely hope that it is not long before we see her back with us exercising her cheery and inspirational voice, and that when she eventually returns home, that she manages to enjoy a much needed family Christmas, with plenty of helping hands around her. If anyone wishes to pass on any personal greetings to Paddy by letter or card, we can pass details to you at our clubhouse on a Monday evening. Get Well Soon Paddy We are missing You. On the evening of Sunday 24th November 2019, members, and family and friends gathered at BarLuga in Morpeth, for the clubs annual Presentation and Fund Raising Night, once again splendidly organised by Morpeth Harriers Social and Activity Manager Paddy Paulsen, who has to be warmly congratulated for her efforts in putting the event together, which included a very tasty, and seasonal two course meal, a Prize Draw, with very generous donations from many parties, as listed further in this article, plus some party games, that also brought much interest from those present, young and old alike. The Presentation itself, was stage managed by former Club Secretary Mike Bateman, who was assisted by former Press Officer George Patterson, and the Presentations of Club Championship Awards and Medals, and Club Awards for both Performance and Service, were made respectively by President Jim Alder, and Chairman David Swinburne. The Championship medals, were sponsored for the second year in succession by Reeves the Pensions specialist, and had been won, in the case of the young athletes, in events that had been held on Lancaster Park in late September, the Junior and Senior Championships had been incorporated into the annual Morpeth 10k Road Race, held in early August. Club Awards for both performance and Service were as follows SPORTING MORPETHIAN TROPHY (Best performance by a Boy or Colt U15/U13) Ryan Davies BELLERBY TROPHY (Best performance by Female Member (any age) Laura Weightman GRE PLATE SHIELD (Best Performance by a Female Member (Track & Field) Jessica Gardiner BOUTFLOWER CUP (Best performance by a Junior or Youth U20/U17) Matthew Waterfield DODDS CUP (Most Improved athlete, any age or event) Ross Charlton CECIL MITCHELL PLATE (Sportsmanship) Connor Marshall GRE PLATE (Best performance by a Senior Man (Track) Adam Pratt BELLERBY SHIELD (Services to Club) Andrew Hebden MILLENIUM TROPHY (Promoting the club in the community) Kevin Bray BILL WOODS TROPHIES (Senior Track & Field) Helen King (Young Athletes – Most Improved) Joe Dixon WOOLWORTHS TROPHY (Contribution to Young Athletes Track & Field Team (U17 Men) Ben Waterfield DES SLOWEY TROPHY (Contribution to Young Athletes Track & Field Team U13/U15 Boys) Owen Omoigue YOUNG ATHLETES WOMENS TROPHIES (Contribution to Young Athletes Track & Field Team (U17 Women) Jessica Gardiner (Contribution to Young Athletes Track & Field Team (U13/U15 Girls) Georgia Turner. Paddy Paulsen, as organiser, also made individual presentations to Mike Bateman, Janet Peck, Peter Scaife, and David and Lynsey Storey (Track & Field contribution. Morpeth Harriers would like to thank the following for their sponsorship generosities, and prize contributions. Sg Asethics, Rutherford’s, Urban Spa, Morpeth Leisure Centre, Café Vault, Central Bean, Morrisons, Weatherspoon’s Morpeth, Manzil Indian Restaurant, Waterford Lodge, Tranquil Spa (Ashington Leisure Centre), Star Barbers, Image Hair Design, Osborne Jewellers, Michelle Fowler Photography, John Gerrard Hair Salon, Stannington Farm Shop, The Hairdressers, Black & Grey Restaurant, Linden Hall Golf Club, Ruth Beauty (Loansdene), Start Fitness, Jewellers Guild, Ephesus Turkish Restaurant, and Bar Luga, for their generosity, and providing catering requirements on the night, many thanks for their help and management. Last, but certainly not least, many thanks to Mark Davies for his much needed and much appreciated Photography skills. Morpeth Harriers would like to thank all those who attended, to make the occasion a wholehearted success,
many thanks once again to Paddy Paulsen for once again organising a splendid evening, and we all look forward to seeing more achievements and achievers in 2020. Three Morpeth Harriers took part in a keenly contested 5k race at the Croft Race Circuit on Saturday 30th November 2019. A one and a half lap course invited runners to take the fastest route possible around the circuit in search of personal bests, and there were certainly some fast times, with the race won by an athlete running for North Belfast Harriers, Andrew Milligan, in 15 minutes and 6 seconds. Morpeth’s Joe Armstrong finished a close 2nd, however, in 15:20 with colleagues Adam Pratt and Ali Douglas in close attendance in 5th and 7th places (15:44 and 16:03 respectively). Wallsend’s Danielle Hodgkinson was 1st woman in 16:30 and also 11th overall in the race. Some 192 finished. Adam Pratt and Alistair Douglas coming in to finish the 2019 Croft 5k race
(Photo courtesy of Karen Harland) There was a Morpeth Harriers one, two at the 60th Blyth Sands Race on Sunday 1st December 2019, with KEVI teenager and leading UK junior triathlete Daniel Dixon pipping veteran David Nicholson in the final few yards.
Always run on the first Sunday in December, the Sands Race uses its own unique handicap system which gradually unwinds as the runners make their way from Blyth to Seaton Sluice and back along the beach. Blessed by Winter sunshine and not even a hint of a breeze, the start of this year’s race had been moved back to midday for the tides, although runners again had to overcome the event’s own unique version of ‘groyne strain’ as they made their way over the four waist-high beach barriers in front of the colourful huts at the Blyth end. Running off a 9 minute handicap from scratch, Over 65 veteran David Nicholson – who was competing in the event for the first time – showed how much he is at home in off-road conditions as he took a commanding lead on the return leg from Seaton Sluice. He was, however, being steadily hauled in by Dan Dixon, who himself running off a 2 minute handicap, was to post the fastest time of the day for the nominal 5 mile course (28 minutes 25 seconds). Nicholson was still in the lead as he made his way over the final groyne, but in the 200 yard run in to the finishing line, he was overtaken by Dixon and had to settle for 2nd place, with North Shields Polytechnic Harrier Greg Penn in 3rd. Next home for the club was another runner competing in the event for the first time, Rachelle Falloon who, as a Senior Woman, ran off a 4 minute handicap and comfortably ran the fastest female time of the day (34m 41s) for 15th place. Morpeth’s final counter for the four to count team prize was O/60 Bill Tilley, 27th overall, although the club lost out for 1st place to Heaton Harriers and had to settle for 2nd team. Also running for Morpeth were Paul Bellingham, 43rd and 3rd O/55, and local lad Ricky Stafford, running off scratch for 55th place and delighted to be part of his first Sands race. Some 177 finished. |
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