In his first Under 20 International appearance, Morpeth Harrier Rory Leonard performed superbly to finish a very close second to Cardiff’s Jake Heyward in the IAAF Cross De Atapuerca Permit event in Burgos Spain on Sunday 11th November 2018.
It was the second time within a month that Leonard had finished second to the Welshman, however on this occasion, he proved more than a match for his slightly more Senior rival, only drifting in the later stages, to lose out by seven seconds at the finish line. Leonard had every reason to be overjoyed however, when he learnt that he had led England to a handsome team victory, with further support coming from City of Stoke’s Connor Bentley (12th), Cambridge and Coleridge’s Tom Keen (23rd), and Benjamin West of Milton Keynes (24th). The 2018 Inter Counties Champion is next in competition when he heads for Liverpool, and the UK Trials at the end of the month, for hopefully a good run to earn him a place in the GB European Team for the Championships in December in Tilburg in the Netherlands. The younger athletes of Morpeth Harriers were the prominent performers at the annual Heaton Harriers Memorial Road Races, held on Newcastle’s Town Moor on Sunday 11th November 2018. These events are always held to commemorate the Armistice, and it was most appropriate that this year they were held on the 11th, exactly to the date, 100 years since the end of World War One. The club won the team races in the Under 13 and Under 15 Boys 3k events, and Taylor Glover and Gracie Hufton were respective winners of the combined Under17 and Under 20 Men’s and Women’s 5k events. Posting a finishing time of 15m48s, Under 20 Man Glover, won with forty-three seconds to spare over Gateshead Harrier Charlie McMillan, and Hufton enjoyed her first ever Under 20 Women’s outright victory,
posting a finishing time of 19m53s, which saw her win by sixty-seven seconds from the host clubs’ Holly Matheson. For both Glover and Hufton, it saw them produce brand new personal best performances. Morpeth’s other athlete competing in the Under17/Under 20 event, was Under 20 Man Matthew Waterfield, who finished in sixth place, posting a finishing time of 17m46s. Waterfield was fourth Under 20 Man. Morpeth’s Under 13 Boys produced an emphatic team victory over Gosforth Harriers in their 3k event. They were led home by Bertie Marr, who finished an excellent third in 10m41s, behind race winner Tom Slane of Blackhill, who clocked a winning time of 10m21s. Second counter for Morpeth was Joe Dixon, who clocked 10m46s in fourth place, with the clubs count being completed by Ryan Davies who was fifth in 10m51s. Other Under 13 Boy finishers for Morpeth were Joseph Hudspith (8th) 11m40s, and Adam Howliston (11th) 11m54s. Dylan Davies led Morpeth Harriers Under 15 Boys squad home to a three-point margin team win over Gosforth Harriers in their 3k event. He finished fourth in 10m17s, eleven seconds of fifth placed club colleague Dylan Gooding. Completing the winning Morpeth team count was Sam Tate, who finished seventh in 10m38s. Morpeth’s other finisher in the Under 15 Boys event was Ben Walker, who was tenth in 10m48s. Morpeth’s Abbi Leiper finished as third Under 15 Girl, posting a time of 11m30s. Two Morpeth athletes faced the Starter in the Under 11 Boys and Girls 1k event. Aaron Hayes, who finished seventh overall in 3m42s, was fourth Boy home. Keira Peck finished eleventh overall in 4m09s, and was fifth Girl home. Disappointingly only three Morpeth Harriers faced the Starter in the Senior Men and Women’s 10k Race. Immediately prior to the event all runners joined a two-minute silence in memory of those who fell during the two World Wars. First home of the trio was Mark Long, who finished fifth in 32m08s. Second home from the club was Paul Bellingham, who was 151st overall, and was fourth in the Over 55 Veteran Men’s section, posting a finishing time of 42m13s. Completing the Morpeth trio was Mike Steven, who finished 241st in 45m33s, and was tenth in the Over 60 age group. Thanks go to all at Heaton Harriers for once again organising a superb event. KEVI School’s Intermediate Boys won their way through to the final of the English Schools Cross Country Cup,
by convincingly winning their regional final, which was held at Middlesbrough’s Stewart Park on Saturday 10th November 2018. Six athletes from Morpeth Harriers represented the school, who won by the comfortable points margin of twenty-two, from Ermysted’s Grammar School from Skipton in North Yorkshire. They were led home by a very much in form Euan Duffin, who only lost out for an individual victory by a mere ten seconds to Ermysted’s Alex Thompson. Completing the KEVI winning count were Duffin’s fellow Morpeth Harriers club colleagues Dylan Davies (7th), Dylan Gooding (9th), and Ben Waterfield (10th). Other Morpeth Harriers in action in the event were Sam Tate (12th), and Ben Walker (18th). The final of the competition is being held at Woodbridge School in Suffolk on November 24th. In the second UK Challenge fixture, held at Teardrop Lakes in Milton Keynes on Saturday 10th November 2018,
Morpeth Harrier Daniel Melling finished 26th in the combined Under 17/Under 20 Men’s event. He was eleventh finisher in the Under 17 age group. Posting a finishing time of 11m43s, Morpeth Harrier Carl Avery finished a very prominent fourth in the Lindsay Scottish Athletics Short Course Senior XC Championships held in Lanark on Saturday 10th November 2018. He finished a mere eleven seconds adrift of race winner Sol Sweeney of Glasgow University Hare and Hounds. Other Morpeth Harriers competing in the event were Alex Brown (16th), and George Lowry (30th). Brown was third Under 20 Man in the event. Photos courtesy of Bobby Gavin
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