A reminder to all that the next round of the North East Harrier League takes place this Saturday at Aykley Heads, Durham, with the usual timings applying.
Further information on the dedicated NEHL web page here. Many will remember that last year’s fixture took place the day after the night before, the night that was, of course, Storm Arwen…it was hard enough getting the tent up let alone running. Hopefully, there will be no such traumas this time round although conditions are bound to be muddy underfoot after all the recent rain, adding to what is already a proper xc challenge. Morpeth teams are shaping up nicely in the team divisions, so let’s have another good showing and look to build on what we’ve achieved so far. Also, can we flag up the North East Counties Cross Country Championships at Temple Park, South Shields (not, as originally advertised, on the Town Moor, sadly) on Saturday, 10 December. Entries for the above close this Friday, and if you have not already put your name down, please can you either do so or let the club know via email or phone so you can be added to the list. A link to the NECAA prospectus and further details is here. There were over 700 finishers at the 70th annual Brampton to Carlisle race on Sunday morning, with some twelve Morpeth runners well to the fore.
The country’s oldest 10 mile race – and now one of the oldest and most well-established races in the UK – the record books boast a prestigious list of past winners, including Ron Hill, Steve Cram and, of course, Jim Alder, a four time winner (64, 69, 70 and 71) and for a long time also a course record holder. Despite a slight south-westerly headwind, conditions proved to be surprisingly good on the day as the large field headed out on the B6264 towards Carlisle with high-flying Leeds City athlete Phil Sesemann, Project NE’s Kieran Walker and Morpeth’s Sam Hancox making the early running. Unsurprisingly, Sesemann proved too strong for the opposition and pulled away to win in a time of 48 minutes 48 seconds with Maguire in 2nd place in 49:27. Sam paid the price rather for the early pace and saw Birtley’s Adrian Bailes, a winner on the Town Moor last weekend, move through for 3rd (49:42), with Hancox having to settle in the end for a fine 7th place in a new personal best of 50:30. Matthew Briggs was 12th in 51:51, and with Ali Douglas 22nd in 54:50 the team picked up a well-deserved 3nd place team prize behind Chorlton Runners and host club Border Harriers. The women’s race was won by another Leeds City athlete, Steph Pennycook in 56:33 with Annabel Simpson of Fife AC 2nd in 56:42 and Border Harrier Camilla Mcknespiey 3rd (57:39). Rachelle Falloon was 8th and 5th Senior Female in 1:00:58, like Sam a new personal best time. Also running were Andy Lawrence, 25th in 54:55; John Butters, 35th and 4th 0/45 in 55:20; Lee Bennett, 51st and 3rd 0/50 in 57:00; Richie Hughes, 67th in 58:29; Gavin Bayne, 2nd 0/65 and 155th in 1:03:53; Rob Hancox, 160th and 6th 0/55 in 1:04:10; Andriy Volkov, 169th in 1:05:18 and Norman Clark, 588th and 4th 0/70 in 1:29:18. The Men’s Veteran team also collected a 3rd place prize, although perhaps the most remarkable feature of the day was a new world best time for an Over 65 year old of 55 minutes 23 seconds run by Teviotdale Harrier Alastair Walker, an extraordinary performance in anybody’s books. ***** There were four Morpeth finishers in the Slaley Half Marathon at the weekend, an off-road fixture around Slaley Forest that also included a 10k run. Ed Hillier was 8th back in 1 hour 42 minutes 11 seconds, with Julie Vermaas 5th Female finisher and 3rd 0/40 in 1:44:18. Anna Wright was just over a minute behind in 1:45:38, 5th 0/40 and 7th Female runner. Stephen Johnstone was 36th in 1:47: and also 3rd 0/50. There were some 130 finishers overall, the winner Kieron Day recording 1:26:29 and Amy Fuller, now a Tyne Bridge Harrier, 1st Female finisher in 1:32:37 and also 6th overall. Gateshead’s Conrad Franks won the 10k in 42:24 with NSP’s Michelle Thomson 1st Female back in 51:38. In what was his first ever 10k Road Race, Connor Marshall proved himself to be no novice when he figured amongst the leading protagonists, finishing finally an excellent 3rd in the Senior race at the Heaton Memorial Road Race on Newcastle Town Moor on Sunday.
Following a minute’s silence to observe Remembrance Sunday, 387 finishers set off in cold and damp conditions and were led home by Birtley’s in-form Adrian Bailes. He posted a winning time of 30m42s, with Bristol and West’s O/45 Jarlath McKenna finishing 2nd in 30m45s, both ahead of a jubilant Marshall, who posted a personal time of 31m50s. Next man home for Morpeth was Andrew Lawrence, who was marking a continued comeback from injury, and finished 10th in 33m 29s. Morpeth’s third finisher was Over 45 David Stabler, also 3rd in his category and placing 55th in 36m 36s. Rachelle Falloon, who has currently hit a run of fine form, finished 67th in 37m 09s. The Kielder 10k winner was 4th Woman in the event behind the visiting Kate Maltby of Bristol and West, who won in 35m28 with Elswick’s Amy Fuller 2nd and the Poly’s Jacqui Penn 3rd. Marshall and Falloon are the respective 2022 Men’s and Women’s Road Champions for Morpeth Harriers as a result of the club’s championships being incorporated into the event as advertised. Other club finishers were: Anthony Liddle (71st) 37m 36s, Andre Volkov (116th) 40m 05s, Bobby Hagan - who ran in Morpeth colours for the first time following his 2021 transfer from Border Harriers, 122nd in 40m 02s, Lorna MacDonald (123rd) 40m20s and 13th Woman, Lindsey Quinn (146th) 41m00s and 20th Woman, Kirsty Burville (185th) 43m05s and 32nd Woman, and David Nicholson (213th) 44m32s and 5th O/65 Man. In the Younger athlete events, Elliot Kelso was second Under 17 Man in the 5k for combined Under 17/Under 20 athletes, and Charlotte Marshall finished sixth in the Under 15 Girls event. King Edward VI School Senior Boys team, made up entirely of athletes from Morpeth Harriers, were again in dominant form in the English Schools Cross Country Regional Final, held in Middlesbrough’s Stewart Park on Saturday, with all of their scoring four in the top eight of a total of 32 finishers.
They were led home by Matthew Walton, who won with a mere second to spare over Darlington Harrier Alex Boyer, leading finisher for 3rd team Carmel College. 2nd team place went to Ermysted College of Skipton, North Yorkshire, who were 21 points adrift of the winning King Edward quartet. Other King Edward counts came from third-placed Will DeVere-Owen, sixth-placed Liam Roche, and eighth-placed James Tilley, with Bertie Marr, 11th and just out of the scoring count. The win means that for the second year in succession King Edward have qualified for the overall finals, to be held in Leeds on Saturday 3 December. Santry Park, Dublin was the venue for the best of British and Irish Masters cross country talent on Saturday, with just short of 400 runners from both the Home Nations and Ireland competing against each other.
With all those taking part pre-qualified through their national associations as a result of a rigorous selection process, it was always going to be a high standard of competition, and in the end it was the host nation Ireland who had the best of it with their both Masters Men and Masters Women overall winners. Winning her first England Masters vest, Jane Hodgson was a member of a winning England Over 40s team, who were one of England’s only two winning female teams on the day, their Over 60s also triumphing. Jane was 3rd counter in 21 minutes 40 seconds, running most of the race neck and neck with fellow team member and Vale Royal athlete Elizabeth Remondeau, the two credited with 17th and 16th overall. Charnwood AC’s Juliet Potter headed the team count in 21:05. With athletes grouped into five year categories from 35 – 70 (75 for the Men, for some reason), overall scores were then aggregated with both England’s Men and Women finishing behind the Irish in 2nd place. Big congratulations to Jane for winning her vest, the first we hope of a well-deserved many. With the competition moving to a new host nation in 2023, next year’s fixture will take place in Glasgow. |
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