Travelling to Scotland at the weekend was Rachelle Falloon, who was looking to build on her recent victory in the Kielder 10k when taking part in the Edinburgh Women’s 10k race.
There were well over 1,000 finishers over the highly scenic city centre route that starts on the Royal Mile before taking runners past such sights as the Scottish National Gallery and Arthur’s Seat, through Princes Street Gardens, past the Scottish Parliament building, through the Grassmarket and on to a grandstand finish in the Murrayfield Stadium. In a leading group of three from the off that included also local runners Amanda Robertson and Natalie Wrangler, Rachelle was able to finally get ahead of the pair towards the end to win the race in an overall time of 37 minutes 24 seconds, a new personal best for the distance by over 10 seconds. Robertson was only 3 seconds behind in 2nd place and Wrangler 3rd in 37:32. The full results are available here. Meanwhile in West Yorkshire there were three Harriers taking part in Sunday’s Abbey Dash 10k in Leeds city centre - which seems to have sneaked into the fixture calendar as an October race these days (some of us are old enough to remember it used to be towards the end of November). With a reputation as one of the fastest courses in the country, the race remains hugely popular with nearly 4,000 entrants covering the out and back course from the Town Hall on the Headrow to Kirkstall Abbey, and 2019's problems of race measurement thankfully now behind it. On a miserably wet morning, Sam Hancox had a tremendous run to come home in 17th place overall with a pb time of 30:17, having been up with the leading group for most of the way out to the Abbey. Morpeth’s other two finishers were Finn Brodie, 27th in 30:37, and Richie Hughes, 216th in 35 minutes. At the front end in a close race, the winning time of 29:22 was recorded by North Belfast athlete Andrew Milligan, with Bristol and West’s Timothy Lefroy 2nd in 29:24 and Sheffield and Dearne’s Lewis Jagger 3rd in 29:28. British international Jess Warner-Judd was 1st female finisher in 32:18 ahead of Ethiopian Atsede Gidey (32:34) and Tonbridge’s Lucy Reid (32:35). The full results are available here. Closer to home, Dave Stabler was 5th overall and 2nd Over 45 in the Run Northumberland Castles Half Marathon, finishing in a time of 1 hour 20 minutes 37 seconds with the race won by Blyth’s Michael Stott in a time of 1:15:34 and York Knavesmire’s Rose Mather 1st woman home in 1:26:52. The full results are available here. Having made the dates and venues for all the major fixtures over the next few months available recently, the club have been made aware of some significant changes to the venues.
As we’d hate people to turn up at the wrong place…please note the following alterations. (These are all down to difficulties at the original venues, unfortunately.) NORTH EASTERN CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS These will now take place at Temple Park, South Shields and NOT the Town Moor, but on the same weekend as originally advertised, Saturday December 10. The venue should need no introduction. NORTHERN ATHLETICS CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS Originally advertised as being at Bolesworth Castle, near Chester, this venue will instead be used for the National XC. The Northern will instead be at Witton Park, Blackburn. NATIONAL CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS Originally scheduled for Harewood Estate, complications at the venue mean this will not now be used, a real shame for us in the North East. The new venue is at the venue above. All dates remain the same, however. Jane Hodgson and Judith Nutt travelled down to Markeaton Park, Derby at the weekend to take part in the North Midlands Cross Country League, with the event doubling as a selection trial for representative honours in the British and Irish Cross Country International to be held in Dublin in November.
With team selection in all five year age categories, both Jane and Judith had fine runs to hopefully guarantee their selection. In fact Jane was actually 2nd overall in the Women’s 6k race, finishing in a time of 23 minutes 45 seconds, some 25 seconds behind race winner and fellow 0/40 Juliet Potter of Charnwood AC. Meanwhile Judith was 16th in a time of 25:56 and 3rd 0/45. Well-deserved congratulations to both. The curtain for the county’s show season came down at Alwinton Show, but not before the keenly contested Fell Race had taken place.
And once again spectators were able to witness the customary victory of Nick Swinburn, running for NFR, who finished in a time of 18 minutes 2 seconds for the roughly 2.5 mile course. Nick was over two minutes ahead of 2nd place runner, NFR and Morpeth’s Richie Hughes (20:43) who also collected a decent pay packet after a good run. There were in fact four club members in the top ten, with Ethan Philips 4th in 21:16, James Tilley 7th in 21:36 and John Butters 8th and 1st veteran in 21:41. Millie Breese was 2nd Senior Female in 23:56 with Alnwick’s Ellie Price 1st and 13th in 22:44. Fran Naylor also ran, and was 55th, and, like JB, also turned out at Druridge! There were three Gold and two Bronze team medals for Morpeth Harriers at the North East Counties Athletics Association Cross Country Relays held at Thornley Farm, Peterlee on Saturday. By contrast with the often challenging muddy conditions that usually appertain for the Harrier League at this venue in the New Year, competitors were pleased to find this time some largely dry if uneven going on a blustery but fitfully sunlit afternoon. The first set of team medals were won by the club’s delighted Under 15 Girls, with the team comprising Megan Potrac (10 minutes 11 seconds), Molly Roche (10:43) and Charlotte Marshall (10:46) for a combined time of 31:40. Darlington Harriers and AC were the winners in 28:02 with North Shields Polytechnic Harriers 2nd (30:01). The first Gold came in the following Boys U/15 race, where, after first and second legs by Steven Craske (9:24) and Oliver Tomlinson (7:52), Oliver Calvert got the team into 1st place on the last leg with the day’s fastest time of 7:36 for a total time of 24:52. Harry Armstrong also ran the 1st leg for an incomplete B team in 9:32. Perhaps unsurprisingly after recent national performances, the U/17 A and B teams dominated their race. The A team of Joe Close (7:58), Eliot Kelso (7:36) and Bertie Marr (7:45) were 1st back in 23:19, less than 45 seconds ahead of the B team of Liam Roche, making a return to competitive action in 7:53, Elliot Mavir (8:21) and Ryan Davies (7:38). The fastest U/17 time of the day (7:15) was run by Houghton Harrier and promising triathlete Brandon Pye of Houghton Harriers, with Kelso and Davies recording the 2nd and 3rd fastest. Earlier in the day, there had also been three U/13s out in the Boys and Girls races, but in sadly incomplete teams. Grace Cunningham (10:55) and Emma Tomlinson (9:43) ran strongly in the Girls race, with Tomlinson recording the fastest leg. A third runner would undoubtedly have helped the team to a medal. Meanwhile Thomas Roche was the sole representative in the Boys race in 10:16. The club’s final Gold of the day was won in emphatic style by the U/20 Men, with Ralph Robson (10:38), Matthew Walton (10:17, the day’s fastest time) and Peter Smallcombe (10:23) finishing nearly three minutes ahead of nearest rivals Durham City AC. The final medal of the day for Morpeth was another Bronze, won in the combined Women’s Senior and Masters race, with Jane Kirby (14:32), Julie Vermaas (14:25) and Gemma Floyd (13:09) finishing in a total of 42:06, NSP’s Masters winning in 40:24 ahead of Elswick Harriers in 2nd (41:54). Floyd’s was the 2nd fastest Masters time of the day, with the Seniors race won by Houghton Harriers in 38:03, just ahead of Gateshead (38:11). The only disappointment was the club not turning out any teams in either of the Men’s fixtures, with Houghton again taking the Senior title ahead of Sunderland and Gateshead, and Tyne Bridge the Masters ahead of Elvet Striders and Sunderland Harriers. Let’s hope to rectify this next year! |
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