Morpeth Harriers were the winners of the 9th annual Weetslade Relays on Wednesday evening (20th June 2018) for the 3rd consecutive year and for the 4th time overall since the race’s inception in 2010. Held again in their customary tranquil spot at Lockey Park, Wideopen this year was notable in part for some changes to the course necessitated by recent housing developments, meaning legs were now longer (nominally 2.5 miles) with the route itself, though still necessitating a lung-bursting ascent of the old Weetslade spoil heap, now run in the opposite direction from previous years. The unusual and unique format, however, of teams of three comprising one male, one female and one veteran of either sex stayed the same and the race’s popularity is reflected in the 100 complete teams that finished. Jordan Scott got the club off to an impressive start on the first leg, coming home in 1st place in a time of 13 minutes and 26 seconds which proved to be the 3rd fastest overall time of the night, and putting the A team in a commanding position by nearly a full minute from the off. With veteran Jane Hodgson on second leg currently on a run of very fine form, it was clear that the lead was never likely to be challenged, all the more so as she ran what proved to be the fastest female time of the night, 15m 5s. This meant Lewis Timmins on final leg already had a lead measurable in minutes by the time he set off, but despite the absence of any competition around him, he showed what good form he too is in when clocking the fastest leg of the night (as he had last year when running for Gosforth Harriers) of 13m 15s. Photos courtesy of Jonathan Maley The A team’s winning time of 41 46s, in addition to clearly being a record for the new course,
was also nearly 4 minutes ahead of their 2nd place rivals, Tyne Bridge Harriers (45m 21s) for whom James Dunce on last leg ran the 2nd fastest time of the night (13m 21s) to just over haul Justina Heslop of Elswick Harriers in the run-in. It was a bitter-sweet return to competition to a clearly below-par Heslop who has not competed for two years but whose stunning leg over the course in 2015 lingers long in the memory. Danii Smyth of Heaton Harriers was credited with the fastest senior leg of 15m 47s. But Weetslade is also very much a race with a very inclusive nature and Morpeth were able to field another six teams in total. Best placed was the B team of Andrew Lawrence (14m 35s), returning to competition as he himself admitted somewhat off the pace, Alison Brown (17m 18s) and Andrew Hebden (15m 21s) who came in in 8th place (47m 14s) only a matter of 27 seconds ahead of the C team of Lee Bennett (14m 20s), Gwenda Cavill (18m 38s) and Fergus Bates (14m 43s) who were 11th. Notable amongst a string of good performances in the other teams was a first race in a Morpeth vest for Jill Bennett in a very respectable 18m 28s and a first relay outing in Morpeth colours for Kiwi John Clark (17m 42s). Special commendation should also go to Paul Brown, who only received a call to run at 5.30 pm when still at work, following a last minute drop-out, and still made the start. Other team results were D team: Phil Walker (15m 35s), Jane Kirby (19m 45s) and Paul Waterston (15m 53s), 31st E team: Mike Winter on home turf (16m 42s), Jill Bennett (18m 28s) and Richard Kirby (17m 27s), 37th G team: John Clark (17m 42s), Carol Parry (20m 24s) and Steve Haswell (16m 20s) F team: Steve Johnsone, (17m 39s), Sue Smith (19m 59s) and Paul Brown (17m 32s) Seventeen athletes from Morpeth Harriers were in action at the third meeting of the Start Fitness
sponsored North East Grand Prix Series, held at Jarrow’s Monkton Stadium on the remarkably cool evening of Wednesday 20th June 2018. The event incorporated the Stan Long Mile, dedicated to the legendary Gateshead Harriers coach, and former mentor and friend of International legend, and former BBC Athletics Commentator Brendan Foster. Henry Johnson of Houghton earned himself the winner’s trophy by winning the first of three-mile races in 4m17.10s, however not far behind him in third place, and posting a lifetime best of 4m18.85s was Morpeth’s Sam Hancox, who got up to a top three place, despite being tripped in the early exchanges, which nearly resulted in him being jostled out of the race. The Mile B race also had its moments for a Morpeth Harrier, when after going for an opportune surge for home in the early stages, Under 17 athlete Daniel Melling found himself eventually reeled in by Wallsend Harrier Simon Lyon in the last 200m of the four-lap event, however once the home straight was reached Melling regained an advantage to eventually win in 4m36.60s, stealing nearly a second from the luckless Lyon at the finish line. It was also Melling’s first ever attempt at the Mile distance, and considering his best for 1500m, just over 100m short of the Mile distance is 4m31.3s, to take just around five seconds more to run that extra, is certainly phenomenal for an athlete, still so young. Morpeth also had another new “Miler” in action, in the form of Under 17 Woman Lily Heaton, who finished tenth in the C race in 5m29.89s, her best for 1500m being 5m08.9s. In the Under 15 Boys 200m, Morpeth’s Max Marr finished second in 26.19s, a new personal best performance. Marr enjoyed further glory in the Field Events, when winning the Junior Long Jump competition as leading Under 15 athlete, with a best effort of 5.42m, which was also a brand-new lifetime best performance. There were more Morpeth Harriers personal best performances achieved in the Under 13 and Under 15 800m events. Rebecca Bradley was tenth fastest Under 15 Girl, when she posted a time of 2m36.19s, when she finished fourth in the B race. In the Under 13 Boys A race, Morpeth’s Ryan Davies and Bertie Marr finished second and third, posting new figures of 2m29.40s, and 2m33.0s. The B race saw Joe Dixon achieve his very first individual race win, clocking a personal best of 2m52.50s. In the Under 15 Boys A race, North East Champion Ben Waterfield finished second to Gateshead Harrier David Race, posting a time of 2m06.77s, losing out for victory by a mere fraction of a second. Finishing sixth in the same race was his Morpeth club colleague Dylan Gooding, who posted a new personal best of 2m17.23s. Another personal best was achieved by Dylan Davies, who finished sixth in the Under 15 Boys B race in 2m29.68s. Daniel Dixon, older brother of Joe, was the fastest Under 17 Man in the Graded 3000m, posting a new personal best of 9m02.23s, when finishing second to Sedgefield Harrier Senior Man, Kieran Walker. Morpeth’s Matthew Waterfield finished an excellent second in the first heat of two in the Graded 400m, and was very clearly the fastest Under 20 Man, posting a time of 50.00s, which was agonisingly just a fraction short of his personal best. Sean O’Hara finished fourth in the first heat of 3 Graded 200m, posting a time of 23.62s. Further Field Event action saw Bobbie Griffiths finish third overall in the Senior Javelin. She was the only Under 20 Woman competing, and she produced an on the night best of 36.35m. In the Junior Javelin, her Morpeth club colleague Daniel Dowd threw an on the night best of 37.91m to finish as second Under 15 Man. Kayleigh Wenn of Morpeth produced 3.93m to finish tenth overall in the Senior Long Jump. Being an Under 17 Woman, she was one of the youngest competitors. Morpeth’s Laura Weightman, who is still hopeful of securing a place at the forthcoming European Athletics Championships, being held in Berlin in early August, posted a seasons best 800m time of 2m02.11s, in the third fastest race at the third regional BMC Meeting, held at Chester Le Street on the evening of Monday 18th June 2018. She was one of eight from her club in action on the night. Sam Hancox and Daniel Melling of Morpeth set new personal bests of 2m01.96s and 2m07.45s respectively, when finishing third and first in the fourth and eighth fastest races. Jordan Scott of Morpeth produced a seasons best of 2m04.93s in the fifth fastest 800m event. In the second fastest race, Alistair Douglass finished second in 1m57.58s. Tom Innes and Ben Waterfield of Morpeth, both competed in the sixth fastest race, finishing fourth and fifth, with respective times of 2m08.4s, and 2m08.6s. Finally, Rhiannon Hedley of Morpeth, posted a time of 2m37.22s, when finishing seventh in the tenth fastest race. Rory Leonard of Morpeth Harriers was only a few strides away from an England Athletics Silver Medal,
when he was sensationally tripped from behind by Swansea Harrier Conor Smith in the Under 20 Men’s 3000m at the combined Under20/Under 23 Track & Field Championships at Bedford County Stadium on Saturday 16th June 2018. Leonard always held a front running position in the seven and a half lap event and was very much in control of things at the bell, going away from eventual winner James Vincent of Cardiff with 300m remaining. As the finish straight was reached Leonard dug deeply as Vincent challenged. Vincent came wide as the finish line beckoned, eventually kicking away for Gold. Meanwhile Leonard kept a true line remaining on the edge of Lane One, but with around 15 metres remaining, Smith went for the narrowest of gaps close to the inside, and clipped the heels of Leonard, which brought the pair of them to the floor with around 15 metres remaining, ruining the chances of a medal for either of them. Unfortunately, the proximity of others around them meant that they lost vital places, despite being able to pick themselves up, otherwise unscathed. Whilst Smith ran through to finish fifth in 9m16.0s, Leonard finished sixth in 9m16.9s, disappointingly and frustratingly left to rue his lost chance. Thankfully for Leonard, no injury was sustained, and he will live to fight another day, in a season that up to now, has been going very well. Nineteen athletes from Morpeth Harriers took part in the Northern Schools Inter Counties Track & Field Championships, held at Gateshead Stadium, on Saturday 16th June 2018.
Half of those in action won their respective events, representing Northumberland, who had a truly excellent day collectively, by winning five of the six team competitions, and finishing third in the other, which cumulatively made them the overall winners on the day, ahead of second placed Cumbria, with Durham third and Cleveland fourth. This competition was the last stepping stone for athletes with aspirations of competing in the All England Schools Championships, which take place in Birmingham on Friday and Saturday 13th and 14th July. Several Morpeth Harriers may well be amongst the 24 candidates that Northumberland selectors will need to choose, and after Saturday’s performances produced a few borderline cases suitable for consideration, an anxious wait for some is on the cards. Ben Waterfield of Morpeth won the Junior Boys 800m in a new personal best time of 2m05.54s. Another Junior Boy winner from the club, was Daniel Dowd, who proved to be a clear winner of the 600g Javelin, by producing a new lifetime best of 40.42m, which was around a four-metre improvement. Morpeth Harriers newcomer Nat Arkle finished third in the Junior Boys Hammer, with a best throw of 25.18m. In the Junior Girls 75m Hurdles, Morpeth’s Amy Lott got the judges verdict over Cleveland’s Charlotte Rutter in a close photo finish. Lott posted a time of 11.84s, which was a fraction adrift of her lifetime best. Jessica Gardiner won the Junior Girls 1kg Discus with her best throw of 29.90m, which was a lifetime best. She had been expected to do well in the 3kg Hammer, however could only achieve an on the day best of 28.31m, which saw her finish third, just over a metre adrift of the leading pair from Cleveland, and another Northumberland thrower. Another good Morpeth Junior Girls result came in the 500g Javelin, where Alice Geoghegan finished second, with an on the day best of 27.85m, and Rosie Winter placed third with 25.91m, both being lifetime best performances. Mia Belton produced an excellent run to finish third in the Junior Girls 300m in 44.66s, which was her second-best time in the event. On to the Intermediate Boys, where the best Morpeth performer was Ethan Stephenson, who produced a lifetime best of 13.63m in the Triple Jump, which was around seventy centimetres better than all previous, a performance that also will probably see him on the bus to Birmingham, as it is well inside the entry standard, and just a mere fraction adrift of national standard. The Intermediate Boys 1500m saw Morpeth pair Tom Balsdon and Rowan Bennett finish third and fourth, posting respective times of 4m23.80s, and 4m25.43s. Lily Heaton and Holly Peck of Morpeth both had excellent wins respectively in the Intermediate Girls 800m and 1500m events, posting times of 2m24.08s, and 4m51.91s. Matthew Waterfield and Taylor Glover of Morpeth Harriers were respective winners of the Senior Boys 400m and 1500m, posting times of 50.18s, and 4m17.84s. Six Morpeth Harriers were unable to make a top three placing, results were as follows JUNIOR BOYS 1500m Euan Duffin (5th) 4m29.06s, JUNIOR BOYS High Jump Ben Waterfield (7th) 1.41m, JUNIOR GIRLS 200m Rosie Winter (5th) 28.21s, JUNIOR GIRLS 800m Rhiannon Hedley (7th) 2m31.48s, INTERMEDIATE BOYS 3000m Daniel Melling (6th) 9m37.39s, INTERMEDIATE GIRLS 3Kg SHOT PUTT Elena Saunders (5th) 9.49m. |
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