SALTWELL HOST SUPERB DAY’S
SPORT
YOU wanted mud, well, you got
it a plenty in the fourth fixture of the Start Fitness North East Harrier
League hosted superbly by Saltwell Harriers in Wrekenton. There was no sign of
the dreaded stuff at the opening three fixtures at Thornley, Druridge Bay or
Lambton, but as the snow disappeared on the tough former reclaimed pit land, it
made a tough course even tougher. Saltwell, one of the oldest club’s in the
land, pulled out all the stops to give competitors a great day’s sport from the
off at the car park ably manned by young personnel to an excellent team of
marshalls which included a couple of members leisurely going round litter
picking! With the fixture disappointingly clashing with the Sunderland 10k it
came as no surprise that numbers in the senior contests were down on previous
fixtures this season - senior men 458, senior women 385 – however, that
certainly wasn’t the case with the youngest age group, under-11s, where 71 boys
and 65 girls managed to face the starter which was the biggest turnout this
season, well done to all coaches and parents for making that happen.
SENIOR MEN
GATESHEAD’S Lewis Liddell led throughout the three-lap contest taking full advantage of his start over the medium pack (2min 30secs) and fast pack (5:00) to win comfortably in 33:18. Second across the line came Heaton’s Chris Larkin, running from the medium pack, in 34:24 (actual 31:54) to post the second fastest time overall, with fellow medium pack runner Stephen Jackson third home in 35:20 (32:50).
Fastest
on the course was Newcastle University’s Luke Davis who finished in 13th
place in 36:50 (31:50) with Jarlath McKenna (Tyne Bridge) next best in 15th
position in 37:07 (32:07). In the team stakes, North Shields Poly came out on
top in Division One with 108pts, led home by Peter Glen-Ravenhill; Morpeth
finished second on 132pts with Gateshead finishing a close third with 134pts.
After four fixtures, the Poly head Division One with 10pts, followed by
Gateshead on 12pts then Newcastle Uni on 14pts. Division Two is headed by
Wallsend on 12pts followed by Elswick with the same number of points then comes
Houghton with 16pts. Sedgefield head Division Three having come out on top in
all four events, Tynedale are second with 10pts followed by Washington on
23pts.
458 finishers
UNDER-20 MEN
TYNEDALE’s Maximus Murray was first under-20 home crossing the line in fourth place running from the mediums finishing with a time of 35:32 (33:02) which was the quickest under-20 on the course. Durham City’s Thomas Runacres was next home in 14th place in 36:59 (34:29) followed by Newcastle Uni’s Joseph Collini in 17th place in 37:14. Second fastest under-20 behind Murray was Morpeth’s Oliver Tomlinson in 33:51 followed by Runacres. Under-20 athletes are counted as seniors for team purposes
SENIOR WOMEN
THE first four home ran from the slow pack taking advantage of a 2min 31sec start over the mediums and five minutes over the fasts and it was an excellent run by new Elswick recruit Maria Catterall who found the testing course to her liking after crossing the line (27:29) over a minute clear of the host club’s Julia Hunter (28:34). Completing the one-two-three came Jesmond Joggers’ Sorcha Macintyre in 28:38.
Fastest on the course was Sunderland’s Jessica Fox, running from the fast pack after weaving her way through the field to finish in seventh place in 29:40 (actual 24:40). Second quickest was Jessica Eaton in eighth place, also from the fast pack, in 29:45 (24:45) followed by Anna Pigford in 11th in 29:59 (24:59).
Morpeth, led home by Morag Stead, won Division One with 35pts,
followed by Tyne Bridge with 48pts then came Jesmond Joggers with 80pts. In
Division Two, Gateshead, led home by Jess Sails, claimed top spot with 37pts,
followed by Crook (50pts) and Elswick (51pts). In Division Three, Newcastle
University, led home by Lola Potts, came out on top with 29pts, followed by
Gosforth (82pts) and Blyth (107pts). The overall standings after four fixtures are
– Division One: 1 Tyne Bridge 9pts; 2 Jesmond Joggers 12pts; 3 Morpeth 14pts.
Division Two: 1 Crook 9pts; 2 Birtley 11pts; 3 Elswick 14pts.
385 finishers
UNDER-20 WOMEN
THIS age group is now run in
conjunction with the seniors and first junior home was Newcastle University’s
Lola Potts in 10th position in 29:55 (27:25), next across the line
in 26th place came Emily Booth (Jarrow and Hebburn) in 30:41
followed by 31st placed Ania Stobbart (Tynedale) in 30:48. Fastest
on the course was Hatti Stead (Blackhill) in 26:19 followed by Blaydon’s Ellie
Fellows (26:30) with Potts next best on 27:24. Under-20 athletes are counted as
seniors for team purposes
UNDER-17 MEN
THE first three home took advantage of a 2min 30secs start with victory going to North Shields Poly’s Phoenix Hayton-Rowell in 18:41. Twenty seconds adrift came Darlington’s William Hart with Maddison Carr (Elswick) finishing in third place in 19:58. Tynedale’s Jamie Lonergan was next home running from the fast pack in 20:01 (17:31) followed by fellow fasts Freddie Palmer (Tyne Bridge) 20:11 (17:41) and Joe Shields (Durham City) 20:17 (17:47).
In a tight team contest, Tynedale, led by
Lonergan, came out on top with 30pts, followed by Tyne Bridge with 31pts and
Durham City with 34pts. After four fixtures, Tynedale lead on countback with
Durham City, both clubs on 8pts with Tyne Bridge in third place on 14pts.
26 finishers
UNDER-17 WOMEN
IT WAS a gun-to-tape win for
Darlington’s Charlotte Owens (21:17) who came home nearly a minute clear of
second-place Freya Beckingsale (North Shields Poly) who recorded 22:11.
Morpeth’s Emma Tomlinson claimed the bronze award in third place in 22:34.
Matilda Owens (twin sister of Charlotte) was fastest on the course overall running in the fast pack, finishing in 20:54, followed by Charlotte, with Freya third fastest. Next quickest Phoebe
Mulligan (Prudhoe Plodders) running from the fast pack who finished in 13th
place in 24:55 (22:25).
Only two clubs closed-in a team with Morpeth, led home
Tomlinson, totalling 27pts to finish ahead of Durham City’s 30pts. After four
fixtures Morpeth and Durham City are locked together with both on seven points
with NSP in third place with 12pts.
18 finishes
UNDER-15 BOYS
TYNEDALE’s George Hunter
defied a handicap of 1min 20secs to come home in pole position 12:08 (10:48).
Second across the line was fellow Tynedale athlete George Lunt, running from
the slow pack in 12:17. Completing the medallists was Morpeth’s Mason Gaylor,
also running from the fast pack, 12:28 (11:08) with Durham City’s Henry
Englehart (5th) next quickest, 12:35 (11:15). Tynedale, led by
Hunter, came out top in the team contest finishing with 7pts, followed by
Elswick with 34pts and Morpeth on 37pts. After four fixtures, Tynedale lead
with 5pts, followed by Elswick on 8pts and Morpeth on 16pts.
40 finishers
UNDER-15 GIRLS
A HANDICAP of 1min 20secs proved no problem to the first seven athletes across the line with victory going to Birtley’s Olivia Murphy in an excellent time of 13:19 (11:59). Following her home in second place was Alnwick’s Emilia Waugh in 13:35 (12:15) then came in third place, Poppie Phillipson (Birtley) in 12:43 (12:23).
What an
exceptionally strong age group this is this season. Morpeth, led home by
fourth-placed Heidi Wilkinson, won the team race with 20pts, followed by Durham
City on 52 and Houghton with 56. After four fixtures Durham City head the table
with 8pts with Elswick in second place on 9pts followed by Birtley on 16pts.
41 finishers
UNDER-13 BOYS
DURHAM CITY’S Felix Hutchinson took full advantage of his 1min 20secs start to claim victory in 12:21 with Edward Hamilton (Tyne Bridge), also running from the slows, finishing runner-up in 12:38. Claiming the bronze award was fast pack athlete Noah Penfold (North Shields Poly) 12:42 (11:22).
Following Penfold home in
fourth place and second quickest on the course came Alnwick’s Finley Waugh
13:19 (11:59) with next best being Tynedale’s Monty Carter who finished sixth
13:22 (12:02). Tynedale, led home by Carter, topped the team stakes with 21pts
followed by North Shields Poly on 40pts and Tyne Bridge on 50pts. After four
fixtures North Shields Poly currently head the table on 9pts followed by
Tynedale on 10pts and Morpeth on 13pts.
65 finishers
UNDER-13 GIRLS
THE first two home defied a 1min 20secs handicap with victory going to Martha Carr of Prudhoe Plodders in 14:09 and an actual time of 12:49. Second across the line came Sedgefield’s Jess Davies 14:32 (13:12) followed by Amelia Lind (North Shields Poly), running from the slow pack, in 14:36.
Led by Amelia, North Shields P:oly led the team
section with 15pts, followed by Wallsend with 43pts and Tynedale on 50pts.
After four fixtures, North Shields Poly currently head the table on 9pts,
Elswick lie in second place on 18pts followed by Wallsend in third spot on
22pts.
55 finishers
UNDER-11 BOYS
AFTER coming out on top in
the opening three fixtures, Oscar Paxton (Sunderland) was relegated into second
place this time round with victory going to North Shields Poly’s Matthias
Gheorghiu with Matthias recording 6:08 to win by 12 seconds as Jamie Michalowicz,
also of the Poly, claimed third place in 6:27.
UNDER-11 GIRLS
SUNDERLAND’S Anna Butler
claimed her first success of the season after finishing runner-up on the
previous three occasions. The Wearsider crossed the line in 6:50 and was
followed home by Tynedale’s Millie Carter in 6:54 and Laila Oulaid (Tyne
Bridge) in 6:58.
MEN OVER-65
MICK MEANEY (Ponteland
Runners) tasted victory for the first time this campaign crossing the line in
33:06 with previous winner, Paul Tomaney of Durham City, finishing runner-up in
33:28. Crook’s Geoff Hewitson finished in third place in 33:58. The first
over-70 to finish was Robert Sewell of Ponteland Runners in 32:09 while George
Routledge (Heaton) was first over-75 home in 51:00.
** A HUGE thank you to
Saltwell Harriers once again for hosting an excellent day’s sport; to all the
club’s marshals who were at their posts encouraging competitors throughout the
long day; to the technical officials and chip timing team without whom there
wouldn’t be an event; to the first aid squad who had a few things on their
hands and finally to all the competitors who made the day go off so well.
BILL McGUIRK
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