NEHL Lambton Race Report by Bill McGuirk

 

LAMBTON PARK HL, SUNDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2024

 

STORM ASHLEY DOES A RUNNER

THE threat of extreme heavy rain and high-risk winds of Storm Ashley proved unfounded as over 1,300 hardy souls turned out for the second fixture of the Start Fitness North East Harrier League in Lambton Estate all eager to make up for lost time after the previous scheduled event at Druridge Bay was postponed due to parking problems. 

Despite a few reservations there were no difficulties this time round with parking thanks to the landowners’ assistants who were on hand to see that vehicles were parked up in an orderly and tidy manner despite the post code for the venue causing a few dilemmas! 

Once again it was an early start for the marshals and course builders from the Low Fell, Birtley and Washington clubs who braved the worst of the weather before the venue changed to glorious sunshine much to the delight of the senior athletes.

 

SENIOR MEN

 

THE final event on the programme proved to be a battle between athletes from two of the major local universities as the three-lap multi-terrain contest unfolded. At the completion of the first circuit a group of half-a-dozen or so were locked together as they exited a narrow gate with Newcastle University’s Patrick Davis just heading Gosforth’s Al Johnson, Blackhill’s Ashley Slaven and Durham University duo Miles Brierley and Jake Black. 

All the while Birtley’s new acquisition from Leeds City, Alex Bellew, was cutting back a 2min 58sec handicap from the medium pack while likewise, the leading fast pack group, which included Newcastle University’s Luke Davis, Birtley’s Adrian Bailes, Jarlath McKenna (Tyne Bridge) and Birtley’s Lewis McConnell steadily cut into the start of 5min 15sec. 

Davis continued to cut out the pace entering the penultimate circuit with Johnson in second place followed by Brierley and Black, the Durham Uni pair contesting the HL for the first time this campaign. Going into the final lap Davis had opened up a significant gap and looked strong as Bellew moved through into the top 15 and fast-lappers, Davis, Bailes and McKenna were now just outside the top 20. 

As the athletes came into view before taking in the 150m-long finishing straight it was the multi-coloured-vested Davis who appeared first, however, it was to be a close encounter for Brierley was hot on his heels but an exciting finish saw Davis hang io claim victory by just three seconds with Bellew coming home in bronze medal position a further eight seconds adrift. Meanwhile, Bailes proceeded to get the better of his fast pack rivals to cross the line in a superb seventh position followed by Luke Davis, one place and nine seconds behind with the pair posting the two fastest overall times of 35:54 and 36:03 respectively. Third quickest on the course was India-bound McKenna who finished in 10^th place in 36:22. 

There were 451 finishers. The team results – Div One: 1 Tyne Bridge 91pts; 2 Birtley 104pts; 3 Durham City 120pts. Div Two: 1 Newcastle Uni 44pts; 2 Jesmond Joggers 90pts; 3 Wallsend 168pts. Div Three: 1 Durham Uni 78pts; 2 South Shields 154pts; 3 Blyth 186pts.

 

SENIOR WOMEN

WITH under-20s now lining up with the seniors it was pleasing to see four of that age group finishing inside the top five. Victory went to Durham City’s Lucy Storey who crossed line in 27:48, 29 seconds clear of fellow under-20 rival Imogen Bungay of Elswick with Morpeth’s Holly Lawrence the first senior home in third place nearly a minute adrift. 

Fastest overall on the course was Charlotte Dillon (under-20), running from the medium pack with a 2min 31sec penalty, the Houghton athlete finishing just outside the medals in fourth place with an actual time of 26:47. Second and third quickest overall were former Stevenage athlete Storey and Bungay respectively with Sunderland’s Grace Carroll posting the fastest time from the fast pack with 28:56 on her way to finishing in 23^rd place. 

There were 365 finishers. The team results – Div One: 1 Durham City 18pts; 2 Jesmond Joggers 52pts; 3 Morpeth 66pts. Div Two: 1 Tynedale 33pts; 2 Wallsend 36pts; 3 Gateshead 50pts. Div 3: 1 Newcastle Uni 19pts; 2 Birtley 72pts; 3 Houghton 81pts.

 

MASTERS OVER-65

AT THE opening fixture at Thornley Hall Farm there were only 11 competitors, however, this time round there were nearly double that number. Once again the two quickest on the course were Ponteland pair Mick Meaney and former Olympian Ray Smedley with Crook’s Geoff Hewitson, who missed Thornley, third best.

 

UNDER-17 MEN

A QUARTET of Jamie Lonergan (Blaydon), Sunderland’s William Young, Lucas Powell (Tyne Bridge) and Durham City’s James Omerod were setting the pace at the completion of the opening small lap before going off into the country to face a long circuit. 

As the field came back into view approaching the finishing field it was Lonergan who had moved into a comfortable advantage to cross the line in 19:34, 13 seconds clear of Young with Omerod claiming the final medal position a further six seconds adrift. North Shields Poly’s Daniel Watson, giving away a 2min 34secs start worked his way through into fourth place with the day’s fastest overall time of 17:54; Alnwick’s Liam Mcdonough, in fifth place, was second quickest with 18:03 and Tynedale’s Arthur Di Lullo was third best in seventh spot after recording 18:17. There were 35 finishers. 

Durham City came out on top in the team event with 31pts; Sunderland finished second with 40pts and North Shields Poly were third with 55pts.

 

UNDER-17 WOMEN

IT WAS a North Shields Poly one-two with victory going to slow pack runner Anna Johnson (23:26) who was followed across the line by Darcey Tullis (24:18) who had given her team-mate 1:20 start running from the medium pack. Chester-le-Street’s Lucy Buckle, also running from the medium pack, finished in third place in 24:30. 

Fastest on the course was Blackhill’s Hatti Stead, who worked her way through the field from a fast pack penalty of 2:35 to cross the line in fourth place in 24:42 (actual 22:07). Johnson was second fastest and Tullis third quickest. 

There were 31 finishers. The team resulted in: 1 North Shields Poly 16pts; 2 Tynedale 34pts; 3 Durham City 39pts.

 

UNDER-15 BOYS

THE podium places were all filled by slow pack runners who took advantage of a 1min 44secs start over their fast pack rivals. First home was Tynedale’s Adam Bell who had a 13-seconds cushion over Elswick’s Dominic Kelso with Blaydon’s Jacob Hendry a close-up third just two seconds further adrift. 

Fastest on the course was North Shields Poly’s James Sturman who worked his way through the field to finish in fifth place with an actual time of 12:42. Second fastest was Wallsend’s Kasper Pearson, 10^th in 13:09 with Darlington’s Rowan Steel 13^th in 13:27. There were 40 finishers. The team resulted in: 1 North Shields Poly 26pts; 2 Elswick 44pts; 3 Blyth 75pts.

UNDER-15 GIRLS

ALNWICK’S Maria Moore claimed a notable victory winning by six seconds ahead of Birtley’s Nell Graham with Gateshead’s Iona Murray completing the one-two-three a further 22 seconds adrift. 

Fastest on the course was Houghton’s Holly Robison who worked her through to finish in fourth place from 1min 44sec penalty to record an actual time of 14:00. Gateshead’s Emily Collingwood posted 14:54 to be second quickest with Robison’s Houghton team-mate Kathryn Pye next best with 14:57. There were 45 finishers. Team Result: 1 Gateshead 18pts; 2 Birtley 21pts; 3 Houghton 31pts.

 

UNDER-13 BOYS

IT WAS a Poly one-two with victory going to Noah Penfold who crossed the line 19 seconds clear of team-mate Peter Davies with Gosforth’s Will Hester completing the medallists. Fastest on the course, running from the fast pack 1min 44secs handicap, was Durham City’s Henry Engelhart with an actual time of 13:47 after working through the field to finish in seventh place. Second quickest was Penfold (13:52) with Davies third best with 14:11. 

There were 52 finishers. Team result: 1 North Shields Poly 7pts; 2 Gosforth 35pts; 3 Elswick 55pts.

 

UNDER-13 GIRLS

POPPIE PHILLIPSON defied 1min 45secs handicap to come home in pole position (16:12, actual 14:27), to claim victory by 30 seconds. Eleanor Maxwell (Tyne Bridge) was second across the line with Tynedale’s Hattie Williams third a further 10 seconds back. Second quickest on the course was Phillipson’s Birtley team-mate Izzy Hall, who finished in fourth spot (15:25) with Morpeth’s Heidi Wilkinson next best with 15:56. 

There were 54 finishers. Team result: 1 Elswick 31pts; 2 Wallsend 33pts; 3 Morpeth 45pts.

 

UNDER-11 BOYS AND GIRLS

THE youngest age groups faced the worst of the weather though it didn’t deter a total of 152 hardy souls facing the starter in the “Try Cross-Country”, many of whom taking part for the very first time despite Lambton being one of the toughest on the harrier league circuit. In the boys contest, where there were 74 finishers, victory went to North Shields Poly’s Matthias Gheorghiu in 7min 33secs closely followed by Jacob Hopper (Jarrow and Hebburn) in 7:38 with Juan Figueroa-Gazmuri (Phoenix Flyers) in 7:56. 

In the girls event it was a double celebration for the Poly with Ada Penfold claiming victory to add to Gheorghiu’s success, winning in a time of 7:26. Second girl home was Gosforth’s Ruby Colins (8:07) with Elodie Soward, also of NSP, third in 8:29. Overall an excellent turnout considering the weather with 30 of the region’s clubs represented.

 

**THANKS to sponsors Start Fitness for their continued support; to the landowners and it’s staff, especially those on car parking duties; to the first aid team and to the course builders and marshals together with the technical officials for making the fixture another highly-successful event. The Harrier League breaks new ground for the next fixture on Saturday, November 23 which takes place at Eltringham Farm and hosted by Prudhoe Plodders when a huge turnout is expected.

 

BILL McGUIRK

Photos by Stuart Whitman Photography