WREKENTON WARMS TO THE MASSES
WHAT is it about the Start Fitness Harrier League that continues to attract huge numbers? On a bitterly cold day with temperatures never rising above freezing over 1,100 hardy souls headed for the frozen former reclaimed Gateshead coal mine to compete over a testing cross-country course painstakingly set out by the volunteers of Saltwell Harriers just as dawn was breaking - how did they manage to hammer the stakes into the frozen ground?
While the turnout in the senior races were well
below previous due to clashes of other events in the region and further afield
that certainly cannot be said for the opening two events on the programme, the
under-11 boys and under-11 girls “Try Cross-Country” runs with a huge number of
youngsters eagerly waiting under starters for their one-mile contest.
Absolutely remarkable!
SENIOR/UNDER-20 MEN (6 Mile)
DURHAM University student James Johnson was having his first-ever cross-country race and he made it look easy as he stormed home well over a minute clear (31min 25secs) of his near 400 rivals with Crook duo Anthony Sayer, 32:58, and Chris Alborough, 33:18, completing the one-two-three. Johnson, a talented swimathlon performer and in his third year at Durham, was all smiles after his victory and after crossing the line had this to say:
“I really enjoyed that despite it being my first cross-country race for you would more than often see me in the pool rather racing around fields.” The Cumbria-based student added: “The course had everything which you would expect cross-country to be though there was not much mud on the circuit, yes, it was a great run out and hopefully I’ll be able line up in a future harrier league fixture.”
While Johnson cut out a lonely figure at the head of affairs all awhile medium pack and senior pack competitors were attempting to cut into the 2min 30secs and 5min 15secs respectively. And it was Darlington’s Rory Hart who managed to do just that as he worked his way from the fast pack to cross the line in 14th place in an actual time of 31:14, the under-20 athlete being quickest overall, 11 seconds faster than James with Birtley’s Adrian Bailes next quickest with 31:36 to finish 17th while GB international 100k representative, Jarlath Mckenna (Tyne Bridge), was next best with 31:51 for 21st place.
Leading the way in the
under-20 category was Hart (31:15), second quickest was Morpeth’s Ethan Bond
(32:42) with Durham University’s William Parker (33:13) next best. In the team
event, Gateshead, led home by Andrew Mulhall in fifth place, topped the First
Division scoring 42 points with Durham City in second place (122pts) and
Birtley third on 158pts. 396 finishers.
SENIOR/UNDER-20 WOMEN (6
mile)
A two-and-a-half-minute start proved no handicap for former European Junior bronze medallist Lydia Turner, the Birtley athlete hauling in long-time leader, Gateshead’s Aoife Bell, to cross the line in first place with the fastest overall time of the day of 22:55. Bell was a comfortable second with the bronze award going to Durham University’s Jessica Paterson. Second quickest on the course was Wallsend’s Jenny Berry, giving away a five-minute start to work her way through the field to finish in 18th place in an actual time of 24:26.
Former National Under-17 champion Justina Heslop (Elswick) was next quickest three seconds and one place behind Berry. Fastest Under-20 on the course was Birtley’s Katie Francis in 24:53, followed by Gateshead’s Iona Johnstone (25:46) with Bell next best on 26:01.
In-form Jesmond Joggers, led home by 12th-placed Liz
Heard, came out on top in Division One with 31 points followed by Sunderland
55pts, with Morpeth third on 60pts. Wallsend, led home by 13th placed
NatalieTwaddle, topped Division Two with 34pts followed by Tynedale with 49pts
and Ponteland on 54pts. 342 finishers.
UNDER-17 MEN (4 Mile)
LUCAS POWELL (Tyne Bridge) took full advantage of the two-and-a-half-minute start to claim a comfortable 14-seconds victory over Durham City’s Leonard Lee with Gateshead’s Alfie Cook, running from the fast pack, a close-up third. Next quickest behind Cook (16:28) was Durham City’s William Jardine (17:17) with Alnwick’s Liam Macdonough being given the same time as Jardine. Powell led Tyne Bridge to team victory with 24pts, one point ahead of Durham City with Sunderland third on 43pts. 32 finishers.
UNDER-17 WOMEN (4 Mile)
TYNEDALE’S Hannah Cutler was a comfortable winner by 32 seconds over Gosforth’s Millie Moat with Cutler’s Tynedale team-mate, Esme Moat working through from a 1min 10secs penalty, to claim third place. Fastest on the course was Durham City’s Grace Carter (actual time 20:32) after defying a 2:30 handicap to finish in fifth place. Second quickest was Pugh (20:53) with Cutler next best (21:31). Tynedale (14pts) finished ahead of Morpeth (44pts) in the team stakes. 21 finishers.
UNDER-15 BOYS (2 Mile)
It was another victory for the Tynedale club with victory going to Arthur Darling whose winning time of 8min 50secs proved to be the third quickest overall. Durham City’s Joe Shields finished runner-up in 8:56 (fourth quickest). With Darlington’s Luke Gardner claiming the bronze award in third place (8:59). Fastest on the course from a 1min 15secs penalty was Darlington’s Rowan Steel who worked his way through the field to finish in ninth place in an actual time of 8:41. Second quickest Noah Williamson (NE Project) in 8:43. Darlington, led home by Gardner, topped the team event with 12pts - their B trio had 26pts – Elswick finished second on 38pts with Tynedale third one point further adrift. 39 finishers.
UNDER-15 GIRLS (2 Mile)
BIRTLEY’S Tegan Bishop held off the fast-finishing Holly Robison (Houghton) to claim top place on the podium to cross the line in 10min 38secs. Robison defied a 1min 15secs handicap for second place 12 seconds adrift of the winner with Isabelle Christie (Derwentside) completing the one-two-three in 10:54. Second quickest on the course was Robison’s Houghton team-mate, Kathryn Pye with a time of 9:50 with Emily Collingwood (Gateshead) next best after posting 9:52. Houghton, with 12th placed Lexie Brown backing up Robison and Pye, won the team event with 18 points, Gateshead were second with 36pts and Birtley third with 47pts. 38 finishers.
UNDER-13 BOYS (2 Mile)
YET another Tynedale success with victory going to Monty Carter (10:09), who held off the fast-finishing Ollie Curran (Darlington) by just three seconds, Carter, giving the winner a start of 1min 15secs. Elswick’s Jack Galvin crossed the line in third place (10:24) to claim the bronze award. Second quickest on the course was North Shields Poly’s Peter Davies with an actual time of 9:20 after working his way through to sixth place. Third quickest, one second adrift of Davies, was Durham City’s Henry Englehart. Carter led Tynedale to team success finishing with 26pts, one point clear of Darlington with Gosforth finishing third on 44pts. 59 finishers.
UNDER-13 GIRLS (2 Mile)
NORTH Shields Poly’s Elsa Hawkins claimed victory in 10min 47secs, crossing the line seven seconds clear of Ayda Davison, the Wallsend athlete holding off the fast-finishing Poppie Phillipson by just one second, Phillipson running from the fast pack and 1min 15secs handicap (actual time of 9:40) was naturally the quickest on the course with Gateshead’s Lucy Jarvis next best with 10:11 followed by Evie Kleiser (Durham City) with 10:12. Elswick, led home by 11th-placed Jemima Bond, won the team stakes with 40pts winning on countback with Durham City finishing on the same number of points to finish second with Houghton third on 62 points. 43 finishers.
UNDER-11 BOYS (1 Mile)
AS MENTIONED in the introduction there was a superb turnout in both the under-11 ”Try Cross-Country” contests with a huge contingent of spectators cheering EVERYONE on. And, by were they rewarded, as the youngsters opened the day’s proceedings with the first two home having identical times of six minutes 29 seconds with the judges deciding that Darlington’s Acer Tarn got the verdict by the width of a vest over North Shields Poly’s Matthias Gheorghiu. Jarrow and Hebburn’s Jacob Hopper claimed third place in 6:39. It was an awesome way to kick-off the programme. 72 finishers.
UNDER-11 GIRLS (1 Mile)
AS SHE has done in all her previous contests North Shields Poly’s Ada Penfold once again showed a clean pair of heels to her rivals breaking the tape in six minutes 15 seconds, 35 seconds clear of Gosforth’s Ruby Colins with the Newcastle club’s Robyn Bain claiming third place in 7:06, one second ahead of Celia De Lucas (Phoenix Flyers). 53 finishers.
**ONCE again another
excellent harrier league fixture superbly staged by Saltwell Harriers, their
marshalls’ actively cheering on competitors throughout the long day. Thanks
also in making the fixture go smoothly to the technical officials, the first aid
team, the police cadets on car parking duty, for without your input fixtures
like this would not go ahead. Next up Temple Park, South Shields for the
Sherman Cup/Davison Shield on February 2, see you all there when, hopefully, it
will be a wee bit warmer!
BILL McGUIRK
Photos: Stuart Whitman Photography
