NEHL Thornley Race Report

 IT’S BACK WITH A BANG – THAT’S THE NEHL

 

CLUB athletes turned out in their droves at the opening fixture of the Start Fitness North East Harrier League at Thornley Hall Farm.

Despite the recent heavy rainfall there was not a sign of any mud, a rarity for the tough County Durham course. Selecting the right footwear for the undulating event was a big decision – spikes, flats or trail shoes – for those 1,200 plus competitors all eager to line up in the 10-race programme. 

However, while there were many happy and smiling faces throughout the day’s proceedings, the final event of the day commenced on a rather sombre mood, for, as the senior men took to the start line for their contest they were informed that one of their own had passed a couple of days earlier while holidaying in Spain. Tyne Bridge Harrier David Young, was a great supporter of the harrier league with his last outing before setting off on holiday was in the GNR. 

Race officials and athletes alike showed their respect by standing for an immaculate minute silence ending with a round of applause before getting underway. The NEHL committee and indeed athletics enthusiasts throughout the region send their condolences to David’s family and all of his friends.

 

SENIOR MEN

THREE circuits of the undulating farmland faced the athletes and by the completion of the first lap North Shields Poly’s Neil Sillence had broken away and was around 100 metres ahead of Morpeth’s Oliver Tomlinson, Liam McDonough (Alnwick) and Newcastle University’s Max Hazlehurst while Ben Cook (NSP) was the pick of the medium pack after giving the leaders a two-and-a-half minutes start. 

All the while Leeds City visitor Linton Taylor was cutting back into his five-minute handicap from the fast pack. Going into the final lap Sillence had extended his advantage over his nearest rivals and by the finish line, he was close to 400 metres ahead (36min 13secs) as Hazlehurst came through strongly to claim second place in 37:32 with McDonough completing the one-two-three in 37:38. Meanwhile, Taylor, winner of Elswick’s River Run earlier in the year, crossed the line in ninth place in 39:51 (actual time 34:51) to post the fastest overall time of the day. Second quickest were fellow fast pack runners Luke Davis (Newcastle University, 10^th) 35:08 and Birtley’s Adrian Bailes (15^th) in 36:04. 

While it’s early days with six fixtures still to come, Morpeth head Division One led home by Andy Lawrence to finish on 83 points, followed by North Shields Poly, 152pts and Birtley with 156pts. In Division Two Wallsend set the pace with Osian Heggarty their leading scorer to finish with, 77 points, two points clear of Elswick with Heaton finishing with 228pts for third place. Sedgefield top Division Three, led home by James Oldfield, finishing with 133 points, Sunderland Strollers finished on 169pts with Blackhill Bounders next on 177pts.

416 finishers

 

Crook AC Senior Men

SENIOR WOMEN

MEGAN STENHOUSE, recently called up by England for an international under-23 10k road race in Italy later this month warmed up by not only winning the contest but also, running from the slow pack, posted the day’s fastest overall time. The Durham University and Rugby and Northampton athlete, was never troubled as she quickly set out her stall by shooting off from the gun to take a commanding lead which saw her come home in 25:36 over three minutes clear of Crook’s recently-crowned NE Counties 10,000m champion, Sarah Attwood (28:54) with Alice Rea (Jesmond Joggers) next home in 30:42. Second quickest on the course was Newcastle University/Copeland’s Ava Leadetter in eighth spot in an actual time of 26:50 while next best was Jessica Eaton(Tyne Bridge) in 16^th place in 27:49.

In the team section, Tyne Bridge came out on top of Division One, led home by Sophie Marr, to finish with 24pts followed by Sunderland on 52pts and Jesmond Joggers on 58pts. In Division Two Birtley led the way home to finish on 29pts with Lilyanna Turner their first counter; Elswick finished second on 32pts with Crook third on 44pts. In Division Three Newcastle University lead the way thanks to Leadbetter’s excellent run, to finish on 37pts; Blyth finished second on 65pts closely followed by Gosforth on 68pts.

342 finishers

 

Birtley Senior Women

UNDER-17 MEN

FROM the offset a trio of athletes pulled away from their rivals and it stayed that way until the closing stages when Tynedale’s Archie Darling managed to ease away to win by six seconds in 22:52. Blyth’s Dexter Heatley (22:58) finished runner-up a similar distance ahead of third-placed Joe Shields of Durham City who recorded 23:04. Quickest on the course, giving !min 30secs start to the leading three, was in-form Gateshead athlete Alfie Cook who managed to work his way through into fifth place at the line after recording an actual time of 21:25. Second fastest was Arthur Di Lullo who finished eighth in 22:23 with Durham City’s William Jardine (10^th) next best with 22:27.

Darling led Tynedale to team victory with 21pts followed by Durham City just point behind with Tyne Bridge finishing in third position with 45pts.

28 finishers

 

UNDER-17 WOMEN

NORTH Shields Poly’s Anna Johnson took an early lead and was never troubled after that despite the efforts of Morpeth’s Molly Roche to keep in touch. The positions remained the same throughout with Johnson crossing the line in 23:15 followed by Roche 14 seconds behind with Emily Collingwood (Gateshead) next home in 24:09. Johnson led the Poly to team success with 18pts followed by Durham City with 26pts with Morpeth finishing in third spot on 34pts.

20 finishers

 

 UNDER-15 BOYS

THE leading trio took full advantage of their 1min 20secs start over the fast pack and it was the Tynedale club who were celebrating their second success of the day when George Hunter came home in pole position, posting a time of 12:10. Morpeth’s Mason Gaylor finished runner-up 12 seconds adrift with Blyth’s Alistair Johnston a further seven seconds back in third place. Fastest on course was Wallsend’s Kasper Pearson who worked his way through to finish in 11^th place in an actual time of 11:57. Hunter was second best on the day with Gaylor third quickest. Hunter also led Tynedale to team victory with 23pts followed closely behind by Elswick 25pts with Morpeth third on 28pts.

43 finishers.

 

UNDER-15 GIRLS

DURHAM City’s Evie Klieser proved the best on the day crossing the line in 14:33, 13 seconds clear of Houghton’s Kiera Wilson with Gosforth’s Nckija Poulatova a further 20 seconds back in bronze medal position. The leading trio were the outright fastest on the day. In the team stakes Durham City came out on top with 16pts followed by Elswick with 23pts and Gosforth with 27pts.

36 finishers

 

UNDER-13 BOYS

AFTER the initial early charge which saw a seven-strong group at the head of affairs after the completion of the opening field, it was Jarrow and Hebburn’s Jacob Hopper who was to prove successful, crossing the line in 13:43, 14 seconds clear of Heaton’s Henry Hardy and Daniel Bell (Tynedale) who both recorded 13:47 respectively with Hardy getting the judges verdict for second place. Fastest on the course was North Shields Poly’s Ethan Hughes who worked his way through from a 1:20 handicap to finish in 15^th position to end up with an actual time of 13:33. Hopper was next best (13:43) then came Darlington’s Rhys Price (13:50).

Bell led Tynedale to team victory with 29pts followed by North Shields Poly with 33pts then came J&H with 43pts.

56 finishers

 

UNDER-13 GIRLS

GOSFORTH’S Ruby Collins proved the stronger in the closing stages as she came home by just four seconds (15:12) ahead of Celia De Lucas (Phoenix Flyers) with Elodie Stoker (Elswick) completing the one-two-three in 15:29. Quickest on the course was Martha Carr (Prudhoe Plodders) who defied a penalty of 1:20 to work her way through the field to finish in seventh place with an actual time of 14:48. Second fastest, just two seconds adrift of Carr, was North Shields Poly’s Elsa Hawkins (14:50) with the race winner next best with 15:12. Fourth-placed Elodie Soward led the Poly to another team success with 22pts, followed by Sedgefield on 47pts, then came Elswick with 52pts. It was pleasing to see 11 clubs closed in in this age group.

51 finishers

 

UNDER-11 BOYS

THIS age group saw many on the start line experiencing cross-country for the very first time so the course builders had lain out a relatively straightforward test which proved fine for Sunderland’s Oscar Paxton as he came home first in a time of 5:24, four seconds clear of North Shields Poly’s Edward Duff with Logan Garrington (Gateshead) completing the medal winners in 5:38.

55 finishers

 

UNDER-11 GIRLS

IT WAS another success for the strong North Shields Poly club with victory going to Emily Mann in 5:54. Sunderland’s Anna Butler finished runner-up in 6:03 with Emily Hirst (Gateshead) next across the line in 6:12.

48 finishers

 

MALE O-65

CROOK’s Geoff Hewitson took victory in fine style crossing the line in 35:10, 35 seconds clear of Durham City’s Paul Tomaney (35:45). Ponteland’s former Olympian, Ray Smedley finished in third place in 36:07. Fastest on the course was Smedley’s team-mate Robert Sewell, who worked his way through from a 2:20 handicap to finish in fourth spot in an actual time of 35:38. Hewitson was second quickest with Tomaney third. Smedley led Ponteland to team victory – Wales Commonwealth Game representative Iuean Ellis was third counter - with 12pts followed by Crook on 27pts.

17 finishers

 

**A FINE opening fixture would not have been possible without the support of numerous people and groups so it goes without saying the NEHL are indebted firstly to Jon Taylor and his helpers for the use of his farmland – over £2,000 was collected on car park duties which Jon mainly passes on to a charity of his choice – to Stewy Bell and his Blackhill Bounders team  for setting up, taking down the course and being on marshalling duties throughout the day; to all the technical officials for being at their post covering the long programme; to the first aid team, a very important part of the day’s proceedings, and finally to Start Fitness for their continuing support which contributes in making the NEHL one of the most successful leagues in the country if not the overall best.

The league now moves onto Druridge Bay for the next fixture which is on SUNDAY, October 12 with the usual start time. Let’s see another huge turnout for the Blyth Runniing Club’s-hosted event.

 

BILL McGUIRK.