NEHL - Thornley Hall Farm

North Eastern Harrier League 2018-19 Fixture #5 - Thornley Hall Farm

Getting there

The farm is situated near Wheatley Hill on the A181

Postcode for the farm is: DH6 3LY

ABSOLUTELY NO RIGHT TURN COMING FROM DURHAM A181 you must go down to the roundabout and come back up TO THE SECOND ENTRANCE.

Parking

Important information about parking at Thornley 

PRICE is £2 per car. Please have this ready to ease traffic queues.


Tents MAY be dropped off at the first entrance if the traffic is not to busy otherwise you’ll have to carry them from where you are parked. 

Parking will firstly be on the road within the farm and then on the field.

Course

See course map and race schedule for Saturday at Thornley Hall Farm. Big think you to the landowner John and also Blackhill Bounders for organisation. I believe the forecast is rain, so traditional Thornley conditions look to be in order! 

Refreshments

Hot Hog Heaven will be there again this year serving amazing pulled pork sandwiches £4
Bacon sandwiches £3
Sausage sandwiches £3
Leek n potato soup with a roll £2:50, also tea and coffee £1
We now take card payments 

Race Numbers

As per usual, use your 2018-19 race number, if you have lost it you may buy a replacement at race HQ for £5

Under 11s who have had a birthday may move up to the U13s, but they need a new number (free transfer),  M65s may also transfer to the Ladies 2 lap race, but they also require a new number (also free).

Cross Country News by Bill McGuirk - Northern XC Champs

THE region's athletes were in excellent form at the Northern Athletics Cross-Country Championships were four individual gold and one silver medal together with two sets of gold, one set of silver and two sets of bronze team awards were the order of the day which topped the results of any of the other competing counties.

The championships returned to Pontefract Racecourse after an absence of four years and conditions couldn't have been better which was a bonus for the 300 plus competitors who traveled down the A1 to the Yorkshire venue.

The North East got off to a blistering start with Darlington's India Pentland, the North Eastern Counties champion, winning the under-17 women's 5k, the opening event on the 10-race programme.  

After the initial charge India only had Yorkshire champion Esther Rowe-Towle for company entering the final kilometre but the NE champion proved the stronger before encountering a stiff, short hill leading into the long finishing straight by which point she had opened up a sizeable lead which she extended to eight seconds by the finishing line.

Rowe-Towle (City of Sheffield and Dearne) came home a comfortable second with Vale Royal's Holly Smith completing the one-two-three.
It was a smiling India who commented after receiving her gold medal that she was thoroughly pleased with her performance and that she really enjoyed the course.

In a quick turnaround India was back in the presentation area this time to receive a team silver medal together with team-mates Catherine Roberts (16th), Elena Phillips (50th) Megan Noble who finished 82nd.

Following the Darlington quartet onto the podium was the Houghton foursome of Eva Hardie (24th), Lydia James (27th), Anna Pigford (30th) and Lara Greggs (73rd) who received the bronze medals after totaling 154 points, just five points more than Darlington.

As well as the medalists there were numerous other eye-catching performances including Morpeth's Holly Peck, who finished 12th; Gosforth's Rebecca Wren who was 19th and Chloe Wellings (Gateshead) who was 28th.

Next up was the junior women's 5.7k event and Birtley's Kate Waugh came perilously close to making it to the presentation ceremony. Unfortunately, Kate, who now is one the UK's leading tri-athletes, just missed out after finishing in fourth place.

Kate, who has a remarkable record in the Northern having won the under-13 in 2012; under-15 in 2014 and the under-17 in 2017, was having her first outing over the country since 2017 but despite that it was a gutsy performance after being in a medal position up until the half-way point.

Gosforth's Rhian Purves, Eli Barnbrook (New Marske) and Darlington's Jade Hutchinson also finished inside the top 30 in 15th, 24th and 28th place respectively.

The under-13 girls contest over an extended 3k had a line-up of over 200 with 25 competitors representing North East clubs.  And while individual medals were hard to come by Middlesbrough Mandale had plenty to cheer about as they came out on top in the team section.

The Teessiders were led home by Eden Creasey in fifth place with Zoe Hill (10th), Isabel Herbert (13th) and Emma McNeil backing her up to a gold medal total 50 points, well clear of Rotherham on 103 and Stockport on 129. Blackhill Bounders, led by Hannah Bowyer in 26th place, were the only other NE club to close in, finishing in 19th place.

The under-17 men's 6.37k championship was next to get underway and it proved profitable for the region with Wallsend's Sam Charlton taking the title and Morpeth winning the team section.  Charlton, the NE champion, was always in control as he tracked the leaders in the early stages before making his bid for glory midway through the second of two undulating circuits of the racecourse.

Rossendale's Matthew Mackay finished in bronze medal position, seven seconds adrift of Dickinson.

Gateshead's Charlie McMillan continued his run of improved form to finish in 11th spot with Ross Charlton next athlete from the region in 14th place leading Morpeth to receive the team honours.

Charlton was joined on the podium by team-mates Daniel Melling (21st), Rowan Bennett (24th) and 34th-placed Tom Balsdon.                
                    
Others who figured in the top 50 were Houghton's Henry Johnson, who was 17th, Middlesbrough Mandale's Jake Creasey and Archie Lowe who were 20th and 36th respectively; Tynedale's England 800 metres champion Dan Joyce (44th) and Darlington's Daniel Boyer, who was 45th.

The under-13 boys contest over 3k took the programme to the half-way stage and while the NE missed out on medals there were still plenty to be pleased with.  In a field over over 200 competitors, the region had nine finishers inside the top 40 with Houghton's Brandon Pye leading them home in sixth place followed closely by Gosforth's Ethan Bond one place behind.

Morpeth's Ryan Davies was next home in 10th place quickly followed by Darlington's Alex Boyer (14th) and 15th-placed Tom Slane (Blackhill Bounders).

Darlington's Daniel Richardson finished 21st; Joe Dixon (Morpeth) was 30th; Nathaniel Henderson (Tynedale) was 37th and John Max Murray (Alnwick) finished 40th.

In the team stakes Darlington finished 10th with 237 points and New Marske 15th with 354 points.

Over 200 competitors lined up for the under-15 girls 4k championship with the region well represented by around 40 competitors.

Unfortunately, no one managed to make it onto the podium but, nevertheless, there were still many impressive performances to savour.

Alnwick's Millie Breeze excelled to finish in sixth position, just 10 seconds outside a medal place. Millie was quickly followed across the line by Gateshead's Ines Curran, who was eighth; Birtley's katie Francis in 11th spot and Chester-le-Street's Emily Chong, who was 13th.

Next came Blaydon's Cecilia Reid (23rd); Houghton's Amy Leonard was 25th; Lucy Scothern (Chester-le-Street) was 29th; Lois Creasey (Middlesbrough Mandale) finished 34th; Houghton's Nicole Phillips was 40th and Holly Waugh (North Shields Poly) was 46th. Morpeth's Abigail Leiper and Tynedale's Kate Salthouse also finished inside the top 50 in 48th and 49th place respectively.

Chester-le-Street finished in 10th place in the team section with North Shields Poly 14th and Gosforth 19th.

The under-15 boys championship was also over a distance of 4k and once again, despite some impressive performances, there were no podium placings.

Birtley's Chris Perkins finished nine seconds outside a medal position in fifth place closely followed by Joshua Blevins (North Shields Poly) who was seventh.  Tynedale's Charlie Daley finished 13th and Gateshead's David Race overhauled four or five in the finishing straight to cross the line in 15th position.

Middlesbrough Mandale's Max Creasey finished 20th; Adam Russell (Darlington) was 35th; Ben walker (Morpeth) was 44th with North Shields Poly's Oliver Douglas one place further back.

The under-20 men's championship was next up and it proved a superb triumph for Morpeth's European Championship representative Rory Leonard.

Rory went into the contest as one of the youngest having won the under-17 title 12 months previously. However, it was an old head on a young body that came through strongly to win the 8k championship.

The Northumbrian settled into the leading pack before stamping his authority on the race midway through the second of two circuits.

At the finish 10 seconds was the winning margin with Yorkshire champion Euan Brennan (Ilkley) finishing in second place and Preston's Nathan Dunn completing the medallists.

After crossing the line Rory confessed that it was the most comfortable he had ever felt in a race.

Rory's Morpeth team-mate Alex Brown was next home for the North East finishing seventh, one place ahead of Houghton's Cameron Allen and four places ahead of fellow Morpeth Harrier Kieran Hedley.  Durham City's Luke Pickering was next home in 28th place.

Unfortunately, in the team stakes Morpeth missed out on a medal by the virtue of only having three runners in the four-to-score contest which left Preston, the only club with four athletes, to claim the gold medals.

The penultimate race on the programme was the senior women's championship over the same 8k distance as the junior men and Morpeth were hopeful that Mhairi Maclennan could retain her title that she won 2 months earlier.
It turned out to be a thriller worthy of a championship with a gusty performance if ever there was one by Edinburgh-based Maclennan.

The Scotland-born athlete knew she had been in a battle as she managed to get away from her main rivals in the final 500 metres to come home four seconds clear of Leigh's Lauren Heyes (formerly Howarth) with Blackburn's Jessica Judd, making her debut in the Northern Championships, finishing third a further eight seconds back.
A tired, but jubilant Mhairi confessed after crossing the line it was much tougher race than she had encounter the previous year at Harewood House, Leeds.

Mhairi's Morpeth team-mate Emma Holt was next NE finisher in 24th place followed by county champion Georgia Campbell (31st); former Gosforth athlete Rachel Lundgren was 38th, Catriona Macdonald (Morpeth) 39th; Heaton's Danielle Smythe 40th; Sunderland's Alice Smith 45th and Jarrow and Hebburn's Steph Pattinson 48th.

Morpeth, with 61st laced Gemma Floyd backing up Maclennan, Holt and Macdonald, finished in bronze medal position in the team section behind Leeds City and Rotherham.

With dark clouds overhead the final event of the day, the senior men's 12k contest got underway and again another Morpeth athlete went into the contest as the defending champion.

Carl Avery was determined not to let his title go without a fight and he did his utmost to hang onto his crown.
However, he found one athlete just as determined to claim the gold medal on this occasion and try as he may he just could see off the challenge of Leeds City's Emile Cairess who was having his first taste of senior competition after winning the under-20 championship 12 months earlier.

After the initial charge which saw over 700 face the starter, Carl was quickly in contention and as the race unfolded he and the Yorkshireman were battling it out at the head of affairs.  However, it was the younger Cairess who proved the stronger in the closing stages getting away with the finish line in sight to come home nine seconds clear of the the Northumbrian.

It was a superb contest but on this occasion Avery had to give way to a better athlete on the day but despite that he was still upbeat after moving through to collect his medal.

"There's no doubt he is a talented athlete,'' said Carl before adding, "but I'm still happy with my run though slightly disappointed not to retain my title.''

County champion Greg Jayasuriya (Middlesbrough and Cleveland)  was next home for the region in 23rd place closely followed by fit again Carl Smith of Tyne Bridge.

Birtley's Adrian Bailes finished 35th with Middlesbrough Mandale's Kieran Walker a further two places behind. Gateshead's Conrad Franks and Finn Brodie (Tyne Bridge) both finished inside the top 50 in 42nd and 48th place respectively.

Morpeth were the leading NE team to close in in fifth place (409pts) followed by Gateshead (11th) 703pts; Tyne Bridge (12th) 919pts; Sunderland Strollers (24th) 1,643pts; Gosforth (27th) 1,716pts; Houghton (32nd) 2106pts; Blackhill Bounders (35th) 2,171pts; Sunderland (36th) 2,201pts; Heaton (39th) 2,438pts; South Shields (42nd) 2,555pts; Low Fell (44th) 2,658pts; and Blyth (50th) 2,971.


Congratulations to all the region's athletes who made the trip, whether a medalist or not, taking part in the regional championships is something to be proud of. Well done and good luck to those who will be heading back to Yorkshire in three weeks time to take in the National Championships!


ROLL OF HONOUR

Individual gold
Senior Women: Mhari Maclennan (Morpeth)
Under-17 Women: India Pentland (Darlington)
Under-20 Men: Rory Leonard (Morpeth)
Under-17 Men: Sam Charlton (Wallsend)

Individual silver
Senior Men: Carl Avery (Morpeth)

Team gold
Under-13 Girls: Middlesbrough Mandale
Under-17 Men: Morpeth

Team silver
Under-17 Women: Darlington

Team bronze
Senior Women: Morpeth

Under-17 Women: Houghton

Photos: Adrian Royle & Tony Wood (woodentops.org.uk)

Sherman Cup & Davison Shield Results

Hi Folks,

Results for the weekends first NEHL Fixture of the new year, held at Temple Park on Saturday 5th January may be found on the harrier league website.  Many congrats to all who took part.

Individual winners as follows:

U11 Girls - Poppy Wilde, Elswick Harriers
U11 Boys - Zac Brannon, Morth Shields Poly
U13 Girls - Charlotte Dillon, Durham City
U13 Boys - Tom Slane, Blackhill Bounders
U15 Girls - Katie Francis, Birtley
U15 Boys - Christopher Perkins, Birtley
U17&20 Women - Holly Peck, Morpeth
U17 Men - Will Bellamy, Houghton
Senior Women - Laura Weightman, Morpeth
Senior Men - Carl Smith, Tyne Bridge
Masters Women (35+) - Gemma Floyd, Morpeth
Masters Men (40+) - Robert Walker, Sunderland Harriers

In the team events Morpeth dominated both the cup and the shield finishing with only 10 points in the cup, and 18 points in the shield.

Laura Weightman led from the outset in the senior womens race, comfortably winning in 20:49 ahead of team mate Emma Holt 22:28 across the 3.8 mile course.  With four Morpeth senior women in the top ten, and 3 more masters 35+ women in the top twenty, it was a clear victory in both categories.  Their weakest category was the under 13 girls, finishing 11th overall, but they made up for it in the under 15s (3rd) and under 17&20s (2nd) with Holly Peck recording the individual gold.

The Sherman Cup was an easier victory that the Shield, with Morpeth claiming victory in the first three races, then second in the senior men (behind Tynebridge), and 5th in the masters men, to finish with a 10 point total.

Well done to both teams!

Team medals and the trophies will be presented at NEHL Thornley at the next fixture.

NEHL Temple Park - Sherman Cup & Davison Shield

Hi all.

Happy New Year!

Here is the course map for this weekend's Sherman Cup fixture at Temple Park. Please note parking details as posted by Ashleigh (below). Start times are as usual (see http://www.harrierleague.com/ ), although it may be possible to get Men's event underway at 1345. Look forward to seeing everyone on Saturday. 

GENTLE REMINDER; This is the only event in the Start Fitness North Eastern Harrier League Calendar that is run off scratch - ie NO PACKS, Everyone goes off together in each race.

Make sure that you have on this season's race number, under 11s are yellow, juniors are orange, men are purple, and women are blue.  It will have 2018/19 written on the front, and will have a chip on the back.

Parking is limited so please car share where possible. You will need your change handy as parking is not free inside Temple Park. I think it is 70p but it could have gone up since last year. It is council owned so they will be taking payment, or you can pay at the machine.

Race headquarters is in the foyer of the leisure centre and numbers will be available for collection from 10:30, then on the course from 12:45.  Please arrive in enough time to get parked and collect your number (if you don't have one already).

Postcode for the event is NE34 8QN

12.00 Under 11 Boys 
12.05 Under 11 Girls
12.15 Under 17 men 
12.20 U17 and U20 women
12.35 Under 15 Boys
12.40 Under 15 Girls
12:50 Under 13 boys
12:55 Under 13 girls
13.05 Senior & veteran women
13:50 Senior & veteran Men


Are you attending the Start Fitness NEHL race at Temple Park this weekend? If so, post your event photos to Instagram 📸 with #NEHL and TAG our Instagram page @StartFitnessuk in your post to be in with a chance of winning vouchers to spend in store and online!

Cathedral Relays

34th CATHEDRAL CROSS COUNTRY RELAYS

HOSTED BY BIRTLEY AC

INCORPORATING THE NORTH EAST MASTERS ATHLETICS

ASSOCIATION OPEN CROSS COUNTRY RELAYS

(UNDER UKA RULES, permit applied for)

SUNDAY 13th JANUARY 2019 AT LORD LAWSON OF BEAMISH ACADEMY, BIRTLEY, DH3 2LP

TEAMS of 3, 2 laps of 1500m      

ENTRY FEE £15.00 per team

RACE 1 10.00 MASTERS M35-44, M45-54, M55-65, M65+

• All masters must be first claim members of NECAA clubs

RACE 2 11.00 SENIOR WOMEN/MASTERS WOMEN

W35-44, W45-54, W55-64, W65+

RACE 3 11.50 SENIOR MEN

PRIZES: Note only team awards will be presented on the day, full results/individuals later 

Race 1 Winning teams, NEMAA medals to 1st 3 age category teams, Fastest leg awards in 5 year categories, M35, 40, 45, 50, 55, 60, 65,70+

Age must be declared on the team declaration form

Race 2 1st 3 Senior Women`s teams, winning masters teams, fastest legs as above + SW

Race 3 1st 3 teams and fastest leg

RACE CONDITIONS: Teams must be declared at least 20 minutes before the start time

Age group prizes will only be awarded in declared master`s teams

Age category must be specified on declaration sheet

First claim runners only

Strict colours rule UKA 143 S1 (3)

Seniors must be 16 years or over on January 13th

The promoters will accept no liability for any loss or damage to equipment and clothing or for any injuries while competing

NB IN GATESHEAD SCHOOLS THERE IS A STRICT NO DOGS POLICY WITHIN SCHOOL GROUNDS.

ONLINE ENTRIES WILL OPEN VIA THE BIRTLEY AC WEBSITE ON MONDAY DECEMBER 17th  birtleyac.co.uk 

CLOSING DATE TO BE CONFIRMED (online entry form) WEEK BEGINNING JANUARY 7th 2019.

PLEASE NOTE IT IS MUCH APPRECIATED THAT BIRTLEY AC HAVE STEPPED IN TO ORGANISE THIS EVENT AT VERY SHORT NOTICE. 

TEAM AWARDS ONLY ON THE DAY.

NECAA Cross Country Championships - Results

Hi folks,

Congratulations to the winners and a massive well done to all who took part at the 113th NECAA XC Champs held at Wrekenton on Saturday 8th December 2018.

The winning individuals and teams as follows:

U11 (non championship)

1st Boy - Zac Brannon, North Shields Poly
2nd Boy - Jem Henderson, Tynedale
3rd Boy - Alex lienard, unattached

1st Girl - Eden Creasey, Middlesbrough Mandale
2nd Girl - Zara Jones, Darlington
3rd Girl -  Sophie Quinn, Billingham Marsh House

Full under 11 results here

U13 Boys

1st Boy - Tom Slane, Blackhill
2nd Boy -  Ryan Davies, Morpeth
3rd Boy -  B. Pye, Houghton

Teams

1st - Morpeth (21) Davies, Dixon, Hudspith
2nd - Durham City (26) Terry, Glanville, Henderson
3rd - Gateshead (46) Dragoi, Das, Asquith

U13 Girls

1st Girl - Zoe Hill, Middlesbrough Mandale
2nd Girl - Emma McNeil, Middlesbrough Mandale
3rd Girl -  C. Dillon, Durham City

Teams

1st - Middlesbrough Mandale (8) Hill, McNeil, Herbert
2nd - Durham City (19) Dillon, Gibson, Peart
3rd - Gateshead (39) Crowder, Milburn, Milburn

U15 Boys

1st Boy - Christopher Perkins, Birtley
2nd Boy -  Joshua Blevins, North Shields Poly
3rd Boy -  Ethan McGlen, Gateshead

Teams

1st - Morpeth (38) Waterfield, Gooding, Duffin
2nd - Gateshead (38) McGlen, Race, Rooke
3rd - North Shields Poly (39) Blevins, Douglass, Eden

U15 Girls

1st Girl - Innes Curran, Gateshead
2nd Girl - Mille Breese, Alnwick
3rd Girl -  Katie Francis, Birtley

Teams

1st - Birtley (24) Francis, Graham, Thwaites
2nd - Gateshead (27) Curran, Hughes, Morris
3rd - Chester-le-Street (36) Chong, Scothern, Whitley

U17 Men

1st Man - Samuel Charlton, Wallsend
2nd Man - Daniel Dixon, Morpeth
3rd Man - Will Belamy, Houghton

Teams

1st - Morpeth (15) Dixon, Charlton, Melling
2nd - Middlesbrough Mandale (21) Haycock, Lowe, Currie
3rd - Houghton (33) Bellemy, Johnson, Taylor

U17&20 Women

1st Woman - India Pentland, Darlington
2nd Woman - Holly Peck, Morpeth
3rd Woman -  Elisha Tait, Gateshead

Teams

1st - Gateshead (28) Tait, Wellings, Baker
2nd - Houghton (38) Hardie, Pigford, Greggs
3rd - Morpeth (41) Peck, Hufton, Duffield

U20 Men

1st Man - Josh Cowperthwaite, Middlesbrough Mandale
2nd Man - Taylor Glover, Morpeth
3rd Man - Alexander Brown, Morpeth

Teams

1st - Morpeth (11) Glover, Brown, Briggs
2nd - Middlesbrough Mandale (15) Cowperthwaite, Begstrand, Spence
3rd - Durham (34) Pickering, Horsfield, Stephenson

Senior Women

1st Woman - Georgia Campbell, Jarrow & Hebburn
2nd Woman -  Emma Holt, Morpeth
3rd Woman -  Danielle Smythe, Heaton

Teams

1st - Jarrow & Hebburn (62) Campbell, Pattinson, Rutherford, Robinson
2nd - Morpeth (76) Holt, Floyd, Falloon, Gibbs
3rd - Gosforth (84) Warburton, Mellor, McKechnie, Moffatt

Senior Men

1st Man - Greg Jayasuria, Middlesbrough & Cleveland
2nd Man -  Kieran Walker, Middlesbrough Mandale
3rd Man -  Jack Willis, Middlesbrough & Cleveland

Teams

1st - Morpeth (132) Lawrence, Scott, Floyd, Straughan, Douglass, Innes
2nd - Durham City (142) Jenkin, Garbutt, Hornsby, Cook, Eaton, Everson
3rd - Gateshead (183) Franks, Cripwell, Christie, Alexander, Connolly, Linsley

Full team results here
Full individual results here

Race photos on Stuart Whitman Photography

Senior women's race 2nd (Emma Holt) and 1st (Georgia Campbell)

Senior Men's race winner Greg Jayasuria

The 114th North Eastern Cross Country Championships will take place at Alnwick Castle on December 14th 2019

113th NECAA Cross Country Championships

113^th NORTH EASTERN COUNTIES CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS

Gateshead Harriers host the 113^th running of the North Eastern Counties Cross Country Championships on Saturday at the popular Wrekenton North East harrier League venue, with a twist as all races will be ran in the opposite direction.

Saltwell Harriers hosted the 103^rd championships at the same venue ten years ago on a very wet day, resulting in a muddy course. Many of this Saturday`s entrants will have memories of that day and a lot will feature again. 

Highlighting a few of the 2008 finishers, in the senior men`s race Conrad Franks (Gateshead) 9<sup>th</sup> last year and 20<sup>th</sup> in 2008 will be looking for his best north eastern finish after leading home the England Master`s M35 squad to team gold at the annual Great Britain and Ireland annual master`s cross country international in November at Swansea. Dan Garbutt (Durham City), so consistent over the years and 3<sup>rd</sup> Junior Man in 2008 and senior winner in 2013 will also contest a wide open senior men`s field. Last year`s winner Jack Martin does not defend and Greg Jayasuriya (Middlesbrough & Cleveland) 3^rd last year at Redcar should be among the race favourites. 

NECAA Team Manager Stewy Bell, 6^th in 2008 is once again entered by Blackhill Bounders. Morpeth could be under threat from Tyne Bridge in the team event, where Philip Winkler, an U13 bronze team medallist with Alnwick ten years ago may feature as a counter.

In the senior women`s field, Jane Hodgson 3<sup>rd</sup> in 2017 and running under her maiden name  Mooney was 7<sup>th</sup> in 2008 she is entered in the Morpeth team who finished runners up in a close team race with Jarrow last time out. Morpeth`s Emma Holt, second at Redcar will be a strong favourite with Jarrow`s Georgia Campbell definitely in the mix leading the defending team champions. Sonia Samuel`s the 2017 winner is unlikely to run and both Kate Avery (Shildon) and Lydia Turner (Birtley) are on Great Britain duty at the European Cross Country Championships in Tilburg in Holland. Ten years ago, Lydia finished 3^rd in the U13 girls race.

From a list of forty odd technical and ancillary officials in 2008, twelve still remain on duty this year in various capacities. Keith Wood (Saltwell H), 2008 Clerk of Course will lead his course set up team to an early start once again.

In 2008, 183 finished the senior men`s race, with 501 entries this year, 400+ could finish.  62 completed the 2008 senior women`s championship and this year`s entry of 317, points to an impressive 250+ finishers. Ten years ago,  all ten age groups saw a total of 500 complete the challenging course on the day, this should easily be doubled on Saturday.

The U11 Boy`s non championship gets proceedings underway at 10.35am, with the championship events at 11.00, with the feature senior men`s and senior women`s races at 1.00 and 1.55 respectively.

Archie Jenkins

Championship Secretary