Alnwick Harriers

From festive races to the thrills and spills of cross-country, plenty of Alnwick Harriers were in action at the weekend.

On Saturday, the North Eastern Counties Athletic Association staged its Annual Cross-country Championship at Wrekenton. The race attracts the highest standard of athletes from across the North East region.

The highlight for Alnwick came in the Juniors, with Millie Breese finishing second in the U15 category.

Following their success last year as the U13 champions, the girls moved up to U15 for this year’s race. As the younger year of the category, they faced some tough competition, however the girls weren’t daunted and Mille ran a superbly confident race.

Millie ran a strong first lap of the 4km course, maintaining her position close to the front of the field. In the final 500m of the race, she moved up to second place and following a very close battle over the last 200m with Katie Francis, of Birtley, she finished as runner-up in the championship. A superb result for a first-year runner of that age category.

Elsewhere in the Junior section, Jack Price was the club’s only U11 boy, but once again proved himself, finishing an excellent 12th place amongst the 65 strong field. In the U11 girls’ content, Tess Hindmarsh ran a good race to be first home of the five-strong Alnwick team.

In the U13 races, Max Murray-John finished 15th as first counter for the Alnwick boy’s team and Ellie Price was first home for the girls. The girls had a large enthusiastic team who showed great potential for next year. The U15 boys’ team also made up predominantly of first-year runners had a strong team, Joseph Godden and Gregor Batley were first counters for the club.

The U17 boys were last to run of the whole day, fastest for Alnwick was Ben Murray-John who completed their course in 25min 32s.

The Junior harriers turned out an enthusiastic set of teams who tried their utmost on the day. It was encouraging to have such a depth of experience within the teams with both new and seasoned runners taking part. Next year the Championship will be held in Alnwick which will be an excellent opportunity to build on this year’s success.

Unfortunately, in the senior men’s race, just four club representatives turned out on the day, meaning that they didn’t have a large enough team to count. However, those who wore the Alnwick vest put in some decent individual performances across the 12k course.

First back for Alnwick, and finishing 49th overall, was Dave Richardson, clocking 48.09, while Graham Simpson was four places further back in 48.16. He was followed by Bruce Crombie in 52.56 and Jason Dawson in 53.16.

In the women’s race, Alnwick’s female team put in a good showing to finish 22nd overall.

Coming just inside the top 100, Diana Weightman was 95th, finishing the 8k course in 40.48. She was followed by Jo Powell (41.28), Bev Blythe (45.30) and Emma McGee (46.40).

On Saturday morning, a good number of Harriers were in parkrun action.

One of the performances of the weekend came at the Newbiggin event, where Alice Tetley-Paul finished a fantastic second overall and first female, clocking 22.02 and matching her course PB in the process.

Others to wear the club vest were Kim Bronze (34.39) at Sheffield Hallam, Mark Hume (35.34) at Gateshead, and Richard and Gay Eastoe at Workington, who finished in 40.46 and 41.19 respectively.

There were some decent performances at the Druridge Bay parkrun, including from Mel Steer and Lorna Stephenson, who both showed that girl power is alive and kicking. Mel was third female overall, in 24.43, while Lorna grabbed a 30.13 PB.

RESULTS

18: Neil HAMILTON 23.09
29: Mel STEER 24.43
31: Ian STEPHENSON 24.52
33: Alex REED 25.22
50: John ROSS 27.40
91: Lorna STEPHENSON 30.13
106: George WILLIAMS 33.01

On Sunday, Ashington Hirst Running Club staged its Fell ’em Doon Festive 5k. Ruary Slater was first home for Alnwick in 26.25, followed by Linda Patterson (29.23), George Williams (29.57) and Lorna Stephenson (31.51).

Junior Alnwick Harrier Ollie Telfer showed that the future is bright for the club, storming to victory at the Druridge Bay parkrun on Saturday.

The youngster (JM15-17) won the 5k race in a personal best time of 18.01, finishing seven seconds ahead of the rest of the field.

It was a great performance from Ollie, who has been putting in some decent results of late and is progressing at a rate of knots.

Ollie headed a whole host of Alnwick Harriers who turned out at Saturday’s parkrun.

Finishing in the top 10 were Paul White (18.37) and Phil Hall (19.40), while Ollie’s dad Mike came 11th in 20 minutes exactly.

First female home for Alnwick was Carole Page, in 21.40. A frequent winner of the women’s race, she was fourth overall this time around – showing just how strong the turn-out was in the ladies’ category on Saturday.

Aside from Ollie, a number of other Alnwick Harriers grabbed PBs, including two of his Junior colleagues, with Eleanor Heeley (JW11-14) finishing in 24.13 and Chloe Givens (JW11-14) clocking 25.21. Senior Harrier Robert Enser also ran his fastest time yet at Druridge, notching a pleasing 20.37.

RESULTS

1 Ollie TELFER 18:01
8 Paul WHITE 18:37
9 Phil HALL 19:40
11 Michael TELFER 20:00
15 Robert ENSER 20:37
16 Robert BADDELEY 21:13
18 Carole PAGE 21:40
19 David BARNES 21:42
25 Tony JACKSON 22:27
28 Alice TETLEY-PAUL 22:37
32 Neil HAMILTON 22:57
49 Eleanor HEELEY 24:13
50 Paul ROBINSON 24:46
52 Louise CALLAGHAN 25:18
53 Chloe GIVENS 25:21
60 Ruary SLATER 25:54
67 Emma GIVENS 26:21
92 Justine NORMAN 27:22
95 David COOPER 27:28
103 George WILLIAMS 28:13
134 Laura MCLEAN 31:22

Last Saturday’s Druridge Bay parkrun saw the finish of another Alnwick Harrier Grand Prix. The 2018 top 12 runners are confirmed and are currently having their names engraved on their unique trophies.

The presentation will take place at the Hog’s Head Inn, Alnwick, on Wednesday, December 19, after the Parlaufs.

Thanks to everyone who ran our races in 2018. The good news we will be doing it all again in 2019.

Away from Druridge, a good number of Alnwick Harriers were out and about at other parkruns around the country.

Top of the bill was Isaac Moss who finished third at the Sheffield Hallam parkrun in 17.18 – just two seconds behind the winner. Incredibly, in what was a very tight race, there were only three seconds between the top four runners. Talk about a sprint finish!

Elsewhere, Zoe Robson (27.27) was in action at the Finsbury parkun, David Hindmarsh tried his hand at the Fountains Abbey parkrun for the first time, finishing in 21.38, and Richard and Gay Eastoe represented the club at the Workington parkrun, crossing the line in the 38.06 and 43.12.

Closer to home, Philip Lee ran 25.26 at the Whitley Bay parkrun.

On Sunday, there was an age-category win for Peter Grey at the Blyth Sands Race. In what looked like tough conditions, Peter crossed the line in a very good 39.04, taking the V60 crown.

In the same fixture, David Henderson came away with a PB, finishing in 45.26.

Elsewhere, Gay and Richard Eastoe ran in the Hoad Hill Harriers Xmas Pudding 10K run at Ulverston. No results have yet been published.

Meanwhile, Ian Stephenson clocked 1.52.50 at the Angus Tait Memorial Hexhamshire Hobble – an annual fell race of about 10 miles across Hexhamshire Common.

There were some excellent performances from Alnwick Harriers at the weekend, with a number of victories and personal bests along the way.

On Saturday, Steve Carragher won the Druridge Bay parkrun in 17.57, finishing more than 20 seconds ahead of the rest of the field.

Meanwhile, Junior Harrier Millie Breese put in an excellent performance to be first woman home, finishing 12th overall in 19.49.

In what was a good morning for the club, Senior runners Paul White and Adam Fletcher and Junior members Joseph Godden and Junior Max Murray-John all finished in the top 10, with Godden grabbing a 19.30 PB in the process.

Sticking with PBs, Lisa Baston (third woman overall) finished in 21.51, Christopher Atwell clocked 23.29 and Junior Eleanor Heeley crossed the line in 24.59.

RESULTS

1: Steve CARRAGHER 17.57
3: Paul WHITE 18.23
5: Adam FLETCHER 19.02
8: Joseph GODDEN 19.30
9: Max MURRAY-JOHN 19.37
12: Millie BREESE 19.49
13: Peter GREY 20.18
26: Lisa BASTON 21.51
27: Andrew WILDE 22.00
28: David BARNES 22.04
32: Jo POWELL 22.51
33: Neil HAMILTON 22.56
39: Christopher ATWELL 23.29
43: Mel STEER 23.45
56: Philip LEE 24.49
57: Eleanor HEELEY 24.59
75: Adam STOTT 26.27
92: John ROSS 27.41

Away from Druridge Bay, a decent number of Harriers were in parkrun action further afield.

Zoe Robson (28.41) was at Finsbury, Kim Bronze (27.46) turned out at Sheffield Hallam, Richard and Gay Eastoe (41.12 and 44.51 respectively) represented the club at Workington, Mark Hume (33.29) was at Gateshead and Ian and Lorna Stephenson (23.52 and 29.24 respectively) ran at Bakewell.  Lorna was chuffed to finally dip under 30 minutes.

On Sunday, there were some very good category performances from Alnwick Harriers at the Run Northumberland BIG 10 Miler. The popular 10-mile race is the North East’s largest 10 miler, starting and finishing at Kirkley Hall and taking in the villages of Ogle and Whalton.

First home for Alnwick was Lisa Baston, who was third in the women’s V35 category in 1.14.40. Next was Mel Steer, who was second in the female V50 section in 1.17.46. Meanwhile, Gay Eastoe won the female V65 category in 1.34.12. Others to represent Alnwick were Justine Norman (1.31.53) and Richard Eastoe (1.34.14).

Oversees, Jocelyn Bolam was first in her age group at the Lorca half-marathon, in Spain, finishing in 2.12.26.

Elsewhere, hardy Andy Stephenson – fresh from recently reaching the 1,000 competitive miles landmark – was tackling another gruelling run. This time, he was in action in the  Hardmoors Super Slam series, which consists of running all five Hardmoors races (not all in one go!).

Andy has already clocked up 308 miles in the series and he added another 80 miles to the mix at the weekend. Supported by Mark Colling for about 100k of the way, Andy started at 8am on Saturday and finished just under 24 hours later! A great effort.

There is a new leader in the Grand Prix table, after the final fixture of the 2018 season.

Ian Simon has climbed to the top of the table, following his performance at Sunday’s Brampton to Carlisle 10-mile road race. He finished in 1.06.54.

Ian heads second-placed Tim Falconer and previous leader Jason Dawson, who sits third, followed by Michael Henry and Louise Callaghan. All of the top five were in action at Brampton.

Grand Prix table – top 32

However, while last weekend’s race in Cumbria was the final 2018 fixture, there is still time for the rankings to change, with two Druridge Bay parkruns left for Harriers to increase their score. These will be staged this Saturday and next.

The date/venue of the annual awards presentation will be announced at a later date.

Away from the Grand Prix, the Alnwick Harrier London Marathon ballot is now open. Could any club member wishing to enter the ballot for the 2019 Virgin Money London Marathon send their rejection letter to Stevenstudley76@gmail.com as soon as possible. The draw will be made shortly.

The latest cross-country fixture and the annual Brampton to Carlisle road race dominated last weekend’s race calendar.

Seventeen Harriers made the trip to Cumbria for the very popular Brampton to Carlisle 10-miler on Sunday. The 67th staging of the event was held on a clear and crisp November day – perfect conditions for running – and hosted by Border Harriers and Athletics Club.

Allan Foggon in action at the Brampton to Carlisle on Sunday.

Leading the way for Alnwick, and continuing his return to form, was Dominic Harris, who finished in 1.01.38. He was followed by Jason Dawson (1.04.17) and Laurence Reeves (1.04.45).

In the women’s race, Bev Blythe was first for Alnwick, crossing the line in 1.24.20. Just under a minute later was Louise Callaghan (1.25.17), while Gay Eastoe was third female for Alnwick in 1.30.00 and second in the Ladies 65 age group.

The race was the final fixture in Alnwick Harriers’ 2018 Grand Prix, although there is still time for runners to put in a decent Druridge Bay parkrun time, which will count towards the final standings. The updated Grand Prix table will be published in a separate post, as soon as possible.

RESULTS

65: Dominic Harris 1.01.38
92: Jason Dawson 1.04.17
97: Laurence Reeves 1.04.45
101: Jon Archer 1.05.09
133: Ian Simon 1.06.54
142: Allan Foggon 1.07.24
195: Tim Falconer 1.10.20
238: Jon Duffy 1.12.49
340: Cris Atwell 1.18.36
359: Michael Henry 1.19.48
366: Ian Stephenson 1.20.13
370: Richard Eastoe 1.20.33
397: Graham Skirrow 1.22.10
434: Bev Blythe 1.24.20
441: Louise Callaghan 1.25.17
505: Ruary Slater 1.29.11
515: Gay Eastoe 1.30.00

On Saturday, the fourth fixture of the 2018/19 North Eastern Harrier League was staged at Aykley Heads.

The men’s team finished 11th on the day in Division Two, leaving Alnwick sixth in the table.

First back for Alnwick was fast-packer Dave Richardson, who made his way through the field to finish in 43.40. Bruce Crombie was second for Alnwick, clocking 44.28 from the medium pack. It was great to see Graham Syers return to action for Alnwick, and he was the team’s third counter, posting 45.09 from the slow pack. Robert Murray-John (slow pack, 45.19), Adam Fletcher (medium pack, 45.31) and Steve Carragher (fast pack, 46.10) were the final three counters for Alnwick.

RESULTS

128: Dave Richardson (F) 43.40
188: Bruce Crombie (M) 44.28
237: Graham Syers (S) 45.09
246: Robert Murray-John (S) 45.19
256: Adam Fletcher (M) 45.31
288: Steve Carragher (F) 46.10
400: David Hindmarsh (S) 49.31
481: Kevin McGee (S) 53.22

Robert Murray-John at the cross-country.

Alnwick’s women remain at the foot of the Division One table, coming 10th on the day at Aykley. But there were some good personal performances, including from Lorna Stephenson who shaved six-and-a-half minutes off her time from 2015!

First home for the women was Mel Steer, who finished in 34.53 from the slow pack. Just three places behind was Lisa Baston, who ran well from the medium pack to clock 34.57. Fellow medium-packers Diana Weightman (36.42) and Jo Powell (37.10) were Alnwick’s final two counters.

RESULTS

63: Mel Steer (S) 34.53
66: Lisa Baston (M) 34.57
140: Diana Weightman (M) 36.42
172: Joanne Powell (M) 37.10
203: Justine Norman (S) 37.38
252: Emma McGee (S) 39.00
279: Tania Conway (S) 39.39
291: Ruth Doctor (S) 39.59
301: Jennifer Knight (S) 40.21
370: Helen Dickenson (S) 44.43
374: Susan Skirrow (S) 45.08
385: Lorna Stephenson (S) 46.44

The female Harriers had a good turnout at the cross-country.

The Junior harriers were well represented at the cross-country, with most of the team spaces filled.

The U11 girls were as enthusiastic as ever with a four-strong team being led home by Xara Purvis. Louise Syers, Tamsin Hutton Stott and Bex Heeley made up the rest of this enthusiastic team.

The U11 girls

Jack Price was the club’s only U11 boy, but ran a quick time over the 1km course. Jack finished strongly up the steep final hill to claim several places and finish in an overall 9th place of nearly 60 runners.

The U13 girls turned out an excellent team and Evie Godden ran her best race of the season so far finishing 9th and gaining herself promotion to the fast pack for the next fixture in February. Beth Carragher was next home and Ellie Price was the final counter running from the fast pack and finishing 44th overall. Lilia Purvis was next fast packer home and Eleanor Heeley was the final team member. A great effort by the girls.

Ellie Price finishing strongly.

Running from the fast pack, Max Murray-John ran the fastest Alnwick time of the day over the 3.2km course in 13.34 to finish 13th overall in the U13 boy’s race. Harris Hall and Cooper Wilde were second and third counters and Alex Knight was next home. The boys finished a solid 7th place overall in the team competition.

Mille Breese had an excellent run and finished very strongly over the last 50m in the U15 girl’s race. Millie, running from the fast pack, was 7th overall and 4th fastest on the day. Teammates Lydia Smith and Maddy Hall, finishing 13th and 37th, contributed to a good overall 5th team place.

First counter for the U15 boys was James Carragher, followed by Finlay Wilde then fast-pack runner Joseph Godden, followed by Finlay Telfer. The boys once again delivered a solid team result in their usual cheery way.

The U17 men ran the longer 5.5km course involving two laps which incorporated the steep finishing climb. Ollie Telfer was first home in exactly 20 minutes, with Ben Murray-John just behind him, while Max Breese was third counter, giving the boys a good 4th place result. The boys have now moved into third place in the overall league standing.

It was a good turnout by the Juniors who made up some excellent teams.

Some of the Juniors at the cross-country.

Elsewhere on Saturday, Carole Page ran in the Masters Home International cross-country at Swansea. She was second counter of three in the English team of four and fifth overall in her category (55-59).

Carole Page in action.

Despite the Brampton to Carlisle and the cross-country dominating the weekend’s race calendar, there was still a decent number of Harriers in parkrun action on Saturday morning.

At Druridge Bay, Paul White was once again first finisher for Alnwick, crossing the line in third place in 18.44.

Another Harrier to be pleased with their morning’s work was Philip Lee, who clocked a 24.36 PB, while youngster Eleanor Heeley completed the two-lap course in a promising 32.47.

3: Paul WHITE 18.44
17: Robert ENSER 20.59
29: David BARNES 22.29
49: Ian STEPHENSON 23.52
50: Paul ROBINSON 24.12
52: Philip LEE 24:36
56: Mark LATHAM 25.00
86: David COOPER 27.31
90: Nell GAIR 28.00
146: Eleanor HEELEY 32.47

A whole host of Harriers went further afield for some parkrun action.

Carol Wall completed the Rising Sun event in 31.52, while Richard and Gay Eastoe clocked 38.43 and 44.43 respectively at Workington.

Kirsty Steed grabbed a 33.55 PB at Sedgefield, while Kim Bronze finished in 27.41 in the same race.

North of the border, George Williams completed the Vogrie parkrun, in Midlothian, in 27.55, Alice Tetley-Paul clocked 37.42 at Tollcross, Glasgow and Chris Calvert secured a time of 23.50 at Ganavan Sands, in Oban.

Before the weekend, some of the club’s Juniors were in action at a winter indoor athletics meeting at Gateshead College on Thursday.

Leila Thompson competing for her first time as an U13, joined her sister Talia (U15) in the shot-put competition. Leila had a great debut competition finishing in second place with a throw of 5.84m, which was a fantastic personal best performance and a new club indoor record. Not to be outdone by her little sister, Talia won the U15 girls competition, also with a personal best throw and club record of 9.38m.

It was a great start to the indoor season and the girls are training hard for the next fixture in December.

Talia and Leila Thompson

The previous weekend, Mark Breeze and Pauline Aitchison completed the Wooler Trial Marathon. Mark finished in 5.50.12, while Pauline clocked 8.04.23.

A decent number of Alnwick Harriers were involved in races on Saturday, November 10, and Sunday, November 11.

The biggest milestone of the weekend was ironman Andy Stephenson bringing up the 1,000-competitive mile mark, after completing the Hardmoors 26.2 Goathland Trail Marathon, which was staged in the North York Moors.

Andy Stephenson

Andy completed the race in 5.59.48. His time was particularly impressive considering he has only done 11.5 training miles since September, after turning his ankle on mile seven of a 60-mile race.

Bringing up 1,000 race miles is a huge achievement, with Andy starting the quest back in 2012 with a 60-miler. Since then, he has competed in a whole host of long-distance challenges, including multiple marathons, 30-milers on five New Years Days and even a 160-mile epic.

Reflecting on his efforts, he said: “I have so many fantastic memories of fellow runners, camaraderie, amazing marshals and mixed weather.”

Sticking with long-distances, Jocelyn Bolam won the Vet 55-60 category at the Mojacar half-marathon in Spain on Sunday. Tackling crippling 33-degree heat, she finished in a very respectable 2.17.

Jocelyn Bolam in Spain.

On Sunday, six senior Harriers were involved in Heaton Harriers’ Memorial Race (10K) at the Town Moor, Newcastle.

There were some good performances, including from Peter Grey, who won the Male Vet 60 prize, coming home in 40.37.

First home for Alnwick was Dominic Harris, who posted a very good 36:53, while Gareth Pearson dipped under the 40-minute barrier for the first time with 39.03.

RESULTS

39: Dominic HARRIS 36.53
73: Gareth PEARSON 39.03
113: Peter GREY 40:37
299: Juhu JOSEPH 49:40
304: Philip LEE 49:47
432: Mark HUME 1.11.15

Some of the younger Harriers also ran at the Town Moor, with Ollie Telfer and Ben Murray-John managing a very impressive 18.21 and 18.28 respectively in the 5K, while Max Murray-John posted a good 10.55 in the 3K.

Max and Ben Murray-John and Ollie Telfer.

On the Junior front, a big shout out to the U15 girls who made up the Duchess’s Community High School team for the English Schools Cross-country Cup Regional Final in Middlesbrough. The team – made up entirely of Alnwick Harriers – came a very impressive fifth overall. Millie was highest placed for Alnwick in fourth place. A brilliant result!

A decent number of Alnwick Harriers ran at various parkruns on Saturday.

At Druridge Bay, Paul White was first Alnwick Harrier for the second week running. He was sixth overall in a very decent 18.50.

There were some good performances from the female Harriers, with Carole Page once again taking the women’s crown in 21.16, while club colleague Mel Steer was third in 24.13.

Among the other highlights, Chris Calvert notched his second PB in as many weeks, clocking an ever-improving 22.22.

RESULTS

6 Paul WHITE 18.50
11 Carole PAGE 21.16
13 Robert BADDELEY 21.32
14 Dominic HARRIS 21.33
18 Chris CALVERT 22.22
31 Harris HALL 23.54
35 Mel STEER 24.13
49 Philip LEE 25.12
51 Alex REED 25.16
53 Justine NORMAN 25.25
86 John ROSS 28.07
93 Nell GAIR 28.54
95 David COOPER 29.03
101 Linda PATTERSON 29.16
115 George WILLIAMS 30.32
119 Louise SYERS 31.22
120 Graham SYERS 31.24
124 Alex KNIGHT 31.40
144 Christine MAVROMICHAELIS 33.55
164 Grazia CALVERT 37.52
167 Jennifer KNIGHT 38.31
182 Eleanor HEELEY 44.33

Elsewhere, Ian and Lorna Stephenson tried their hand at the Prudhoe Riverside parkrun for the first time. Ian was 32nd overall in 24.09, while Lorna crossed the line in 31.01.

At Sedgefield, Kirsty Steed posted 36.06, while at Telford, Robert Enser was 24th in 21.21.

At Workington, Richard Eastoe posted 40 minutes exactly, while Gay Eastoe clocked in at 47.48.

Alice Tetley-Paul tried the Fountains Abbey parkrun for the first time and she did well – finishing fourth female in 22.43.

Jo Powell was a debutante at the Keswick parkrun and finished in a tidy 23.09.

From the Fruit Bowl Trail Race to a marathon in the Big Apple, Alnwick Harriers raced far and wide on the weekend of Saturday, November 3, and Sunday, November 4.

Perhaps the highlight was Jon Archer’s fine run at the New York Marathon on Sunday. His impressive 3.09.01 was the fastest this year by an Alnwick Harrier over the 26.2-mile distance.

Ever-improving Jon, who earned promotion to the medium pack at the last cross-country outing at Gosforth, has been no stranger to PBs this year, and he did it once again at the weekend – knocking an incredible 18 minutes off his previous marathon time.

Jon Archer with his New York Marathon medal.

Closer to home, Dave Richardson posted a speedy 34.53 at the Leeds Abbey Dash. Dave just missed out on a 10k PB, but his sub-35 was still an excellent time.

Elsewhere, Stephen Cowell and Mel Steer were in action at the Gibside Fruit Bowl Trail Race. Stephen finished the course – approximately seven miles – in 59.33, while Mel crossed the line in 1.05.10.

On Saturday, a large contingent of Harriers competed in parkruns.

At Druridge Bay, Paul White was first home for Alnwick, finishing third overall in 19.15, while Jason Dawson was two places behind in 19.43.

In the women’s race, Alnwick’s Carole Page had a decent battle with Tyne Bridge Harrier Catherine Eaton, with the latter taking the honours by finishing just one place and four seconds in front.

Other notable performances included a 22.50 PB for Chris Calvert and a first run out at the course for Junior (JW11-14) Chloe Givens, who finished in a very respectable 26.16.

RESULTS

3: Paul WHITE 19.15
5: Jason DAWSON 19.43
13: Phil HALL 20.22
17: Carole PAGE 21.14
18: Robert BADDELEY 21.16
36: Chris CALVERT 22.50
38: Alice TETLEY-PAUL 22.59
42: Neil HAMILTON 23.25
56: Beverley BLYTHE 24.38
59: Justine NORMAN 24.51
71: Philip LEE 25.43
72: Maddy HALL 25.48
77: Mark LATHAM 25.58
81: Chloe GIVENS 26.16
87: Emma GIVENS 26.31
113 George WILLIAMS 27.57
124 Jennifer KNIGHT 28.30
133 Linda PATTERSON 29.10
166 Eleanor HEELEY 31.45
180 Mark HUME 33.11
202 Rebecca HEELEY 36.35

Away from Druridge, Ross Wilson put in a decent display at the Fountains Abbey parkrun, finishing fourth in 18.34.

Elsewhere, Kim Bronze ran 27.24 at the Sheffield Hallam parkrun, while Kirsty Steed was delighted with her 34.40 PB at the Sedgefield equivalent.

Sticking with parkruns, Richard and Gay Eastoe ran 39.43 and 46.08 respectively at Workington, youngster Tess Hindmarsh (31.31) and David Hindmarsh (31.33) were at the Joe Creason event and Ian (26.42) and Lorna Stephenson (34.41) turned out at Gibside.

This season’s Grand Prix is drawing to a close following Sunday’s Hexham 10K.

There’s been no move at the top, with Jason Dawson still leading the way, but Louise Callaghan strengthened her grip on second place after her run at Hexham.

Perhaps the most significant mover after Hexham 10K was Lisa Baston, who jumped from 16th to 10th. Jo Powell also climbed the rankings, leaping to 18th.

Latest Grand Prix standings:

The final race in the Grand Prix calendar is the very popular club trip to the Brampton to Carlisle 10 Mile Road Race, which takes place on Sunday 18th November. As always, the club will enter a block booking and lay on massively-subsidised transport to Cumbria for the race. The combined race entry and bus travel will cost just £20.

Pay here: https://www.sportsentrysolutions.com/product_page_preview.p…

Fill out this form: http://www.ukresults.net/forms/181118brampton.pdf

Once done please can you send or drop off your completed entry forms to Laura Stubbings at l-j-ben@hotmail.com or Youngs RPS, Greenwell Road, Alnwick NE66 1HB, or drop them in by hand. The deadline is Sunday 4th November or when the 29 seat coach is full.

The coach will leave Willowburn Leisure Centre, Alnwick, at 8.30am hours and call into Amble en route to pick up runners at the A1068 near the petrol station before dropping runners off at the William Howard School, Brampton, in plenty of time for the 11.30am race start. It will then depart the Sands Centre, Carlisle at 3pm allowing everyone time to shower, change, eat and drink.

In other Grand Prix news, there is no trail run as a club trip has not been organised this year.

Also, the date that this season’s Grand Prix will terminate is still to be confirmed, but it will end on a Saturday at a Druridge Bay parkrun. Details will be posted at a later date.

It was a busy weekend with plenty of Alnwick Harriers in race action, including at the latest cross-country event.

Gosforth Park was a new fixture in this season’s North Eastern Harrier League and provided the stage for the third meeting of the 2018/19 campaign on Saturday, October 27.

Rain, snow and wind on the morning of race day threatened to make it a miserable experience, but those hardy Harriers who made the trip down the A1 no doubt breathed a huge sigh of relief when the harsh weather relented and conditions improved somewhat.

And there were some decent performances in the Alnwick vest across all age groups.

For the men, continually-improving Jon Archer carried on his strong 2018 by finishing as first counter.

In what was his last outing before next weekend’s New York marathon, Jon came 32nd overall in 38.14, and with it, securing promotion to the medium pack.

Jon Archer at the cross-country.

Alnwick’s second counter was fellow slow-pack runner Jason Dawson (MV45) in 39.09, who narrowly missed out on promotion, while slow-packer Phil Hall (MV40) was third home for Alnwick in 40.23.

Adam Fletcher (MV50) was Alnwick’s fourth counter, crossing the line in 40.32 from the medium pack, while fast-pack runner Graham Simpson made decent progress through the hoards to climb up the field and finish in 41.02.

Bruce Crombie (MV45) is enjoying his return to the cross-country this season and he was Alnwick’s sixth and final counter, clocking 41.15 from the medium pack.

Finishing four places behind was medium-packer Paul White (MV35) in 41.18.

Overall, the team finished seventh on the day, leaving them mid-table in Division Two.

One of the regular runners to be missing from the Alnwick pack was men’s skipper Dominic Harris, who conveniently had his wedding booked on the same day as a cross-country fixture (any excuse Dominic!!)! So he swapped his Alnwick Harrier vest for a smart suit. Many congratulations to Dominic and his new wife.

RESULTS

32: Jon Archer 38.14 (S)
65: Jason Dawson 39.09 (S)
148: Phil Hall 40.23 (S)
159: Adam Fletcher 40.32 (M)
206: Graham Simpson 41.02 (F)
220: Bruce Crombie 41.15 (M)
224: Paul White 41.18 (M)
315: Mike Telfer 42.46 (S)
425: Steve Cowell 45.28 (S)
446: Kevin Mcgee 46.04 (S)
489: Chris Calvert 47.13 (S)
522: Graham Skirrow 48.39 (S)

Meanwhile, for the women, Lisa Baston (FV35) was first home for Alnwick, coming 106th in 32.24 from the medium pack.

Medium-pack colleagues Alice Tetley-Paul and Karen Kelly (FV45) were next back for the north Northumbrians, clocking 32.35 and 33.17 respectively, while Bev Blythe (FV45) was the final counter, finishing in 33.42 from the slow pack.

Others to do well were slow-packer Justine Norman (FV45), who came just behind Bev, in 33.55, while Jo Powell (FV45) put in a decent display on her medium-pack debut. Having moved up from the slow pack after her storming finish at the previous fixture at Druridge, Jo managed to claw her way through the field at Gosforth to finish sixth for Alnwick in 34.01.

Emma McGee (number 12) at the cross-country.

Overall, the Alnwick team finished 10th on the day and they sit at the foot of the Division One table, but with three fixtures left, including the Alnwick Castle meet in March, there is still time to turn things around.

RESULTS

106: Lisa Baston 32:24 (M)
120: Alice Tetley-Paul 32:35 (M)
159: Karen Kelly 33:17 (M)
179: Bev Blythe 33:42 (S)
190: Justine Norman 33.55 (S)
196: Jo Powell 34:01 (M)
298: Emma McGee 36:22 (S)
328: Tania Conway 37:19 (S)
343: Helen Dickenson 37:51 (S)
403: Susan Skirrow 40:39 (S)
412: Sheona Duffy 41:16 (S).

A combination of the weather and the half-term holidays reduced the potential field of younger Alnwick runners and the club was unable to field any full teams from the junior section. However, those who did race were treated to an excellent new course and produced some great racing.

A small but enthusiastic team of juniors at the cross-country.

Max Murray John (U13B), running from the fast pack, was fastest Alnwick runner over the 3.2km course, finishing 12th overall in his race in a good time of 12.40.

Harris Hall was next home for the club in a good 41st place.

Anna McQueen was once again Alnwick’s only U17 girl, running well to finish the 5km course in 23min 24s.

Ollie Telfer and Max Breese represented the U17 men and Finlay Telfer and Joseph Godden the U15 boys.

The U15 girls team was reduced by injury and holidays, but Hannah Johnston ran another good race from the fast pack finishing just ahead of team mate Sam Potts.

Lilia Purvis was first U13 girl home for Alnwick with Evie Godden not far behind.

Xara Purvis and Tamsin Hutton Stott were the club’s only U11s competing, but in a large field of runners placed 24th and 38th.

Although a low turnout, the juniors ran well and made the most of what could have been a really tough day.

Closer to home and earlier in the day, a small contingent of Alnwick Harriers competed at the Druridge Bay parkrun, with a number of the club’s veteran runners showing that age is no barrier.

In difficult conditions, the evergreen Peter Grey (VM60-64) was first home for Alnwick, crossing the line in eighth in 20.54, while Carole Page’s (VF55-59) 14th-place finish in 21.41 was enough for her to be first female once again.

Philip Lee (VM 55-59) was celebrating after grabbing a 25.06 PB, while there were also solid runs from Robert Baddeley (VM 50-54) and Neil Hamilton (VM 40-44).

Alice Tetley-Paul (SW30-34) warmed up for that afternoon’s cross-country fixture by running with Georgina Tetley-Paul. The pair embraced the Hallowe’en theme by completing the two-lap course while dressed as a skeleton and witch respectively.

RESULTS

8: Peter GREY 20.54 (77.43%)
13: Robert BADDELEY 21.24 (70.02%)
14: Carole PAGE 21.41 (87.01%)
37: Philip LEE 25.06 (63.35%)
43: Neil HAMILTON 25.33 (53.82%)
109: Alice TETLEY-PAUL 38.13 (38.77%)

Alice Tetley-Paul and Georgina Tetley-Paul dressed for Hallowe’en at Druridge Bay parkrun.

Elsewhere, Kim Bronze (VM55-59) was the 241st finisher at the Hillsborough parkrun, in 29.14.

Meanwhile, Ian and Lorna Stephenson headed to Ripon, North Yorkshire, to take part in the Fountains Abbey parkrun for the first time. Ian (VM55-59) finished 70th in 23.43, while Lorna (VF45-49) was 248th in 31.02.

Racing continued on Sunday, October 28, with five Harriers performing well at the Hexham 10k, which is one of the club’s Grand Prix fixtures.

A massive round of applause to the trio of Lisa Baston, Jo Powell and Bev Blyth, who dusted themselves down from the rigours of yesterday’s cross-country to take on the six-mile run in Hexham. They were joined by Mike Henry and Louise Callaghan. All five runners finished in the top 10 of their respective age-gender categories.

Impressively, Mike won the V65 section in 49.23, while Jo was third female V45 in 47.07.

First home for Alnwick was Lisa (V35), finishing in 44.33. Her performance has moved her from 16th to 10th in the Grand Prix.

Her club colleagues Bev Blythe (V45) and Louise Callaghan (V55) can also be proud of their efforts.

RESULTS

68: Lisa Baston 44.33
119: Jo Powell 47.07
151: Michael Henry 49.23
179: Beverley Blythe 50.35
205: Louise Callaghan 52.20

The Alnwick Harriers quintet at Hexham 10k.

Two Harriers ran at the Jedburgh Running Festival, taking part in the 10k.

Leading the way was Steve Patterson, who finished in 40.39. His time was enough for him to secure 13th overall and rank second in the M40 category.

It was a great result for Steve, who has recently returned from GB duty at the 2018 Ibiza ETU Duathlon European Championships, where he finished an impressive 15th in the 40-44 Male AG Sprint category.

Two places behind Steve at Jedburgh was Gareth Pearson (M30), crossing the line in a PB of 41.02.

There were PBs galore at the Druridge Bay parkrun on Saturday, October 20, with a whole host of Junior runners putting in some impressive performances.

Oliver Telfer (Junior Male 15-17) was first home for Alnwick, coming fifth overall and clocking a speedy 18.24 PB.

Fellow Junior runner Millie Breese (Junior Female 11-14) notched her best performance yet at Druridge Bay, crossing the line in 19.34, finishing 10th and first female overall.

Another young gun to impress was Euan Friend (Junior Male 11-14), who grabbed a 23.31 personal best. He took the bragging rights in the Friend family household, finishing more than two minutes in front of his dad, Chris.

A number of Seniors clinched PBs on the day too, with Jason Dawson (8th, 19.23), Jo Powell (28th, 22.44) and Alex Reed (151st, 32.06) all having a good day at the office.

Results:
5: Oliver TELFER 18.24
8: Jason DAWSON 19.23
10: Millie BREESE 19.34
17: Robert BADDELEY 21.11
28: Jo POWELL 22.44
30: Harris HALL 22.50
31: Phil HALL 22.52
37: Sarah SYERS 23.30
38: Euan FRIEND 23.31
39: Steve COWELL 23.34
40: Neil HAMILTON 23.46
64: Chris FRIEND 25.45
77: Philip LEE 26.49
95: George WILLIAMS 28.36
102: Linda PATTERSON 28.49
108: Kim BRONZE 29.06
119: Eleanor HEELEY 29.30
123: Rebecca HEELEY 29.44
131: Una MCCAIG 30.18
151: Alex REED 32.06

Elsewhere, Chris Stewart tried the Newbiggin parkrun for the first time and sneaked into the top 20, finishing 19th in 23.25.

On Sunday, a number of hardy Harriers competed in the Run Northumberland Castles Marathon and Half-marathon, which started and finished at the iconic Bamburgh Castle.

In the marathon, Cris Atwell put in a solid performance, finishing 15th overall in 4.05.11

In the half-marathon, there was a decent age-group performance for Lisa Athey, who was third V40 female in 1.46.53. Meanwhile, Gay Eastoe was third V60 female in 02.09.17.

Other Alnwick Harriers to complete the half-marathon were Chris Calvert (110th, 1.48.53) and Justine Norman (291st, 2.25.02).