650 finish challenging morpeth 10k

Winner Lee Davies crosses the finish line

There were nearly 650 finishers on Sunday morning at the second running of the new Morpeth 10k, organised once again by national event organiser RunThrough.
 
Although offering the same spectacular town centre start and finish as last year, this year’s race was made all the more challenging as a result of organisers RT being denied use of last year’s popular out and back two lap circuit to Mitford due to continued roadworks at the High House Lane junction, and so having to find an alternative route.
 
So this year’s run was certainly not one for the faint-hearted, incorporating a number of strength-sapping short but steep climbs, the route taking runners immediately uphill via Newgate Street all the way as far as the turn for Fulbeck, then taking a sharp dip up and down to cross the Cotting Burn before climbing over the new bridge crossing the Morpeth bypass before proceeding all the way out to the pretty village of Hebron, then returning via the same route.
 
Given the challenging course and conditions that were both breezy and muggy, race winner Lee Davies of North East Project ran a remarkable 31 minutes and 41 seconds, nearly a full two minutes ahead of Sunderland Harrier Jake Ridding (33:30) and third placed Rudy McLeod (35:39).
 
Equally impressive was the time of Steffi Luke Edwards of Leeds City AC, 1st female finisher in 38:18. Amy Callaghan of Sunderland Harriers was 2nd in 40:36 with Over 55 Sunderland Stroller Wendy Chapman running an impressive 41:01 for 3rd.
 
As well as providing marshals for  the event, there were ten Morpeth Harriers vests out on the course, with Andrew Lawrence 4th in 35:8, team mate Lee Cuthbertson 9th in 36:08 and Tom Innes just outside the top ten in 11th (36:33). Tayla Douglas was 7th female finisher in 42:27.
 
Kirsty Burville was first female O/45 back in 41:53, with Mike Winter running the fastest O/55 time of 43:51 and Richard Sill fastest O/70 of 50:03. Jill Bennett was 2nd female O/50 in 54:03 and Richard Glennie 3rd male O/50 in 43:14. Jimmy Dixon was 26th in 38:41.
 
A big thanks from the club to all the marshals, young and old, current and ex members and their families who turned out to help. The club (and the organisers) are extremely grateful.
 
Hopefully the event will be back on 2024’s easier course – assuming the roadworks on the Mitford Road ever get completed.
 
Blaydon Race 2025
 
The previous Monday night’s Blaydon Race, held as ever on the 9th of June, saw Morpeth’s Carl Avery finish once again in 2nd place behind four consecutive times winner Calum Johnson of Gateshead, who ran the evening’s fastest time for the 5.9 mile course of 28 minutes 6 seconds, Avery finishing in 28:31 with club colleague Finn Brodie 3rd only a second back.
 
There was also a top ten finish for Morpeth Harrier and St. Andrew’s University student James Tilley, who finished 6th with an excellent clocking of 29:40.
 
With Connor Marshall placing 17th in 30:24, the club were once again winners of the team prize.
 
Ex Wallsend Harrier Sonia Samuels, now an Over 45 veteran and running for Sale Harriers, was 1st female finisher in 32:07 with Houghton’s talented Under 20 Charlotte Dillon 2nd in 32:31 and Hallamshire Harrier Lucy Cardno 3rd in 33:17.
 
Taking a break from the hills, Catriona Macdonald was 6th female finisher in 35:02.
 
In all, some thirty-two blue and white vests crossed the finish line before the rain set in at Blaydon to dampen spirits, with what seemed then a very long wait for buses (which then went on a Cook’s tour of South Tyneside, before depositing wet through runners outside the Baltic). A link to the full results is here: The Blaydon Race
 
Scottish Hill Running Championships and Inter Counties Mountain Running Championships
 
Over the previous two weeks Cat had previously been running very well over her preferred terrain in the fells.
 
Competing in the Yetholm Hill Race on 1st of June around a circuit of hills just over the border in the Halterburn Valley, she was 1st woman back in 1 hour 15 minutes and 18 seconds to be crowned Scottish Hill Running Champion.
 
Two weeks later she represented the North East Counties in the Inter Counties Mountain Running Championships at Pen-y-Ghent, finishing in 5th place overall and first from the North East.
 
Morpeth’s Lawrence McCourt was 7th in the Men’s race with Matthew Briggs 66th, both members of a five man NE Counties team.
 
Fair Day Fun Run
 
The biggest turn out for many a year got the Morpeth Fair Day off to a grand start, with nearly 150 finishers.
 
Won by NSP’s Ethan Hughes in a time of 5 minutes 6 seconds, there were then four current Morpeth Harriers filling the next few places, with Luke Thompson 2nd in 5m 37s, Joseph Fawcett 3rd in 5m 38s, Mason Ellison 4th in 5m 56s and Will Fawcett 5th in 5m 59s.
 
Fayola Gesinde was 1st female finisher, 15th in 6m 49s, with Ellie Fea 2nd and 18th in 6m 56s and Amelia Turnbull 3rd and 19th in 7m.
 
Niamh Balmbra was 4th female, also in 7m and younger sister Maia 48th in 8m 38s, with Joe Dhawar 21st in 7m 2s and Tristan Quinn 43rd in 8m 23s.
 
It’s always good to see how well this little run goes, and especially pleasing to see Morpeth Harriers, and the family of Morpeth Harriers, represented. Thanks to Paul Waterston who’s once again done a sterling job of organising the event on behalf of the club, and to the entry and results team, who coped with the pressure of large numbers commendably calmly.