Despite several strong individual performances, Morpeth’s Men’s and Women’s teams were sadly unable to get their hands on either the Sherman Cup or the Davison Shield again at Temple Park, South Shields on the last Saturday in January.
 
The insistent wet weather had understandably stoked fears of a very boggy course as has been seen here in several recent years, but, despite some sticky patches, conditions were probably better than feared by most and the weather at least stayed reasonably clement.
 
The non-counting Under 11 races got the action under way once again, with five youngsters first out for the club.
 
And prominent amongst them was the blonde main of Mason Ellison, who had a fine run to finish 2nd in the Boys race. He was backed up by an ever-improving Ben Hodgson, 14th and, on his debut, Jack Bell in 37th.
 
There were two out in the Girls race, with Ella Rowlinson 18th and Florence Tyler 31st.
 
The Sherman and Davison have been remodelled this season as competitions following several years of thin (post-Covid?) turn-outs in the Young Athlete races, with the only clubs able to fill 13s/15s/17s categories usually near or at the top of the table. Instead, for the 25/26 season all clubs were able to drop whatever was the weakest of the five qualifying categories (which also include Senior and Veteran competitions) and having been close in the last two seasons, there was certainly hope in the Morpeth camp that this year at least one trophy might return to the club.
 
It was the Morpeth YA, Senior and Veteran Men who came closest on the day, finishing in 2nd overall despite an extremely disappointing showing in the final Senior and Veteran Men’s race where they lost out to Tyne Bridge, who made the most of the league changes.
 
Good showings in the YA categories saw Joe Fawcett 5th, brother Will 19th, Luke Thompson 21st and Hector Ford-Hutchinson 26th in the U/13s and Jack Dhawar 7th, Charlie Townsend 28th and Jacob Thompson 31st in the U/15 competitions.
 
However, with only three Senior and three Veteran Men turning out in the day’s last race – the worst showing in either category for many a year – the chance of getting hands on the trophy were very slim, despite the efforts of Tom Innes (26th), Bobby Hagan (39th), James Higgin (52nd), Jason Dawson (78th), Richard Glennie (84th) and Steve Johnstone (184th).

In the end, the team did still manage a decent 2nd place finish overall so congratulations to all who did show. TBH were big winners (14 points to Morpeth’s 30, with Gosforth pipped into 3rd by one point).
 
It was almost the opposite for the YA, Senior and Veteran Women where, despite an excellent turn out in the day’s penultimate race, the club was unable to get the required three in any of the previous YA races.
 
There were some decent runs by individual athletes here however, with Izzy Cromar 7th in the U/13 Girls, Charlotte Marshall going one better for 6th in the U/17s and best of all a delighted Faye Heatley taking the U/15 title.
 
The club’s best overall showing was clearly the Senior and Veteran Women’s fixture, where blue and white vests were very much to the fore and looked a dominant force.
 
Cat Macdonald won the Senior race, and with Lizzie Rank 5th and Poppy Buck 14th they were also team winners. Lindsey Quinn was 47th and Sophie Ward 125th.
 
In the Vets category meanwhile, Jane Hodgson again placed strongly to come back in 6th, with supporting runs from Jane Briggs (73rd), Vicky Thompson (81st), Sarah Henry (122nd) and Fran Robson (147th).
 
Sadly, the lack of full teams earlier in the day meant the club could only finish 5th overall in the Davison Shield, with Elswick Harriers winning the title - so it was for both squads a day of what might-have-beens, something that seems to be happening a little too often these days.
 
Full results here:  Race Results | North East Harrier League | North East Harrier League

Whilst there has been a great deal of recent road and cross-country activity for athletes from Morpeth Harriers & AC, some of the clubs track and field athletes have also been involved in competitive action.
International senior Long Jump and sprints specialist Jack Roach competed in the Loughborough Indoor Open Meeting on 10 January, where he won his heat of the 60m in a season’s best of 7.08s, and went on to finish second in the later run final in a new personal best of 7.06s.
On 23 January, he returned to Loughborough to compete in the Flight Night meeting, producing a best of 7.47m to finish second in the Long Jump.
He also competed at the Emirates Arena in Glasgow on 31 January, finishing fourth in an international field, where he produced a best of 7.53m.
On Sunday 8 February, Morpeth Harriers Over 50 Sprinter Trevor Hodgson won his age group 60m at the Scottish Masters Championships, again at the Glasgow Emirates Arena.
Hodgson produced a season’s best time of 7.50s, which currently puts him at the top of his age group rankings going into the British Championships, which take place at Lee Valley later this month.
It also places Hodgson in the top three in Europe for his age group.
He had sharpened up for this performance, with a good win in the Gateshead Indoor Series Match 3 on 14 January, where he won his particular heat in 7.54s.
Also competing on that evening was his Under 20 Son William, who is certainly faring well in his father’s footsteps, winning his respective heat in 7.60s.
Morpeth Under 17 Woman sprinter Sophie Pledger has also been in superb competitive action recently, taking part in Indoor activity over 300m for the first time.
On 4 January she travelled to Sheffield, where she won her individual heat in 41.24s.
The following week she again travelled to Sheffield for the combined Northern Athletics Senior/Under 20/Under 17 Indoor Championships.
Winning her Heat in 41.38s, she eventually finished fourth in her later run Final in 41.37, narrowly missing out on a bronze medal.
On 7 February, despite running a season's best time of 41.04s finishing third, she missed out on a final place at the tough combined England Athletics Under 15/Under 17/Under 20 Indoor Championships at Sheffield, finishing tenth overall in her age group, in what was her toughest competition to date, nevertheless a great experience.
Morpeth’s most junior Indoor competitor, Under 15 Boy Charlie Townsend has also been busy, by taking part in some high-profile activities to better his overall experience.
At Gateshead College on 14 January, he finished fourth in his heat of the 60m in a time of 7.96s, which proved to be fifth fastest overall.
He also competed in the Long Jump, producing a best on the night of 4.43m, which placed him fifth overall, and second in his age group.
On 1 February, Townsend travelled to Sheffield for the combined Under 15/Under 13 Indoor Championships, to compete in the 60m, 200m, and Long Jump.
He finished third in his opening heat of the 60m in 8.01s, which gave him a place in a later run Semi Final, where he finished sixth in 7.98s.
This was followed by the 200m, where he qualified again for a semi final, after running a new personal best of 25.53s in his opening heat, finishing third.
In the semi final, he finished fifth in 25.76s.
He completed a very busy day for himself by finishing eighth in the Long Jump, producing a best of 3.69m.

Four Morpeth Harriers were in competitive action for their relative colleges at the annual British University Cross Country Championships, held at Charnwood College, Loughborough on Saturday 31 January.
In the Men’s Long Race, run over approximately 10.45k, Chris Coulson, competing for Newcastle University, finished in 32nd place in 35m36s, leading them to thirteenth team place.
James Tilley finished 92nd in 37m50s, for an incomplete St Andrews squad, and Bertie Marr finished 108th in 38m15s as fifth home for Sheffield University.
The Men’s Short Race, run over an approximate distance of 8.10k, saw Liam Roche finish 44th in 29m30s, leading Leeds Beckett to 27th team place.