There were four Morpeth Harriers among the record 50,000-plus runners in Sunday’s London Marathon, where Peres Jepchirchir set a new Women-only World Record of 2 hours 16 minutes 16 seconds, with Kenyan compatriot Alexander Mutiso winning the Men’s race in 2:04:01.
 
First back for Morpeth was seasoned London veteran Andrew Lawrence, recording a time of 2:35:39 with another consistent run. (Coincidentally, Lawro’s old adversity – ‘the other Andrew Lawrence’ – finished just a few minutes ahead.)
 
Behind him were three other runners in blue and white vests who all recorded personal bests despite the rather blustery conditions, a real tribute to their months of often solitary dedication, with training this winter frequently taking place in the wet.
 
Rob Hancox ran 3:03:11, a delighted Anna Wright came home in 3:18:33 and her training companion Jane Kirby was not far behind in 3:28:24.
 
Watchers of the Women’s race from Morpeth no doubt also spotted Mhairi Maclennan, who had represented the club when winning the Northern Cross Country title at Harewood House in 2018. She proved she’s not just a class act over the country with a time of 2:29:15 on her marathon debut, Mhairi aptly commenting later, ‘I had the debut of dreams.’
 
Saturday had seen the series of Mini-Marathons taking place over a 2.6 kilometre course on the Mall, with over 13,000 youngsters given a taste of the big race experience and this time there were three Harriers representing the North East region in an inter-area regional match.
 
Ewan Line was 200th in the Under 13 Boys, recording a time of 9 minutes 29 seconds.
 
Joe Close and Elliot Kelso both ran in the U/17s, with Close clocking 8:09 in 80th and Kelso a few seconds ahead in 60th place in 8:00.
 
Well done all who took part. 

Morpeth Harriers are very keen to recruit marshals for the new Morpeth 10k event, taking place on Sunday 2 June.
​The club will be reimbursed by the event organisers per marshal - a valuable boost to our funds. 
If you are not planning to run, please can you consider giving up a couple of hours to support the club as a marshal. This will bring much needed funds to the club, as well as enabling Morpeth Harriers to put on a well-supported event. 
Full briefing and hi-vis will be supplied. 
Please note that young athletes can also help, and will be placed near the finish on duties such as handing out water. 
If you are able to support the event, please contact Kevin Bray, who is coordinating our efforts, on [email protected].
For more information about the race, see here.

Lakeland Trails
John Butters and Lindsey Quinn made the journey over to Hawskhead to take part in the Lakeland Trails series.
Run in some pretty dreadful conditions, the 16k race was won by Jonny Cox of Eden Runners in a time of 1 hour 18 minutes 22 seconds, with Aisling Wall 1st Female and 11th overall in 1:19:12.
John was 8th overall and 5th O/40 in 1:18:22, and Lindsey 63rd and 10th Female in 1:36:57.
Full results here.
 
Sand Dancer 10k
The annual Sand Dancer 10 took place over the traditional course from Gypsy Green South through the dunes.
Sunderland Harrier Liam Taylor was the win in 33 minutes dead, with O/45 Claire Simpson from host club South Shields Harriers 1st Female and 16th overall in 41:33.
Mike Winter was first back for Morpeth, 24th in 42:39. David Nicholson had a good morning also, coming back in 45:14, but with age categories 10 year, unable to pick up the O/65 prize. Welcome back also Richard Kirby, after a long spell on the sidelines with injury, 92nd in 51:02 but no doubt just happy to be competing again.
Full results here.

Laura Weightman was presented with her Morpeth Harriers lifetime membership in recognition of her outstanding achievements in athletics at the club's awards and social night.
The four times World Championships representative, European and Commonwealth medallist, two times Olympian and former British 1500m champion received her honour from club President Jim Alder at the celebration at Bar Luga in Morpeth.
Laura had already had a lifetime membership, attained by her constitutional right, having attended three major games. The award was a further token of the club's long-term appreciation of her competitive service, and taking the name of the club to a higher plain, something club officials had wished to do earlier.
You can read more about Laura's achievements below.
Laura, who announced her retirement from the sport last year, also presented a raft of awards to fellow Morpeth Harriers members. These included prizes for both athletic achievement and for contributions to the club.
A full list of the winners is below, along with a gallery of images from the evening which was organised by committee member Paddy Paulsen. Prizes were also handed out for 2022 as there had not been an awards night last year.
​The event raised much-needed funds for the club and we would like to thank all who attended and generous local businesses for donating raffle prizes.

Sporting Morpethian - Best performance by a Boy or Colt: Oliver Calvert
Boutflower Cup - Best performance by a Junior or Youth: Joe Dixon
GRE Plate - Best Senior track performance: Rory Leonard
Northern KO Trophy - Best senior performance field: Mark Banks
Bellerby Trophy - Best performance by a lady: Catriona Macdonald
GRE Plate Shield - Best female track and field performance: Charlotte Earl
Dodds Cup - Most improved athlete: James Tilley
Cecil Mitchell Plate - Sportsmanship: Tom Innes
Bellerby Shield - Service to the club: Neil McAnany
Millennium trophy - Raising the club profile: Vina and Hemant Desai
Bill Woods Trophy - Senior Road & XC: Carl Avery
Bill Woods Trophy - Young Athletes Road & XC: Will de Vere Owen
Bill Woods Trophy - Senior Track & Field Contribution: Mark Banks
Most Improved Young Athlete Shield - Ben Moll
Tony Ward Trophy - Best Performance by a Young Athlete in the North East XC: Elliott Kelso

Medallists
Senior women
2022: Rachelle Falloon, Lorna Macdonald, Lindsay Quinn
2023: Robyn Bennett, Lindsay Quinn
Veteran women
2022: Kirsty Burville
2023: Laura Mclean
Under 17 women
2022: Tabitha Robson, Caitlyn Flanagan, Kate Kennedy
​​Under 15 girls
2022: Molly Roche, Iris Dungait, Megan Potrac
2023: Emma Tomlinson, Megan Potrac, Charlotte Marshall
Under 13 girls
2022: Emma Tomlinson, Faye Heatley, Sophie Pledger
2023: Zoe Tomlinson, Faye Heatley, Lucy Raper
Under 11 girls
2022: Lucy Raper, Zoe Tomlinson, Emily Vermass
2023: Heather Bailie, Emily Hodgson
Senior men 
2022 - Connor Marshall, Andy Lawrence, Anthony Liddle
2023 - Alex Brown Lee Cuthbertson
Veteran men
2022 - Dave Stabler, Dave Nicholson
2023 - Gavin Bayne, Alistair MacDonald, Dave Nicholson
Under 20 men
2023 - Will de Vere Owen, Liam Roche, James Tilley
Under 17 men
2022 - Will de Vere Owen, Bertie Marr, Ryan Davies
2023 - Ollie Calvert, Joe Close, Elliott Kelso
Under 15 boys
2022 - Oliver Calvert, Oli Tomlinson, Ben Moll
2023 - Ben Moll, Daniel Scott, Harry Douglas
Under 13 boys
2022 - Ewan Line, Evan Laude, Daniel Vermass
2023 - Ewan Line, Daniel Vermass, Evan Laude
Under 11 boys
2022: Jack Thompson, Jacob Thompson, Mason Gaylor
2023: Luke Thompson

Club Chairman David Swinburne read out the following tribute to Laura Weightman at the awards night:

Laura began her Morpeth Harriers, and athletics career in a most emphatic style, by winning the North East Cross Country Under 13 Girls title at Darlington, as a mere 12-year-old in 2003.
That Championship came about, only a few days after being discovered by Morpeth Coach Tony Ward, during one of his outstanding Sportshall Athletics competitions.
During the next few years Laura also linked up with Mike Bateman, who helped her further her talents towards National prominence.
It wasn’t long before Laura became noticed on an International scale, generated from her success in English Schools competitions, and so began her long association under the guidance of leading performance coach, Steve Cram, not only a TV pundit, but himself a former International, and fellow Olympian.
It was in 2010, that Laura had her first real taste of International competition, beginning with the World Junior Championships in Moncton, Canada, where she finished sixth in the 1500m.
Not long after that, Laura made her first Diamond League appearance, in the London Grand Prix at Crystal Palace, where she finished ninth in the 1500m, taking a whole five seconds off the time she had clocked in the Junior Championships.
Various global challenges awaited Laura during 2011, however in 2012 she achieved her wildest of dreams, a place in the Olympic Games, on her own doorstep, London.
After two gruelling rounds in the Women’s 1500m, she won a most coveted place in the Final, where she finished seventh, against some of the World’s best.
Laura had indeed arrived, as over the course of the next seven years, she made it to four World Championships, two European Games, two Commonwealths, and a second Olympics in 2016 in Rio in Brazil.
During this period, she also won five British Championships in the 1500m.
Throughout all of this period, Laura also continued to represent her club in regional, northern, and national competitions, both on the road, and cross country, with a great deal of measured success, both individually, and on the team front.
More recently in 2022, Laura made her last appearance for her club at the Signals Relays in Hetton Le Hole, before her enforced retirement from the sport, she left with a distinctive winner’s mark, by breaking the Women’s course record, and leading Morpeth Senior Women to an excellent team victory.
Laura continues her involvement in the sport by actively coaching a small group of athletes in Leeds, who include our very own Phil Winkler, and in that light, as we thank you for your years of service to our club, we also applaud your continued contribution in developing the sport over future years.

Words: George Patterson

A blustery Sunday morning saw over 500 finishers in the popular Port of Blyth 10k, run on the out and back course from the Quayside to Seaton Sluice along the promenade and dunes, returning via the pavements and Ridley Park.
 
Blackhill Bounder Jordan Bell, son of Stewey Bell, was the winner in a time of 33 minutes 46 seconds, ahead of Gosforth’s Over 45 veteran Andrew Heppell (34:09) and Sunderland Harrier Liam Taylor (34:20).

Newly-signed North Shields Polytechnic Harrier Stacey Smith was first female and 5th overall in a speedy 34:52, over three minutes ahead of Elswick’s Imogen Bungay and Gateshead’s Gillian Manford. (The course records of Peter Newton, 30:33, and Aly Dixon, 33:27, are pretty formidable of course.)
 
Despite having run the last leg less than 24 hours beforehand to make sure the Men’s 12 Stage team was complete, Morpeth’s own O/45 John Butters was first finisher for the club in 11th with a strong run of 35:36.
 
Shaun Land also had a good run for Morpeth, 24th in 36:16. Over 65 Gavin Bayne was a category winner in 41:38, also just slipping inside the first 100 in 99th place.
 
Lorna Macdonald was the club’s first female finisher, 5th Senior and 87th overall in 41:10, with Lizzie Rank 6th in 41:56.
 
Lee Cuthbertson, 46th in 38:50; Dave Stabler, 49th and 6th O/45 in 39:06; Jake Masterman, 58th in 39:36; Linzi Quinn, 116th and 8th Senior in 42:30; Anna Wright, 116th and 5th O/40 in 43:21; Dave Nicholson, 171st and 3rd O/65 in 45:10; Laura Mclean, 205th and 6th O/35 in 46:46 and Andrew Dippie, 213th and 6th O/60 in 47:00.
 
Full results are available here.