Rain and a brisk cold wind severely affected athletes’ performances at the annual Tartan Games Open Track and Field Meeting, held at Gateshead Stadium on Sunday 26th August 2018.

Amongst those competing was thirteen from Morpeth Harriers, who, despite the conditions on the day, served up some fine performances, which included no less than four outright winners from the club, two from the track, and two from the field, with one athlete particularly achieving two wins.

That athlete was Ethan Stephenson, who despite the rain and an untimely wind,
achieved an excellent win in the Under 17 Men’s Long Jump, by producing an on the day best of 5.84m,
which was only a mere fraction adrift of his lifetime best.
Stephenson also enjoyed victory in the Triple Jump, where his only opposition
came from guesting Birchfield Senior Scott Hall.

The Morpeth man produced an on the day best performance of 12.21m.

Meanwhile on the track, North Eastern Under 15 Boys 800m champion Ben Waterfield
proved too good for his rivals, when he won in 2m15.85s.

His Morpeth Harriers club colleague Dylan Gooding also performed well to finish third in 2m29.08s.

Under 15 Hurdles specialist Alice Geoghegan defied the tricky conditions to seize victory from
Darlington’s Darcey Garbutt in a photo finish, with the Morpeth girl getting the verdict
with an identical time of 12.66s.

In the Under 15 Girls 200m, Morpeth’s Mia Belton qualified for a later run final
by finishing second in her heat in 28.61s.
She finished third in the final in an improved 28.58s.

Morpeth’s Phil Pitt finished fifth overall in a combined Under 20/Senior/Veteran Men’s 100m.
The Over 35 Veteran posted a time of 12.49s and beat two Under 20’s and the only Senior Man to the finish line.

In a very close finish, Morpeth’s Alistair Douglass was given second place
in a twelve strong field of Senior Men in their 800m.
Posting a time of 2m01.62s, Douglass just lost out for victory to visiting Macclesfield athlete Charlie Candlish.

Back with the sprinters, and Morpeth’s Ellie Longstaff won her way to the final of the
Under 15 Girls 100m in 13.68s, but in a slower raced later final, she finished third in 14.1s.

The Under 13 Girls High Jump saw Morpeth’s Kaitlyn Waddell produce a new
personal best of 1.25m, one of the days few due to the conditions, to finish second.

Club colleague Hannah Lott, younger sister of Morpeth’s Amy, equalled her personal best of 1.20m,
when finished further back in the order, in seventh place.

Lott did do well for herself however in the 70m Hurdles, producing a new personal best of 13.06s,
obviously possessing some of the early talents, that of her elder sister.
Her time proved to be the fourth equal fastest of ten competitors, which included Waddell,
who was seventh fastest overall with 13.83s.

As a first timer, Lott also competed in the 100m, where her time of 15.84s,
saw her finish fifth in her heat of three. Waddell also competed in the 200m,
finishing fifth in her heat of two, posting a time of 33.54s.

Competing in the Under 15 Girls Long Jump for the first time outdoors,
Morpeth’s Alice Geoghegan produced a new personal best of 4.31m, placing her fourth of nine competitors.

In the Senior Men’s Discus, Morpeth’s Steven Appleby threw 31.11m for fifth place overall.

Competing in his first Tartan Games, Morpeth’s Under 13 Boy Sam Dent
finished fifth in his heat of the 100m in 15.9s, and was also fifth of thirteen
competitors in the Long Jump, with an on the day best of 3.82m.

Well Done indeed to all athletes and officials for managing a day
​offset by extremely unseasonal weather and conditions.

Three Morpeth Harriers took part in Sunday’s annual Tynedale 10 Mile Road Race, held on a brand new out and back course from Ovingham Middle School to Bywell in Northumberland on Sunday 26th August 2018.

The event was won by Blackhill Bounder Jordan Bell, who posted a time of 55m09s,
winning by nine seconds from Gateshead Harrier Conrad Franks,
with Heaton Harrier James Meader, a further 72 seconds further adrift in third place.

First home of the three Morpeth Harriers was Matthew Boyle, who finished in fourteenth place,
​with a time of 61m18s.

Second home from Morpeth was Over 60 Veteran Gavin Bayne,
who was 28th in 66m57s, and was first in his category.

Over 65 Veteran Norman Clark was the other Morpeth finisher in 119th place
in 78m49s and was second in his category.
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The event had 274 finishers and incorporated both the NECAA and NEMAA Championships.

Not for the first time, Morpeth Harrier Andrew Knight found the form of Stratford’s Lewis Byng just a little bit too much to come to terms with, in the first day of competition at the England Athletics combined Under 15/Under 17 Track and Field Championships, held at Bedford County Stadium on Saturday 25th August 2018.

Fully appreciating that Byng would probably win the day, nevertheless a determined Knight got on with job in hand and maintained his season long form in the Under 17 Men’s Shot Putt, by finishing an excellent and clear second, by producing an on the day best of 16.66m, to Byng’s winning Putt of 19.45m, a distance which fractionally bettered his lifetime achievement, and gave him is fourth England Athletics medal to date, albeit Silver.

He now possesses Two Silver, One Gold, and One Bronze, the Gold coming from this years Indoor Championships, which he secured at Sheffield in February.
Byng, and Knight, who only has one more competition as a Morpeth Harrier, also remain as No 1 and 2 in the UK Rankings, with Southampton AC’s Josh Wise at No 3.
Wise, who finished third on Saturday with a best effort of 15.83m, which also a new lifetime best, will soon be joined by Knight at Southampton, who very shortly heads south in a family move.

Knight’s last appearance as a Morpeth Harrier officially, will come next weekend,
​when he competes in the UK Schools Games in Loughborough,
where he will again be facing high profile opposition.

Under 15 75m Hurdler Amy Lott of Morpeth Harriers competed in the Scottish Athletics Under 13/Under15/Under 20 Age Group Championships at Aberdeen Sports Village on Sunday 19th August 2018.

After winning her heat in 11.62s, which was the second fastest overall time, she finished second to
Central’s Coirilidh Cook in a tough final, clocking 11.61s to Cook’s winning time of 11.45s.
It was Lott’s second Scottish Championship medal, having won a Gold in the 60m Hurdles
at the Indoor Championships in Glasgow in March this year.
On this occasion she would also have wished for Gold, however she will test herself again
​next weekend in the English Championships at Bedford.

Another Morpeth Harrier gained a Silver Medal in the Championships in Aberdeen,
and that was Jessica Gardiner, who threw a best of 29.95m in the Under 15 Girls Discus.
​
After fouling in the first round of six, she eventually produced her best,
which was also fractionally a new lifetime best,
which was only 90cm adrift of the Gold Medal.

Gardiner also competed in the Hammer, finishing fourth, throwing a best of 35.50m.
She is also hoping to join Lott at Bedford.

Gardiner’s younger brother Edward had also been an excellent double Silver medallist
on the Saturday in the Under 13 Boys Javelin and Discus competitions.

In the Javelin, he produced an on the day best of 29.82m in his fourth of six throws.
This also presented him with not only his medal, but also a new lifetime best,
improving on his previous figures by around five metres.
​
In the Discus, he won his Silver medal with an on the day best of 23.91m with his final throw.
This was also a new lifetime best, improving on his previous figures by over five metres.

A relatively quiet weekend on the athletics front saw several Morpeth Harriers in competitive action at local park runs on Saturday 18th August 2018.

Currently on a family holiday in Wales, brothers Dylan and Ryan Davies took part in Newtown, Mid Wales,
​and showed many locals a clean pair of heels by finishing first and third respectively.
Older brother Dylan (Under 17), was first across the finish line, posting a time of 18m21s for the 5k distance,
which was a course record for his age category.
Meanwhile Ryan also had an excellent run, posting a finishing time for third in 19m16s.

​More locally in Whitley Bay, Taylor Glover of Morpeth was first over the finish line in 16m56s.

​At Newbiggin by the Sea, Morpeth Harrier John Butters was second across the finish line in 17m03, and club colleague Holly Peck finished fourth as first Female finisher, posting a time of 19m28s.
Other Morpeth Harriers in prominent action at Newbiggin were young Joe Dixon (Under 13 Boy), who finished an excellent ninth in 20m33s, Over 55 Veteran Man Paul Bellingham, who was fourteenth in 20m45s, and Gordon Dixon, also Over 55 Veteran Man, and Father of Joe, who finished 23rd in 21m52s.

At Rising Sun Country Park near Wallsend, Morpeth’s Over 50 Veteran Man Phil Walker
​was fourteenth home in 19m27s.