The rumours about a new course had been circulating for several weeks. I had even heard more than one colleague uttering the immortal cliché, ‘I’m only doing it as a hard training run’. But it was only on the way to the race that the alarm bells started ringing… Traditionally, of course, the Tynedale 10 (otherwise known as the ‘Jelly Tea’) has always been held on the Sunday of the August Bank Holiday weekend and has marked an impending Autumn; the much-loved route through the Tyne Valley started on the outskirts of Hexham, wove through the centre of Corbridge towards Bywell and meandered along the banks of the Tyne, before finishing in the grounds of Ovingham Middle School.. Whether it was the difficulties of negotiating the centre of Corbridge, the continued closure of Ovingham Bridge or the loss of parking at the Middle School is unclear, but this year the race organisers at Tynedale Harriers came up with a new course based at….Hexham Racecourse. Yes that’s right, Hexham Racecourse. Hexham Racecourse is celebrating its 125th anniversary this year (I recommend the black and white footage of a 1922 meet on the history page of its own website) www.hexham-racecourse.co.uk and lies a mile or two to the south of the town. Devotees of the turf will know that it is up a rather steep hill. No, make that a very steep one. So steep in fact that I swear my ears started popping as we climbed up it. Indeed it appears to lie at the epicentre of several steep hills so that even the course for the gee-gees is described by no less an authority as the Racing Post, with remarkable brevity, as an ‘undulating, testing track’ - which, come to think of, might have been describing the race route itself. This led you down a precipitous two mile descent towards Dipton Mill, then wound its way back and forth quite literally up hill and down dale, with several monster ascents of well over a mile. There were few, if any, purely flat sections and such were the vertiginous nature of the descents that it was hard to pull back time on them – what you lost on the roundabouts you didn’t seem to gain on the swings, so to speak. Maybe delirium had set in, but by the time we had reached the climb back to the start, I was sure I was going to see the legendary Dieter ‘Didi’ Senft, more famously known as ‘the Devil’ from the Tour de France, running alongside waving his pitchfork as we grunted and gasped up our very own Alpe d’Huez. Hearty congratulations to all who finished, then. For the record, Elswick’s Tadele Geremew and Justina Heslop won the Men’s and Women’s races, Tadele coming home in 56m 8s and Justina in 63m 4s.Only six runners managed to break the hour mark, but one of them was Morpeth’s Sam Hancox (59m 52s) who appeared less fazed than most by the course. Matty Boyle also had a good run to finish in 11th place in 61m 59s. Paul Waterston (65m 24s)and Rob Hancox (66m 7s) chased each other home to finish 21st and 22nd, Paul picking up 2nd Over 50 and also a NEMAA silver. Lorna Macdonald was Morpeth’s first female finisher in a time of 76m 37s and 13th in the women’s race, but the Macdonalds as a family deserve a mention for turning out on mass, with Alistair coming home home first in 74m, Catriona 15th woman in 78m 43s and Margaret also completing the course. Other Morpeth Harriers to complete were: Paul Banks, 70th; Jim Alder, 72nd; Steve Haswell, 79th; Peter Scaife, 117th; Richard Sill, 161st; Sue Smith and Carol Parry, 351st and 352nd. With the times for everyone showing a raft of PW (personal worst) performances and mostly 5 –10 minutes slower for most runners than usual, the majority of competitors were of the same mind on completion: ‘I ain’t doing that again’, or a more earthy version expletive strewn version of the same, a sentiment with which most of the Harriers I spoke to wholeheartedly concurred. Nobby Clark described it as ‘one of the toughest courses I have done in 35 years of running’ and Rob Hancox simply labelled it with one word: ‘brutal’. A different angle was provided by the Elswick runner who labelled it as ‘a fell race that’s been tarmaced over’. Personally, I can’t see myself going back next year. Now then, where’s that devil outfit… Report by Peter Scaife A Sports Psychology Seminar organised through Elvet Striders running club is being held on Mon 7th Sept, 7 - 8.30pm, Ushaw College, Durham. It will focus on motivation for both running & triathlons. Also good timing before the GNR ! Further details & ticket booking information............ Three North Eastern Counties Champions from Morpeth Harriers
all competed in the England Athletics Track and Field Championships, held at Bedford Stadium on Saturday 29th and Sunday 30th August 2015. On the Saturday, Under 15 Girl Javelin Champion Bobbie Griffiths threw a best of 33.04m, when finishing ninth in a very stiff A string competition. Equally tough on the Sunday was the Under 15 Boys Discus competition, where Ruaridh Lang produced a best of 39.99m, which gave him a well earned fifth place. On the Track, Scott Beattie finished fifth in the Under 17 Men’s 3000m in 8m42.70s. The event was won by Isaac Akers, to whom Beattie had finished fourth to at the English Schools Championships in July, and again finishing just in front of Beattie, was Stroud’s Tom Mortimer, who had finished third at the English Schools Championships. So Beattie had certainly maintained good form since their last encounters, in finishing once again in close contention Morpeth Harriers have now presented their Linden Homes Athlete of the Month Award for July 2015. The award went to Under 17 Middle Distance runner Scott Beattie, who showed outstanding form during the month, mainly by just been run out of a medal in the Intermediate Boys 3000m at the English Schools Track and Field Championships at Gateshead. He just lost out for Bronze despite clocking a new personal best of 8m42.70s for the distance, which was a massive 15 seconds off his previous figures. Added to that he also achieved new personal bests of 1m57.4s and 4m04.4s over the 800m and 1500m distances respectively during the month. Scott is pictured above receiving a Certificate of Achievement from his coach, Mike Bateman. Several Morpeth Harriers took part in the Blyth Links 10km on Tuesday 1st September.
Mike Winter finished 32nd in a time of 40mins 27secs and was 2nd in the Over 45 category. Gavin Bayne occupied the next position in 40mins 39secs and was first in the Over 60 category. Paul Banks finished 34th in 40mins 39secs (13th Over 40). Pam Woodcock finished 149th in 49mins 40secs (26th lady but 1st Over 60). Others taking part were: 177 Susan Smith 52:29 (41st Lady/6th Over 45); 178 Carol Parry 52:29 (42nd lady/7th Over 45); 233 Jane Blackett 58:22 (80th lady/10th Over 50) 236 Lesley Gemmell 58:33 (83rd lady/11th Over 50). The race was won by Guy Bracken of North Shields Poly in a time of 34mins 7secs and Jacqueline Penn of North Shields Poly was first lady home in 39mins 15secs. Report by Les Venmore |
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