Joe Ramshaw of Morpeth Harriers was first across the finish line in Saturday’s
Newcastle 5k Park Run held in the Exhibition Park, posting a time of 16m43s,
which represented a new personal best on the course.
​
Another Morpeth Park Run first on Saturday was John Butters,
who clocked 16m49s on the Prudhoe Riverside course.

The end of season awards night for the Start Fitness sponsored North East Grand Prix
series was held at Gateshead Stadium on Monday 25th September 2017.

Grand Prix Awards were presented by husband and wife Field Officials Mick and Margaret Fraser,
and included Morpeth Harriers & AC athletes Andrew Knight, and Sean O’Hara,
who were fifth and third respectively in the Under 17 and Under 20 Men’s categories for their performances.

The Athlete of the Match Awards, which were carefully judged over the six fixtures,
included no less than four athletes from Morpeth, and all of them being throwers from the clubs Field section.

Andrew Knight was again a recipient, because of his excellent 14.48m in the
Under 17 Men’s Shot Putt at the opening meeting on 19th April.

Joining him on the podium for the same meeting was Female Javelin specialist Bobbie Griffiths,
who managed 40.19m in the Under 17 Women’s competition.

Further Athlete of the Match Awards went to Under 17 Women’s Shot Putt specialist
Charlotte Pickering-Pruvot, who threw 12.14m at the fourth meeting on the 12th July.

Throwing 46.08m in the Under 17 Men’s Discus, earned Ruaridh Lang
his Athlete of the Match Award for the fifth meeting on 26th July.

The newly elected President of the North-East Counties Athletics Association,
Bernard Johnson presented the Athlete of the Match Awards.

Knight, Pickering-Pruvot, and Lang are all coached by Paul Reed,
and these achievements will make him most deservedly a very proud man.

Daniel Joyce of Tynedale Harriers received the Colin Miller Shield from the
Chairman of the North-East Counties Athletics Association Bill McGuirk,
as being the performance Athlete of the Season.
​
The Presentation was both well attended and much appreciated,
and Start Fitness are to be thanked for their continued support of the event.

A handful of Morpeth Harriers travelled West along the A69 to either Ovingham
or Haltwhistle on Sunday morning (24th September) in search of a competitive run.

The pretty stretch of the Tyne Valley running through Ovingham, Bywell and Styford formed the route of the annual Tynedale 10 mile race and attracted some seven Morpeth Harriers. The Tynedale 10 has been in existence for many years – and is popularly known as ‘the jelly tea’ on account of the free food provided at the local Middle School afterwards – and had previously followed a course from Hexham to Ovingham via Corbridge.
​
Traffic issues forced the organisers, local outfit Tynedale Harriers, to find a new route three years ago however,
and following an unpopular effort to stage the race on a very challenging track up at Hexham race course,
this year saw the race reverting to an out and back route West from Ovingham
that encompassed what had previously been the last 5 miles of the race.

The race itself was won by the colourfully named Sparrow Morley of Tyne Bridge in a time
of 59 minutes and 33 seconds with South African Gerda Steyn first woman home,
and indeed 3rd overall, in 1 hour and 8 seconds.

First home for Morpeth was Over 50 veteran Phil Walker, 12th overall and 2nd in his category in 1: 02: 48.
Lorna Macdonald had the distinction of being 2nd female finisher, and was 22nd overall, in 1: 06: 21.
Behind them were: Mike Steven, 51st and 4th Over 60 in 1: 13: 13; Kevin Bray, 56th and 5th Over 55 in 1: 14: 50; Alan Hyde, 68th in 1: 17:32; Hamish Mcallister-Williams, 77th in 1: 20: 31
and Norman Clark, 78th in 1: 20: 40. Clark had the distinction of being 1st Over 65 competitor.

Haltwhistle Half-Marathon
Hardier souls travelled further West along the valley to Haltwhistle to take part in the second running of the Haltwhistle half-marathon, a scenic and largely off-road event that included an old railway viaduct and even a small stretch through a local front garden !

In a race won by James Mckenzie of Heaton Harriers in 1: 18: 39 with Gemma Bradley of Saltwell first woman home in 1: 32: 11, Helen King took the honours for Morpeth, finishing as 2nd woman home but first Over 40 in a time of 1: 34: 44. Richard Kirby was 49th in 1: 38: 53, Lindsay Turnbull 2nd Over 45 and 86th overall in 1: 47: 29, Carol Parry 129th just over the 2 hour mark in 2: 1: 50 and Clare Hiscox 157th in 2: 11:11.

Report by Peter Scaife

​Morpeths Rob Morris ran at the Derwentside Hellhole Multi-Terrain
event at Stanley on Sunday 24th September 2017.

He finished in 4th place on the difficult course in a time of 41mins 37secs,
in a race won by David Best of Blackhill Bounders in 38mins 50secs.

Report by Les Venmore

Once again it was Kurt Heron of Ashington who overcame the Morpeth
challenge at Saturday's Druridge Bay Park Run.

Heron won in 16mins 32secs, coming home 29secs ahead of Andrew Lawrence who clocked 17mins 1sec.
Alistair Douglass finished third in 17mins 19secs.
Rob Morris also gained a top ten place when finishing 6th in 18mins 44secs.

In the Women's race, Ella Duffield finished second in a time of 22mins 59secs,
crossing the line in 42nd position overall.
The winner was Janine Routledge of Heaton who recorded 20mins 47secs.
​
Mark Snowball was more successful at the Gibside Parkrun, winning by exactly a
minute on this tough course, in a time of 18mins 29secs.
​
Report by Les Venmore