It was also good to see Nick McCormick of Morpeth Harriers back in action
on Sunday 16th September 2018, over the longer distance of a Half Marathon. He finished an excellent second in the EHM English Half Marathon, in Warrington, Cheshire, posting a finishing time of 68m55s, losing out for victory by eighty seconds to Hallamshire’s Steve Bayton. It is the first time that McCormick has tackled the distance since 2012, when he finished ninth in the Great North Run, posting a time of 62m44s. That was also a month after he had competed in the 5000m at the London Olympic Games. Nevertheless, it is heartening to see McCormick, who is now 37, back in competitive action, and wearing his club colours with pride again. It was very pleasing to see Morpeth Harrier Ady Whitwam back in competitive action on Sunday 16th September 2018, after several months of absence because of a tour of Army duty in the Middle East.
Despite suffering with an ill-timed Achilles Tendon problem throughout, he braved his way through the annual BMW Berlin Marathon, to finish 77th in 2hrs 28mins 05secs, which was a brand-new personal best, taking eleven seconds off his previous figures. He was also the seventh finisher in the Over 40 Men’s age group and was eighth Briton home. Nice to see you back Ady and hope that your Achilles problems are short-lived. Kenya`s Eliud Kipchoge crowned the 45th edition of the marathon with a fantastic world record in 2:01:39. The 33-year-old led from the start, following his own schedule and was never challenged for the lead. When he crossed the finish line he had obliterated the world record of 2:02:57, set by his compatriot Dennis Kimetto four years ago in Berlin, taking the huge margin of one minute, 18 seconds off that time. It is the biggest advance in the men’s marathon world record for over 50 years since the Australian Derek Clayton ran 2:09:36 in Fukuoka in 1967, slicing two-and-a-half minutes from the record. One of the best performances of the weekend for Morpeth Harriers was by the team led by Janet Peck, who took part in the day long bag pack at the Morrison’s Supermarket in Morpeth on Sunday 16th September 2018.
Janet has subsequently reported that the effort raised a grand total of £460.00 for club funds, and she is extremely proud of everyone’s concerted efforts on the clubs’ behalf. These very welcome funds come at the beginning of a very busy period for the club, involving a good deal of travel to prestigious events, both regionally and nationally, and will help to serve the club and its athletes, many of them in the younger age, as they engage in competition with some of the country’s finest in opposition terms. The club offer much thanks to Janet and her hard-working squad, on this excellent effort, without those combined efforts, we would struggle to cope with ever rising costs. Just over a week after competing in the Youth’s Final at the European Triathlon Championships
in Loutraki on the Greek mainland, where he finished eighteenth against top class opponents, Morpeth Harrier’s Under 17 Man Daniel Dixon was back in action on home soil on Saturday, when he was first over the finish line in the weekly Park Run at Albert Park in Middlesbrough, where he posted a finishing time of 15m50s, which was just twelve seconds adrift of the lifetime best for the 5k distance, that he achieved in the Sunderland 5k in July. Dixon heads abroad again this weekend, when he competes in the Junior European Cup in Alanya in Turkey, as part of a three-man Great Britain squad. He is currently being coached and advised by the legendary former Morpeth Harrier Mike Harris, who also for many years was very much top of his tree in Senior Triathlon for Great Britain, who says he has high hopes for his young protegee, who is still barely sixteen. At the grand age of 67, Harris himself took part in a Park Run on Saturday, finishing eleventh overall in 19m59s at the Druridge Bay Park run, just two places, and ten seconds behind James Johnson of Morpeth Harriers, who produced a best performance over the 5k distance. One place behind Harris, and posting a finishing time of 20m03s, was Morpeth Harrier Lorna MacDonald, who was the leading lady finisher. Other prominent Morpeth Harriers finishers at the Druridge Bay Park Run were Paul Bell, who produced a new personal best performance of 20m17s, when finishing thirteenth, and Ella Duffield, who was 25th in 22m45s. Another Morpeth Harrier first finisher was Jake Masterman, who crossed the line at Whitley Bay Park Run, posting a new best of 16m39s. At the Newbiggin by the Sea Park Run, Morpeth’s Joe Elder finished sixth, also setting brand new figures of 20m56s for the 5k distance. Morpeth Harriers opened their 2018 series of Young Athletes Club Road Championship events on Monday 10th September 2018, which this year for the first time, are being sponsored by Reeves, the Pension Specialists.
The event, which is being run over a period of three weeks, spanning four age groups, is being sponsored by Reeves, the pension specialist, as part of a new sponsorship deal to support the development of the club and its athletes for the next three years. `Reeves The Pension Specialist` is the company owned by former Morpeth Harrier Nigel Reeves, who competed successfully for the club for several years. Nigel said: “We’re delighted to be supporting a club of Morpeth’s stature and we are looking forward to a very successful partnership. “Grassroots sport is hugely important, and it was great to see so many young athletes enjoying themselves and taking part in the club championships.” |
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