ARWEN CAN'T BLOW MORPETH OFF COURSE

The  destructive effects of Storm Arwen were visible in Morpeth for all to see on Saturday morning, causing the cancellation of sporting fixtures right across the region including all local parkruns. But not even extreme weather could bring a halt to cross country proceedings with the fourth fixture in the North East Harrier League season still taking place in Durham on Saturday afternoon. 
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With an Arctic blast gusting across the exposed course overlooking Durham City from the Aykley Heads Police HQ, conditions added to an already challenging course, which is a real cross country test at the best of times and includes a long muddy hill section to negotiate several times.
 
With a number of Morpeth Harriers unable even to make the journey from more rural parts of the county,  numbers were understandably down across the board, but there were still several hundred competitors, with some 400 in the Senior Men’s fixture and 250 in the Women’s.
 
Freddie Banfield was the club’s first runner in what was also his first Under 11 cross country outing - and one he is unlikely to forget - completing the one kilometre course in 6 minutes 14 seconds.
 
Charlotte Marshall had a good run in the Under 13s, coming home first runner from Slow Pack in 4th overall, with Megan Potrac 10th out of Fast Pack, though Emma Tomlinson was sadly a victim of the conditions and had to withdraw.  With only 17 runners in total and only two complete teams, the race was very much typical of the smaller fields in all the Young Athlete competitions, although Morpeth remain a good 3rd in the Team Division.
 
The club’s first team success was again in the Under 15 Boys, with Morpeth one of only three clubs fielding a full team. Led home by Oli Calvert in 4th place in 12:57, the day’s second fastest time, with Oli Tomlinson not far behind in 5th (both out of Fast), the scoring count was completed by Elliot Mavir in 8th out of Slow Pack, with Dan Burrow (13th) also running. The boys comfortably head their division and look set for certain success if they continue to turn out.
 
Sadly Tabby Robson was once again the club’s sole representative in the U/15 Girls, finishing in a good 5th place in 14:48, the 3rd fastest time of the day.  She deserves lots of praise for continuing to plough what is at present a lone furrow.
 
It was a different story in the U/17 Boys, who remains perhaps the club’s strongest team, although previously ever-present Bertie Marr was unable to make the journey from Rothbury.

In his first Harrier League fixture of the season, Joe Dixon had a very good run from Slow Pack to come home in 2nd place in 18:24 behind Brandon Pye of Houghton Harriers, whose 17:53 was the fastest run of the day.  Behind Joe, Sam Tate also ran well from Slow Pack to finish 4th (20:07). Will De Vere Owen was 11th in 18:56 to make the team count, with Ryan Davies 16th (19:13), Matthew Walton 18th (19:39) and James Tilley 20th (20:28), all running from Fast Pack.

The club provided both the 1st and 2nd teams home, and were in fact the only outfit to finish two complete teams, the U/17s like their younger colleagues heading their division. They will all be hoping that they are able to make the long journey South West to Newquay on Friday to take part in the English Schools Cross Country Cup, and that conditions are a little more clement.
 
Numbers for the combined U/17 Girls and U/20 Women were swelled by a number of students from Durham University taking part. Millie Breese was 4th home in 21:05 from Fast Pack, all those ahead of her running from Slow. Millie’s run was the fastest of the day and certainly one of the best, her time bettering those of runners several years older. Durham University unsurprisingly won the team count, with Morpeth 2nd thanks to good runs by Caitlin Flanagan (7th in 24:06 from Slow) and Kate Gaffing (17th in 25:38 from Slow). The team remain well placed in their division in 2nd.
 
The sun peeked out temporarily for the Senior Women’s fixture over two laps with some 225 finishers – and then thought better of it and went back in. Won perhaps unsurprisingly by local outfit Elvet Striders, who turned out in force, Morpeth’s Women were frustratingly only one point on the day behind runaway division leaders Elswick in 3rd place but did move into 2nd place in the division overall.
 
There was another quite remarkable run by Cat Macdonald, who got all the way up to 4th place from Fast Pack in the day’s fastest time of 27:21, the race being won again by students from Durham University out of Slow Pack.
 
An equally outstanding performance came from veteran Jane Hodgson, only two places behind Macdonald in 6th in 28:12. The team count of four was completed by Lindsey Quinn (41st in 31:20) and veteran off roader Gwenda Cavill (94th in 37:58). Clare Walker (198th in 45:02) and Margaret Macdonald (208th in 46:12) also battled through the conditions. Evergreen Over 75 Paul Bentley completed his 4th Harrier League fixture in a row in 42:06 for 171st.
 
Conditions had worsened by the time the Senior Men started on their three laps,  and indeed there was a blizzard of snow by the finish. That didn’t deter Morpeth’s own Flying Finn, Finn Brodie, who showed the rest of the field a clean pair of heels from the off.
 
Running from Slow Pack, Finn ran the day’s fastest time of 36:07 but was chased every inch of the way by club colleague Alex Brown. Always a strong finisher, Alex might have got on level terms had he not lost a shoe on the last lap. In the end, he settled for 2nd place and the day’s 2nd fastest time of 36:20.
 
Sam Hancox was another looking to use the race as a warm-up for the North East Cross Country Championships, and he also had a strong run from Medium Pack, finishing in 12th place overall in 38:30.
 
With Tom Innes in 38th (38:49) and Connor Marshall 69th (40:20), the scoring six was made up by Paul Banks, 45:59 from Slow, with a winning team count edging out Birtley and Sunderland Harriers. Morpeth have now moved back to the top of the Division and, better still, have opened clear water between themselves and chasing clubs Sunderland and Tyne Bridge.
 
The scoring six were backed up by Rob Hancox, 89th from Slow in 46:11; Eric Adams, 161st from Medium in 45:08; Andrew Hebden, 170th from Medium in 45:22; Adam Coulson, 210th from Slow in 49:73 and Jake Parmley, 271st from Slow in 52:01. (All times actual times run)
 
A big congratulations to all who defied the weather – and perhaps logic – and turned out and to parents and supporters too, but let’s not forget the officials and marshals who were on the course for the best part of five hours.
 
The next Harrier League fixture is on Saturday 8 January at Thornley Hall Farm, Peterlee, the next cross country fixture (for those entered) the NECAA XC at Sedgefield on Saturday 11 December, when we will  all be hoping for some better weather. 

The gallery of images from the race below is courtesy of Stuart Whitman.

Meanwhile on the other side of the country there were much better conditions prevailing for the British Athletics Cross Country Challenge at Sefton Park, Liverpool. With the race doubling up as trials for the European Cross Country, the cream of the country’s athletics talent was out in full force.

Now studying at Oklahoma State University, Rory Leonard made the long but worthwhile journey back across the Atlantic to take part, with the aim of qualifying for the U/23 event. 

This he did in fine style, finishing in 10th place overall and 2nd U/23 in a time of 29:00 behind race winner Jack Rowe of Aldershot and Farnham (28:05) with Andy Butchart 2nd in 28:16, and can look ahead to collecting another representative honour.

Matthew Briggs was the club's only other representative, finishing 90th in 31:09, while North East interests were also represented by Calum Johnson of Gateshead, 8th in 28:52, and Sam Charlton of Wallsend, 16th in 29:14.
 
The Women’s race was won by Jess Judd of Blackburn Harriers in 26:29 with Jenny Nesbitt 2nd in 26:46 and the North East's Kate Avery 6th in 27:01. ​