morpeth pair in blaydon top three

By coincidence, Sunday also saw the 43rd running of the Blaydon Race, run as ever on the 9th June as enshrined in Geordie Ridley’s North East anthem. 
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As had happened in the morning, the short burst of light showers fortunately didn’t herald a spell of more persistent rain or dampen the enthusiasm of the several thousand who had gathered on the Quayside to be part of the iconic race, which was once again won by a flying Callum Johnson of Gateshead Harriers in a time of 27 minutes 41 seconds.

Morpeth Harriers did, however, have the distinction of providing both 2nd and 3rd placed runners, with Carl Avery next home in 28:16 and training partner Finn Brodie a couple of seconds behind in 28:18. 

With Sam Hancox starting to return to some good form 7th in 29:43 and James Tilley 12th in his first Blaydon in 30:21, the club were again clear winners of the Men’s team award. 

Sonia Samuels, once of Wallsend but now with Sale Harriers, was the first female finisher in 31:28, ahead of Durham City’s Jasmine Wood (32:44) and North Shields Polytechnic Harrier Molly Pace (34:04), with Catriona Macdonald providing Morpeth’s first female finisher, running well to come home 6th in 34:31. 

A whole raft of Morpeth finishers as ever, who included: Tom Prentice, making a return to competitive action after injury and looking strong in 22nd (31:13); Harry Armstrong, 70th and 6th U/19 in 33:06; Shaun Land, 83rd in 33:33; Richard Deathe, 92nd in 33:22; Dave Stabler, 117th in 34:28; Ian Armstrong, 122nd in 34:34; Anthony Jannetta, 144th in 35:06; Richard Glennie, 410th in 38:49; Mike Winter, 415th in 39:18; Mark Snowball, 459th in 39:23; Tayla Douglass, 461st in 39:23; Dave Marshall, 465th in 38:49; Anna Wright, 522nd in 40:14; Jane Kirby, 593rd in 40:53; Dave Swinburne, 624th in 40:03 (but family bragging rights going to younger brother Andrew, who had a fine run to come home 14th in 30:29); Stephen Johnstone, 850th in 42:52; Stephen Land, 864th in 43:34; Frances Naylor, 1713rd in 49:00; Norman Clark, 1823rd in 51:10 and Arjan Piet, 3950th in 1:09:33. 

Some 4341 finished – link to full results here ( note places are given on gun not chip time – hence the anomalies).

This year’s race, starting sadly once again on the Quayside – although the rumours are that next year it will return to Collingwood Street and the original course – was notable for being slightly longer at just short of six miles.

​It had yet another finishing section, this time the course losing the road past the petrol station and having to use the path to the right of the small section of woodland which is normally the way to the buses. There was then the inevitable few hundred yards on grass with the dulcet tones of ex Radio Newcastle DJ Alfie Joey welcoming runners in. Just what you need.  

Worse was to come with a walk of nearly a mile to the buses, which were some way past Shibden Pond down the road, the snaking queue for which was rather like that for the Royal Funeral. All that and a vibrant pink T shirt, which gave the hordes leaving the course the look of a crowd who’d been to see Barbie. Hmm.