Blyth Valley 10k Road Race

Tom Straughan and Ross Floyd battling it out at the 2017 Blyth Valley 10k

The annual Blyth 10k, sponsored once again by Transped,
and organised by local neighbours, Blyth Running Club,
was held on Sunday 9th April 2017.

The race was won by Ross Floyd, with a finishing time of 31m55s,
he also took the North-Eastern Counties Gold Medal, in the Championship,
which was incorporated into the event, and it also marked Floyd’s first ever Senior Individual title.

After being hotly pursued by his Morpeth Harriers club colleague Thomas Straughan
throughout most of the out and back route from Blyth Harbour to Seaton Sluice,
he eventually stole away in the hot and sunny spring weather, to record
a seven second margin victory, and Straughan took a thoroughly deserved Silver medal,
ahead of Shettlestone’s Daniel Bradford, who was a further ten seconds adrift.
Straughan had competed well for his club in Sutton Park less than
24 hours earlier, so this medal was thoroughly deserved.

Another Morpeth finisher who had also competed for his club
in Sutton Park was Karl Taylor, who finished seventh in 33m26s.

Next home for Morpeth Harriers was James Young, who placed 17th in 34m20s,
just one place and eighteen seconds ahead of club colleague Jake Masterman,
who had also run in Sutton Park the previous day.

Morpeth Harriers took the Men’s Team title, courtesy of Floyd, Straughan, and Young,
with Taylor ruling himself ineligible to count, for not wearing his club vest.

Other Morpeth Harriers finishers were Matthew Boyle (38th) 36m51s,
Thomas Innes (41st) 36m55s, Rob Hancox (42nd) (3rd O/50 Man) 37m02s,
who had also run in Sutton Park the previous day,
Dave Richardson (47th) 37m21s, Richard Castledine (71st) 38m25s,
Gemma Floyd (96th) (3rd O/35 Woman) 39m36s, Alex Zeller (173rd) 42m59s,
Paul Bellingham (174th) (5th O/55 Man) 42m56s, James McFetrich (201st) (26th O/40 Man) 44m01s,
Vicky Gibbs (218th) (9th O/35 Woman) 44m52s, Norman Clark (274th) (4th O/65 Man) 47m21s,
Jilly Bell (319th) (12th O/45 Woman) 50m37s, Sue Smith (357th) (9th O/50 Woman) 53m41s,
and Dave Gray (424th) (10th O/65 Man) 57m39s.

The event had a total of 545 finishers.

Results