British Athletics UK Cross Challenge

Sefton Park played host to the second meeting of the
British Athletics UK Cross Challenge,
on Saturday 28th November 2015,
which also incorporated the very prestigious European Trials,
with top athletes of both genders competing for a place in the British teams, to be sforthcomingEuropeanChampionships,
scheduled to be held in Toulon, Hyeres in France on Sunday 13th December.

The Senior and Under23 Men’s 9.8k event,
also incorporated both a regional and club competition,
which saw Morpeth Harriers four competing athletes
Jonny Taylor, Nick Swinburn,
World Duathlon Champion Carl Avery,
and Lewis Timmins very much amongst the action.
Taylor and Swinburn, led a strong North Challenge
against Scotland and Wales,
by finishing sixth and seventh respectively,
and for Taylor, an extra bonus, possible selection for France.



Avery and Timmins brought more fruit to the table however,
with their respective placings of 28th and 56th,
added to the efforts of Taylor and Swinburn,
giving Morpeth Harriers, representing England,
an excellent team victory over Swansea of Wales,
and Central of Scotland in the club competition.

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Scott Beattie

Another excellent Morpeth performer was Scott Beattie,
who battled hard all the way in his 5.5k Under 17 Men’s event,
but just couldn’t snatch victory from Stroud’s Tom Mortimer,
who had been one of his closest rivals on the track
in the English Schools Championships.
Nevertheless Beattie managed to just hold second place
ahead of Wrexham’s Matthew Willis.

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The Senior/Under23 Women’s event saw Morpeth’s Emma Holt lock horns with some
very talented opposition, and she did herself proud by finishing a well earned 45th.

Two Morpeth Harriers faced the starter in the Under 20 Men’s 6.7k event.
Recent signing Joe Armstrong ran well to finish 50th, and Elliot Kelly
battled his way through the testing conditions to finish in a hard earned 109th place.