busy weekend of track and field action

It was a busy weekend of athletics activity for athletes from Morpeth Harriers, with all generations in action at two high-profile BMC events on Saturday, along with club Masters in their regional championships, plus Friday night's combined NESDL and NEYDL Open Meeting at Shildon.
In the BMC meeting, held at Jarrow’s Monkton Stadium, Peter Smallcombe proved to be the club's fastest over 1500m, finishing sixth in the B race in 3m58.43s, one place ahead of club colleague, Connor Marshall, who was delighted to get under the four-minute barrier for the first time, posting a new personal best of 3m59.20s, his previous best being set in April 2023, 4m01.90s.
Two places behind Marshall was his Under 20 Club Colleague Elliot Kelso, who also posted new figures of 4m00.18s, taking nearly six seconds off his previous best.
Other Morpeth Harriers in action in the B race were James Tilley and Joseph Close, who posted respective times of 4m02.34s, and 4m06.16s.
Three Morpeth Harriers lined up in the 1500m C race, where Bertie Marr led the trio home in second place in a season’s best of 4m02.48s. Joe Dixon posted a new personal best time of 4m03.13s, when finishing fourth, taking just over a second off previous figures. Alistair Douglass finished ninth, posting a season’s best of 4m06.00s.
In a mixed gender F race, Morpeth’s Holly Lawrence posted a new personal best time of 4m50.30s, when finishing eighth, as fourth female finisher, taking nearly four seconds off her previous figures set in 2022.
Meanwhile in the other high-profile BMC Meeting, held at Loughborough in the Grand Prix, in his first outing since his 10,000m in Rome at the European Championships, Morpeth’s Rory Leonard tackled the 1500m A race, to finish fifth in a new personal best of 3m42.85s, taking almost two seconds off his previous best set in 2021.
Two other Morpeth Harriers were also in action at Loughborough.
Josh Fiddaman posted a season’s best of 3m49.14s, when finishing fifth in the 1500m C race, and in the D race, Phil Winkler posted a time of 3m54.33s, when finishing sixth.
………………………………………………………
Eight Morpeth Harriers were in competitive action at Saturday’s North East Masters Track and Field Championships, held at Jarrow’s Monkton Stadium.
No one was busier than Over 45 Veteran Woman thrower Claire Reid, who competed as an annually welcome guest in the four scheduled throws events.
In the Shot Putt she produced a best of 9.11m, in the Javelin a best of 14.85m, in the Discus, sa best of 29.16m, and in the Hammer, a best of 24.61m.
Gold Medals were won by Phil Pitt in the Over 45 100m in 12.19s, and Trevor Hodgson in the Over 50 competition in 12.36s.
Phil also won a Silver Medal in the 200m in 25.42s.
Most successful on the day was evergreen Over 65 Veteran Man Gavin Bayne, a triple Gold Medal winner in the 800m (2m49.89s), 1500m (5m40.97s), and 3000m (11m55.20s).
Ben Harding won the Over 50 Men’s 400m in 56.94s, Archie Jenkins was a Silver medallist in the Over 70 Men’s 800m in 4m00.62s and Andrew Dippie was fourth in the Over 60 Men’s 800m in 3m00.07s, but did manage a third in the 5000m in 23m51.97s.
Pam Woodcock finished second in the Over 70 Women’s 800m in 3m49.33s and was also second in her age group 1500m in 7m36.33s.
…………………………………………………………………
Three Morpeth Harriers competed at the first combined NEYDL/NESDL Open Meeting held at Shildon on Friday evening.
Claire Reid warmed up for her following day’s competitions at the NEMAA Track and Field Championships by taking part in the three throws competitions on offer, Discus, Javelin, and Shot Putt.
In the Discus she threw 28.67m, which saw her win the Senior Women’s section.
She finished as second Senior Woman in the Javelin with a best throw of 14.68m and won the Shot Putt with a best effort of 9.02m.
Under 15 Girl sprinter Sophie Pledger took part in both the 100m and 200m events, finishing sixth in her race in the 100m in 13.31.3s, making her fastest in her age group, and also fifth in her 200m race in 26.81.18s, which again, made her fastest in her age group.
Under 13 Girl Heidi Wilkinson finished sixth in her One Mile Race, in a time of 5m50.15s.