DOUGLASS LANDS PB IN FINAL GRAND PRIX FIXTURE

Nineteen athletes from Morpeth Harriers & AC were in competitive action at the sixth and final North East Grand Prix meeting, held at Monkton Stadium on the evening of Wednesday 4 August.
The meeting, originally intended for Gateshead Stadium, had to switch venues at last minute, due to staffing issues, and the NECAA are extremely grateful to all at Monkton Stadium for their efforts in accommodating the fixture, as it had the previous five so far this year.
It is good that all six meetings were completed, as 2020 saw a complete blank due to the Covid epidemic lockdowns.
Nine of the 19 Morpeth Harriers competed in the fastest 3000m on the night, which effectively brought the curtain down on the event.
Alistair Douglass led the Morpeth contingent home, finishing in fourth place behind Blyth Running Club's Josh Fiddaman, who won in 8m36.39s.
Douglass posted an excellent new personal best time of 8m47.29s, taking around 40seconds off his previous best for the seven and a half laps.
Two places behind Alistair in sixth place, was his Morpeth club colleague Matthew Briggs, who was having his first outing at the Grand Prix this season.
Briggs posted a time of 9m00.59s, however he was fast being closed down by club colleagues Bertie Marr, William De Vere-Owen, and Joe Dixon, who finished seventh, eighth and ninth respectively, and all posted new personal best times of 9m00.96s, 9m00.99s, and 9m03.16s.
Marr improved his previous best by nine seconds, De Vere Owen improved by ten seconds, and Dixon, eighteen seconds.
Other Morpeth Harriers also in the fastest 3000m, were Thomas Straughan (10th) 9m06.50s, Ryan Davies (11th) 9m12.73s, Joseph Anderson (13th) 9m18.40s, and Ralph Robson (16th) 9m53.33s.
Ralph Robson’s younger sister Tabitha had an excellent run in the slower of the two 3000m, finishing eighth, and her finishing time of 11m00.63s, gave her a new personal best by thirty seconds.
Connor Marshall and Liam Roche of Morpeth Harriers both produced personal best times of 2m03.83s, and 2m08.90s, when finishing second and third respectively in the second fastest of nine 800m events.
They both showed three second improvements.
In the third fastest 800m, Morpeth Under 15 Boy Joseph Close finished sixth, posting a finishing time of 2m12.48s.
Morpeth Under 17 Woman Caitlin Flanagan finished ninth in the fifth fastest 800m, with a time of 2m27.54s.
Morpeth Senior Woman Tayla Murdy paced herself nicely to produce a very strong finish, to place a superb third in the seventh fastest 800m, posting a time of 2m39.99s.
Morpeth’s youngest athletes on parade were Molly Roche and Charlotte Marshall, younger sisters of Liam and Connor.
The Under 13’s finished sixth and seventh respectively in the slowest 800m, posting very respectable times of 2m53.83s, and 2m57.60s, and for Charlotte, it was her first ever run in the two-lap event.
Morpeth’s only sprinter in action on the night was Under 15 Girl, Freya Caygill, who finished second in the fourth fastest of nine heats of 200m events, posting a time of 27.45s.
It was good to see specialist Senior Woman Javelin thrower Bobbie Griffiths back in action in a Morpeth vest for the first time this year.
She produced the best throw in her category when she threw a modest 33.22m.
It is hopeful that we may see more of Bobbie in action before the season concludes.
College work and part time work have been very prohibitive for the former regional champion, who is currently based in Leeds.
As a result of their season long efforts, Morpeth Harriers Alistair Douglass and Joseph Close have finished second and third respectively in the Grand Prix Rankings for Senior Men and Under 15 Boys.
Awards are due to be held at Gateshead Stadium on Monday 4 October 2021.