harriers turn out in force for quayside 5k

In one of the busiest nights for competition since lockdown restrictions were lifted, there were over 500 finishers at the Quayside 5k last Wednesday evening (11 August) with runners clearly keen to turn out over one of the fastest races in the North East, the out and back course along the North bank of the Tyne.
The evening’s proceedings were kicked off by a shorter Junior 3 kilometre race in which Morpeth’s Joe Dixon figured prominently. Joe was in fact only beaten by Tommy Shaw of City of York AC, with the Under 17 athlete finishing in 9 minutes 9 seconds, some seven seconds ahead of him; Joe did at least have the satisfaction of being first Under 15 home.
Club colleague Caitlin Flanagan also had a good run, finishing second female U/17 in 11: 53.
The evening’s main event was the 5k ‘A’ race for athletes able to post a sub 20 minute time, won impressively by host club Gateshead AC’s Calum Johnson in 14:10, with Sunderland’s Liam Taylor second (14:52) and Middlesbrough’s Nathan Baker third (14:56).
Wallsend Harrier Danielle Hodgkinson posted an equally strong time in the Women’s race, winning in 16:20, with Cat Macdonald behind her in 17:57 and North Shields Polytechnic Harrier Jacqui Penn third (18:16). Rachelle Falloon also showed herself on the comeback trail,  finishing 5th Senior Female in 18:36, with sisters Hannah and Lizzie Rank 9th and 12th (19:12 and 19:45).
First Morpeth Harrier home was Leeds-based Phil Winkler in one of his first competitive outings of the year, finishing 7th in 15:16. Andy Lawrence was not far behind in 10th with a clocking of 15:38 and Matty Briggs 12th in 15:42.
There were also some impressive age category wins, with John Butters first O/45 in 16:16 and Lee Bennett second O/50 in 16:52.
Meanwhile sparring Over 65s Dave Nicholson and Gavin Bayne, who have had several head to heads over the last twelve months, continued their tussle at the head of their category, with Dave earning the bragging rights this time in 19:09 and Gavin second in 19:25.
Other Morpeth finishers in the ‘A’ race were: Anthony Janetta, 69th in 17:22; Jake Parmley, 86th in 17:50; Shaun Land, 89th in 17:54; Paul Banks, 111th in 18:17; Jason Dawson, 123rd in 18:36; Ricky Stafford, 137th in 19:08; Eric Adams, 163rd in 19:34 and Tayla Murdy,  14th Senior Woman in 20:28.
In the ‘B’ race, with over 385 finishers by contrast to 186 in the ‘A’, O/60 Paul Bellingham had a good run to finish 33rd in 20:37; he suggested later that it felt much better to be near the front of the ‘B’ than somewhere near the back of the ‘A’, food for thought for future years for other runners.
Claire Calverley was 130th in 23:13, Clare Walker 200th in 25:08 and Margaret Macdonald 251st in 27:22.
 There were some 385 finishers in all in the ‘B’, and 186 in the ‘A’.