MORPETH MASTERS PICK UP TRIO OF MEDALS

Morpeth's Over 35's men won a bronze medal at Jarrow

The North East Masters Championships (for athletes 35 or over) returned to Bedewell Park, Jarrow after a two-year absence with Morpeth’s veteran men collecting three team medals over the two-lap, 3k course.
 
Taking place on the evening of Wednesday 4 May, Race 1, for Women and Men’s Over 65 and over teams, was won by Claremont Road Runners in 36:51 with NSP’s O/45s 2nd in 37:25 and Elswick’s O/45s in 3rd (37:40).
 
Morpeth’s team of Shuna Rank (14:20), Jill Bennett (15:50) and Claire Calverley (15:03) were 8th Over 45.
 
Fastest female leg of the night was by Becky Coleman of NSP who ran 11:58.
 
In the following Men’s race, and in their first outing as an Over 35 team, Adam Pratt, Graham Cook and Andy Lawrence placed third behind a flying Sunderland Harriers squad of Liam Taylor, Stephen Jackson and Steve Rankin (29:12) and  Tyne Bridge Harriers (30:11).
 
Pratt (9:55) ran the club’s fastest time of the night with Cook on 2nd leg in 10:25 and Lawrence doing well to hold off a flying Gateshead Harrier with 10:03.
 
Their team bronze  was matched by the club’s Over 45s (33:16), with Graeme Thorpe (11:08), Jason Dawson (11:11) and Lee Bennett (10:57) finishing this time behind Darlington (32:02) and Elswick Harriers (32:51).         
 
The club’s Over 55s went one better, however, with the team of Gavin Bayne (11:41), Phil Walker (11:54) and Neil MacAnany (12:13) picking up a team silver in 35:48 behind Sunderland Harriers (34:22).
 
Club performance of the night was undoubtedly that of leading Over 65 athlete Bayne, whose time for the 3 kilometre course was a new age group record.
 
Pleasingly, the club was the only one to medal in all three categories in the Men’s race, despite the absence of a team Gold.
 
Fastest Men’s time of the night was Sunderland’s Taylor with 9:35 with Gateshead’s Steve Richardson two seconds behind in pursuit , no doubt, of Lawrence’s totemic shorts (Andy would like to deny these are made from some Frankie Dettori old racing silks).  Adam’s time was 5th fastest.