National Young Athletes Road Relay Championships

Morpeth Harriers & AC had a very busy and
moderately successful weekend of athletics activity,
mainly centred round two days of
National Road Relay competitions
at Sutton Park, Sutton Coldfield
over Saturday and Sunday 3rd/4th October 2015.

At the end of the day however, unfortunately the
club had no medals to show for their efforts.

The best of the clubs performances undoubtedly belonged to their Under 13 Girls
on Sunday 4th October, who made steady progress throughout all of their three 3.86k legs,
to finish in a well earned twelfth place out of 59 complete teams.

Lily Heaton began proceedings well on Leg One,
when she came home in seventeenth place,
clocking the 34th equal time of the competition of 15m31s,
and was only just under a minute adrift of the leaders.

Although losing a little time on the leaders,
second leg runner Rhiannon Hedley stuck
to the task of improving he placing,
and won back a place as she got round in 16m00s,
a time that eventually emerged as
59th equal fastest in the competition.

On the final leg, Holly Peck certainly performed well by
clawing back four places with her energetic clocking of 15m23s,
which proved to be the tenth fastest of the leg,
and 28th equal fastest in the competition.

The squads combined efforts saw them finish with a total time of 46m54s,
which was just under two minutes adrift of some minor medals.

Winners of the Under 13 Girls event were a very strong
Wreake and Soar Valley AC, who clocked 44m38s.

Morpeth Harriers Under 13 Girls were also very creditably
the fourth from the North of England behind
Salford Harriers, who finished seventh.

The other Morpeth Harriers Young Athletes squad
competing on Sunday were their Under 17 Men,
who finished 21st out of 53 finishing clubs.

On a very competitive first leg, Kieran Hedley came home
in 29th place in a time of 12m51s over his 3.86k leg,
which eventually would emerge as 55th fastest overall.

Things changed quite dramatically however for Morpeth
on the second leg, when Scott Beattie clawed back
a mammoth fifteen places, by clocking the fourth fastest
time of the leg of 12m08s, which also proved to be the
fourteenth fastest of the competition.

Despite clocking 14m00s on the final leg,
Jacob Hopkins surrendered seven places
to faster competitors around him,
who had obviously been saved for a final challenge.

Morpeth Harriers Under 17 Men finished in a total time of 39m00s,
and were fifth club from the North of England behind ninth placed Rotherham.
They were also just under three minutes adrift of the minor medals.

Winners of the Under 17 Men’s competition were Tonbridge,
who clocked a total finishing time of 35m51s.

Results