NECAA 10,000 Metre Track Championships

The first three in the 2019 NECAA 10K Track Championships

On the evening of Wednesday 24th April 2019, prior to the opening Start Fitness North East Grand Prix Meeting,
the NECAA held their annual 10,000metre Track Championships,
which also incorporated the Northern Athletics Championship.

Gold, Silver, and Bronze medals went to the first three finishers in both the Men’s and Women’s events,
with Northern medals also being presented in addition.

The Men’s race went to Middlesbrough and Cleveland’s Gregory Jayasuriya,
who had taken the Silver Medal in 2018.
Jayasuriya fought a very hard battle to just outpace Blackhill Bounder Jordan Bell,
posting a finishing time of 31m47.18s, which was nearly thirty seconds adrift of his lifetime personal best,
which he had clocked at Stretford in 2017.

Bell finished two seconds adrift, taking the Silver Medal, and it was good to see
Morpeth Harrier Thomas Straughan coming home to take the Bronze Medal,
posting a time of 32m13.59s, after holding off the close attentions of one
of the pre-race favourites Conrad Franks of Gateshead Harriers.

Straughan was happy with his medals, despite being around twelve seconds adrift
of the lifetime best that he had achieved at Parliament Hill, in the “Night of 10,000s,” in 2016.

Another Morpeth Harrier taking part in the NECAA and Northern Athletics 10,000
was Veteran Athlete Lee Bennett, who finished in ninth place,
posting a finishing time of 34m14s, which was just over a minute outside his lifetime best.

The Women’s event was won by Elswick Harrier Catherine Lowes (42m04.67s),
who took both a NECAA and Northern Gold Medal,
second place went to Jarrow and Hebburn Veteran Heather Robinson (43m50.92s),
with club colleague Vicki Thompson taking the Bronze Medals in 47m20.45s.

Northern Medals were presented by Northern Official Malcolm Fletcher,
​who had travelled up specially from Barnsley to make the night special for recipients.
Many Thanks Malcolm.