NEHL returns

Yes, it’s back! After a whole year with no cross country action to speak of, the North East Harrier League returns this month, with the first fixture in less than three weeks time on Saturday September 25 at the traditional opening venue at Wrekenton.

If you have run before, feel free to ignore this paragraph…if you haven’t then in brief, the course is normally around 6 miles - 10k for senior men (3 laps) and 4 mile - 7.5k for senior women (2 laps), and shorter courses for Young Athletes. There is a unique Fast/Medium/Slow pack system operating, with time gaps between the starts of different packs, but if you haven’t run before don’t worry, you’ll be out of slow. (If you ran fast, you will be promoted.)

The club will have a tent for shelter and baggage, and toilet facilities are provided at all races. (There’s usually also some catering). All the Senior races start from midday onwards, with Young Athletes first and Senior Women before Senior Men.

The secret of doing well is, of course, in the numbers we get out in all the races, both Young Athletes and Seniors, male and female: it’s not just about the first six counters (Senior races) or the first three in the YA. And club coaches will tell you that you are likely to get more benefit from warming up round the course, doing the race, then a warm-down than you would get from a long Sunday run - so please, even if you
haven’t done one before and are deterred by the memories of wet and windy Wednesday cross country at school, do give it a go.

Among the many enjoyable aspects of the NEHL is the sight of the quasi-medieval tent village and the chance to see so many other clubs represented. There’s also great camaraderie and some interesting venues. As a member of Morpeth Harriers, it’s fantastic to see how so many of our talented youngsters get on.

So please – sign up and give it a go. You can either:

• sign up on club noticeboard, including date of birth
  
• or email Mike Bateman direct at mike.bateman@btconnect.com, again with date of birth.

One final reminder, however: you should have paid your membership fees for 2021 by now, so please, if you haven’t, can you make the necessary arrangements to do so - or we’re afraid you will not be registered to run.