new recruit josh takes 1,500m crown

Nineteen Athletes from Morpeth Harriers took part in the opening North East Grand Prix Meeting of 2024, held at Jarrow’s Monkton Stadium on Wednesday 24 April.
The main highlight of the evening was the fastest of the 1500m events, which was won by Morpeth’s Josh Fiddaman, who won by a margin of three seconds from new club colleague Will Devere-Owen in a season’s best of 3m56.75s.
Devere-Owen who had run well himself throughout the three-and-three-quarter lap event, came through strongly in the final strides, to snatch second place from 2023 North East 10,000m Champion Chris Coulson. His new personal best of 3m59.33s, taking almost three seconds off his previous figures, made him the latest Morpeth Harrier to break the four-minute barrier.
Morpeth's Finn Brodie, who had forced the pace over the first couple of laps, unfortunately paid a little for his early exuberance, and slipped back to fifth, finishing in a season’s best of 4m00.32s, just holding off chasing club colleague Joseph Close.
The Under 20 Man also posted a season’s best of 4m00.63s.
Four more Morpeth Harriers also featured in the 1500m A Race, all posting seasons bests, they were Peter Smallcombe (8th) 4m01.50s, Bertie Marr (9th) 4m05.01s, Joe Dixon (10th) 4m05.65s, and Elliot Kelso (11th) 4m06.69s.
Morpeth also had the winner of the 1500m B Race, when new acquisition Ellis Hetherington crossed the finish line in 4m02.38s, a new personal best, improving on his previous figures by three seconds.
Other Morpeth Harriers featuring in the 1500m B Race were Connor Marshall (4th) 4m05.10s, and Under 20 athlete Ralph Robson (5th) 4m06.13s.
In the 1500m C Race, Morpeth Harriers Oliver Tomlinson and Elliot Mavir finished sixth and fourteenth respectively in 4m20.74s, and 4m34.39s.
Emma Tomlinson, younger sister of Oliver finished ninth in the sixth fastest 1500m race, posting a new personal best time of 5m22.11s, three places ahead of her Morpeth club colleague Tabitha Robson, younger sister of Ralph, who clocked 5m18.65s.
There was also a new personal best performance for the youngest Tomlinson, when Under 13 Girl Zoe finished fourth in the eighth 1500m in 5m24s.
Charlotte Marshall, younger sister of Connor finished fourteenth in a season’s best 6m18.62s.
It was an excellent night of competition for Morpeth Under 15 Girl Sophie Pledger, who posted a new personal best of 19.72s, as she sprinted clear of Under 20 club colleague Ellie Wickens in the seventh fastest 150m race.
Wickens also posted a personal best of 20.78s.
Pledger’s night was firmly made, when she won the sixth fastest 300m heat in 43.92s, also a new personal best performance.
In addition, she was the fastest Under 15 Girl in the 150m, and third fastest in the 800m.