North East Regional BMC 1500mt Event

​The second meeting of the North East Regional BMC events were held
at Chester Le Street, on the warm sunny evening of Monday 6th June.

Events on the lengthy programme were run over 1500m,
and six Morpeth Harriers were in action, and five of those
athletes managed to achieve new lifetime personal bests for their efforts.

The fastest of the night from Morpeth Harriers was undoubtedly
Under 20 Man athlete Joe Armstrong, who managed to knock
a whole eight seconds off his previous best, posting new figures of 3m56.1s
in the Men’s A race behind Crook’s Markhim Lonsdale, who won in 3m49.8s.

Armstrong, who has the same coach as Lonsdale in David Lowes,
and is now ranked third in the region behind Lonsdale in his age group in the 1500m,
with fellow Morpeth Harrier Scott Beattie marginally ahead in second place,.

Morpeth Harrier Kieran Hedley continues to steadily inch his way to the four minute barrier,
and he did get slightly closer by producing a new lifetime best of 4m02.3s,
when finishing a close third in the Men’s B race,
which was won by Middlesbrough Mandale’s Nathan Baker, who posted a time of 4m00.4s.

Hedley can feel pleased however that he had managed to knock
a whole five seconds off his previous best, and is certainly making
good steady progress in the quest to meet his season’s targets.

Another Morpeth athlete achieving a new personal best in the same race
was Senior Man Kevin Calvert, who managed to post new figures of 4m05.6s,
which knocked a whole two seconds off his previous best,
which would no doubt please his spectating coach Lindsay Dunn,
the former UK National Endurance Coach.

The Men’s 1500m C race had two Morpeth Harriers in the line-up.
Recent Liverpool 5k winner Ross Floyd finished second in a seasons best 4m10.3s,
and Robert Balmbra finished seventh, posting a new personal best time of 4m17.6s,
knocking around one and a half seconds off his previous best.

One young lady who would undoubtedly be very pleased with her night’s efforts
was Morpeth Harrier Holly Peck, who in a mixed event managed to achieve new figures of 4m59.8s,
which for the first time in her life, as an Under 15 Girl, sees her in the sub five zone.
Holly knocked nearly two seconds off her previous best in winning the event
by three seconds from fellow Under 15 Girl Lydia James of Houghton Harriers,
and sees her ranked as second in the North East behind Darlington rival India Pentland,
and nationally just outside the Top 100.

Another Morpeth Harrier in Peck’s race was Under 13 Girl Rhiannon Hedley,
who finished as second from her age group behind Border’s Anna Mason.
Hedley finished seventh in the race, posting a time of 5m10.3s,
which is around four seconds adrift of her lifetime best.
She is now ranked fifth regionally in the event.