Northumberland Coastal Run

​Jane Hodgson was back to winning ways in Sunday’s 42 nd Northumberland Coastal
Run from Beadnell to Alnmouth.
This year’s event felt slightly different, with the race moved to September from its
traditional spot in July due to bird nesting at the Long Nanny Bird Sanctuary in
Beadnell, but it was very much of a case of normal service resumed at the sharp end,
with off road specialist and last year’s winner Jarlath Mckenna, now with Tyne
Bridge Harriers, romping home in a time of 1 hour 18 minutes 15 seconds, ahead of
Blyth’s Michael Stott (1:19:36) and Heaton’s Eddie Knight (1:22:22).
There was however a remarkable 6 th victory in the event for Jane, who has very much
made the course her own over the years and probably now deserves the title ‘Queen of
the Coastal’.

This time she placed a remarkable 13 th overall in a time of 1:30:42 with nearest rival
Tyne Bridge Harrier Rebecca Blain nearly five minutes behind (1:35:33) and last
year’s winner Judith Nutt of Elswick 3 rd (1:37:30).
Morpeth’s Shaun Land was first male home from the club, making the top twenty in
18 th place (1:33:00) and picking up a prize as 3 rd Senior. There were 478 finishers.
It was good to see Steve Haswell back in competitive action too, 56 th in 1:42:26, with
Dave Nicholson 114 th and 3 rd O/65 in 1:51:29, John Clark 123 rd in 1:53:20 and Gary
Mason 196 th in 2:0053.
Anna Wright and Jane Briggs both picked up prizes, Anna coming back in 71 st place
and picking up a 2 nd O/40 prize into the bargain (1:45:20) and Jane 143 rd and 2 nd 0/50
in 1:55:35. Fran Naylor was 373 rd in 2:23:18.