The Abbey Dash, from outside Leeds Town Hall to the remains of Kirkstall Abbey and back, took place on Sunday 30 November with over 10,000 again taking part and a high quality elite field with the race incorporating this year the England Athletics 10k Championships.
 
Originally set up by a charity fundraiser for Leeds Mind in 1984, for the majority of its over forty year life the race raised funds for charities working with the aged, originally Help the Aged who would later merge with Age Concern to form Age UK, although it seems now to have been subsumed by the Jane Tomlinson Run for All Foundation and incorporated into their calendar of Yorkshire based events.
 
This year’s race was won by St. Albans AC runner James McMurray in 28 minutes 52 seconds with Poole AC runner Melissa Courtney-Bryan taking the women’s race in 31:37.
 
Peter Smallcombe was 16th in 30:16 and it was also good to see triathlete Dan Dixon starting his return to competitive action once again after a long time out with injury and 836th in 38:43.
 
Leeds Abbey Dash

There was an excellent turnout from the club on what proved to be a productive day of NEHL action on Saturday 23 November at the pocket of land behind the Beacon Lough estate in Wrekenton, Gateshead.
 
It was certainly a contrast to the last visit to the venue in January, when the ground  remained frozen throughout and temperatures were barely above zero.
 
This time, while it was warmer, the ground was a veritable mudbath in several spots, although the nature of the course – with the sections of gravelled footpath also en route – made the choice of footwear as ever difficult.
 
There were a number of excellent individual runs from both Young and Senior athletes, with outstanding team victories also coming courtesy of the U/17 and U/15 Girls, and the Senior Women’s squad.
 
Five U/11s ran in the first of the day’s two fixtures, with Mason Ellison back in 7:13 in the Boys race and Ben Hodgson 31st in 7:28 in a field of 70.
 
Ella Rowlinson was 19th in 7:55, Ellie Feal 21st in 7:56 and Florence Tyler made her debut in 9:28.
 
Although there were, sadly, no U/13 Girls out, the Boys squad continued to show their tremendous commitment, with Hector Ford-Hutchinson 13th from Slow (13:45), Joe Fawcett 17th from Fast (12:40), Luke Thompson 30th (13:02) and Will Fawcett 42nd (13:45), both from Fast.
 
Although the team were 4th on the day, they remain in 3rd in the overall table.
 
There was a delightful win in the U/15 Girls, where Heidi Wilkinson, 4th from Fast in 12:41, Faye Heatley 7th from Fast in 13:12 and Zoe Tomlinson, returning to competition, 14:35 and 9th from Slow, where on the day winners and moved themselves up to 5th in the overall table.
 
The U/15 Boys squad were also complete, with Mason Gaylor medalling in 3rd in the day’s second fastest time, 11:08 from Fast, Jack Dhawar 16th in 11:54 from Fast and Hector Beere 118th in 13:25. The team were 3rd on the day and are now also 3rd in the overall table.
 
Daniel Craig was disappointingly the only blue and white vest running in the U/17s, on a tough day coming back in 17th from Fast in 19:23.
 
However, the club’s U/17 Girls continued their fine showing, despite missing Molly Roche who had run the day before.
 
Emma Tomlinson medalled in 3rd, 22:34 from Slow and ever presents Lucie Todd (24:40) and Charlotte Marshall (25:47) 12th and 14th respectively, both from Slow.
 
Winning on the day, they are tied on points with Durham City AC’s squad at the top of their table, with the race likely to go to the wire over the next two fixtures.
 
Another outstanding showing from the club’s Senior and Veteran Women saw them also take the team win, and also steadily move up the overall division to 4th.
 
Won by Elswick’s Maria Catterall from Slow in 27:29, Morag Stead was the club’s first counter, recording the day’s fastest Medium pack time of 26:32.
 
She was followed home by Holly Lawrence, 12th in 25:07, Lizzie Rank, 16th in 25:20 with Jane Hodgson, 32nd in 25:50 completing the team count, all from Fast.
 
There were some nine other Morpeth runners, with three debutants amongst them.
 
Sophie Ward had a good run to come home 35th in 30:51 from Slow, Nicola McCoy was 79th in 31:52 and Janes Kirby and Briggs 91st and 97th in 32:06 and 32:12, all from Slow.
 
Coach Vicky Thompson was 121st in 32:42 and Sarah Henry 224th in 35:98.
 
Jess Holman marked her transfer from Jarrow and Hebburn with a clocking of 33:39 in 166th, and new signings Emily Easton were 345th in 43:40 and 352nd in 45:24 respectively.
 
There was also a better turn out from the Senior and Veteran Men in the day’s final race of over 450 finishers as they finished 2nd on the day behind leaders NSP.
 
The race was won by Gateshead’s Lewis Liddle, clocking 33:18 from Slow Pack, although Heaton’s Chris Larkin ran the day’s fastest time of 31:54 from Medium.
 
Connor Marshall led Morpeth’s team count with a great run from Medium, 8th in 33:48. NEHL debutant Bobby Hagen was 10th in 36:28 from Slow, Lee Cuthbertson 18th in 34:50 from Medium, Andy Lawrence 24th in 35:30, also from Medium, Oliver Tomlinson 56th in 33:51 in his first run from Fast with Tom Innes last counter, 59th in 36:24 from Medium.
 
Lee Bennett was 96th in 39:40 from Slow, Ian Armstrong 183rd in 39:07 from Medium, Andriy Volkov 245th in 43:13, Alistair Macdonald 271st in 43:57, Richard Glennie 301st in 44:51 and Steve Johnstone 359th in 47:35, the last all from Slow.
 
Although long time sleeping giants (and NEHL yo-yo club) NSP seem determined to see the competition out as winners, Morpeth are certainly capable of another top three finish with this sort of turn-out in the last two fixtures.
 
Congratulations to all who ran on the day in what was a great club performance.
 
North Eastern Harrier League 2025/26 Sponsored by Start Fitness

The latest round in the UK Cross Challenge took place in Sefton Park, Liverpool on Saturday 22 November, with places in the European Cross-Country Championships in Portugal up for grabs.
 
A handful of Junior athletes made the journey over the Pennines to take part, with Molly Roche 44th in the U/17 4.4 kilometres race in 17:23.
 
U/20s Will de Vere Owen and Molly’s older brother Liam Roche also made the journey, with Will finishing 29th in 13:53 and Liam, back racing after a long injury enforced lay off but still working his way back to his best, 102nd in 14:36.
 
Penultimate Senior Women’s 8 k race was won by Menai T and F athlete Cari Hughes in 27:17, with few NE representatives from any clubs taking part in the field of over 500, sadly.
 
The best was kept till last, however, with a barnstorming brace of runs by Scott Beattie and Rory Leonard, who came back in 1st and 2nd.
 
Having taken an early lead, Leonard saw himself overtaken by training partner and fellow Harrier Beattie, who went on to win in an impressive time of 23:50, with Rory clocking 24:04 behind him to also book his place on the plane. Chlitern Harrier Richard Slade was 3rd.
 
Some 919 finished.
 
MYLAPS Sporthive Event Results

The annual Gibside Fruit Bowl, organised by local outfit Blackhill Bounders, took place in the grounds of the National Trust property at Gibside on Sunday 16 November.
 
A hilly seven miler, the race was won by Eslwick Harrier Dan Milton in 45 minutes 2 seconds.
 
There were four good runs by Morpeth Harriers members, with John Butters back 5th in 48:25 and 1st Over 50.
 
Lee Bennett was 6th and 2nd O/50 in 48:58 (no O/55 category prize, sadly), and Alistair Macdonald 17th and 2nd O/60 in 55:27.
 
Some 153 finished.
 
Gibisde Fruitbowl

The annual Brampton to Carlisle ten miler, somehow still run on open roads across in Cumbria and also now the oldest road race in the country incorporated the NECAA 10 mile Championships this year, a reflection perhaps on the dearth of races over what was once a classic distance.
 
Won in a time of 48:33 by Leeds City athlete Ed Bovingdon, Morpeth’s Carl Avery – who led for much of the way - did however have the distinction of collecting the NECAA title when finishing 4th in 48:50 as a result of 1st, 2nd and 3rd place runners all being ineligible for the award.
 
In his first ever Brampton, Andrew Mirfield, the club’s only other male finisher, was well under the hour when finishing 82nd in 57 minutes.
 
Once again it was a good day for the club’s women however, with an in-form Holly Lawrence 6th female finisher in just over the hour mark but, like Avery collecting the NECAA winner’s title for the same reason.
 
Lizzie Rank was 8th but collected an NECAA Bronze.
 
Jane Briggs was 5th O/55 in 1:15:02 and Fran Naylor 15th in 1:31:01.
 
Some 888 finished.
 
Full results here: Brampton To Carlisle 10 Mile Race
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