seven pbs among morpeth contingent at fourth north east grand prix

A total of 23 athletes from Morpeth Harriers competed at the fourth North East Grand Prix Meeting of the season, held at Jarrow’s Monkton Stadium, on 12 July.
Whilst no-one from the club competed in the Field events, there was certainly some good performances from those competing in the Track events, with seven new personal bests being achieved amongst them.
One of those personal best performers was Under 23 GB Triathlon specialist Daniel Dixon, who was running what was his fifth ever 3000m, and his first since 2021.
It was at the same venue in June of that year, that Daniel finished fourth in the Grand Prix event, posting a new personal best of 8m23.58s.
On this occasion however, Dixon sensed possible victory with 800m remaining and he took off at fairly lightning speed. Meanwhile, Morpeth club colleague Carl Avery felt otherwise, and began a relentless chase.
Dixon was still leading slightly as the pair went through the bell, and it was around 250 metres remaining that Avery grabbed the lead, which he managed to hold all the way to the finish line, where he posted a winning time of 8m21.30s.
Meanwhile Dixon held onto second place and posted a new marginal personal best of 8m23.09s.
It became an excellent Morpeth 1-2-3, when Finn Brodie clinched second place in 8m28.20s, just ahead of Richmond and Zetland’s Charlie Stephenson (8m30.92s).
Other Morpeth Harriers competing in the fastest 3000m event were Daniel Dixon’s younger brother Joe, who finished eighth in 8m48.42s, and Oliver Tomlinson, who produced new figures, when finishing fourteenth in 9m29.10s.
Two Morpeth Harriers competed in the third fastest 3000m.
Morag Stead finished third in 10m49.69s, and Kate Kennedy in her very first attempt at the distance, finished ninth in 11m33.34s.
Three Morpeth Harriers competed in the series of thirteen 200m events.
In the second fastest of these, Under 20 Man Charlie Lane finished third, posting a new personal best time of 24.16s.
Ellie Wickens, also an Under 20 athlete, finished fourth in the seventh heat, in a time of 28.75s.
In the eighth fastest 200m, Under 17 athlete Jasmine Emolaga finished eighth in 29.67s, this was a very close race, where the sixth and seventh athletes were only a fraction ahead of her.
On to the very hotly contested 800m events, where no fewer than seven Morpeth athletes were on the start line in the fastest race.
In a very tough race, Under 17 Man Joseph Close was just pipped to victory by Gateshead’s Matt Linsley, who had competed at Trafford in Manchester the previous evening in the 1500m.
Close was forced to settle for second place in 1m55.72s, only a fraction adrift of his personal best.
Club colleague Ethan Phillips, an Under 20 athlete, finished third in 1m56.03s.
Other Morpeth Harrier results in this race were Liam Roche (5th) 1m58.27s, Bertie Marr (7th) 1m59.25s, Matthew Waterfield (8th) 1m59.47s, Elliot Kelso (9th) 1m59.49s, and Mark Banks (11th) 2m02.00s.
In the second fastest 800m event, Morpeth Harriers had two athletes in the line-up.
Connor Marshall finished second in 2m03.40s, and Under 17 athlete Elliot Mavir finished seventh in 2m07.76s.
Veteran Man Jason Dawson had an excellent run in the third fastest race, when he worked his way through to second place in a new personal best time of 2m11.94s.
In the fourth fastest race, Under 20 Woman Caitlin Flanagan finished seventh in 2m24.05s.
The smiles said it all at the end of the sixth fastest race, when Morpeth Under 15 Boy Thomas Roche achieved his first ever individual win, and the icing was placed firmly on the cake, as he did it by posting a new personal best of 2m30.50s.
In the eighth and final 800m event, Morpeth Under 13 Girl Zoe Tomlinson finished fourth in 2m59.77s.
The next North East Grand Prix meeting will take place on Wednesday 26 July, again at Monkton Stadium.