TRIPLE-GOLD JOY FOR HARRIERS AT XC RELAYS

There were three Gold and two Bronze team medals for Morpeth Harriers at the North East Counties Athletics Association Cross Country Relays held at Thornley Farm, Peterlee on Saturday.
 
By contrast with the often challenging muddy conditions that usually appertain for the Harrier League at this venue in the New Year, competitors were pleased to find this time some largely dry if uneven going on a blustery but fitfully sunlit afternoon.
 
The first set of team medals  were won by the club’s delighted Under 15 Girls, with the team comprising Megan Potrac (10 minutes 11 seconds), Molly Roche (10:43) and Charlotte Marshall (10:46) for a combined time of  31:40. Darlington Harriers and AC were the winners in 28:02 with North Shields Polytechnic Harriers 2nd (30:01).
 
The first Gold came in the following Boys U/15 race, where, after first and second legs by Steven Craske (9:24) and Oliver Tomlinson (7:52), Oliver Calvert got the team into 1st place on the last leg with the day’s fastest time of 7:36 for a total time of 24:52. Harry Armstrong also ran the 1st leg for an incomplete B team in 9:32.
 
Perhaps unsurprisingly after recent national performances, the U/17 A and B teams dominated their race.
 
The A team of Joe Close (7:58), Eliot Kelso (7:36) and Bertie Marr (7:45) were 1st back in 23:19, less than 45 seconds ahead of the B team of Liam Roche, making a return to competitive action in 7:53, Elliot Mavir (8:21) and Ryan Davies (7:38).
 
The fastest U/17 time of the day (7:15) was run by Houghton Harrier and promising triathlete Brandon Pye of Houghton Harriers,  with Kelso and Davies recording the 2nd and 3rd fastest.
 
Earlier in the day, there had also been three U/13s out in the Boys and Girls races, but in sadly incomplete teams.
 
Grace Cunningham (10:55) and Emma Tomlinson (9:43) ran strongly in the Girls race, with Tomlinson recording the fastest leg. A third runner would undoubtedly have helped the team to a medal.
 
Meanwhile Thomas Roche was the sole representative in the Boys race in 10:16.
 
The club’s final Gold of the day was won in emphatic style by the U/20 Men, with Ralph Robson (10:38), Matthew Walton (10:17, the day’s fastest time) and Peter Smallcombe (10:23) finishing nearly three minutes ahead of nearest rivals Durham City AC.
 
The final medal of the day for Morpeth was another Bronze, won in the combined Women’s Senior and Masters race, with Jane Kirby (14:32), Julie Vermaas (14:25) and Gemma Floyd (13:09) finishing in a total of 42:06, NSP’s Masters winning in 40:24 ahead of Elswick Harriers in 2nd (41:54). Floyd’s was the 2nd fastest Masters time of the day, with the Seniors race won by Houghton Harriers in 38:03, just ahead of Gateshead (38:11).
 
The only disappointment was the club not turning out any teams in either of the Men’s fixtures, with Houghton again  taking the Senior title ahead of Sunderland and Gateshead, and Tyne Bridge the Masters ahead of Elvet Striders and Sunderland Harriers. Let’s hope to rectify this next year!