 Morpeth's victorious Over 35s team of Andrew Lawrence, Adam Pratt and Rob Balmbra Morpeth Harriers were back in cross-country action at the Birtley Relays, incorporating the North East Masters championships, held at Lord Lawson of Beamish Academy at the weekend. A deceptively challenging two-lap course of 3000 metres per stage winding its way up, down and around the school fields presents competitors with more than just the expected heavy going under foot, and with three separate races totalling well over a hundred teams in total it was certainly a busy Sunday morning, with Morpeth picking up two team Gold and one team Bronze across the day. First race of the day, for Men 35 and upwards, saw the club pick its first medals, as a strong team of Andrew Lawrence, Rob Balmbra and Adam Pratt won in a total time of 32 minutes 58 seconds, well ahead of nearest rivals Tyne Bridge and Sunderland Harriers, for whom Steve Rankin ran the fastest Men’s Masters time of 10:41. Lawrence ran 11:02 on leg one, but it was Rob who moved the club up to first on second leg, with a powerful run of 11:07 that made light of the conditions, managing at the same time to get over a nasty fall in the mud at one point, but certainly not the only runner to take a tumble on the day. Adam ran the team’s fastest time of the day, 10:49, to bring the team home. The club’s Over 55s team of Neil MacAnany (13:28), Bill Tilley (14:34) and Gavin Bayne (14:11) missed out on a medal in their category in the same race when finishing fifth, but there was some consolation, with Neil recording the third fastest time for his O/60 category and Gav and Bill the second and third fastest in the O/60s (they would of course have walked the O/65s with a third member). The O/55s B of Paul Bellingham (14:55), Andrew Dippie (15:20) and Peter Scaife (16:29) finished as 8th in their category, with all three enjoying the return to competitive XC action. Just a shame the club couldn’t get out a complete O/45s. There were 51 complete teams in the following Senior and Masters Women combined event, with Morpeth’s Senior Women coming in 5th in 42:23 behind winners and hosts Birtley Harriers (38:43), for whom Katie Francis ran the day’s fastest time of 12:32. Lizzie Rank had another excellent outing for Morpeth on leg 1, however, clocking 12:45, the day’s third fastest time, with support from O/45 Claire Calverley (15:36), stepping in to make sure the team was complete and Lindsey Quinn (13:44). There was another team medal for Morpeth in the same race, however, with the O/55 team of Shuna Rank (15:34), Jane Briggs (15:50) and Nicola McCoy (16:27) finishing over three minutes ahead of nearest rivals Gateshead Harriers, with the three recording the day’s second, third and fifth fastest O/55 times. Birtley B won the Masters title in 41:44, with TBH’s Sophie Marr recording the fastest Masters time of 13:48. Last race of the morning had the smallest field of only fifteen complete teams but also featured the day’s closest finish, with Sunderland, Morpeth and Gateshead Harriers fighting out a close contest. It was last year’s winners Sunderland Harriers who took an early lead thanks to Scott Armstrong whose 9:52 was the day’s 2nd fastest overall time, with Morpeth coming home 4th in 10:22 thanks to Connor Marshall’s strong run. Tom Balsdon moved Morpeth up to 2nd with 10:33, with Sunderland still ahead and Gateshead into 3rd. All changed on the last leg, however, with 2020’s National Cross Country winner Calum Johnson looking in tremendous form as he set about closing down Morpeth’s George Lowry ahead of him, then went after Sunderland’s last leg runner Stephen Jackson. In the end, the day’s fastest time of 9:30 saw Gateshead finish in 30:31, over twenty seconds ahead of Sunderland (30:56), with Jackson also falling down at one point, and Morpeth finishing in third (31:17), with Lowry (10:22) not quite able to make up the ground to a fading Jackson. A good day’s work all round then, just a shame that for some reason we couldn’t get more teams out this year – it’s always a good one to be part of and to spectate.  The winning Over 55s Women's team of Jane Briggs, Nicola McCoy and Shuna Rank Comments are closed.
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