Glorious weather at Blackpool greeted the athletes for the 2024 Lancashire Track & Field Championships and it was such a pleasure to spend a whole weekend without rain, athletes, coaches and officials all in t-shirts. Many thanks as always to the Officials who did a great job in making sure the Championships went ahead, including tjhose who don’t get seen, working in Registration. (Provisional Results – Day 1 – Day 2).

(All Photos on Blackburn Harriers Facebook Page HERE)

Blackburn had a very good weekend securing 25 Gold, 18 Silver and 14 Bronze Medals added to a host of new personal bests for the athletes, 43 in total over the two days. New PB’s were set on Day 1 in the U15’s by Jack Duxbury 12.2 in winning the 100m with team mates Keir Michie and Tomi Birch also settting new bests in 2nd (12.3) and 3rd 12.4 respectively. James Acton-Grieves clocked 45.3 in 4th spot in the 300m followed by new PB’s in the U15 100m Heats for Evie Fort (13.8), Isabelle Pawson (14.1), Dana Juma (14.1) and Agata Tomasz (14.5). Two more new PB’s came in the U15 Girls 300m Final – Agatha Taylor with 43.0 in 2nd after winning her Heat in 43.8 and Evie Fort 45.0 in 2nd in her Heat before taking Bronze in the Final. Millie Jordan won Bronze in the U15 1500m in a new best time of 4.55.0. Ellie Charnock continued with new PB’s as she clocked 13.6 in the U15 75m Hurdles (5th). Isabella Finn set a new Long Jump personal best with 4.57m in winning the U15 Bronze medal as did Isabelle Pawson in the same Final with 3.86m. Charlie Palich posted a new PB of 11.3 in winning the U17 Men’s 100m with team mate Daniel Nuttall taking the Silver in 2nd spot (11.4). New PB’s for three U17 Men in the 400m Final – Jacob Fisher with 53.6 (2nd), Max Belshaw (54.1) in 3rd and Daniel Bretherton (54.3) in 4th place. Oliver Gill won the U17 Men’s 1500m in 4.13.8 and George Camara equalled his 100m Hurdles best of 15.9 in 2nd place. Millee Schofield had a storming run in the U17 Women’s 300m winning in a time of 40.1 taking her in to the top 10 in the National Rankings. U17 Isabelle Perry ran 5.20.4 in the 1500m Final and won the Bronze as Alisha Lehner won Silver in the 80m Hurdles (13.2). Olivia Thomasson added yet another personal best in winning the U17 Women’s Javelin (33.20m followed by Oliver Palk winning the U20 Men’s Javelin (44.87m). Charlie Unsworth won the U20 men’s 100m  Final (11.2) whilst in he U20 Men’s 1500m Final, the  win went to Ben Stratton in 4.03.3. Senior Men Matt Ramsden and Ben Makin were first and second in the 1500m in 4.00.6 and 4.01.6 respectively after team mate Joe Gebbie started off the day with a win in the 5000m (16.00.5).

Day 2 was more of the same for the Harriers athletes as U15 Jack Duxbury won the 200m, adding to his 100m title with a new PB time of 25.0. George Holman set a new PB in the U15 Boys 800m with 2.22.2. More Medals for Jack Duxbury as he won Silver in the U15 Long Jump 4.77m with James Acton-Grieves taking Bronze with a new PB of 4.69m. The U15 Girls 200m Final saw Caris Peter-Thomas take Silver in 26.6 followed by a new PB for Dana Juma in her Heat of the 200m (29. 3). In the U15 Girls 800m there was another personal best for Millie Jordan clocking 2.17.6 in the Silver medal place and a new best time for Bella McCredie who clocked 2.25.8 in winning her Heat. Isabella Finn set a new best jump of 1.40m in the U15 Girls High Jump as Dana Juma set a new best in winning Silver in the U15 Girls Shot Putt (9.16m). The U17 Men’s 200m Final had another 1,2,3 for the Harriers – Charlie Palich winning in 22.9, Daniel Nuttall in 2nd (23.1) and Jacob Fisher in 3rd (23.6). Four Harriers in the U17 Men’s Final taking Gold, Silver and Bronze and all four setting new PB’s – Logan McCredie winning in 2.05.9, Max Belshaw in 2nd (2.06.3), George Ramsden 3rd (2.08.3) and Alex Rothwell in 5th (2.16.8). Gold, Silver and Bonze again in the U17 Men’s 3000m – Sam Aspey winning in 9.22.4, Jack Wood in 2nd (9.43.5) and Henry Ward in 3rd (10.02.0). Logan McCredie added a second Win and new personal best in the Long Jump, winning with a leap of 5.30m. Back to the 200m and U17 Millee Schofield took her second title of the weekend in a time of 25.9 and in the U17 Women’s 800m there was a new best time of 2.23.6 in taking the Silver Medal for Charlotte Robertshaw and a new best time for Isabella Pacelli (2.26.6) in 5th. Zoe Green won Silver in the 300m Hurdles Final (64.5) as Tamzin Osborne won the U17 Women’s Pole Vault with a height of 2.70m. Charlie Unsworth made it a win double taking the 200m Final in 22.7 with team mate Oliver Palk in Bronze Medal place (23.8). There were Wins for Daniel Smith in the U20 men’s 3000m (9.13.7), Codie Dewhurst in the 400m Hurdles (63.7) and a new PB as well as nother new best for Samuel Mutombo in the Long Jump with 5.74m in taking the Silver Medal. George Williams then won the Club’s next Gold Medal in the U20 men’s Hammer (43.63m) as Matthew Heywood took Silver in the Senior Men’s Hammer (49.21m). Gold and Silver for the Harriers in the U20W Hurdles Final – Kiera Booth 1st in 80.3 and Millie Pilkington in 2nd (83.3). The run of the Championships for the Harriers came from Isabel Holt who ran a Championship Best Perforamnce of 9.59.8 in winning the U20 Women’s 3000m whilst in the Senior Men’s 800m, the Harriers took 1st, 2nd and 3rd again – Matt Ramsden winning in 1.55.6, Ben Makin in 2nd (1.56.9) and Hayden Mercer in 3rd (2.02.1). In the Senior Women’s 800m Rebecca Ward won herself a Bronze Medal with a new best time of 2.31.6.

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During the week, leading up to the Lancashire Championships U17 Tamzin Osborne competed at the Vault Meeting in Sportcity, the competition featuring U15, U17, U20, U23 and Senior athletes both male and female. (RESULTS). Tamzin posted a new PB height of 2.86m, placing 2nd out of the three U17 Women taking part.

Over in Ameirca and David Holman cannot stop producing new personal best times at the moment. Having already set new PB’s for 800m and 1500m recently, David was racing at the Franson Last Chgance Meeting in California on May 9th-11th. (RESULTS). On the first day he ran in the 800m clocking 1.52.82 in the fourth of sixteen Heats placing 2nd. The day after he took on the 1500m and a cracker of a race clocking a new PB of 3.47.52 in 2nd place overall – speaking to the Club after, David told us “I raced in California past 2 days at the last chance meet. I raced the 800 yesterday and ran 1:52.82. Wasn’t the best race and was quite disappointed even though it was my 2nd quickest time ever. Didn’t feel good at all today and didn’t want to race, but raced the 1500 today and ran 3:47.52. Can’t believe it. I closed in a 57 last lap and I still felt there was more there.” Also competing in America – at the Outdoor Track & Field Championship in Texas was Charlotte Williams in the Hammer where she had a best throw of 51. 59m placing 10th overall.

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Moving away from Track & Field meetings and on to the Fells at Pendle Cloughs with athletes from Blackburn Harriers at the FRA National Championships with V55 Ian Clarkson finishing in 213th place overall in the Men’s Race with a time of 4hr 25.54. (RESULTS). Theo Robinson and Lottie Hesketh ran in the Duddon Dash Junior FRA Championships which saw Theo place 20th in the U17 Men’s race with a time of 47.30 – it was a joint U17/U19 race and in the U/17 Boys,Theo placed 17th/25 & overall in U17, 20th/50th (and beat 16 U/19’s and really enjoyed the race. Lottie came home in 11th place in the U17 Women’s race running 49.20. (RESULTS). V45 Stephen had another good race, taking a top 5 place and running 32.49 in 4th spot and first V45 on the day.  Hall was also out on the Fells at the Pinhaw Fell race, lining up with well over 200 runners, the race being won by Chris Houldsworth in 29.12. Stephen running a fine race again to take a top five spot running 32.49 in 4th spot and first V45 on the Day (RESULTS).

Theo Robinson

Stephen Hall – Photo courtesy of www.woodentops.org.uk

Going on to the road, Chris Davies, having won the Sherriff 10k last weekend took on another 10k, this time which hadd 222 finishers, the race being won by Prewston Harriers Joe Beech in 33.22. Chris came home in 4th place overal and first V45 with a time of 36.51 and followed by V40 James Bretherton in 7th place running 37.27.

Chris Davies

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