Having competed for Blackburn Harriers at the Northern Road Relays Championships on Saturday 18th September Ben Makin faced a long drive down to Solihull immediately after – a trip that was made worthwhile – as he became the British Champion at the British Laser Run Championships held on Sunday September 19th. To get into the Championship Finals Ben had to qualify via several regional qualifying events that took place during May and July earlier in the year. Ben took the top spot on the podium in the Junior Men’s category.
Ben Makin – front & centre
Following his victory, run over 4 x 800m combined with shooting, Ben spoke to the Harriers, telling us that “After a long day racing the day before at Redcar the legs were a bit worse for wear, but in the end I put together probably one of my best performances in a pentathlon discipline and managed to not only get British champion in my age group but have the fastest time over the distance in every age group on the day beating seniors also, definitely was worth the long day of driving”.
Ben Makin
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ESAA English Schools Combined Events & Race Walking Championships
Matthew Smith is in his first year of U15 Combined Events and has done remarkably well, qualifying for the English Schools Finals held in Bedford over the weekend 18/19th September. Matthew had five events to compete in 800m; 80m Hurdles; High Jump; Long Jump; Shot Putt. He recorded a final points total of 2152 in this, his first comeptition in the age group consisting of a 2.18.16 clocking in his 800m which was the 9th fastest time of the four Heats. In the 80m Hurdles he was just 3 one hundreths outside his best with a time of 13.76, cleared 1.62m in the High Jump, placing 12th out of 36 athletes, was just 6cms shy of his best in the Long Jump with 4.80m and set a distance of 7.25m in the Shot Putt.
After the Championships had concluded Matthew spoke to the Harriers about the weekend saying “I really enjoyed my day at the International athletics stadium in Bedford competing for the Lancashire schools team in the English Schools finals of the U15 Junior boys pentathlon (80mHurdles, shot put, long jump, high jump and 800m). 45 athletes from all over the country had qualified: 6 from each of the 6 regions (North West, South West etc) and then the next 9 athletes from all regions, based on points total. As I had qualified as one of the “next 9 athletes”, I knew that there was going to be some very good competition. However, I was pleased with my performances as I was very close to my PBs on most of the events and increased my overall score from 1975 ponts in the North West regional qualifiers to 2152 on Saturday, finishing 25th overall. Only 3 of those above me were from the lower end of U15 age group, so I’m hoping to qualify again next year and improve on my position and points total.”
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Liverpool Jumps & Throws Competition – Saturday September 18th
This annual competition had a couple of Blackburn Harriers in attendance which turned out to be a pretty good day for both of them. Senior Women’s Track & Field captain Anna Peers broke the 40m barrier in the Discus coming out on top of the thirteen strong competition winning with a new PB of 40.51m. Following that up, she won the Shot Putt with 10.74m in a twelve strong field and finished off with another win in the Javelin, throwing 38.74m featuring nine athletes for a hat-trick of wins. Speaking to the Club Anna commented “After a difficult season with an ongoing back injury I was happy to throw a PB in discus and was happy to finally be able to throw a javelin.”
Bottom of age U20 Matthew Heywood took on all four throws – Hammer, Discus, Shot Putt and Javelin – and had a pretty good day. In the Hammer Matthew came 2nd behind Cannock’s Jack Turner (52.42m) by just 30ms as he set himself a new PB with a throw of 52.11 and his first time over 52m having twice thrown 51m this year already. He went one better in the Shot Putt winning from Liverpool’s Ethan Stopford (8.36m) with his new PB throw of 8.68m – an improvement by over half a metre. Throwing the 800g Javelin for only the second time, Matthew threw 22.88m as the only U20M in the Senior field. After throwing over 25m recently with the 1.75kg Discus, it didn’t quite happen for him on the day as he finished with 6.08m, but as he commented at the end “I have had a good day”.
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Trafford 10k – Sunday September 19th
Well over 600 athletes finished this very popular and renowned course – described as “The one lap course is perfect for fast times ran on scenic country roads starting and finishing in Partington near to Manchester. The route heads towards Dunham Massey before returning back towards Partington. Enough potential to start the year with a PB!” – and that is how it turned out to be with a whole host of personal and seasons bests recorded on the day.
Phil Sesemann won the race comfortably in a time of 29.28 from Spenbourough’s Joe Sagar in 2nd (30.49) and sale Harrier’s Nicholas Barry in 3rd (31.33). Blackburn Harriers Lawrence Fairclough was running his first race for the Club after some solid training with the senior endurance squad which has clearly worked out for him as he came home in 8th place overall posting a new PB by over a minute as he crossed the finishing line in 31.55.
Lawrence Fairclough (434)
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Great North Western Half-Marathon – Sunday September 19th
In her first season with the Harriers, Rachael Ashcroft ran a debut 10k in Blackpool in mid-August clocking 44.48 and returned to the same town at the weekend to run her first Half-Marathon, posting another good debut time over this longer distance of 1hr 43.01 in 22nd place overall and 2nd woman. The consistency of her training has started to pay off and a happy athlete spoke to the Club after she had finished, commenting that it was “My first half marathon event and I’m pleased with the time. Blackpool is notoriously windy so whilst it blew me one direction it was a fight against it on the way back. All in all it was an enjoyable run and looking forward to the next one!” …… “I was the second female finisher – there wasn’t as many entries with it being a deferred date because of Covid (it would usually be earlier and have a greater turn out I think).”
Many thanks to Mick Hall for the these brilliant photos
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Trafford Open Meeting – Sunday September 19th
U13 Tamzin Osborne took the opportunity to compete at one more track and field meeting at Trafford at the weekend in this Covid affected season. In the 800m she set a new PB time of 3.03.79 which was an improvement by over five seconds before going to place 5th in the Javelin (400g) with a distance of 13.19m.
Tamzin Osborne
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Mid Lancs Track & Field League – Sunday September 19th
Final fixture of the season in the Mid Lancs League on Sunday with quite a number of Blackburn Harriers participating, most of them competing for the last time before their two week end of season break.Thanks also to the Officials who once again ensured that the fixture went ahead, but not without an impassioned plea by leading League Official Norman Mitchell over the PA system who clearly stated that unless volunteers stepped forward, some events would be cancelled.
U20 Fawwaz Mustapha won the senior men’s 100m with a time of 11.3 which equaled his personal best followed by U15 Daniel Nuttall who won his race in 12.1 with Jacob Fisher placing 3rd in 12.4 in the same race. U13 Mason Bowman was making his debut for the Club over 100m and took the win comfortably by three tenths with his time of 13.8. U17 Abbey Riley made it four wins on the bounce in the 100m as she won her race in 13.2. U15 Millee Schofield took 3rd spot in her 100m running 13.4 whilst Isabelle Hartley clocked 15.1 (5th) in her 100m Heat.
Fawwaz Mustapha (450)
Daniel Nuttall (1258) – Jacob Fisher (1244)
Abbey Riley (452)
Millee Schofield (1266)
Isabelle Hartley (1247)
On to 200m and U17 Jack Paget-Fowler ran only his second ever race over the distance to post a time of 28.1 in 4th. In the U17 200m race Daniel Nuttall (2nd) 24.8 and Jacob Fisher (3rd) 25.6 saw Daniel equal his personal best as did Jacob. Isabelle Hartley posted a time of 31.00 in her 200m (6th). Millee Schofield ran the 300m with U17 women as there were no other U15’s and went on to win the race with a very well timed finish – setting a new PB by a tenth of 44.1.
Jack Paget-Fowler
Daniel Nuttall (1258) – Jacob Fisher (1244)
Isabelle Hartley (1247)
Millee Schofield (1266)
Jack Paget-Fowler set himself a new PB in the 800m by over four seconds placing 4th in a time of 2.21.3. 400m athlete Thomas Monks, decided, as it was the last fixture of the season to have a crack at the 800m too. After finding the extra lap a bit more than he bargained for, he used his 400m speed to try and get back to the winner and wasn’t far off in the end as he clocked a time of 2.14.0 in 2nd place. U13 George Camara was running his first ever 800m and clocked 2.41.4 in 3rd spot with Loucas Lancashire running 3.00.5 in 5th. U13 Callum Singleton matched his previous best in the 1500m with his 5.25.1 (3rd).
Jack Paget-Fowler (1261) – Thomas Monks (449)
George Camara (1239)
Loucas Lancashire
Callum Singleton (455)
The Hurdles events had George Camara winning the U13 75m Hurdle race in 12.6, just four hundreths outside his best with U13 Felix Thompson in the same race running a new PB of 17.0 in 2nd spot – U13 Hannah Davies 2nd in 12.5 iin the 70m Hurdles and Isabelle Hartley 4th in the U15 75m Hurdles (14.8) completed the Hurdles races.
George Camara (inside lane)
Felix Thompson
Hannah Davies (inside lane)
Isabelle Hartley
U20 George Whittaker who will be taking on the Decathlon over the weekend of 25/26th cleared 1.55m in the High Jump (2nd). Onto the Long Jump where the senior men’s event had U17’s, Seniors and Vets all included – five of whom were Blackburn Harriers who occupied the first four places at the end of the competition. Senior Kail Sturgess won the event with a seasons best distance of 6.23m followed in 2nd place by U20 Fawwaz Mustapha who set a new PB with his 6.10m leap, U20 George Whittaker in 3rd, also with a new PB of 5.71m, U17 Samuel Mutombo in 4th spot continuing the roll of personal bests with his new PB jump of 4.62m and U17 Jack Paget-Fowler just 10 cms short of his best with 4.22m in 8th position.
George Whittaker
George Whittaker
Fawwaz Mustapha
Kail Sturgess
Samuel Mutombo
Jack Paget-Fowler
U15 team mates Daniel Nuttall and Jacob Fisher took on the Long Jump too, resulting in Daniel winning the event (5.11m) and Jacob placing 3rd with a jump of 4.44m – his first ever attempt at the discipline. U20 Poppy Mae Preece set herself a new PB by 30cms as she leapt out to 4.42m in 4th place in her Long Jump featuring 14 athletes, alongside U17 Abbey Riley who finished 10th with 4.00m. U13 Hannah Davies placed 8th out of 11 athletes in her Long Jump with a distance of 3.17m.
Abbey Riley
Poppy Mae Preece
Hannah Davies
It was a first and second in the Triple Jump for the Harriers as U20 Fawwaz Mustapha leapt out to 12.54m to win the competition with U17 Samuel Mutombo jumping 12.4m in 2nd place. In the Throws U13 George Camara won the Shot Putt with 5.62m – his first time in the event as U15 Kady Thompson placed 7th in her Shot Putt (6.36m) which she followed with 7th place in the Discus (15.83m) and a new PB of 20.16m in the Javelin (500g) which she won. U20 Poppy Mae Preece threw 21.17m in her first ever attempt at the Javelin in 3rd spot, with U13 Hannah Davies winning her Javelin event with a throw of 18.69m. Three U13 Boys entered their Javelin event resulting in another win for Loucas Lancashire (25.25m), 3rd spot for Felix Thompson with 21.32m and a massive new PB by 7 metres, followed by Mason Bowman in 4th place – his first time in the event – throwing 18.13m.
Kady Thompson
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18K Three Mealls Trail Race – Sunday September 19th
This Race is described thus on its website “This race is one of our boldest. If you want big hills, wide views and the most memorable single-track running, then choose this one! Initially following the same early kms as the similarly clockwise 10k route, you will also cross the intake of Loch Eilde Mòr, but then turn sharp left, leaving the 10k route behind, and setting forth on your own deeper adventure. You soon access a terrific single-track path that winds behind the three Meall-named hills, and with views to cry for! After a sharp right turn and a bounding descent, your eyes will fall upon the mighty Blackwater Dam ahead. Another right, and this is the Ciaran Path, taking you down the glen of the River Leven on a magical trail that gradually descends for 2.5km until back near sea level, where it’s a short dash into the edge of Kinlochleven to reach the buzz at the finish line.”
Blackburn Harrier and V55 John Orrell took the challenge on. John finished in 121st place out of 307 runners on the day with a time of 2hr 30.46.
John Orrell 0863 at 18K Three Mealls Trail Race
The day before this race, John had entered the Salomon Mamores VK™– his first race as a V55 where he finished 25th overall and 1st V55 with a time of 1hr 11.38 and just one week before John was out at Bradley coming home in 53rd position running a time of 34.43.
John at Salomon Mamores VK™
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