Blackburn Harriers Hammer throwers were out again in the US at the weekend – Charlotte Williams and Matthew Heywood. Charlotte competed at the KSU Ward Haylett Invite 2024 finishing in 2nd place with a throw of 57.61m. (VIDEO). (RESULTS). Attending the competition, Charlotte was presented with an Award for her contribution to Athletics marking the end of her four years there. Meanwhile Matthew was competing at the Conference Carolinas Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Mytle Beach where he placed 4th with a distance of 49.91m out of a pool of 17 Hammer throwers. (RESULTS).

Also in the US David Holman was setting himself a new 1500m PB at the Charlotte 1500m Invite run on April 26/27th. Going into the race with a best of 3.52.2, David smashed that three seconds as he clocked a new PB of 3.39.37 in 5th place.

Charlotte receiving her Award

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On the same evening here in Britain it was the turn of road racing to take centre stage in sunny and great conditions for road racing.  At the Mid Cheshire 5k on Friday April 26th, Blackburn Harriers Luke Betts, Stephen Hall, Nick Gaskell and John Chaplin were all on the starting line. (RESULTS) –  the race being won by Liverpool’s Jonny Mellor in 14.18. Luke was first home for the Club in a time of 15.05 (38th) and commenting after his race  “It didn’t feel like a good or a bad run, but was probably about where I am at the moment. I felt I went off sensibly enough, but just didn’t have the legs on the downhill sections to really push my way through the field. A good summer opener though, and looking forward to improving as the season progresses.” Next Home was V45 Stephen in 220th spot running a time of 16.40 and 10th V45 overall, telling the Club afterwards that it was “Perfect conditions and plenty of people around to race amongst, really happy to run 16.40 after a period of getting back to fitness.” V50 Nick was our third athlete across the finishing line – 9th V50 overall and 323rd with a time of 17.47 followed by by V65 John who was 2nd V65 on the night running 19.43 (508th).

Still on the Road and this time at the East Yorkshire Half-Marathon on Sunday April 28th featuring 771 runners. (RESULTS) Blackburn Harriers Mark Taylor told the Club that “Thought I’d try a run without doing a swim and bike first to see how the legs are. Horrible conditions with heavy rain, a strong headwind for the first half and cold temperatures… happy with how it went though.” Finishing in 25th place overall and 5th V50, Mark ran a time of 88.1.

Stephen Hall (7941) Photo coutesy of Mick Hall & Run Cheshire

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The 69th Three Peaks was run on Saturday April 27th featuring 562 finishers and won by Rossendale’s Grant Cunliffe in a time of 3hr 08.50 with the Women’s race being won by Keswick’s Holly Wooten in a time of 3hr 34.36. (RESULTS). Two Blackburn Harriers lined up – Craig Greenough and Janine Fallon. V50 Craig came home in 262nd spot with a time of 4hr 35.38 whilst Janine placed 24th in the Women’s V40 category with a time of 5hr 19.52.

Still on the Fells and no surprise to see Helen Leigh competing for Scotland North in the British Athletics Senior Inter-Counties Mountain Race – run at Keswick on 21st April 2024. (RESULTS). Helen had hoped to run the Three Peaks but an injury prevented that. As always Helen had a fine run commenting later that she “Had a solid run against some absolute talent, cool to be part of the 3rd place womens team. The depth of women’s fell running has grown so much over the last 10 years. Very good to see, even if that means getting absolutely walloped”.

Helen Leigh (817)

Podium Team

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The first Match of this years UKYDL (UAG) North West Premier Division was hosted at Trafford on Sunday April 28th featuring Blackburn Harriers; Lancaster & Morecambe; Liverpool Harriers; North Wales; Trafford AC and Wirral. Despite some last minute withdrawals of athletes, the team did well in placing 4th overall with 494 points – 31 points behind Liverpool in 3rd spot. Many thanks to our Officials once again who gave up their day to support the Club – Alison Hulme, Simon Hulme, Norman Mitchell, Lindsay Davies, John Chaplin, Christine Smith, Linzi Lancashire and Team Managers Chris and Nicola Thompson.

FULL SET OF PHOTOS ON BLACKBURN HARRIERS FACEBOOK PAGE

 

THROWS

George Williams got his season off to a good start with a win in the U20 men’s Hammer (44.23m) which was a nearly 4 metre new PB. U17 Harry Pilkington, coming back from a long period out with injury started his season off with a 2nd in the U20’s Discus (24.76m) and his first time with the 1.75kg followed by a 3rd place in the U20’s Shot Putt (7.88m). Oliver Palk added another win to the scoresheet in the Javelin with 45.01m. Isabelle Hartley and Kady Thompson finished 5th (8.59m) and 3rd (5.47m) in the Women’s U20 Shot Putt with Kady pairing up with Leah Hoole in the Discus 3rd (15.08m) and 2nd (7.89m) respectively. Isabelle and Kady took on the Javelin – Isabell throwing 21.55m in 4th in the A and Kady winning the B with 21.37m. The U17 Disus had Jacob Fisher in 4th spot (20.98m) and Felix Thompson 2nd in the B with 9.15m after Harry Pilkington placed 2nd in the U17’s Hammer with a distance of 22.56m. Loucas Lancashire paired with Felix Thompson in the U17 Javelin – Loucas placing 3rd in the A (31.20m) and Felix 2nd in the B (18.14m). Connie Humes came 3rd in the U17 Javeling with a distance of 12.87m.

George Williams

Oliver Palk

SPRINTS

Aidan Downes and Daniel Smith teamed up for the U20’s 100m with time of 12.53 (6th) and 12.36 (5th) followed in the 200m by Oliver Palk clocking 23.82 (5th) in the A U20’s 200m and Aidan 24.49 in 4th in the B – a new PB by some 2 seconds. Oliver and Codie Dewhurst took on the 400m in the U20’s – Oliver running 52.27 in 5th in the A and Codie 54.69 in the B (3rd). Millee Schofield and Isabelle Hartley ran the U20’s 100m – Millee clocking 12.84 in 3rd in the A and Isabelle 15.12 (6th) in the B followed by Millee clocking 26.11 in 3rd in the 200m with Connie Humes running 30.37 in 5th place in the B. Charlotte Robertshaw and Keira Haxton ran the 400m – Charlotte in 5th spot in the A (68.75) in her first ever 400m and Keira 2nd in the B (65.09). Charlie Palich opened his seaosn in style with a three tenths new PB in winning the U17’s 100m in 11.39 with team mate Jacob Fisher just outside his personal best with a 2nd placed 11.75 in the B. Charlie then went on to secure his second new PB of the day by nearly a second as he won the 200m Millee Schofield (1)

Charlie Palich (A)

A race in 22.89 alongside Jacob winning the B race in 23.66 and also a new PB. Logan McCredie and Jack Wood teamed up for the 400m – Logan running his first 400m placing 2nd in the A with 54.33 and Jack 3rd in the B (61.44) and also his first time over the distance. The U17 Women’s 100m had Alisha Lehner placing 4th in the A (13.73) with Abigail Guirdham in 5th in the B (14.98) in her first attempt at the distance – the same two athletes taking on the 200m – Alisha 5th (29.05) and Abigail 4th in the B with 31.65. Sienna Wareing and Isabella Pacelli ran the 300m – Sienna clocking a new PB time of 43.94 in 5th place and Isabella 46.25 in 4th spot in the B. Sienna also plays for Manchester United and played for the U16 Women’s team on Saturday winning their Cup Final for the age group and then turned out for the Club on Sunday at Trafford.

Jacob Fisher (AA)

Sienna Wraeing (A)

Sienna Wareing with the FA CUP

RELAYS & HURDLES

Charlie Palich, Oliver Palk, Jacob Fisher, Harvey Holden clocked 45.36 in 3rd spot in the U20 men’s 4 x 100m with the U20 women’s team of Isabelle Hartley, Connie Humes, Millie Pilkington and Imogen Robinson running 57.50 in 6th. Millee Schofield, Alisha Lehner, Abigail Guirdham and Siennea Wareing clocked 52.45 in 2nd spot in the U17 women’s 4 x 100m.

Charlie Palich (A)

In the 4 x 400 Relays there was a new addition this year – the event being a mixed relay of two male and two female athletes who could run in any order. Our U20’s team placed 5th in the A Race (3.58.26) –  (Tom Monks, Dexta Thompson, Keira Haxton, Leah Hoole) whilst our B team won their Relay in 3.57.92 (Ben Stratton, Codie Dewhurst, Evie Taylor, Charlotte Robertshaw). The U17 mens 4 x 400 team came home in 3rd place with a time of 3.49.40 (Logan McCredie, George Ramsden, Max Belshaw, Loucas Lancashire) – and – in the U17 womens 4 x 300m the Harriers placed 5th in 3.19.20 (Isabelle Perry, Tamzin Osborne, Lottie Smith, Abigail Guirdham).

L-R Codie Dewhurst – Ben Stratton – Evie Taylor – Keira Haxton – Charlotte Robertshaw

In the Long Hurdles Codie Dewhurst ran a new PB of 63.97 in 2nd place whilst in the U20 Women’s 400m Hurdles, Millie Pilkington was having her first go at the event placing 5th in 88.31. Harvey Holden ran the U17 Mens 400m Hurdles for the very first time clocking 65.19 in 4th place and in the sprint hurdles, Alisha Lehner placed 4th in the U17 80m Hurdles running 13.12 in 4th spot.

Harvey Holden

Alisha Lehner

JUMPS

Two new PB’s were set in the U20 Men’s Long Jump with Oliver Palk leaping out to 5.40m in 3rd spot whilst team mate Aidan Downes replicated that with a jump of 4.63m in 2nd place in the B. Codie Dewhurst cleared 1.50m in the High Jump (4th) as Isabelle Hartley placed 6th in the U20W Long Jump with 3.16m and Tamzin Osborne cleared 1.35m in the High Jump for 3rd spot. Before that, Tamzin had won the U17 Women’s Pole Vault with a height of 2.75m. Logan McCredie competed in the U17M Long Jump having never done the event previously and placed 6th with a jump of 5.01m followed by Harvey Holden clearing 1.60m in the High Jump (2nd), Millee Scofield also taking 2nd in the U17W Long Jump with a new PB jump of 4.53m and Imogen Robinson in 3rd spot in the B (3.24m). Imogen went on to clear 1.40m in the High Jump (4th) with Sienna Wareing placing 3rd in the Triple Jump (9.59m) which was a new PB by 13cm.

Tamzin Osborne

Harvey Holden

Logan McCredie

MIDDLE DISTANCE

Dexta Thompson and Thomas Monks teamed up for the U20M 800m – Dexta winning the A in 1.58.31 and Thomas placing 2nd in the B with 2.04.05. The U20M 1500m saw a double win for the team – Dexta winning the A in 4.06.80 whilst Ben Stratton won the B in 4.10.43. In the 2000m Steeplechase Daniel Smith won the A race in a time of 6.26.22. Leah Hoole and Isabelle Perry took on the U20W 800m with Leah clocking a new PB of 2.26.99 in the A and Isabelle running her very first ever track race, placing 4th in the B with 2.42.15 whilst in the U20W 1500m it was Evie Taylor in 3rd place (5.06.56) with Keira Haxton placing 2nd in the B (5.29.89). George Ramsden and Max Belshaw paired up for the U17M 800 with George placing 3rd in the A (2.10.23) and Max running his first ever track race, clocking 2.08.55 in 3rd spot in the B. In the 1500m Henry Ward came home in 4th spot in the A with a new PB of 4.22.72, a 20 second improvement alongside team mate Jack Wood who also clocked a new PB time of 4.23.13 in the B (3rd) – a 25 second improvement. Logan McCredie took on the 1500m steeplechase for the first time, clocking 4.58.46 in 3rd spot. In the U17W 800m Isabella Pacelli ran a new PB of 2.26.94 in 3rd as did Lottie Smith in the B race, placing 5th with a new PB time of 2.29.69. Charlotte Robertshaw went in the U17W 1500m placing 3rd in 5.12.03.

Dexta Thompson (1)

Jack Wood (AA) – Callum Singleton (101)

Evie Taylor (1)

Keira Haxton (11)

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