Blackburn Harriers Hammer throwers were out again this week in the US. Charlotte Williams and Matthew Heywood were following up from their competitions earlier in which Charlotte threw distances of 57.22m (March 15th in Florida) and 57.65m (29th March in Kansas). Matthew had thrown 47.32m (March 1st North Carolina) followed by throws of 50.06m on March 22nd and 48.65m on March 29th in the Hornet Open.
On Friday April 5th Charlotte competed in a pool of 17 Hammer Throwers in the Jim Click Shootout, improving her distance again with a seasons best of 58.99m in 6th place. (VIDEO) – (RESULTS). Matthew meanwhile was throwing (VIDEO) on the same night at a different meeting in the Bill Carson Inviational where he placed 5th out of 13 throwers with a distance of 49.18m.
And still overseas, this time in Portugal with one of the Harriers middle distance squads…..from the beach to the track and all points in between.
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Over the Easter weekend Blackburn Harriers athletes went over to Trafford to compete in the Open Meeting there on Easter Monday April 1st including U15 Agatha Taylor, U15 Evie Fort, U15 Jack Baranowski, U13 Eve Howarth and U15 Mae Lauren Howarth. (RESULTS). Agatha ran a seasons best 800m time of 2.16.39, less than a second outside her best time to place 2nd in her Heat and first U15 G – the race being won by an U15 Boy (2.15.94). She was then very unfortunate in the 300m, falling just before the finishing line after having another very good run. Evie took on the 100m setting a new PB by two tenths of 14.09 in 3rd spot after which she clocked 29.94 in her Heat of the 200m in 5th spot. Jack opened his track season with a win in the U15 1500m featuring 11 boys and girls – Jack heading the field in a winning time of 4.21.46. Eve and Mae were competing for the first time for the Club which saw Eve throw 13.73m in the Discus (0.75kg) in 3rd place and the first time she had done the event, followed by a 2nd place in the Javelin (400g) and a new PB distance of 19.79m – an improvement by over a metre and a half. Mae then went and replicated her sisters perforamnce with a new PB of her own in the 800m running 2.41.61 in 6th place and improving from her previous best by some seven seconds.
Agatha Taylor (7)
Mae Lauren Howarth
Eve Howarth
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The Isle of Man Easter Festival of Runningtook place over the weekend of 29th – 31st March in which Blackburn Harriers Joe Gebbie took part in the 5k and 10k races. (RESULTS). Joe clocked 35.49 in 71st place in the Friday Individual Race featuring 286 runners followed by a run of 20.11 in the Sunday Individual Race (121st) in a 211 strong field.After the weekend, Joe spoke to the Club about it telling us “Another great weekend on the Isle of Man with Leeds Uni/Doss AC. Unfortunately wasn’t racing at full tilt due to a knee niggle sustained in the weeks before – but really enjoyed reintroducing some faster running over the 10k and 5k with no pressure. Hoping to be able to return to full training soon and kick on towards track season“.
(Athletic Weekly’s Report on the Festival)
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Strong winds greeted the athletes competing in this years Lancashire Fell Running Championships held in its tradional venue of Pendle as close to 200 runners completed the senior race won by Wirral’s Alex Poulston in 32.57 from Rossendales Joseph Hopley in 2nd (33.10) and Ilkley’s Sam Bentham in 3rd (33.28). The Women’s Race was won by Leeds athlete Ruth Jones running 40.41 from Barlick’s Victoira Peel in 2nd (42.05) and Blackburn Harriers Louisa Powell-Smith in 3rd place running 43.38 and taking the first Women’s vet prize as well.
L-R Victoria Peel – Ruth Jones – Louisa Powell-Smith — Photo courtesy of www.woodentops.org
Louisa Powell-Smith & Logan McCredie
Blackburn Harriers have two team managers for Fell Racing now – Rebecca Ward and Calvin Ferguson. Rebecca commented after the Championships “Blackburn Harriers had a good group of fell runners out today for the Pendle fell races. Storm Kathleen and the mud under foot made the challenging races even more difficult! The junior races today were part of the selection teams for the fell intercounties championships which will be held in Rossendale on Sunday 9th July. First out representing Blackburn Harriers was Lyra Kridge who was the 10th U15 female back with a time of 24:02, next was the U17s and we had Theo Robinson coming in 6th place with a time of 26:02, second counter for Lancashire and also winning a Lancashire vest. The next junior home in the U17s was Lottie Hesketh in 3rd place in a time of 27:57, becoming Lancashire champion and gaining a Lancashire vest. Final race was the seniors also incorporating the U19 race. We had two seniors out for Blackburn and one junior Logan Mcredie for the U19s. Logan had a fantastic race finishing in 6th place and 3rd counter back in for Lancashire in a time of 41:37. Next up in the seniors race was Louisa Powell-Smith who was the 3rd lady home and first V40 in a time of 43:38 and 3rd lady Lancashire Champion. She was followed by Ian Clarkson in 52:39 who was looking strong coming over the finish line. Well done to all who competed today. Was a great day out watching you all “
Still on Fell Racing with Marc Hartley and Craig Greenough racing at the Pete Hartley Memorial Hill Race run on Tuesday April 2nd (RESULTS). The race was won by Rosendale’s Jo Ormerod (34.48) with unattached Charlie Parkinson in 2nd (37.43) and Blackburn Harriers Marc Hartley in 3rd place running a time of 38.30. V50 Craig came home in 33rd spot (47.36).
All Fell Races Results can be seen HERE
All Photos courtesy of David Belshaw unless otherwise stated
Theo Robinson
Theo Robinson
Lottie Hesketh
Lyra Krige
Logan McCredie
Louisa Powell-Smith (8)
Ian Clarskon was running his third race in the last couple of weeks as he told us “I’ve had a busy few weeks with a road race and a couple of Fell Races. The ‘Pendle Dark Dash’ fell race (pos 33/98, time 62:37) and yesterday, Pendle Fell Race pos:97/187 and a of time 52:39. Pendle fell race yesterday was a tough one with a tarmac to start with, then onto the hill, upwards we go with a good ole descent down the Cart Track to the bottom of the Big End, about turn to straight up the Big End flanks till you top out at the Trig Point and then leg it back to Barley with Storm Katherine blowing you across the tracks towards Buttocks Gate. It wouldn’t be a fell race otherwise. Enjoyable. Big shout out to the juniors and seniors who raced at Pendle yesterday.”
Ian Clarkson (112)
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Lancashire U15 Boys & Girls had qualified for the National Sportshall Championships held in Stoke over the weekend. The U15 Girls placed 5th out of the nine counties competing with a points total of 1022 with the winners – Surry – scoring 1347. Lancashire’s U15 Boys placed 8th out of nine counties with a total of 867 points – the winners – Surrey again – amassing 1370. In the individual points table Blackburn Harriers Hannah Davies posted 171 points in 51st pace along with Jack Duxbury in the U15 Boys scoring 193 points in 42nd position.
