The first fixture of this years UKYDL (Lower Age Group) Premier West Division took place at Witton Park Arena on Sunday May 3rd with teams from Liverpool Harriers, Sale Harriers, Wirral AC, West Cheshire AC, Blackburn Harriers, Preston Harriers all competing on the day. In the end, Liverpool triumphed with 627 points, Sale (535), Wirral (506.5), Blackburn (442). Preston (442), West Cheshire (422.5), . Thankfully the rain held off and once again it was a huge thankyou to all the officials, team managers and results scorers for making sure the day passed with out incident and was a good day all round for competitive U14 and U16 athletics.
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For some Blackburn Harriers athletes, it was their first ever outing for the club and first competitive outing so it was a well done to them – posting 22new personal bests on the day – especially having to be up against a lot of seasoned young athletes in the Premier Division. A well done also to our new team manager for the Lower Age Group – Lianne Belshaw and to our Officials led by Alison Hulme, Jean Hoyle, Linzi Lancashire, Barbara Gillies, Lindsay Davies, Kate Taylor, Steve Brindle, John Chaplin and results scorers Susan Woodburn and Anne Davies.
U16 BOYS & GIRLS
Tomi Birch and Emmanuel Adewunmi took 2nd (11.90) and 1st places (11.80) respectively in the 100m and then reversed in the 200m – Emmanuel taking 3rd in the A with an equal personal best of 24.0 and Tomi winning the B in 23.80 which was a big new PB by a second and a half. Caris Peter-Thomas placed 3rd in the Girls A race (12.60) with Niamh Boland 3rd in the B (13.30) followed in the 200m with Caris in 2nd spot (26.00) and Niamh setting a new PB of 27.30 in 4th spot in the B race. Elliot James set a new PB in the 300m A race (37.50) with team mate Kai Addison also in 2nd place in the B (39.10). Darcie Belshaw just missed a personal best in the 300m – 4th by seven hundreths (42.90) with team mate Imogen Boardman taking 2nd in the B (43.70).
Tomi Birch (1)
Oliver North and Zac Lawrence paired up for the Boys 800m – Oliver running a new PB time of 2.16.80 in 5th with pole vaulter Zac filling in for th team, taking 6th place in the B (2.51.40). Max Unthank ran a huge new PB of 4.43.40 in the A 1500m, an improvement of fourteen seconds whilst sprinter Anvitha Reddy was another young athlete helping the team out by running the 800m in 2.39.70 (6th) which was also a new PB by eleven seconds, having done it just once previously. In the 1500m Millie Jordan set herself a new PB by a second in placing 2nd (4.43.60). In the 300m Hurdles Kai Addison took 2nd spot in the A (43.30) in his first attempt at the distance and also making his debut over the distance, Joseph McKay took 2nd place in the B race clocking 47.50. Joseph then paired with James Acton-Grieves – Joseph just missing a personal best in the B (17.50 ) in 2nd whilst James set a new PB of 15.50 in 2nd spot in the A. Georgina Andrews clocked was another debutant over the 300m Hurdles, clocking 54.30 in 2nd spot in the B race whilst in the 80m Hurdles – Claudia Fernandes ran 18.30 in 6th position.
Millie Jordan (1)
Moving on to Jumps Elliot James leapt out to 4.64m in 6th pace and a new PB by over a metre in the Long Jump with team mate Max Unthank – never having done the event previously and helping the team out – also placing 6th in the B (3.12m). Tynias Mensah and James Acton-Grieves took on the High Jump – Tynias – 4th with a clearance of 1.55m alongside James in 2nd place in the B equalling his personal best fo 1.55m. Prior to that event James set a new PB in the Pole Vault clearing 2.50m in 2nd place. Abigail Awe and Anvitha Reddy paired for the Girls Long Jump – Abigail 6th with 4.10m and Anvitha 6th with 3.58m followed by Millie Jordan equalling her personal best in the High Jump – 3rd clearing 1.40m.
James Acton-Grieves
In the Throws events – Kai Addison and Zakariya Haq teamed up for the Shot Putt – Kai coming 5th (9.21m) with team mate Zakariya in 4th in the B equalling his personal best of 8.92m. In the Discus Zakariya threw a new PB of 17.60m (6th) and that was followed up by a 4th spot in the Javelin (27.46m) with Tyias Mensah another athlete helping the team in 5th spot in the B (8.02m). There was a double win in the Girls Shot Putt – Imogen Cripps winning the A with a new PB distance of 10.30m, whilst Madeline Partridge won the B also with a new PB of 10.10m. That was followed by anouther double win in the Discus – Madeline winning the A (25.95m) and Marika Behnke winning the B with a new PB by three metres (21.38m). In the Hammer, Madeline took 2nd place with a throw of 37.80m whilst in the Javelin, Marika took 2nd spot in the A with 18.62m) alongside Niamh Boland winning the B with a throw of 17.38m.
Madeline Partridge
The U16 Relays saw our U16 Boys 4 x 100m team disqualified for a final hand over issue whilst the team placed 3rd in the 4 x 300m (2.41.8); The 4 x 100m Girls team placed 2nd in 49.90 which equalled their Club Record and is a good sign at this stage of the season (Imogen Boardman– Niamh Boland – Darcie Belshaw – Caris Peter-Thomas). In the 4 x 300m Relays the Girls team placed 5th (3.08.40) – Anvitha Reddy – Claudia Fernandes – Abiagil Awe – Millie Jordan)
U14 BOYS & GIRLS
Billy Rowbottom got the team off to a flyer by winning the U14 Boys 100m A race in 12.60 and backed up by Xuanqiao Liang in the B – 4th in a new PB time of 13.30. Billy made it a double win for himself on the day and the tean as he clocked a new PB time of 25.30 in winning the 200m with team mate Xuanqiao also clocking a new PB in the B race of 27.30 (4th).Grace Topping and Isobel Longden went in the Girls 100m – Grace equaling her personal best of 13.90 in the A (4th) with Isobel also 4th in the B in 14.20. Grace then ran the 200m in 29.50, her first time over the distance alomgside team mate Maizie Cooke (5th) in the B (31.00). Sophie Douglas was just outside her best time on the 75m Hurldes clockinhg 14.70 in 5th spot whilst Oliver Holden in his first race for the Club clocked 14.70 in 3rd place in the 80m Hurdles. Big shout out to Edward Russell-Blackburn who came straight from playing a rugby match to run the 800m in a new PB time of 2.36.50 in 6th with Harry Mitchell taking 4th in the B (2.34.60) and another young athlete who had never done the distance previously and was helping the team out. In the 1500m Thomas Stewart chopped nearly seven seconds off his time to set a new PB of 4.38.90 in 2nd place with team mate Theo Addy placing 4th in the B (5.13.70), this being the first time for Theo over the distance. Georgia Brambles won the Girls 800m – her first ever track race – as she clocked 2.20.50 with Ruby Govier placing 5th in the B race (2.41.50) and a big new PB by some seven seconds: And there were more new personal bests in the 1500m as Sophie Douglas knocked six seconds off her time to clock a new PB of 5.21.30 (5th) with team mate Mollie Pickup also in 5th in the B race (6.13.90) and again, her first ever over the distance.
Billy Rowbottom
On to Jumps and a double new personal bests in the Long Jump – Hannah Moore setting a new PB of 4.21m in 5th spot whilst team mate Sophie Douglas also jumped to a new PB of 3.54m in the B (6th) – Hannah also cleared 1.30m in the High Jump placing 6th. Harry Mitchell came 3rd in the Long Jump (4.37m) with Conan Beare in his first outing for the Harriers placed 2nd in the B (4.32m). Harry then went on to clear 1.30m in the High Jump (=4th).
Hannah Moore
In the Throws events Matthew Griffiths showed the way by winning the Shot Putt with a distance of 9.54m with Isaac Doolan in 2nd place in the B (6.65m). Isaac follwed that up with a 2nd place in the Discus (20.13m). Henry Iddon finished off the throwas for the Harriers with a good 2nd spot in the Javelin (26.43m). The relays for the 4 x 100m Boys team (Conan Beare–Xuanqiao Liang–Charlie Campbell–Billy Rowbottom) saw them place 3rd in 53.30 alongside the Girls 4 x 100m team (Maizie Cooke–Isobel Longden–Macy Chapman– Hannah Moore) come home in 4th place (56.30).
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The Sheriff 10k was being run for the final time on Sunday May 3rd and Blackburn Harriers Joe Monk wanted to be there amd lined up with the well over 100 runners on the day. Joe had a very good run, winning the race and breaking the course record in a time of 32.17 and told the Harriers after the race that it was a “Really good race yesterday. It was the last time the race was being held so wanted to come and have a crack at the course record. Pleased to have knocked off over 2 mins the course record on a very tough and undulating course“. (RESULTS)
Joe Monk
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On to the Fells and this weekend it was the Inter-Counties Fell Championships at Sedbergh. Another great run from Louisa Powell-Smith which is no surprise given the work she has put in to ther training. On the day she placed 19th in the Womens’ race with a time of 1hr 28.02 and first Lancashire counter with Leed’s Ruth Jones in 21st and Rossendale’s Josephine Wells in 43rd, We asked Louisa for her thoughts on the race after she had finished and she told us “What a day at Sedbergh! I was competing for Lancashire in the British Inter Counties Fell Championships, which also doubled up as the European Off-Road Uphill & Downhill selection trials, so the standard was seriously high. A stacked field of over 95 entries saw 73 athletes take to the start line, with 70 finishing what proved to be a brutally demanding course. The race itself was 15km, made up of two large laps and one small lap, taking us repeatedly up and down the summits of Arant Haw and Winder. Relentless climbing, technical descents, and no real chance to settle, it was proper fell racing. I’ll be honest, the nerves were definitely there before the start. This was my longest race since 2018, and I felt it early on, heavy legs, sluggish, and questioning things a bit in those opening stages. But I dug in. Gradually, I started working my way through the field, finding a rhythm and just committing to the effort. The conditions were dry but incredibly windy, which made those exposed sections even tougher. By the final lap, I was all in, completely spent but still pushing. I managed to finish strong, crossing the line in 18th place, and I’m absolutely delighted to have been 1st V40 and first Lancashire counter. Safe to say, I had nothing left. I was literally falling over the finish line with cramp, jelly legs, and total exhaustion, but that’s when you know you’ve given it everything. I’m genuinely chuffed to bits with how it went. A massive thank you to Lottie and Ethan for the support, cheering me on and then helping me hobble back to the car afterwards. Couldn’t have done it without them both” (RESULTS)
Louisa Powell-Smith
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Back on the road and it was the turn of some of the Blackburn Harriers athletes to take on the Chorley10k run on Sunday May 3rd – the race having over one thousand, six hundred and fifty finishers. (RESULTS) The race was won by unattached Reece Brown in 31.56.09, the race being notable for huge numbers of unattached runners. Four Blackburn Harriers took part – U20 Thomas Monks, V45 Chris Davies, U18 William Grundy and V40 Dominic Bretherton and Leah Hoole – Thomas and William were running their first ever 10k road races. Looked like a good battle between Thomas and Chris on the run in as Thomas just edged it in 7th place with a gun time of 36.37.18 with Chris in 8th spot running 36.38.97. Next home was William in 12th place running a debut gun time of 37.15.46 followed by Dominic in 74th with a gun time of 43.35.63. (RESULTS).
L-R Thomas Monks – Dominic Bretherton – Leah Hoole
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And finally, back on the Fells where a series of age group related races were held. The U12/U14 race featured 65 runners, both boys and girls. First one home for the Harriers was Hugh Russell-Blackburn 15th overall and 9th in his age group category running 11.19 with team mate Ryker Hanson running 11.35 in 20th overall and 11th in his age group. The U16 and U18 combined race saw Liam Bennison come home 6th place overall and 3rd in his age group running 14.08 alongside Amelia Pacelli in the same race placing 6th in the girls race and running 16.41 (JUNIOR RESULTS). Over one hundred and fifty runners in the Senior Race won by Barlick’s Matthew Watson (37.32) where U18 Peter Sagar-Moss had another good run on the fells fiinishing 12th overall and winning his age group category. (RESULTS).
Hugh Russell-Blackburn – Photo courtesy of David Belshaw
Ryker Hanson – Photo courtesy of David Belshaw
Liam Bennison – Photo courtesy of David Belshaw
Amelia Pacelli – – Photo courtesy of David Belshaw
Peter Sagar-Moss
Similarly Theo Robinson was racing in the Storth Stampede on Sunday May 3rd, desciobed as a mix of small patches of lanes; fields; ‘fairy steps’, woodland – covering over 5.5miles of 227m of ascent around Storth, Beetham & Milnthorpe. U18 Theo was put in the senior men’s race, age categories moving from the U16 race directly to seniors. He led the way for a while to finish in 3rd place in a time around 38 mins 40 sec of a field of approximately 40.
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Someone once said that the only certaities in life weres taxes and death – i think we need to add another – Trafford Open Meetings on Bank Holiday Mondays. (RESULTS) which saw some Blackburn Harriers taking the opportunity to compete – six athletes producing eight new personal best performances. U18 Louis Crake was first up in the Heats of the 100m, clocking a new PB time of 12.88 in 3rd spot followed by U16 Eliza Garcia taking 2nd spot in her Heat with another new PB of 13,93. U14 Mia Logan clocked 15.18 in 6th place of her Heat which was also a new PB. U14 Zoe Walker ran in the next Heat clocking 15.13 in 2nd position and a new PB making it four new personal bests in the 100m. Louis Crake made it a double set of new PB’s as he clocked another one in the 200m running 26.39 (4th) as did Eliza Garcia who clocked a new 200m PB in her Heat of 28.92 (2nd). The sixth new PB came from U14 Mia Logan running 31.94 in 2nd of her 200m Heat. U18 Matthew Sharples set another new PB in winning his 400m Heat in a time of 50.3 and it surely won’t be too long before he goes sub 50.
