Birkenhead Park was the venue for this years Northern 6 & 4 Stage Road Relays along with the Junior Road Relays covering U13, U15 and U17 athletes on Sunday September 24th. (RESULTS). Forecasts of heavy rain during the day thankfully didn’t come to fruition and conditions were quite mild with a headwind right at the finish which athletes had to run into.

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Sixty Blackburn Harriers competed on the day in the different age groups, with the highlight undoubtedly featuring the Clubs U17 Men’s team. 27 teams stood on the start line and it couldn’t have been more dramatic at the end of the final Leg as Blackburn Harriers & City of York battled one another up the finishing climb – Daniel Smith for the Harriers taking the win in the final few strides. Ben Stratton on Leg 1 (11.59) with the 6th fastest leg of the day, Oliver Gill on Leg 2 (12.26) and Daniel Smith on the final Leg (11.44) with the second fastest leg of the day were a winning combination as they took the title from City of York in 2nd spot and Morpeth Harriers in 3rd. The Harriers B Team also came first in the B Relay as Jack Lamb (12.29), Logan McCredie (12.47) and Ethan Cutler (13.33) combined to take the win from City of York ‘B’ team in 2nd and Vale Royal ‘B’ team in 3rd.

L-R Ben Stratton – Oliver Gill – Daniel Smith

 

Ben Stratton & Oliver Gill

 

Daniel Smith & Jack Lamb

 

Logan McCredie & Alex Rothwell

Unfortunately the Club didn’t field an U13 Girls team which meant Millie Jordan running the first Leg as a part team – and what a great run she had finishing 4th in a time of 12.17. Similarly for the U17 Women with just one athlete – Charlotte Robertshaw – who ran 14.55 on the first Stage. Two full teams and a part team in the U15 Boys – the ‘A’ team placing 6th overall with some fine runs from them – Sam Aspey on Leg 1 with a time of 10.27 which was the equal 10th fastest leg of the day, Henry Ward on Leg 2 with 10.54 and 5th fastest on stage 2,  Alex Rothwell on the final Leg running 11.12 – 8th fastest time on Stage 3 – combined to post a total of 32.33.  The ‘B” team ran well too with Max Belshaw on Leg 1 running 11.30 in his first year for the Club, Jack Wood on Leg 2 with 11.14 – 9th fastest time on Stage 2 – and Theo Robinson on the last Leg with 11.41 had a total time of 34.25 which placed them as 2nd ‘B’ Team behind Trafford AC. It was good to see Callum Singleton back out racing for the Harriers as he ran Leg 1 of the part ‘C’ team in 11.47 followed by Tom Falencki in his first year for the Club running 11.50 on Leg 2.

   

Millie Jordan & Charlotte Robertshaw

 

Sam Aspey & Henry Ward

 

Alex Rothwell & Max Belshaw

 

Jack Wood & Theo Robinson

 

Callum Singleton & Tom Falencki

Our U15 Girls also ran two teams which saw the ‘A’ team place 9th overall as Bella McCredie ran 12.48 on Leg 1, Leg 2 had Emma Robertshaw running 12.45  and Agatha Taylor – 7th fastest time on the final leg – bringing the team home with a run of 12.07. The ‘B’ team consisting of Lottie Smith on Leg 1 with a time of 12.53, Isabelle Perry on Leg 2 with 14.01 and Evie Fort (14.16) on the last Leg combined to place 25th overall and 6th ‘B’ team.

L-R – Bella McCredie – Agatha Taylor – Isabelle Perry – Lottie Smith – Evie Fort – Emma Robertshaw

Our Senior Men had three full teams out finishing 10th, 37th and 67th out of a field featuring 92 complete teams. Our ‘A’ Team consisted of Matt Ramsden who came 2nd on Leg 1 and posted the 4th fastest time of the day with his 14.23 followed by Josh Birmingham (15.33), Ben Makin (15.59), Luke Betts (15.31) and 9th fastest time of the Leg 4, Tim Raynes (15.40) also 9th fastest time of the Leg 5 and Ben Fish (15.53) placed 10th with a total time of 1hr 32.59. The ‘B’ Team of Dexta Thompson on Leg 1 (16.07), James Bretherton (16.51), Sam Hodkinson (16.12), Dominic Walton (16.47), Jonny Murphy (17/08) and Stephen Walter (17.14) finished in 37th place with a combined time of 1hr 40.19. Our ‘C’ Team had Codie Dewhurst on Leg 1 with 17.12 followed by Hayden Mercer with 17.36, Chris Davies (17.02), Danny Maynard (18.25), Paul Guinan (19.20) and Mark Almond (20.41) placing 67th in a combined time of 1 hr 50.16.

 

Matt Ramsden & Josh Birmingham

 

Ben Makin & Luke Betts

 

Tim Raynes & Ben Fish

 

Dexta Thompson & James Bretherton

 

Sam Hodkinson & Dominic Walton

 

Jonny Murphy & Stephen Walter

 

Codie Dewhurst & Hayden Mercer

 

Chris Davies & Danny Maynard

 

Paul Guinan & Mark Almond

Fifty nine complete teams contested the Senior Women’s 4-Stage Relays which had an ‘A’ and a ‘B’ team for the Harriers. The ‘A’ team finished in 13th place which featured Louisa Powell-Smith on the first Leg running 19.23 with team mates Isabel Holt on Leg 2 with the 6th fastest time of 18.00, Evie Taylor running 19.24 and Ellen Sagar-Hesketh 19.38 on the final Leg for a combined time of 1hr 16.25. The ‘B’ team came in 26th overall and 5th ‘B’ team as Leah Hoole ran 21.05 on the first stage, Eleesha Charnley on Leg 2 with 19.47, Keira Haxton on Leg 3 (19.39) and Kasey Parkington on her first race for the Club running 20.45 on the last Leg.

 

Louisa Powell-Smith & Isabel Holt

 

Evie Taylor & Ellen Sagar-Hesketh

 

Leah Hoole & Eleesha Charnley

 

Keira Haxton & Kasey Parkington

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David Holman ran in America recently at the Queen City cross country invitational over 8k on September 15th. (RESULTS) – it being an actual race for the team. David came home in 21st place overall out of a field of 136 runners and 3rd Wingate runner with a time of 26:15 for the 8k course, which was 3 minutes quicker than he ran the previous weekend. His team – Wingate – finished in 4th place in the team competition.

David Holman

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Saturday September 23rd was another Open meeting at Trafford (RESULTS).U13 Millie Jordan went in the 800m and clocked herself a new PB by nearly two seconds as she ran 2.28.66 in 4th place. U15 Isaac Brindle clocked 12.92 in 3rd spot  in his Heat of the 100m. Also racing in the 100m was U17 Harrison Allcock – 5th in a time of 12.44. U13 Dana Juma went in the 75m and came 3rd in 10.84 followed by a jump of 3.46m (7th) in her Pool of the Long Jump. Not finished there, Dana then went and won the U13’s Shot Putt with 7.80m. Team mate Isabelle Pawson was in 3rd place in her 75m Heat (11.41), going on to set a new PB in her Long Jump Pool with 3.59m in 6th place followed by a run of 22.77 in the 150m in 3rd place. U13 James Acton-Grieves ran in the 150m – his first time over the distance – and clocked 22.15 in 2nd spot after which he threw 6.09m in the U13 Boys Shot Putt placing 5th.

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English Schools Fell Running Championships

Another good run on the Fells from U15 Lottie hesketh at the English Schools fell Running Championships at the weekend – Saturday September 24th – hosted at Giggleswick. Lottie finished in 8th place out of a field of 46 runners with a time of 25.31 representing Colne Park HS in the female Y8/9 age category – the race being run over a distance of 3.96k with 206m of ascent. (RESULTS)

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Ben Walmsley was back racing after some time out with injuries at the Fairhaven 10k on Sunday September 17th (RESULTS); And it was a good return as he placed 2nd in a time of 34.44.43 behind the winner Lytham’s Mike Toft (33.47.17) with Salford’s Leo Loughran in 3rd spot (35.45.67). On the same day there was an Open meeting at Stanley Park which had a couple of Blackburn Harriers taking part.  U15 Loucas Lancashire set himself a new PB in the Discus (1.5kg) by adding close to two metres to his previous best in placing 3rd with a distance of 20.69m. U15 Jack Duxbury took on the 100m & 200m clocking 13.1 (3rd) in the 100m followed by a time of 26.9 in 3rd position after which, he set himself a new PB in the Long Jump by 9cm in winning with a leap of 4.95m. (RESULTS)

Ben Walmsley

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