This latest report highlighting Blackburn Harriers competitions both for teams and individuals, covers track & field, road racing, fells, tri-athlon and ironman events, all of which registered very good performances including team and individual wins plus new personal bests: And we start off with the news that the Club won this seasons Northern League West Premier Division match, held at Witton Park on Saturday May 17th, making it wins in all three competitions so far this season – with wins in the first matches of the UKYDL (Upper Age Group) and UKYDL (Lower Age Group) already. A huge shout out to Alison Hulme who does such a great job in organising our officials to cover all of these T&F matches and to the officials who give up their time freely with true volunteer spirit.
All photos from Northern League Match on Blackburn Harriers Facebook Page – (HERE)
The Club were defending their title after winning the West Premier Division in 2024 and got off to a great start at Witton Park in the first match for 2025 – winning with a points total of 432 from Sale Harriers (345), West Cheshire (340.5), Southport Waterloo (288.5), Team Isle of Man (270.5), Trafford AC (233.5). The teams Throwers were outstanding, contributing four wins in the Hammer – Anthony Kent setting a new PB of 52.76m to win the A and Matthew Heywood winning the B with 48.49m. Ava Harrison set herself a new PB in winning the A throwing 54.13m and backed up by Emma Harrison who won the B with 40.86m. Anthony and Matthew then took 2nd in the A Discus and 3rd in the B Discus with throws of 38.37m and 27.80m respectively – Anthony going on to throw 11.70m in 3rd spot in the Shot Putt. Adding to the large points totals by the throws squad saw Ava place 4th in the A shot with 10.00m and the first time she has thrown Shot since 2021 Followed by Emma with 19.27m in the Discus, Isabelle Hartley 4th in the B Shot Putt (7.80m) and Kady Thompson 4th in the B Discus with a new PB of 17.43m. Isabelle and Kady then adding more points again for the team – Isabelle throwing a new PB of 26.16m in the A Javelin (5th) and Kady 24.96m (3rd) in the B. Michael Morton and Alex Burns-Groves were making their debuts for the team and capped off a cracking points total from the Throws squad – Michael threw 33.02m in his debut in competition in 5th spot in the A whilst Alex took 4th place in the B with 29.23m and his first time with the senior weight Javelin. Rounding up for the Throws squad ws John iLunga who took a 3rd place in the B Shot Putt with 8.54m.
Anthony Kent Ava Leigh
The Sprint squad were running on a warm day but sadly into a headwind, which impacted all sprint times but they continued with points building following an 11.3 clocking by Charlie Palich in the A 100m backed up by Jacob Fisher winning the B in 11.7 followed in the 200m by Charlie taking 2nd spot again in 22.8 with U17 Keir Michie clcoking 23.6 in 4th spot in the B and his first time ever at senior level competition. Millee Schofield ran 12.4 in 2nd spot in the A 100m whilst U17 Isabella Finn, making her debut at Senior level, clocked 14.0 in 4th in the B backed up by Millee clocking 25.1 in 2nd in the A 200m alongside Claudia Longton – another athlete making their debut in senior competition posting a time of 27.8 in 3rd spot in the B. The Harriers Women’s 4 x 100m team clocked 50.8 in 3rd spot whilst the men’s 4 x 100m team clocked 44.5 in 2nd place. The Hurdles races saw Codie Dewhurst place 2nd in the 400m Hurdles A (65.0) alongside George Camara winning the B in 67.4. George Whittaker won the 110m Hurdles A race in 18.0 whilst John iLunga took 2nd in the B (27.2).The Women’s 400m Hurdles produced a 3rd spot in the A for Kiera Booth (77.9) and a new PB whilst team mate Millie Pilkington won the B, also with a new PB of 75.6. Alisha Lehner clocked 19.4 in 3rd place in the 100m Hurdles whilst Maddie Elliott who did four events on the day, helped out the team by doing the B race and finishing 2nd in 21.4.
Charlie Palich Millee Schofield
The Jumps events led off with the Women’s Long Jump and Pole Vault. Tamzin Osborne set herself a new outdoor PB of 3.10m in finishing 2nd and that was backed up Sienna Wareing and Isabella Finnn in the Long Jump – Sienna jumping 4.58 (6th) in the A whilst Isabella Finn placed 3rd in the B with 4.50m. George Whittaker also took 2nd spot in the Men’s Pole Vault with a clearance of 3.60m. Samuel Mutombo and Daniel Nuttall paired up for the Long Jump – Samuel winning the A with 5.90m whilst Daniel took 4th in the B with 4.89m and in the Triple Jump, Samuel took 3rd in the A (11.82m) followed by another debutant in the senior league – Ethan Cutler winning the B with 10.89m which was a very good start for him. In the High Jump there were clearances of 1.25m for Imogen Robinson in the A and for Holly Moore in the B who was making her first outing ever in senior competition whilst in the Men’s High Jump – Alex Burns-Groves – yet another debutant in the senior leagues clearing 1.55m in the A (=4th) with John iLunga clearing 1.50m in the B (2nd).
Tamzin Osborne Alex Burns-Groves
Back to the track where Matthew Sharples (U17) was another athlete competing in senior competition for the first time and did really well, clocking 52. 1 in 4th spot in the A 400m alongside Jacob Fisher running 53.7 for 3rd in the B. Ross Harrison and Hayden Mercer took on the 800m – Ross wining the A in 1.56.2 and Hyden clocking 2.04.4 in 3rd in the B. There was another double win in the A&B 1500m as Ben Makin won the A in 4.05.1 and Ismael Alvarez El Hassany winning the B in 4.09.6 – his first race in the Northern League. Ross Harrison doubled up in the 5000m alongside Ben Fish in what were testing conditions given the heat. Ross won the A in 15.15 as Ben took the win in the B with 15.58.5. Poppi Watson making her debut in the Northern League clocked a new PB of 61.9 in the A 400m (4th) with Sienna Wareing, never having raced a 400m previously, clocking 63.1 in 2nd spot in the B. Poppi was out again in the 800m as she clocked 2.23.1 to wn the B whilst Maddie Elliott running the first of her four events on the day clocked 2.24.7 in 3rd spot in the A. Maddie and Keira Haxtion then paired up for the 1500m taking wins in the A & B races with respective times of 4.55.2 and 5.03.4. Many thanks to Tanith-Jade Ellis – TJ as she is known – who stepped into the 3000m at the last minute due to other absences and ran 12.30.2 in 4th spot in the 3000m.
Ross Harrison Maddie Elliott
Ξ
Down at Loughborough on Sunday May 18th, the Loughborough International was taking place with Blackburn Harriers Abigail McAndrew, Jess Warner-Judd competing and on the same day Charlie Unsworth was racing at Lee Valley. Abigail lined up in the senior women’s 800m race – her first race of the season over the distance and opened up well with a run in 3rd place in her Heat of 2.09.11 – the winner – Annie Testar clocking 2.08.91. Jess went in the mile race clocking 4.51.84 (5th) and her first race over the distance since 2021. Charlie ran in the Lee Valley 100m and 200m races, both of which were a mixture of U20 and senior men. The 100m saw him place 2nd in a new PB of 10.76 uit with a wind just outside of legal at +2.2 and in the 200m he clocked 21.52 in 4th place. (800m Race Start Video)
Abigail McAndrew (1)
⇓
During the week Blackburn Harriers Isabel Holt was taking on her second race of the season after running a 5000m at BUCS on May 1st (16.35.74) which was a new personal best for her. On May 15th she was out at the BMC races in Leeds and this time over 3000m where she ran 9.42.35, just a second outside of her personal best and afterwards she told the Club “Good to get the legs going again over the 3000m at the Leeds BMC. The race didn’t go quite to plan but it’s motivated me for the next one.”
Iabel Holt
Ξ
Sunday May 18th and the Harriers were out again, this time in Lancaster at the Salt Ayre Track for the second fixture of this seasons Mid Lancs T&F League and once more, the conditions were warm. (RESULTS). Quite a number of Blacjkburn Harriers made the trip up which created a good atmosphere among the athletes.
All photos on Blackburn Harriers Facebook Page – (HERE)
As usual at the Mid Lancs fixtures and especially when it is warm, sprint races are aplenty!. There were four senior men 100m races, three U17 Men’s, three U15 Boy’s, three U13 Boy’s, three senior Women’s, three U17 Women’s, six U15 Girl’s, five U13 Girls – making a total of 30 x 100m races. In the 200m’s there were three Senior Men’s races, three U17 men’s, three U15 Boy’s, two U13 Boys, three Senior Women, three U17 Women, five U15 Girl’s, four U13 Girls – making a total of 26 x 200m races and 56 sprint races in total and that is without the rest of the programme. The officials who truned up to oversee and run the event, many of whom had been out the day before and will be out again virtually every weekend, are carrying the sport by its coat tails. Make no bones about it, without a replenishment of officials from amongst the huge number of parents who stand watching, former athletes and others who are connected to the sport, we are looking at not being able to run fixtures. It is that stark.
Highlight of the day came from U15 Madeline Partridge who is a new member of the Harriers Throws squad. Having just started throwing and in only her third competition ever Madeline started the day with personal best of 27.57m in the Hammer and 21.58m in the Discus. In the Hammer she added over 5m to that, throwing a new PB of 32.87m in winning the event and then won the Discus with a new PB throw of 22.41m. U17 Loucas Lancashire came 3rd in the Javelin with 34.12m, U15 Zakariya Haq won his Javelin with a distance of 25.45m and placed 3rd in the Shot Putt with 6.93m. U15 Dana Juma won the Shot Putt throwing 9.00m and in the U13 Girls Pippa Blackburn had a go at Shot Putt throwing 2.97m.
Madeline Partridge
The wind wasn’t kind to the sprinters as though it was warm on the day, they all ran very much into a headwiind. In the 100m Harvey Kinder clocked 12.4 (2nd) Heat 1 alongside Isaac Brindle running 12.5 (4th) and Jack Thompson 13.0 (5th) in Heat 2. U15 Ollie Haworth was 5th in his Heat (14.1), Joshua Carrier 5th in Heat 2 (14.2) and in Heat 3 it was a 1/2 for the Harriers – Emmanuel Adewunmi 1st in 11.8 and Tomi Birch 2nd in 12.3. U17 Grace iLunga clocked 14.3 in 2nd spot in Heat 1 as Lucy Hayhurst 2nd in 14.0 and Holly Moore 3rd in 14.0 ran Heat 3. U15 Imogen Boardman ran 13.3 in 3rd (Heat 2), whilst U15 Dana Juma won Heat 3 in a big new PB of 12.5 with Anvitha Reddy in 3rd spot (14.3). Heat 2 of the U13 Girls saw Amelia Carrier run 15.9 in 5th and in Heat 4 Hannah Moore ran 15.0 in 3rd and Mia Logan clocked 16.2 in 5th.
Anvitha Reddy (73)
In the 200m Races V40 Marcin Baranowski ran 26.7 in 2nd in his Heat and in the U17 Men’s 200m Jack Thompson ran 26.6 in 4th (Heat 1), Daniel Bretherton placed 3rd in Heat 2 (24.8), Harvey Kinder clocked 25.6 (4th) equaling his personal best and Isaac Brindle 25.7 (5th) in Heat 3. Three Heats in the U15 Boys Jack Baranowski running his first 200m race in 25.4 (Heat 1) in 4th, Robert Ward 4th in Heat 2 (29.4) also his first time over the distance and Joshua Carrier 3rd in Heat 3 a new PB of 28.6. Sara Baranowska, running her 3rd race of the day clocked 32.2 in 5th pace in the senior women’s 200m, U17 Evie Fort won her Heat in 28.9 whilst Grace iLunga won her Heat in 29.6. In the U15 Girls Dana Juma ran 29.6 in 3rd (Heat 1), Anvitha Reddy clocked 29.0 (Heat 3) in 2nd place and new member Daisy Gardner ran 31.6 in 4th spot (Heat 5) after clocking 14.7 in 2nd place Heat 6 of the 100m. U13 200m Girls – Amelia Carrier ran 33.7 (5th) Heat 2, Pippa Blackburn 5th (36.0) and Mia Logan (6th) in 37.1 Heat 4.
Holly Moore (60)
The Jumps events were reduced to triple and long jump, with the high jump cancelled, U15 Boys Zalariya Haq and Joshua Carrier leapt out to 4.12m and 4.04m respectively – Joshua doing the Long Jump for the first time. U17’s Grace iLunga jumped 4.27m in 3rd and Holly Moore 3.80m (5th) in the Long Jump, whilst Hannah Moore jumped a new PB of 3.86m in 5th place out of 20 in the U13 Girls Long Jump.
Grace iLunga
Back on the track in the 400m U17 Daniel Bretherton beat his best by one tenth to post a new PB of 52.7 in winning alongside team mate Henry Ward clocking 54.6 in 4th, his first race over the distance. Sara Baranowska clocked 69.5 in 3rd in the Senior Women’s 400m, whilst U15 Millie Jordan won her 300m race iwith a big new PB by over three secnds clocking 43.0. Marcin Baranowski clocked 4.34.9 in 5th spot in the senior men’s 1500m with Logan McCredie in 6th (4.40.9.) U17 Liam Bennison ran 5.01.3 in the 1500m which was a massive new PB by some 18 seconds. Jack Baranowski 5th in the National Rankings won the U15 Boys 1500m in 4.23.6 and U13 Edward Russell-Blackburn ran the 800m for the first time in a time of 2.46.8 in 5th spot. Sara Baranowska won the senior women’s 800m in 2.33.5 and in the senior women’s 1500m race, U20 Freya Neild chopped a whopping 20 seocnds off her previous best in running a new PB of 5.22.4 in 2nd place. Bella McCredie came 3rd in the U17 Women’s 800m (2.36.7) with U13 Pippa Blackburn running a big new PB of 2.52.8 , some 12 seconds better than her last attempt.
Millie Jordan (46)
Ξ
On the Roads too, there have been somne very good performances by Blackburn Harriers athletes, starting off with V45 Vikki Robershaw who was in the Manchester Half-Marathon on Sunday May 18th. Vikki had a fine run, was 1st V45 Woman and 18th overall in the Women’s race with a time of 1 hour 27.44. Running in Manchester too was TJ (Tanoth-Jade Ellis), but in the 10k, and this after running on Saturday in a 3000m track race. Saying “Not easy racing twice in a weekend.” she still ran 45.27
Vikki Robertshaw
Tanith-Jade Ellis – photo courtesy of Jon-Paul Kearns
V55 Matt Nuttall has been out racing quite a bit of late – running 39.12 at the Chorley 10k – (RESULTS) – and 1st V55 on May 4th he ran 23.42 in the first of the Astley Park series on May 7th in 13th spot – (RESULTS) – he followed those races up on the starting line at the Blacksticks Blue 10k – (RESULTS) – where he placed 3rd overall and 1st V55 once again in a time of 39.33. Last weekend – Sunday May 18th, he ran his fourth race in 14 days at the Worden Park 10k in a time of 40.24 and 2nd V55. (RESULTS). Marco Pacelli ran a new PB time of 38.12 as he came home in the Worden 10k in 8th place overall and 2nd V45.
Marco & Amelia Pacelli
V45 James Bretherton has been having his best year to-date – posting successive new personal best for 5k and 10k – 16.06 for 5k (April 11th) and 32.45 for 10k (April 18th) – all of which gained him an England Masters vest for the 5k in the match against Wales. He didn’t have the best of luck commenting that his “Heels clipped after 200 metres. Fell hard and tried hard to get back into the race but couldn’t make up the ground. Battled through to a 16:55. Was hoping today’s letters would be P&B, got A&E. Still, made sure I didn’t walk away with the letters D, N & F….just walked away with a fractured arm instead“. Tough to continue in those circumstances so a massive well done to him.
James Bretherton – left of photo
Ξ
On to Triathlon and some amazing performances, not least from Jack Hindle. The Outlaw Triathlon also encompassed the British Middle Distance Championships, the race involving a 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike ride and a half-marathon to complete the race. Jack won the race and also the British Championships which was a brilliant result for him. Commenting on his social media Jack said “On Sunday the same Lancashire lad. Who all them years ago, started this amazing journey at the Upverston Triathlon (see picture). Would reach the finish line as the British Middle Distance Champion and Outlaw Half Holkham overall winner. But also ending 5 years of an emotional rollercoaster, to secure the result eligible to be granted a professional license.” On the race and how it went Jack said “A poor swim 🏊♂️, left me 1 minute down on the lead pack coming out of T2. Onto the bike and I just didn’t have to panic. I was isolated for the first 10 miles until a chase group caught me, and I worked with them to get us back up to the the lead pack. I cannot remember the exact point when we caught the front back, but it was a huge sense of relief to be in it. From that moment I knew, I was up there with the race favourites and it was going to be a tremendous run race. Coming off the bike into T2. My legs immediately felt great. On the first lap I picked my way from 8th to 2nd, and I eventually closing in on @matt_tri17 in 1st. I knew Matt wasn’t going to make it easy for me. We ran a whole lap together before he put a huge attack in up the hill on the last lap. I couldn’t go with it at first and had to rely on all my years of running. But I clawed it back and passed in the last kilometre to win“.
Jack Hindle
And what do you about Leah Hoole who told us that she was going to do an Ironman. After doing a Half Ironman in 5hrs 45.51 helped prepare her for the full race which is an quite astonishing event to do. Leah did the 2.4 mile Swim in 1hr 20.57, did the 180.2km mile bike ride in 7hr 47.19 and ran the Marathon at the end in 4hr 20.30 for a combined finishing time of 13hr 42.25. What an amazing achievement and she should be so proud of herself and deserves all the plaudits she has been rightly given.
Leah Hoole
Nearer home and Danny Maynard was doing the Southport Triathlon on the same weekend including a 1.5k swim, 40km bike ride and a 10km run. Danny did the swim in 30minutes, the bike ride in 1hr 23.40 and the 10k in 42.49 and has now targeted the Bolton ironman for his next outing.
Finally on a completely different terrain – Fells – with U17 Theo Robinson. Theo had run at the Storth Stampede on May 10th and was in the Senior race in which he came 2nd overall and 1st of the two 17’s included in the race with seniors & vets – Theo’s time 41.08 behind the winner – a senior – who ran 38.05. Last weekend, Theo was out again at Sedbergh in the Howgills Junior FRA Championships – finishing in 21st place out of 50 runners with a time of 44.42 and on a warm day. (RESULTS)
