Final match of this years West Premier Division of the Northern League took place at the home of West Cheshire AC – Ellesmere Sports Village – on Saturday August 17th. Blackburn Harriers went into the Match with maximum points, having won the first three matches, albeit by the narrowest of margins from Sale Harriers by 3 points in Match 1, 20 points in Match 2 and 14.5 points in Match 3. So it was all to play for even though the Club was in a commanding position to start with. The team on the day was hampered by last minute withdrawals, holidays, injuries and other races, but as it tunred out, so were the other teams, as is often the cas, as the season gets towards the end of August. During the day, the competition was very close with the Club in 3rd place at one stage – the top four Clubs being spearated by just a handful of points. In the end, the team triumphed again – making it four wins out of four – this time by just 2 points (376 points) from West Cheshire in 2nd place (374), Sale in 3rd (359), Southport in 4th (342); Wirral in 5th (292) and Bury 6th (248).
The attitude of all of the athletes, from the young U17’s who came in, the veterans who answered the call, those athletes who volunteered to take on extra events to help out the team, we cannot think too highly of them. The team spirit was fantastic and is all that anyone can ask for. Last, but by no means least a thanks also to our Officials – Alison Heywood, John Chaplin, Sabrina Dewhurst, Stephen Brindle, David Kent, Lindsay Davies and Kevin Hogan – who once again provided a full team and maximum points. Thanks also to all of our Officials who have rowed in over the season and to Alison Hulme who has pulled it altogether.
(All photos on Blackburn Harriers Facebook Page – HERE)
Not everyone who competed on the day is on this team photo, many having to leave to go to work – missing — Ben Fish; Emma Harrison; Tamzin Osborne; Keira Booth; Millie Pilkington; Imogen Robinson; Anthony Kent; Matthew Heywood; Harvey Holden;
Back Row L-R Alisha Lehner – Freya Johnson – George Whittaker – John iLunga – Lottie Smith – Isabelle Perry – Chris Davies – Charlie Unsworth – Samuel Mutombo – Codie Dewhurst – Thomas Monks — Front Row L-R Millie Schofield – Lousa Powell-Smith – Ellen Sagar-Hesketh – Rebecca Ward – Hayden Mercer – Ben Makin – Matt Ramsden
Undoubtedly, one of the stars of the day was George Whittaker. George was already doing five events and on the evening of the Match, finding out we needed two 200m athletes, he messaged to say he would do that too – making it six events on the day, telling the team manager “not to worry, i am a decathlete“‘. Amazing attitude and commitment to the team. George started off with 5.92m (3rd) in the Long Jump, then cleared 3.40m in the Pole Vault (3rd), amazingly his Pole snapping when attempting a 3.50m clearance and walked away uninjured and laughing about the experience; came 3rd in the 110m Hurldes (18.2); threw 39.60m in the Javelin (4th); clocked 23.3 in the 200m (2nd) and finished it off by anchoring the Men’s 4 x 100m relay team to 2nd place in a time of 45.9. Charlie Unsworth, George Whittaker, Samuel Mutombo and Codie Dewhurst combined in the 100 and 200m sprints – Charlie winning the A 100 (11.0), Samuel taking 4th in 12.3 in the B, whilst in the 200m George came 2nd in 23.3 and Codie 4th in the B 200 with a new PB time of 25. 3. The four of them combined to take a 2nd place in the 4 x 100m in 45.9 behind Sale (43.9). In the Women’s Sprints it was Millie Schofield, new member Freya Johnson and Alisha Lehner who took on the 100 and 200m races. Millie won the 100m in 12.6 and the 200m A races in 25.3 whilst Freya, making her debut, placed 3rd in the B100 (13.7) and Alisha clocked 29.0 in the B200 (3rd). U17 Isabelle Perry joined the three of them for the 4 x 100m relay which saw them come 2nd in 53.2 behind West Cheshire (51.7). In the 400m Hurdles Kiera Booth 4th in the A ran a new PB of 78.3 whilst Millie Pilkington also clocked a new PB in B race with 77.6 in 3rd spot. Codie Dewhurst replicated that with a new PB in the Men’s A 400m Hurdles of 62.9 in 3rd alongside team mate John iLunga running 71.7 in the B race (4th).
George Whittaker
Millee Schofield (1)
Codie Dewhurst (1)
Our throws athletes once again did the team proud. In the Hammer there was a hat-trick of wins – Anthony Kent winning the A (46.37m) and Matthew Heywood the B (45.20m) alongside Emma Harrison winning the Women’s A Hammer (43.63m). Anthony then went and won the A Discus (36.98m) and A Shot Putt (11.29m), Matthew taking 2nd spot in the B Discus with a new PB of 28.33m and John iLunga who did five events on the day placing 2nd in the B Shot Putt (9.08m). Emma Harrison after winning the Hammer, volunteered for Shot Putt and Discus – events she doesn’t usually do – throwing 6.66m in the Shot Putt (6th) and 20.43m in the Discus (5th) alongside Imogen Robinson who threw 8.07m in the B Discus (5th). How important were the results of athletes who volunteered to take on events they don’t usually do in a match which was so close in terms of overall points. In the Javelin George Whittaker threw 39.60m in 4th place whilst John iLunga volunteered at the last minute to fill the B slot, throwing 17.58m in 4th spot in the B. Similarly in the Women’s Javelin – voluneteer Ellen Sagar-Hesketh last threw a Javelin in 2017 – 7 years ago – and yet threw 21.94m in 4th spot in the A whilst Tamzin Osborne took 3rd place in the B with a distance of 15.64m, having never thrown the senior weight previously and hadn’t been involved in a competition with Javelin since 2022.
Anthony Kent
Emma Harrison
Thomas Monks hasn’t raced since April and has had only the one track race all year due to injury, so it was a baptism of fire as he went in the A 400m clocking 53.7 in 3rd spot in the A, with, as he said “having no legs in the last 50m” – Great effort. Codie Dewhurst who was another athlete taking on five events and didn’t quite know what he would finish up doing as he responded to the needs of the team, as he always does, ran 55.1 in 4th place in the B. Matt Ramsden “i will run anything you want me to” doubled up in the 800 and 1500m, winning both in 4.08.5 for the 1500m but with no time recorded in the 800m because of a malfunction. Hayden Mercer ran a cracking race to hold off Wirral’s Jack Strickley to win the B800 in 2.03.1 with Strickley clocking 2.03.2. V45 Chris Davies answered the call and took 4th spot in the B1500m in 4.32.7. Ben Fish and Ben Makin combined to for a winning double in the 5000m Ben Fish in 15.04.6 in the A and Ben Makin “put me wherever it is the best for the team and points” winning the B in 15.24.4. Thomas Monks, Ben Makin, Hayden Mercer and Matt Ramsden all then combined in the 4 x 400m relays to place 2nd in 3.32.5 behind Sale (3.29.0). In the Women’s middle distance events – U17 Lottie Smith and V45 Louisa Powell-Smith teamed up to do the 800m – Lottie running 2.33.7 in 5th in the A and Louisa clocking 2.38.4 in 4th in the B. Ellen Sagar-Hesketh and U17 Isabelle Perry ran the 1500m with Ellen placing 5th in the A (5.02. 3) and Isabelle 4th in the B race (5.36.1). The 3000m had V40 Rebecca Ward in 5th in the A race (11.49.3) and V45 Louisa Powell-Smith in the B race 4th (11.51.3). Millee Schofield who had already run the 4 x 100 then voluntered for the 4 x 400 along with Ellen, Lottie and Rebecca, who combined to clock 4.22.9 in 4th position.
Matt Ramsden (1)
Ellen Sagar-Hesketh (1) – Isabelle Perry (11)
U17’s Imogen Robinson and Lottie Smith stepped up for the Long Jump and High Jump – Imogen 4th in the A Long Jump with 3.26m and then taking 3rd in the A High Jump (1.30m) alongside team mate Lottie Smith who won the B High Jump, also with a new PB of 1.30m. Tamzin Osborne started off her day with a win in the Pole Vault clearing 2.90m alongside George Whittaker in 3rd place in the A Pole Vault (3.40m) and Harvey Holden in 2nd spot in the B with 2.40m. Harvey then teamed up with Codie Dewhurst in the High Jump – Harvey clearing 1.65m in 4th in the A and Codie winning the B with 1.55m. Earlier in the day George Whittaker – 3rd in the A 5.92m and Samuel Mutombo – 4th in the B 5.48m went in the Long Jump followed by Samuel placing 4th in the A triple Jump (11.37m) with team mate, the irrepressible John iLunga coming 4th in the B (9.07m). Tamzin Osborne took on her third event of the day in the Women’s Triple Jump – never having done the event in competition, still posted a distance of 9.52m in 3rd place – inavaluable points.
Tamzin Osborne
Imogen Robinson
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Holly Bradshaw didn’t take long to get back into competition following her appearance at her fourth consecutive Olympics in Paris. On August 15th she was out in the Internationales Stabhochsprung-Meeting placing 5th with a height of 4.34m – Aikaterini Stefanidi winning the event with 4.64m. Paul Bradshaw told us a little about the history of this meeting telling us that “When it started however they did not have a track, it was the local community who wanted to put an event on to help fund the amateur football club. It started in the road! They rolled out a strip of rubber for a track and dug a box as they didn’t have one! The original box is now bricked up on the road outside the football stadium”.
Just two days later, Holly was competing at ‘Sky;s the limit’ in Zweibrucken, Germany at the weekend, Holly placing 2nd overall, having cleared 4.30m and 4.40m first time before going on to clear 4.50m at her second attempt – the winner was France’s Julie Marie Bonnin who cleared 4.60m in her last attempt. (RESULTS)
Holly Bradshaw – Photo courtesy of @stefan.mayer.foto
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Blackburn Harriers Dexta Thompson had been invited to compete for the England B team in the 1500m after finishing on the Podium at the National U20 Championships recently at Birmingham. Isabel Holt had been invited to run in the 3000m U20 Women’s race, both held at Eton on Saturday August 17th as part of the England Athletics U15/U17 Combined Event Championships 2024 & U20 International – and in very warm conditions. Dexta was in a field of five athletes and took the win in a time of 3.59.57 in front of 2nd placed Joseph Rees Gara (3.59.83) and Alex Hanigan from Australia in 3rd ( 4.01.23). Eight athletes in Isabel’s Race where she placed 4th in 9.44.01 behind the winner Annabel Morrison from Ireland ( 9.31.27). (Dexta’s Results) – (Isabel’s RESULTS)
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On Sunday August 18th Blackburn Harriers Oliver Gill, Ben Stratton, Abigail Stratton and Agatha Taylor all travelled to Gateshead for the latest BMC meeting. (RESULTS). U20 Ben Stratton went in the 800m A Race won by Gateshead’s David Race in 1.49.66 with Ben placing 3rd in 1.53.01. U17 Oliver Gill was next up in the 800m C Race won by Aidan Page (1.54.92) with Oliver clocking a new PB of 1.55.12 in 2nd place and one of only two U17’s in the race. U20 Abigail Stratton lined up in the 800m G race and ran her fastest outdoor time of the summer season in 6th place (2.09.92). U15 Agatha Taylor also ran the 800m in the i Race and was the only U15G as she ran 2.23.40.
At Leeds last week – Thursday August 15th – U15 Jack Baranowski ran in the 1500m D Race on the BMC timetable which was won by U20 William Annable in 4.00.11 from U17 Finlay Goddard in 2nd (4.01.18) and U23 Max Carter in 3rd (4.01.63). Jack clocked 4.14.35 in 8th place and the only U15 athlete in the race.
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V40 Ben Fish in is in training for this years Chester Marathon and part of his build up saw him competing in a 3000m race on Aug 6th where he posted a seasons best 8.42.90 and followed that up at the RunThrough Tatton Park 10k on Wednesday 14th August (RESULTS) – winning the race in a time of 32.43 from Conor Sarsfield in 2nd (33.36) and Martin Lucass in 3rd (33.43).
Ben Fish – Photo courtesy of Mick Hall Photos
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Helen Leigh was running at the Senior Scottish Hill Champs for Inverness Harriers at the weekend of August 17th and it didn’t take her long to settle in – taking 3rd place on the Podium in the Women’s Race – and speaking to the Club afterwards, Helen told us about the race saying “The Scottish Champs was a short race, only 7km and with nearly 400m of climb in. I set off fast to try and keep the gap small so I had the best chance on the descent but it was a bit too short for me and I ran out of race! I was pleased with my run though and a first outing for Inverness Harriers my new club.“
Helen Leigh with Emily Shaw and Jill Stephen
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Round 13 of the Burnley & Pendle Grand Prix Series saw athletes turn out at the Bouldsworth Fell Race on Sunday Augiust 11th – (RESULTS). Marc Hartley had a good day in the Senior Race, won by Chris Houldsworth in 41.40. Marc came home in 3rd place running 49.08.2 behind 2nd placed Adam Wale (48.04.6). Jack Wood won his second successive U17 Race in the Series with his time of 16.01.2 ahead of 2nd placed Theo Ormerod (17.39.8). In the U15 Girls race Charlotte Smith came 2nd in a time of 21.05.3 behind the winner – Gabriella Dale (20.26.8). Liam Bennison had a good day too, finishing in 3rd spot in the U15 Boys race (19.54.2) – the race being won by Charlie Dobson (17.33.5) with Hussein Webster in 2nd (18.47.7). Theo Addy ran in the U13 Boys race, crossing the finish line in 2nd position with his time of 8.19.7 – the winner – Harry Lowde coming home in 7.51.7.
Jack Wood – Photo courtesy of David Belshaw
Charlotte Smith – Photo courtesy of David Belshaw
Liam Bennison – Photo courtesy of David Belshaw
Theo Addy (19) – Photo courtesy of David Belshaw
