Holly Bradshaw was pole vaulting again at the weekend, this time in Greece at the Fly Athens meeting following the European Championships the week before – (Holly’s Video) – which she won with a clearance of 4.53m. Many thanks for @alexgrymanis in allowing the use of their photos in this report.
Photo courtesy of @alexgrymanis
Photo courtesy of @alexgrymanis
A bit nearer to home – Freckleton – Ben Fish was taking on and winning, yet again, a race he has a particular history with, having won it 11 times, the first time in 2007 and defending the title in 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 – 6th in 2016, missed 2017, 2nd in 2018, missed 2019, no race in 2020 and 2021, won it in 2022, missed 2023 and won it again this year in a time of 71.42. This is a brilliant record in not only the Freckleton Half-Martahon, but indeed, in any Half-Marathon anywhere. (RESULTS). Ben ran his fastest time on the course in 2012 which was 67.38 and 12 years later, as a V40 he has run 71.42 and afterwards told the Club “as always, it’s a great honour to win this race. Not my fastest time, but got the job done“.
Still on the road in Knutsford where V45 Chris Davies ran in the Colshaw Hall 10k (RESULTS) – the race being won by unattached Nick Hauger in 30.23 from Matt Clowes in 2nd (30.49) and Tom Charles in 3rd (31.08). Calli Thackery won the Women’s race in 32.05 and 7th overall in the race. Chris came home in 33rd place running 34.59 oiut of a field close to 700 runners.
Chris Davies – Photo courtesy of Run Cheshire
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Out on the Fells over the weekend at Weaver Hills Junior FRA Championships, Lottie Smith was running in a mixed male – female race featuring 32 runners in total. Lottie finished in 7th place in the U17 Women’s age category with a time of 21.10. (RESULTS).
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Whilst the skies were blue and the temperature warm in Greece, that contrasted absolutely with the weather that greeted Blackburn Harriers athletes at this years second Match in the West Premier Division of the Northern League at Litherland. Looking to consolidate the good start the team had in winning the first match, the signs looked ominous as it was alsmost monsoon conditions for the first three events – Men’s Hammer, Women’s Pole Vault and Women’s Long Jump. Fortunately the weather began to clear and the rest of the day was taken over by sun and wind. Although the Women’s team wasn’t up to full strength, nevertheless, the Club was able to pull out another close win, by just 12 points from Sale in 2nd and Southport & Waterloo, the host club in 3rd.
(ALL PHOTOS ON BLACKBURN HARRIERS FACEBOOK PAGE)
THROWS
Three wins by our Hammer throwers got the team off to a good start – Matthew Heywood winning the A (46.76m) and Anthony Kent taking the B (46.45m). Anthony then added two further wins in the A Shot Putt with 11.58m and the A Discus (37.59m) alongside team mates John iLunga placing 3rd in the B Shot Putt (8.34m) and Matthew 2nd in the B Discus (27.53m). Oliver Palk and George Whittaker added to the points as Oliver threw 39.54m in the A Javelin (3rd) and George 2nd in the B (37.81m). Charlotte Williams won the Women’s Hammer with a distance of 55.81m in front of 2nd place Hannah Blood from Sale (53.56m), following that up with a 3rd place finish in the Shot Putt (8.27m). Olivia Thomasson wasn’t far off her personal best in the Javelin, taking 2nd place with a distance of 28.82m.
Charlotte Williams
Oliver Palk
JUMPS
Tamzin Osborne and Poppy Preece like the early throwers, drew the short straw with the conditions and jumped minimally to take maximum points for wins in the A & B. Sienna Wareing and Kiera Booth suffered equally in the Long Jump as the rain lashed down – Sienna placing 4th in the A (4.39m) and Kiera 3rd in the B (3.75m). Sienna was next up in the Triple Jump with better conditions and had fine competition as she won the event with a new 39 cm PB of 10.55m. Poppy and Tamzin paired up in the High Jump resulting in a double win – Poppi taking the A with a clearance of 1.55m and Tamzi winning the B (1.45m). Samuel Mutombo and Oliver Palk teamed up for the Men’s Long Jump – Sam in the A placing 5th (5.39m) and Oliver in the B coming 3rd with 5.32m. Samuel took 5th again in the Triple Jump A (10.63m) alongside team mate John iLunga placing 4th in the B (9.34m). Decathlete George Whittaker came 3rd in the Pole Vault clearing 3.30m.
Tamzin Osborne
George Whittaker
MIDDLE DISTANCE
Joe Gebbie ran 1.57.2 in 3rd place in the A 800m with Hayden Mercer running 2.01.1 in 3rd spot in the B. Daniel Bebbington and Ben Makin broke away from the pack very early in the 1500m resulting in Daniel winning the A (3.57.9) and Ben winning the B (4.04.7). Ben Fish and Jack Hindle added another win double to the points tally as Ben won the A 5000m in 15.22.5 and Jack the B in a new track PB time of 15.42.5 and this after recovering from a bad fall in a triathlon race. Charlotte Robertshaw ran a new PB 2.22.7 in the A 800m race (2nd) alongside Keira Haxton clocking a seasons best 2.29.8 in winning the B Race. Thanks to Hollie Cubbon who came in to fill a spot in the 1500m, running 5.38.7 in 6th place to help the team. Thanks also to V40 Rebecca Ward who along with V45 Louisa Powell-Smith took on the 3000m – Louisa coming 4th in the A (11.18.2) and Rebecca 11.37.6 (3rd) in the B.
Daniel Bebbington & Ben Makin
Charlotte Robertshaw (1)
SPRINTS & HURDLES
First & second for Charlie Unsworth winning the A 100m in 11.1 with team mate Daniel Nuttall placing 2nd in the B (11.4). Charlie Palich came in for the 200m A race clocking a new PB of 22.7 in taking the win alongside Daniel Nuttall clocking 23.6 in 3rd in the B race. Dominic Walton won the A 400m clocking 50.6 – his first outdoor 400m race this season – with Jacob Fisher placing 2nd in the B race (55.5). John Ilunga and George Camara placed 4th in the A 400m Hurdles (69.4) and 2nd in the B (69.4) respectively – followed by John and George Whittaker pairing up for the 110m Hurdles – George running 17.8 in 3rd in the A race and John 22.1 in 2nd in the B. It was a 2nd place for Millee Schofield in the A 100m clocking 12.6 alongside team mate Alisha Lehner running 13.8 (4th) – and – it was the same pairing in the 200m, Millee placing 2nd in the A (25.4) and Alisha 4th in the B running 28.9. In the 400m Hurdles Kiera Booth ran 84.1 in 5th in the A and Millie Pilkington 80.3 (5th) in the B race.
Daniel Nuttall (11)
George Camara (11)
Kieras Booth
The Harriers 4 x 100m team (George Whittaker – Daniel Nuttall – Charlie Palich – Charlie Unsworth) had a good win in a time of 44.6 from Southport in 2nd (45.9) and Sale in 3rd (46.0) whilst the Men’s 4 x 400m relay team (Jacob Fisher – Oliver Palk – Daniel Bebbington – Ben Makin) came 3rd in their race (3.36.1) behind Wirral in 2nd (3.35.6) and sale (1st) 3.28.8. The Women’s 4 x 100m Team (Sienna Wareing – Millee Schofield – Alisha Lehner – Poppy Preece) placed 4th (52.6) whilst the Women’s 4 x 400m team ( Charlotte Robertshaw – Kiera booth – Hollie Cubbon – Keira Haxtion) came 4th (4.38.1).
Keira Haxton (4 x 400m)
Ben Makin (4 x 400m)
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Saturday evening and it was the ever popular Podium event down at Barrowford featuing 8 races – sub 15 minute 5k – sub 16.30 minute 5k – sub 18 minute 5k – sub 21 minute 5k – open 5k race – U7/9 race – U11/13 Race – U15/!7 race. (RESULTS). Run of the night came from U20 Isabel Holt who went into the sub 18 minute race with a personal best of 17.30, but had won the Northern Championship 5000m (17.20.02) a couple of weeks prior. In a race of 55, Isabel completely destroyed her previous 5k road time by over a minute as she came home in 3rd place overall and first woman with a new PB time of 16.27 and in doing so, broke Liz Greenwood’s Blackburn Harriers U20 record. Paul Bradshaw went in the sub 16.30 minute race, placing 45th overall and 3rd V35 in a time of 16.24. Three runners in the sub 21 minute race – Danny Maynard, Ellen Sagar-Hesketh and Vikki Robertshaw – Danny coming home in 2nd spot overall out of 79 in a time of 17.27 – a massive new PB by a minute and ten seconds. Ellen took 7th place in the women’s race clocking 18.57 – just one second outside her personal best. Vikki placed 47th overall and 1st Woman V45 as she ran 19.26. In the U11/U13 race U13 Theo Addy placed 8th out of 55 and 5th U13 male in a time of 7.47 whilst in the U15/U17 race, Jack Wood had a fine run taking 2nd spot overall and 2nd U17 with a time of 10.18. Also running in Jack’s race were Charlotte Smith (U13) finishing 3rd Girl in a time of 12.00 and Liam Bennison – 2nd U15 Boy in 12.35.
Isabel Holt
Danny Maynard (308)
Ellen Sagar-Hesketh (324)
Vikki Robertshaw
Jack Wood
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The day after, it was Robin Park, Wigan bathed in sunshine for the most part for the third match in this years UKYDL – Lower Age Group – North West 1 Division. Having placed 3rd and 5th at the first two Matches, it was important that the team maintained that place by the end of the day which was exceeded by some real drive to make sure, as young athletes, some of them having been ill, as was the team manager Kate Taylor, and some last minute drop outs because of illness. Sale Harriers won on the day with 534.5 points with Team I.O.M in 2nd (519), Southport in 3rd (457), Blackburn Harriers in 4th (420), Wigan in 5th (380) and Leigh in 6th (377.5) all of which means that the Harriers go into the final match in 3rd place with 9 League Points and 1226 Match Points. It will be all hands to the pump so to speak and the final Match which takes place on home turf at Witton Park on Sunday July 21st.
L-R Holly Moore – Eleanor Woodford – Charlotte Smith
(ALL PHOTOS ON BLACKBURN HARRIERS FACEBOOK PAGE)
All credit to the youngsters for pulling out 13 wins, 24 second and 11 third places on the day as well as posting the following new personal best: Caris Peter-Thomas 12.4 in the 100m and 25.8 in the 200m; Keir Michie 12.20 in the 100m and 25.1 in the 200m; George Morris 12.3 in the 100m; Dana Juma 13.5 in the 100m; Seren Gooden 10.8 (75m); Grace iLunga 14.2 in the 100m; Oliver North 2.27.9 (800m); Morgan Watson 2.38.6 (800m); Millie Jordan 4.52.2 (1500m); Will Grundy 4.27.8 (1500m); Liam Bennison 2.40.5 (800m); Abdollh Shriha 4.81m (Long Jump); Caris Peter-Thomas 4.31m (LJ); James Mcaulay 8.46m (Shot Putt); Elliot Unsworth 14.81m (Javelin); Holly Moore 17.30 (75m Hurdles).
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