Following the success of winning five Team Gold Medals at the North West Relays in Lancaster the week before, the Harriers approached the Northern Road Relays Championships in good heart and ready to compete against this higher level of competition at Blackpool on September 21st.
The U13 Girls Team of Natalya Irvine, Hannah Cookson and Maddie Elliott didn’t disappoint finishing 6th Team overall behind Rossendale in 5th place with Liverpool Harriers the winners. Natalya kicked off in the first leg in 11th place (12.00) and handed over to Hannah who picked up 6 places (12.11) to move the Team into 5th overall going into the last Leg. Maddie Elliott, who is just recently back into training ran well to hold 6th place which sealed a very pleasing performance by these young athletes. With 87 athletes competing, Natalya was equal 15th fastest overall, with Hannah 20th and Maddie 35th.
U13 Girls Results HERE
Next up were the U15 Girls, fresh from their double Team Gold performance from the week before. This week though Liz Greenwood was away competing for England and Grace Handley ran with a cold. Megan Clarkson had a another good run and is improving with every Race. Rose Abbott came in and helped the Team out which finished 16th overall. Grace took the first leg placing 3rd (10.55) and ultimately taking the 3rd fastest time of the Race. Megan held on to 4th place with another cracking run (12.13) and Rose went through the pain barrier (14.23).
U15 Girls Results HERE
The U17 Women’s Team had Rhiannon Wickham on 1st Leg (23rd) 15.22, handing over to Phoebe Howe pulling a place back to 22nd overall (15.49) and Katie Buckingham with the fastest time of the three women on the 3rd Leg taking another 7 places (14.47) to help the Team finish in 15th place.
Under 17 Women’s Results HERE
Best Team Result of the day came in the U15 Boys. Consisting of Byron Abbott, Liam Atkinson and Thomas Harbour, the three lads had cracking runs to finish up with the Silver Medal behind winners York. Leg One saw Byron lead off with the front runners finishing 7th (10.14), with just 19 seconds separating the first 7 athletes. Liam stormed out of the Park gates on the second leg picking up all six athletes in front of him to bring the Team home in first place – his 9.52 was the fastest Leg of the day and was a really top class run. Thomas who has missed training of late because of a broken arm, nevertheless ran really well and hung in to finish 2nd on the final Leg (10.41).
U15 Boys Results HERE
The U17 Men’s Team with Jack Hindle; Robert Wong and Joseph Howe – double Gold Medal Winners the previous week at Lancaster – just missed out on the top 10, finishing in 11th place just 19 seconds off that 10th spot. Jack took the 1st Leg placing 12th (11.57) and just 10 seconds covering the next 4 places. Robert Wong took Leg 2 (12.16) taking back two places to leave the Team in 10th place going into the last Leg. Joseph Howe (12.38), who had a storming run the week before to bring home the Gold Medal at Lancaster battled really hard but slipped one place.
U17 Men’s Results HERE
The Senior Men even with a number of athletes missing had two Teams competing again at the Northerns. Team ‘A’ had Rob Warner on 1st Leg (43rd) in 22.35 handing over to Zac Howe (22.53) who picked up a place to put us in 42nd. On Leg 3, Andy Buttery (22.30) gained another place putting Chris Davies in 41st going into Leg 4. Chris picked up another 5 places with a 23.07 Leg sending Mark Almond (24.22) into Leg 5 in 36th. Chris Barnes (23.23) started off in 40th position and picked up a place in the final Leg putting the Team in 39th place overall.
Team ‘B’ of Allan Hartley (93rd) in 26.22 and the fastest Leg of the Team ; John Cookson (87th) 27.35; Paul Wilkinson (88th) 28.42; George Woodburn (88th) 30.17; Chris Fay (86th) 34.03 and Richard Taylor (28.25) on Leg 6 brought the Team home in 82nd place.
Senior Men’s Results HERE
The Senior Women emulated the North West Relays by once again fielding three Teams. Team ‘A’ consisted of Rachel Wood (25th) 20.08; Beckie Taylor (20th) 20.14; Shelley Tattersall (24th) 22.16 and bringing the Team in to 19th place overall on the last Leg was Samantha McCreedie with a really good run in 20.45.
Senior Women’s Results HERE
Team ‘B’ was led off by Charlotte Atkinson (50th) 24.31 followed by Jackie Taylor on Leg 2 (44th) 23.13; Louise McCauley (41st) 23.10 and Jacinta Davison (38th) 24.38.
Jan Buckingham ran Leg 1 for the ‘C’ Team finishing in 53rd (25.31); Denise Wilson on Leg 2 finished in 51st (26.30); Lisa Nuttall took over and lifted the Team to 49th (26.29) and Carol Cookson in her first ever competitive outing came home in 47th (27.48).
