Sunday afternoon – August 24th – was a warm day at Bury as the latest BMC set of races took place. Featured during the day was a world record attempt at the V35 4 x 800m which was broken, creating a lot of excitement at the track. Blackburn Harriers Matt Ramsden, Ben Makin and U15 Millie Jordan took on the Mile race whilst Tanith-Jade Ellis went in the Women’s 5000m. Matt hadn’t run a mile race on the track since 2017 in a Blackburn Harriers Open meeting where he posted 4.45.6 as a top of age U15. Ben and Millie had never run the distance previously. Millie was off first as one of three U15 girls in a race field of 11 and clocked 5.13.35 in her debut – a time which puts her in at 9th in the National Rankings. Matt and Ben went next in the Men’s A race for the Mile, Matt coming home in 5th place with a time of 4.08.10 followed by Ben on his debut running 4.21.79 in 10th spot. The first two athletes – Arlo Ledewick (3.57.08) and Rowan Miell-Ingram (3.58.99) both ran a sub four minute mile. Final event of the day saw Tanith-Jade Ellis run in the Women’s 5000m clocking 21.39.
Millie Jordan (164)
Matt Ramsden (141) – Ben Makin (139)
Tanith-Jade Ellis (136)
Over six thousand runners took part in the 7 mile race at Falmouth in America on Sunday August 17th, with Blackburn Harriers Jess Warner-Judd taking part in the Women’s elite race. The race was won by Ethiopia’s Melknat Wudu Sharew in a time of 36.03 as Jess came home in 10th place with a time of 37.21. The race – 7 miles, which is quite unusual these days – gave split times for 5k and 10k, Jess posting 16.10 in 8th place at 5k and 32.55 for 10k in 9th spot finishing with 37.21 in the top ten. (RESULTS).
Still on the road and Blackburn Harriers Rachel Wood has carried on from where she left of after winning the Windmill Half-Marathon the other week. Rachel’s latest race was at the RunThrough Lee Valley Velopark 10 mile – held on Saturday 23rd August. Clocking 65.47, Rachel took her second win in a row by close to two minutes in front of 2nd placed Bliss Murray (67.37). (RESULTS)
Rachel Wood
Blackburn Harriers athletes – Ben Fish and Paul Bradshaw – were racing on the roads during the week at Tatton Park on Wednesday August 20th. Ben took on the 10k and Paul the 5k in races organised by RunThrough. (RESULTS). V40 Ben ran in the 10k and won the race in a time of 32.56 from Jonathan Manning in 2nd (33.51) and Andrew Curvis in 3rd (35.52). This was Ben’s first 10k race of 2025 and only his third race overall and was pleased with the outcome, commenting to the Club after the race that he “was happy to bag the win and only be a bit slower than last year, especially after a low key 2025 so far“. Paul raced in the 5k featuring over 150 runners and had a good run coming home in 2nd place with a time of 16.26 – the winner posting 16.10. This was Paul’s first 5k of the year and only his fourth race in 2025.
Ben Fish winning the 10k
Paul Bradshaw 2nd in the 5k
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Helen Leigh (V40) goes from strength to strength up in Scotland as she showed in her latest race there. Following her recent selection for Scotland at the Snowdon International Race, Helen was selected for Scotland again, this time at the GB Mountain Trial and Home International on Sunday August 17th – a race run over 8.7 miles with 2461ft of climb in Whinlatter Forest, Keswick. Helen was selected alongside Catriona MacDonald, Emily McNicol and Holly Page for the Scotland team. The Women’s race was won by Nancy Scott in 67.07 with Kate Maltby in 2nd (68.38) and Sara Willhoit in 3rd (69.42). Helen came home in 9th place and 3rd counter for Scotland in a time of 75.35 and was delighted with her run as she told the Harriers “It was a really tough course with more up than down which doesn’t play to my strengths. However I ran an almost perfect even split on the two lap course and caught a few in the last few hundred meters. Was pleased with my result but I was catching the group in front and just needed a bit more downhill. So chuffed to get another Scottish Vest.” (RESULTS)
Helen Leigh
L-R Emily McNicol (346) – Catriona Macdonald – Holly Page (348) – Helen Leigh (345)
