Weekly Review – Sunday 28th April 2019

[Mon 29th Apr] 

 

Monday:            A small contingent of Blyth juniors travelled down to York for the first meeting of the City of York AC Summer track and field league.  Some fantastic performances were achieved; please see the separate report on the web site.  

 

 

Wednesday:       The first of the NEGP track and field meetings of the season was held at Monkton stadium in calm but cool conditions, the following report courtesy of Craig.

“Wednesday night saw a small contingent of Blyth athletes descend on Monkton Stadium for the first NEGP event of the season. For many this was the first race of the track season and everyone was hopeful of good performances after a long winters training.

First up to the plate was Josh Chrisp. Josh has already had a fantastic 2019 with excellent performances at the North Eastern & Northern Indoor Champs and he continued with strong performances in the 100m (13.80s) and Long Jump (4.86m).

Next up was Adam Swalwell and Alice Dungworth in the 150m. Adam was first to race and came flying out of the blocks to set a new club record for the distance (17.41s) and taking 1st place in his heat. It has been a few years since Alice last ran a 150m but she put in a strong performance to run 21.24s in a very competitive race.

After a short break it soon came the turn of the middle-distance athletes to finally stretch their legs in the 1500m. Josh was set up for a very competitive race and the race went off at a high pace. Coming into the last lap Josh was well placed to use his 800m speed to good effect taking a couple of places and storming home to a new club record of 4:04.95. A couple of races later it was my turn to put the winter training into use, after a steady first two laps I decided to pick the pace up a bit heading into the final lap and make a break from the large group that had formed. My final burst of pace allowing me to come home in 4:50.22, a big PB and finally breaking that elusive 5:00 barrier I’ve been after for 2 years!

To conclude an already successful evening we had Adam racing again in the 300m. By the time these races had come around it was closing in on 9:30pm and we were under the floodlights. Adam didn’t let this deter him from running a storming race to come home in 37.21s another new club record!

Thanks as always to the volunteers, including Steve, Kevin & Keith. Without whom these evenings could not take place.

So, a fantastic evening for #teamblyth. Next up for many athletes will be the North Eastern Outdoor Champs on 11/12 May. The first senior league fixture follows shortly on 19 May and the next NEGP event takes place on 22 May 2019. If anyone is interested in any track and field events please contact either Dan, Steve or myself. We’re more than happy to help with training in any event”.

 

 

Saturday:          Thirty-five members running park runs this week, congratulations to Gemma on her 150th park run, Julie on first female and pb at Newbiggin and to all the others who recorded pb’s at their respective park runs.  Thanks to Sandra for the following report from the Gateshead park run;

”The first parkrun in our Green N Whites parkrun tour of 2019. Just a chance to train somewhere different with coffee and cakes afterwards.
Perfect conditions and a warm welcome, with lots of guidance from the locals, the whole run was in Saltwell park, scenic along with the added attraction of some goslings along the way.

There was 248 runners in total and although I was lapped there was plenty of space and loads of Marshall’s to keep you on track and giving encouragement, all tarmac paths, you have to do one large loop then 3 shorter laps around the boating lake and bowling green, with a nice incline each time followed by a good downhill, then a flat straight finish. Times ranged from 17.49 to 47.57, Craig was first back for blyth in a very respectable 27th place with a time of 21. 26, taking it easy due to the Terrt O’Gara race the next day.

A post parkrun coffee and cake at Saltwell Towers Cafe which was very reasonably priced, a one to do again, plenty parking and easy to get to, hope to see you at windy nook on the 11th may for the second parkrun and hopefully it will be my 200 th parkrun.”

 

Gateshead

Craig Harmon

21:26

Sandra Watson

24:15

Gemma Harmon

26:41

150th park run

Phil Atkinson

28:12

Newbiggin

Lewis Freeman

23:57

Julie Lemin

24:28

First female, pb

Ron Ingram

29:17

Chris Claassen

29:30

Alison Warnes

33:40

Keswick

Robbie Barkley

20:34

pb

Druridge Bay

David Falkous

27:02

Tyne Green

Tom Moffett

35:06

Blyth Links

Peter Brown

18:06

Graham Wood

19:20

pb

Billy Dobson

20:15

Neil Marshall

22:09

pb

Richard Bickerton

24:13

Ray Carmody

24:25

Susan Browning

25:11

Lee Anderson

25:33

pb

Claire Mason

25:41

Leanne Herron

25:59

Gary Todd

26:05

Nev Blenkinsopp

26:10

pb

Ali French

26:19

pb

Michelle Castro

27:22

Paul Ridley

27:29

pb

Colin Brown

28:49

John Catchpole

30:38

Christine Marsh

30:43

pb

Fiona McKenna

31:37

Gareth Hope

32:27

Rachel Danielson

32:32

Michelle Turnbull

33:20

pb

Mike Gilfillan

36:28

pb

 

A little further from home Ewa Johnson was running the Bieg Nocny, a night 10k run in Krakow, Poland where she finished in a time of 60:40.

 

 

Sunday:             Where to start on a very busy day for Blyth athletes?  How about the London marathon, with Paul Whalley (2:58:50), Anne Craddock (4:03:02), Michael Ashby (4:10:15), Billy Shaw (4:11:54) and Ralph Dickinson (5:10:54) all doing the club proud.

 

Also marathon running and seemingly trying to run every marathon in the world were the Lonsdale sisters, this time in Nashville, Kentucky for the St. Jude Rock ‘N’ Roll marathon.  Well done Davina and Adele with both finishing in the same time of 4:47:52.

 

Closer to home our friends at Wallsend Harriers were hosting their Terry O’Gara memorial 5k and fun run, five Blyth seniors completed the 5k run, Craig Harmon (18:40), Matthew Diment (19:28), Tony Dunn (20:15), Gemma Harmon (22:37) and Claire Mason (25:56).  Niamh Adams completed the nominal 1k Fun Run (possibly longer) in a time of 8:21. Thanks to Craig for the following report;

Whilst a lot of attention was rightly focused on some small event in London today, we had a small band of BRC athletes heading to Cobalt Business Park to take part in the annual Terry O Gara 5km.

The event takes place in the same area as the upcoming Gordon Smith relays and it is a fast course, offering the perfect opportunity for PBs.

Before the seniors got their chance to shine it was the turn of Niamh Adams to show us how it’s done in the Junior Fun run. Whilst this is a fun run and not officially timed, Niamh ran the approx 1mi course in 8minutes 20seconds. There is much more to come from this dedicated young athlete.

Taking their places on the start line in the senior event were, Gemma Harmon, Matthew Diment, Tony Dunn, Claire Mason and myself.

This event always attracts a competitive field and the pace at the start of the run was fast and furious as one would expect and finding space on the waggon way was challenging. However things became a little easier once we were onto the paths and we could all begin to stretch our legs.

The steady pace at the start seemed to help as I approached the first mile feeling good and ready to use the slightly downhill second mile to lift the pace slightly. After doing a full loop it was time to head back to the waggon way, it was at this time that the legs were really starting to burn and it was taking all my effort to just maintain pace coming to the finish.

 

Heather Barrass and Michelle Castro were in Washington (Tyne and Wear) taking part in the Trail Outlaws Washington Trail 10k, Heather finished in 56:34 and Michelle 70:45.

 

Lisa Scorer and Sue Browning ran the Cheviot Trail Events 10 mile Ingram to Wooler trail race, much of the route being on the Sandstone Way.

 

Lesley Falkous, Andrea Wilson, Sandra Watson, Anita Brabazon, Chris Claassen, John Reid, Tom Moffett and Pete Holmback were running the National Trust 10k at Cragside

 

Not to be outdone, our talented squad of junior athletes were taking part in the first NEYDL (North East Youth Development League) of the season at Churchill track, Whitley Bay.  We are in Division 2 North as a joint team with Alnwick along with Blaydon, Elswick/South Shields, Jarrow/Phoenix, Gosforth/Wallsend and Tynedale.  A hugely successful day ensued with some fantastic performances and many pb’s, provisional results show us winning the match by a huge margin with the scores as follows,

Blyth/Alnwick

613

Blaydon

462

Jarrow/Phoenix

449

Tynedale

439

Wallsend/Gosforth

429

Elswick/South Shields

294

Please read the full report on Dan’s Junior Newsletter HERE.