Morpeth Harriers shine at Heaton Harriers Memorial Road Races

The combined forces of Will Fawcett, Hector Ford-Hutchinson, and Mason Ellison, secured a superb team victory for Morpeth Harriers & AC’s Under-14 Boys at the Heaton Harriers Memorial Road Races, held on Newcastle’s Town Moor, on Sunday.

On the individual front, Under-16 Girl Heidi Wilkinson had an excellent win, producing a time of 10m38s, while in the corresponding Boys event, Joseph Fawcett finished sixth in 10m01s.

The Senior 10k event, which combined both Men and Women, boasted a superb field of 381 recorded finishers. Robert Balmbra was the first Morpeth finisher, posting a time of 32m55s for thirteenth place. Second home was Andrew Lawrence, who finished 29th in 34m24s, while Jack Walker finished 51st in 36m01s.

Next across the line for Harriers was Lizzie Rank, who finished 59th in a time of 36m37s, alongside 60th placed Morpeth man Tom Innes, who recorded the same time. Lizzie was also the third Woman finisher.

Kirsty Burville placed 118th in a time of 39m57s, while Robyn Bennett was the next Morpeth finisher in 139th place, in a time of 40m57s.

Over-50 Veteran Richard Glennie was next home for Morpeth, finishing in 147th place in 41m47s, and three places adrift of Richard was another Veteran, Jason Dawson, producing a finishing time of 41m59s. Richard Kirby finished 208th in 45m58s, and completing the Morpeth tally in the Senior event was Shuna Rank, who finished 293rd in 51m23s.

The Morpeth Harriers Club Championships for Senior and Veteran athletes both Male and Female were also held within the Heaton event, and as a result of this, Balmbra, Walker, and Innes took gold, silver and bronze for the Senior Men, while Lawrence, Glennie, and Dawson did likewise in the Veteran Men’s section.

In the Women’s event, Lizzie Rank and Bennett take gold and silver, and in the Veteran Women’s section, Burville and Shuna Rank share the gold and silver places.

In the Under 12’s race, Albie Ford-Hutchinson finished 19th in 13m58. Elsewhere, although they are not yet club members because of their age, four of the 23 finishers in the Under-10’s event had a Morpeth attachment through their older siblings or parentage.

George Fawcett produced a superb run to finish fifth. Three places behind George was Sebastian Alder Lawrence - son of Veteran athlete Andrew, and carrying a middle name in honour of Morpeth legend Jim.

Imogen Ellison finished fourteenth, and was the fourth girl finisher. Austin Ford-Hutchinson finished in 19th place, and was the twelfth boy.