Morpeth Harriers enjoy cross country success in season finale in Alnwick

The curtain came down for the North East Harrier League cross country season at Alnwick on Saturday, but not before Morpeth Harriers had wrapped the season up in style with two individual and two team wins.
By Peter Scaife
Published 7th Mar 2023, 11:02 BST
Matthew Briggs at the front of the men's race. Picture: Peter ScaifeMatthew Briggs at the front of the men's race. Picture: Peter Scaife
Matthew Briggs at the front of the men's race. Picture: Peter Scaife

Alnwick Harriers hosted the afternoon’s action, which was kicked off by the Under-11 racers.

Five boys and four girls turned out for Morpeth Harriers, with three debutants.

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Jacob Thompson was first back in 4th place, with Lewis Baillie 27th and Jack Dhawar 33rd.

Lucy Raper was 5th in the matching girls race, with Lewis’s sister Heather, like her brother, running for the first time, coming 31st.

The first individual Gold came from another debutant, James Rothwell in the U13 boys.

Emma Tomlinson was 11th in the U13 girls and Faye Heatley 16th, with Emma finishing 3rd in the season’s individual Grand Prix tables and Faye 6th.

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There were team and individual Golds in the U15 boys race, where Oli Calvert won, and won the individual title.

Oliver Tomlinson, 2nd in the Grand Prix, and 6th on the day, and Ben Moll 13th, the team beat NSP and take the overall title for the season.

Megan Potrac was 27th and Charlotte Marshall 35th in the girls race.

The second team win went to the club’s U17 boys squad, which means they have won the team title at all six of the fixtures.

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They were led home by Will de Vere Owen, who came 2nd. Bertie Marr was 4th, Elliot Kelso 5th and Joe Close 11th and Elliot Mavir 28th.

Local team GB triathlete Millie Breese ran in the U17 and 20 women’s race, finishing 4th.

Nearly 500 runners entered the Senior Men’s race, with the club fielding 19 finishers, including Matthew Briggs, who came second by eight seconds.

Andrew Lawrence was 19th, James Tilley, 25th, Richie Hughes, 38th, Rob Balmbra, 51st, and final counter Alistair Douglas, 93rd.

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The club finished 3rd, however, they retained the Senior Men’s title won last year.

The Senior Women missed out on the women’s overall title by one point.

Jane Hodgson came 7th, Morag Stead 16th and Anna Wright 34th. The final counter was Gwenda Cavill, 86th, with the team 5th on the day.

Hodgson and Stead finished 1st and 2nd in the final GP veteran tables, with Cat Macdonald heading the Seniors table.

Related topics:Morpeth HarriersAlnwick