Morpeth Harriers win gold, silver and bronze at North East Athletics Association Cross Country Relays

Morpeth's Senior Women's team, with sisters Lorna Macdonald, far left, and Catriona and Lindsey, far right. Picture: Peter Scaife

After incessant rain in the preceding week, conditions under foot were the worst ever known at Thornley Hall Farm for Saturday afternoon’s NECAA relays.

Thankfully that didn’t deter runners, with a productive afternoon for Morpeth seeing them finish with three team golds, one silver and one bronze from the 10 races.

The club’s first medal came from the U13 Girls team, where Faye Heatley, Lucy Raper and Zoe Tomlinson picked up a fine team bronze.

The U13 Boys also did well, finishing fifth with runs by Jack Dhawar, George Moll and Jack Thompson.

The first gold came from the U17 Boys – Oliver Tomlinson, Joe Close and Elliot Kelso.

Their performance was matched by that of the U20 Junior Men, with James Tilley, Ethan Phillips and Will de Vere Owen picking up gold.

It was a family affair in the more keenly contested Senior Women’s race, with the Macdonald sisters taking a fine team win, with Catriona able to head the field on the last leg, while also running the day’s fastest time, after early runs by older sisters Lorna and Lindsey.

The club’s B team of Kirsty Burville, Kay Errington and Poppy Bluck also ran well, coming ninth.

The final race of the day was the Senior Men’s with Gateshead Harriers pipping Morpeth by 10 seconds.

Tom Balsdon had an excellent run on the first leg to put the club third, with Peter Smallcombe, on leg 2, moving Morpeth up to second. Mark Banks was able to hold the placing on leg 3. Connor Marshall, on Morpeth’s last leg, got very close to the win, just running out of time.

Sunday morning saw the 52nd running of the annual Brampton to Carlisle 10 miler, the country’s oldest road race.

With a field of nearly 700, Morpeth’s Carl Avery crossed the finishing line first.

With Finn Brodie third, Phil Winkler seventh and Sam Hancox eighth, Morpeth won the team prize. Gavin Bayne won the O65 category.

Also taking part were Rob Hancox, sixth O55; Tayla Douglas, 11th Senior Woman; David Nicholson, fourth O65 and Jane Briggs, fifth O55.