Morpeth Harriers win medals at competitions abroad and closer to home in busy weekend of racing

Morpeth Harrier Joe Dixon in action on Saturday. Picture: Peter Scaife

Two veteran members travelled to Pescara for the European Masters Championships, with both getting silver medals – Over-50 Trevor Hodgson in the 100m and Over-35 Nisha Desai in the 400m hurdles.

Closer to home, the cross-country season got under way with the first of the North East Harrier League fixtures at Wrekenton.

KEVI sixth-former Joe Dixon showed a clean pair of heels to the rest of the field in the Senior Men’s race, winning from Slow Pack in a time of 32 minutes 39 seconds.

With Ben Heatley, in his first race for the club, coming home well placed as second counter, and supporting runs from Mark Banks, Andrew Ball, Mark Snowball and Andriy Volkov, the Men finished fifth.

In the Women’s race, Catriona Macdonald recorded the day’s fastest overall time of 23:43 in ninth place and Jane Hodgson, whose daughter Emily had run earlier in the Under-11s, finished 20th, both from Fast Pack.

The Women’s squad finished fourth with support from Linzi Quinn and Gwenda Cavill.

Both the club’s Under-13 Boys and Girls put in good performances, with the Boys – Jacob Thompson, Ewan Line and Evan Laude – finishing third, and the Girls – Lucy Raper, Zoe Tomlinson and Faye Heatley – second.

Sunday saw the Northern Athletics Autumn Road Relays take place in Birkenhead Park.

The Under-15 Girls finished 20th out of 40 teams, with runs from Emma Tomlinson, Megan Potrac and Molly Roche.

The Under-17 Boys claimed a team bronze. Elliot Kelso ran 11:58 on leg three, the fifth fastest run overall, after earlier legs by Joe Close of 12:06 and Oliver Tomlinson (12:28).

Morpeth’s Senior Men missed out on bronze in the six-stage relay by 17 seconds.

Rory Leonard ran the fastest time of the day, 13:55, after earlier legs by Sam Hancox and Will de Vere Owen. Finn Brodie, Peter Smallcombe and Will Cork completed the racing.

Five of the club’s B team were competing in a Senior outfit for the first time. Alistair Douglas got them going, then runs by teenagers Liam Roche, James Tilley, Bertie Marr, Ethan Phillips and Tom Balsdon saw them qualify for the National event in two weeks’ time.