Morpeth’s Avery runs off with Sunderland 5k win

Morpeth’s Carl Avery led home a total of 357 runners in the Sunderland 5k on Saturday. The race formed part of the popular Sunderland City Runs, which included a 10k and half-marathon on the Sunday.

Now getting back to his competitive best, Avery clocked a time of 14:25, just ahead of Hallamshire Harriers Tommy Power and Jamie Hall who were only one and three seconds behind him respectively.

Four other team mates lined up alongside Avery, and all made the top 50. George Rudman was seventh in a new personal best of 14:46, with U17 Will Devere Owen coming home ninth in 15;11, a whole minute faster than his previous best time. Seasoned competitor Andy Lawrence was 17th in 15:51 and O45 veteran Graeme Thorpe 48th in 18:02.

The previous Wednesday saw the North East Masters Championships (for athletes 35 or over) return to Bedewell Park, Jarrow after a two year absence with Morpeth’s veteran men collecting three team medals.

In their first outing as an O35 team, Adam Pratt, Graham Cook and Andy Lawrence placed third behind a flying Sunderland Harriers squad and Newcastle rivals Tyne Bridge Harriers.

Their team bronze was matched by the club’s O 45s, with Graeme Thorpe, Jason Dawson and Lee Bennett finishing this time behind Darlington and Elswick Harriers.

The club’s O55s went one better, however, with the team of Gavin Bayne, Phil Walker and Neil MacAnany picking up a team silver behind Sunderland Harriers. Club performance of the day was undoubtedly that of leading O65 athlete Bayne, whose time of 11:41 for the 3km course was a new age group record.

Meanwhile the club’s Senior and Young athletes squads were also in recent action in their first track fixtures.

The Senior Men and Women’s outfit made an encouraging start to their 2022 campaign when they finished a very close third in the opening Northern Athletics Premier League fixture at Middlesborough Sports Village.

The club’s best Men’s results came in the 5000m and 3000m Steeplechase, with Tom Innes winning the A race in 15:45:60 and Adam Pratt the B in 16:15.50. Mark Snowball and Andy Lawrence similarly achieved double victories in the Steeplechase, with the pair also teaming up in the 400m hurdles and finishing third and second this time.

Major contributors to the Women’s success were Nisha Desai, daughter of team manager Vina, who achieved three A string victories. Desai won the A string 400m in 59.50s, the 400m hurdles in 63.30s and also the Triple Jump with a best of 10.26s. A busy afternoon also included second place in the 200m and legs in both the 100m and 400m relays. Her hard work was matched by Scottish thrower Claire Reid, who won the A Discus with a best of 30.80m. She was also second in the Shot , and fourth in both the Hammer and Javelin.