Next generation of club’s runners receive awards
THE ACHIEVEMENTS of Halifax Harriers’ junior starlets were recognised at the club’s annual awards presentation night.
The awards were presented by Max Burgin who has gone through the ranks of the club to become one of the country’s top 800m runners.
In the eight-year-old girls category, Francesca Egerton was the overall champion with twin sisters Alesha and Lily Atkinson in joint second place. There were joint winners in the eightyear-old boys with Arlan Wiggins and Fionntan Bunker both on 50 points, just ahead of Thomas Sanderson on 49 points.
There were also joint winners in the U11s girls with Thea McNulty and Eva Engwell both on 55 points, while Jessica Sanderson was third. The U11s boys champion was Josh Cooke with Ben Slow second and Sam Keighley third.
Nia Harrison-Sargeant was a clear winner in the U13s girls after claiming gold in all four of her events. Jayde McGregor was second and Olivia Ackroyd third.
Kai Daley was the U13s boys champion with Freddie Bentley second and Oliver Norris in third.
Amelia Brown and Heleanor MacDonald both amassed 70 points to finish as joint winners in the U15s girls, ahead of Niamh Woodhouse in third. The U15s boys champion was Ben Border, Harley Spears took second and Alex Franklin was third.
In the U17s girls, champion Tegan Hamilton-Adams finished ahead of second-placed Verity Clements and Jess McConnell in third.
Joseph Shaw scooped the U17s boys title with 53 points, to pip his twin brother James into joint second place with James Johnson, both on 50 points.
n Sunny Curwen recorded a new personal best to lead the Harriers’ charge at a very wet Snowdon Marathon.
The challenging course has more than 800m of climbing, which included the highest hill at 22 miles, followed by a steep descent on water logged dirt roads, and Curwen clocked 3:38:13. Jude Cole also set a personal best of 4:05:34, Geoff Cumber was the M70 winner in 4:17:23 and Jane Curwen ran 5:57:22.
The weather was much better for Sunday’s Worksop Half Marathon, which forms part of the club competition.
Niall Smith ran a personal best time of 1:20:59 to finish 17th while Sharon Cousen led the Harriers’ women back in 1:47:02.
Ian Giles was rewarded with a personal best of 1:47:44 and Susan Hall was first F70 in 2:17:58.
Other Harriers: Andrew Wiggins 1:30:01, James O’Rourke 1:33:27, Will Carver 1:34:54, Marc Rocheteau 1:38:33, Paul Hopkinson 1:44:48, Nigel Rigg 1:49:34, Nigel Taylor 1:51:40,
Rachel McCauley 1:57:50, Stephanie Dickenson 1:57:57, Fiona Murphy 1:58:39, Deborah Kirkbride 2:02:48, David Parrington 2:04:48, Christopher Kirkbride 2:14:21, Kirsty Carver 2:26:30.
Ten Harriers took part in the popular Leeds Abbey Dash, which attracted thousands of runners, and first back for Halifax was Stephen Fitz-Costa in a personal best 42:22.
Tim Pegg clocked a lifetime best of 43:21 and was quickly followed by Emma Vincent (43:49), Harry Brackenridge (44:00) and Angela Clarke (44:14), who also ran a personal best.
Erika Nightingale’s 48:32 was a personal best, John Moore ran 49:32, Monica Gallagher finished in 58:02 and both Teresa Booth and Susan Pegg clocked 1:04:31 for personal best times.
In the Junior Dash, Foley Marshall was 15th in 8:59 and Rhys Nightingale 51st in 10:19.
In the Bronte Way Fell Race, Andrea Ackroyd (1:27:20), Martin Ellis (1:29:36), Jane Hobson (1:32:01) and Jenny St Romaine (1:50:16) represented Harriers.
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