Harriers Connect with sport’s best
STOCKPORT Harriers enjoyed great success at the Club Connect 4 x 100 metres relays at the Muller Anniversary games at London’s Queen Elizabeth Stadium.
The only team outside of London and the home counties to participate with a sixth finish in all the girls’ races for under 13s, 15s and 17s, it proved to be invaluable experience for Stockport and those making the top grades in the future, not just in terms of the high quality company being kept but also rubbing shoulders with those who perform on the international stage.
In the under 17s event, Amy Jackson, Bethan Murray, Kim Pinkowski and Katie Waterworth motored round the one lap circuit and in the process knocked more than a full two seconds off the former Harriers club record of 52:8 reducing it down to 50:16 seconds so the next job in the future will be to get all four athletes round in sub 50 seconds
Regrettably, along with Thames Valley Harriers, Stockport were disqualified in the equivalent under 20s womens’ race but the experience will prove to be invaluable for any future high profile meetings and to be selected at such a high level is an achievement in itself.
The international stage in Rio now beckons for three Stockport athletes being Ross Millington in the Olympic 10,000 metres who will be keeping with the esteemed company of Mo Farah and announcements have now been confirmed that two Stockport wheelchair racers will be going to the Paralympic games in the T33 100 metre event being Dan Bramall and Andy Small.
Back at grass roots level, team Stockport threw all their resources into the final match of the Youth development upper age group track and field league at Connah’s Quay but unfortunately it may not have been sufficient owing to a lack of competitors earlier in the season and subject to final confirmation, will be joining the North division two next season along with St Helens Sutton AC.
The final Northern senior track and field league meeting will be taking place this coming Saturday and commences at 11.30am for throws and 1pm for the track programme and this meeting is being hosted by Stockport at the Macclesfield athletics stadium owing to the on going closure and development work being undertaken at Woodbank athletics stadium and as much volunteer help as possible will be appreciated, to ensure this final Northern league meeting of the season is successfully organised.
For road and trail aficionados there is taking place the Decathlon sponsored 5km running event this coming Sunday at 10am with a full start list of 400 competitors toeing the line within Woodbank Park at the Park Lane entrance with goody bags to all who complete the course which takes in the steep but short, infamous Vernon Park hill.