Success at home and across globe
PARALYMPIAN Andy Small from Stockport Harriers has spent the last two weeks competing in the United Arab Emirates.
He started off in Dubai at the IPC Grand Prix competing in the 100m, 200m, 400m and 800m and came away with a medal in each event - one gold, two silvers and a bronze.
He then moved North to Sharjah with coach Rick Hoskins for the next competition, competing in the T33 100m, 200m and 400m and bettered his times from Dubai.
The highlight of this second week being a threesecond improvement on his personal best in the 400m to set a new European Record of 60.15s.
“These two competitions gave Andy the chance to compete against some of the world’s top athletes as well as train in better weather. The performances he has produced at such an early stage in the season are fantastic and will give him huge boost of the season ahead,” enthused coach Rick Hoskins.
Meanwhile, in Madrid at the European Indoor Masters Louise Rudd ran in the over 40 age category and managed to secure the bronze medal in the time of 10m:27.61s, finishing behind fellow Briton Lisa Palmer-Blount of Heanor, Derbyshire (10m:04.45) and eventual winner Elisa Hernandez-Asensio of Spain who took the gold in 10m:03.78.
The annual Tom Pink Relays came about as a result of a bequest from the late Alice and Lewis Pink to fund children’s activities in the memory of their son Tom who was killed in an accident in the 1970s.
Held at the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield, over 250 children in the under 11 and under 13 age categories took part in the eleventh edition of this fun, exciting competition which includes events such as relays to try to beat the times of some of Britain’s best distance runners, like ‘Chasing Kelly’ and ‘Keeping up with Paula.’
There were some great results for the young Stockport team, the highlight of which was the double relay victory for the under 11 girls’ team who won both the Continuous and Over-Under Relays.
Besides this there were bronze medals for Seren Redfern (U13 Standing Long Jump), Rosie Philbin and Lydia Gilvear (U11 and U13 respectively in the Highland Step), silver medals for Saffron Meade (U13 Standing Triple Jump), Samesh Sivabalan (U13 Standing Long Jump) and Daniela GrahamMarti (Soft Javelin) as well as an excellent gold for under 13 Lola Unsworth who launched the Soft Javelin 18.5 metres to set a new Championship record.
The atmosphere on the day was gripping and the youngsters received lots of support from older Harriers who were there cheering them on.
As the so-called ‘Mini Beast from the East’ took hold on Saturday there was a gutsy display from runners at the final fixture of the Stockport School’s Cross Country League which turned out to be a real ‘sting in the tail’ of the series, with reduced visibility, ferocious gusting icy wind and driving snow for some of the racers.
In the year 3-4 girls event Imogen Hill of High Lane remained unbeaten when she finished in 6m:11s ahead of rivals Sophie Clift and Eloise Nickson of Ladybarn.
With points being awarded according to finishing position and an athlete’s top four results counting towards the final standings this meant that Lady Barn won the series comfortably, finishing on 46 points, ahead of High Lane on 73 and Ladybrook on 199.
The boys’ year 3-4 event was almost a complete whiteout but Bobby Tomlinson of Lacey Green battled through cross the line first in 5m:34s ahead of overall third placed athlete Christopher Parikh of Lady Barn (5m:43s) and Leo Dewsbury of Norbury Hall (5m:59s).
It was tight in the schools’ event but in the end it was High Lane who edged out the opposition completing the series with 121 points to Lady Barn’s 128.
The older girls took on their 2.5 kilometre two loop course in similarly poor conditions but this did not prevent Freya Murdoch from securing her fourth win of the season in 8m:57s, breaking the tape just one second ahead of Harriers’ club-mate Sophie Ellwood of Fairway who pushed hard to take her fourth second place of the series, ahead of Niamh Macintosh of Ladybrook who crossed the line after 9m:18s. Freya finished first in the series on 4 points, ahead of Sophie on 8, but Niamh was pipped at the post by Ella Buckley who took third with her haul of 13 points over four races, to Niamh’s 14. Ladybrook won the series convincingly finishing over 100 points clear of second placed High Lane.
In the year 5-6 Boys’ event an exciting finish saw series winner Will Bailey of Buxworh hang on for his fifth win, just managing to hold off a late attack by friend, rival and fellow Harrier Josh Garrone of Vernon Park who dug deep in trying for his second win of the series, it was close but Will had done enough to secure the win, though both athletes were awarded the time of 8m:55s.
Harry Ahearn of St Christopher’s crossed the line in third (9m:02s) ahead of Ben Sturgess of Great Moor but overall in the league it was Will, from Josh and a tie for third between Harry and Finley McLaughlin of Lady Barn.
The schools’ event was decided by this last race when Vernon Park opened up their lead from just three points to 12 over second placed High Lane to finish first on 141, with Lady Barn in third in 163.
The league presentation will take place at the Club House in Woodbank Stadium on April 28 with endeavour medals for those completing five or more races as well as individual and team awards.
For those who enjoy something a little longer there was the Grindleford Gallop at the weekend, with some fantastic performances from the local Harriers in tough conditions.
The race covers 21 miles of the White Peak with over 3,000ft of climbing taking in the Riley Graves, Monsal Trail and Chatsworth Estate on the way and is open to walkers and runners alike. Eighteen Stockport Harriers entered, the first of whom to return was Phil Burns in 43rd position after 3h:16m:32s followed by Jayne Lawton in 3:21:16 in 51st, second female Harrier back was veteran F60 Alexis Dinsmor in the very impressive time of 3h:35m:33s, with snow, wind and mud. »»Next week sees the Rivington Pike Fell Race on Easter Saturday which will be the second in the Stockport Harriers 2018 Race series after it got started with the Poynton 10km.