Gateshead’s golden girls rock Blackpool
NORTH East athletes were in fine form in the inaugural Northern Athletics Under-15/Under-17 5k Road Race Championships in Stanley Park, Blackpool.
Run in tandem with the senior men and senior women’s road races, the organisers were delighted the young athletes’ events attracted more than 150 entries at the first time of asking.
There were podium finishers for a number of local runners who made the trip to the north west to contest an event over a certified, accurate 5k course.
First up was the under-17 men’s contest - and it was a triumph for Morpeth’s Rory Leonard who finished a close-up third behind Sheffield duo Connor Henderson, the Yorkshire crosscountry champion, and Alfie Manthorpe.
Henderson crossed the line in 15min 52sec with his team-mate runner-up in 15:54 and Leonard completing the one-two-three in 15:58.
Fifty athletes from 24 different clubs finished, Jarrow and Hebburn closing in a team in eighth place led home by Jack Brown in 32nd spot.
Next up was the under-17 women’s event and there was a superb performance by a young Gateshead squad.
Led home by Isobel Chaudry in fourth place, the Tynesiders romped to team gold with Elisha Tait (seventh) and Jessica Leslie (eighth) backing her up for a resounding team victory with 19 points.
Liverpool finished in second (28pts) and Blackburn were third (43pts).
Backing up the scoring trio for Gateshead was Nicole McIlvaney in 12th while Birtley’s Amy Jack finished in 19th position.
Durham City’s Cameron Thomas was the leading North East runner in the under-15 boys’ contest in 14th place in 17:33.
Jarrow and Hebburn’s Jamie Barnshaw ended up 17th, recording 17:42. The region was celebrating a podium finish again after the final young athletes’ race of the day.
Chester-le-Street’s Emily Chong, one of the youngest in the under-15 girls’ event, finished runner-up behind Northern cross-country champion Ella McNiven.
The Liverpool athlete recorded 17:38 - a time 38 seconds quicker than the winning time in the under17 event while Chong finished a comfortable second in a time of 18:35.
Jarrow and Hebburn’s Sophie Robson was also in action and finished 10th in 20:10.