ATHLETICS DIARY
THOSE with aspirations to make the GB team for the European Championships in Berlin next month certainly made the headlines, and rightly so.
Morpeth’s Laura Weightman and Northumbria University’s Charlie Myers both booked their passage to Germany after winning their respective 1,500 metres and pole vault contests in last weekend’s Trials in Birmingham.
And while both will be delighted with their performances another local athlete is equally cock-a-hoop despite finishing way off a podium place.
The 5,000m trial had all of the country’s leading endurance performers on the start line while Wallsend’s Danielle Hodgkinson, on paper, was the slowest athlete taking part, the only one amongst the 21 starters never to have run quicker than 17 minutes for 12-and-a-half laps.
Hodgkinson, who is an Army Mental Health Nurse stationed at Leeming, lined up in only her third-ever 5,000m, the last one being four years earlier when she contested the Trials on the same track where she trailed home at the back of the field in 17:00.97.
All of her rivals, including fellow North East contestants Kate Avery (Shildon), a former European CrossCountry double silver medallist; Morpeth’s current Northern CrossCountry champion, Mhairi MacLennan, and former Elswick and Morpeth athlete Ashley Gibson, had previously posted faster times so the task of even leading home the regional representatives was a daunting one. A sensible, steady opening few laps was ideal for Hodgkinson who went into the contest confident on the back of winning the Blaydon Race four weeks earlier. Surprisingly, as one-by-one athletes began to fall away, Hodgkinson was still on the back of the leading group with just two laps go go. However, it did not come as too Danielle Hodgkinson much of a surprise when the pace increased that she began to feel the strain.
In the end the Tynesider finished in 10th place and was the only one in the race to post a new pb so, naturally, she had plenty to smile about as her time of 16:22.68 was over halfa-minute quicker than she had ever run before!
Avery did get the better of her in the closing stages to earn the region’s bragging rights after finishing eighth in 16:19.46 while MacLennan crossed the line in 14th place (16:48.27) with Gibson finishing 16th in 16:57.45.
Back home in Wallsend, a delighted Hodgkinson said: “I really enjoyed the race, it was far better than when I ran it four years ago.
“I felt I ran a more intelligent race this time round despite falling away near the end. I think it’s something you pick up though experience and while I haven’t raced many 5,000, on the track you tend to know what sort of pace you can handle.
“I certainly wanted to redeem myself after the last time and I think I did though I certainly didn’t expect to get such a huge pb for the conditions were really, really hot.’’
To many observers her performance didn’t come as too much of a surprise after her success in the Blaydon Race, a race she says is the highlight of her career so far.
“To win the Blaydon was beyond my wildest dreams and I’ll never forget the huge support I received along the way,’’ added Hodgkinson.
TYNEDALE Harriers’ annual Pie ‘n’ Peas 10k road race takes place tonight with a 7.30pm start
This year the race HQ is at the Riverside Park Centre, Low Prudhoe (NE42 6UP). Entries are being accepted on the night at the race HQ.
THE final regional British Milers’ Club fixture of the season takes place at Chester-le-Street on Monday (July 9). There are 1,500m races for all age groups, with information on how to enter on the BMC website.
THE fourth fixture of the season of the North East Grand Prix series takes place at Monkton Stadium on Wednesday, July 11 starting at 7pm.
There are graded 100m, 200m, 800m and 3,000m races as well as age group events. Field eventers are catered for with pole vault, shot put, triple jump, javelin, high jump and long jump.
SUNDERLAND Harriers’ Start Fitness-supported 5k Road Races take place at Silksworth Sports Complex on Thursday, July 12.
Postal entries, which close on July 9, go to: Race Secretary, 14 Chantry Close, Chapelgarth West, Sunderland SR3 2SL. Entries also on line at: runbritain.com/races and sportsoft raceresults.