Young Harriers among medals
THE sun certainly shone on the righteous in more ways than one at the Litherland Sports Park where Southport Waterloo AC hosted their annual early autumn track and field meeting.
There were sunny skies and equally as bright results from a good contingent of the youngest competitors from Stockport Harriers.
Lola Unsworth got the ball rolling in the under 11s 60 metres sprint in a fine time of 11:5 seconds and then made it also in the long jump pit to record 3.77 metres to make it a double first for the Harriers.
The boys were not going to be undone on this one with Ollie Cox mirroring Unsworth’s achievements and taking the 60 metres race in an exactly the same time. He then followed on into the pit to record the double first in the long jump in a huge leap of 3:93 metres.
There was a double first success for the Harriers in the under 13s 75 metres hurdles too with Arthur Kennedy recording 14.1 seconds.
An age group up, in the girls under 15s event of the same distance, Abigail Pawlett recorded a scintillating time of 11:5. She moved on to the 100 metres flat to record another first in 12.6 and finished it off in the long jump competition on 5.14 metres to beat second placed Erin Moffatt of Lancaster and Morecambe by a full 28 centimetres (5.14).
Emily Misantoni got back to her winning ways again after her recent trip up at Bedford in the English Championships 800 metres and she was impressive in the 200 metres sprint for the under 15s to record 26.8.
She then took to the high jump to record yet another win (1:45), taking it on count back from Gabrielle O’Neil (Liverpool Harriers) and Leah Howard (Blackpool) who also cleared the bar at the same height.
Millie Everett made it a first for Stockport in the under 13 girls’ 75 metres sprint to record a useful; time of 11.3. seconds.
Over 300 intrepid runners and joggers took to the Mersey trail for the annual County supporters co-op’s half marathon event and while one hour and sixteen minutes was good enough to take the title in 2016, not so this year owing to Sheffield Hallam’s ace competitor Steven Bayton making the journey to Stockport and finishing in an amazing record breaking time of 1:08:43.
He was a full nine minutes ahead of last year’s winner who was second placed local Harrier James Scott Buccleuch (1:17:52) with third spot going to his club mate Charlie Batho in 1:22:23, being slightly slower than last year but one place up on 2016 to record the bronze medal position.
For those adults who have only watched so far from a seated area and wish to get involved in jogging or running, the opportunity arises on Tuesday evenings from September the 19th in conjunction with Harriers’ coach Alexis Dinsmor with a beginner’s session departing at 7pm from outside of the Woodbank Community Centre on Turncroft Lane, Offerton.
With more walking than running to start with, they will eventually build up from “couch to five kilometres” over an eight week period. For further details, please contact alexis.dinsmor@ntlworld.com
Harriers’ membership secretary Jerzy Matuszewski completed his 42nd annual Bullock Smithy hike organised by the 3rd Hazel Grove scout group which gave all the participants a grand tour of the Peak district over the traditional course of fifty six miles which was definitely up hill and down dale.
At the midday striking of the traditional blacksmith’s anvil, the contestants were off from the Hazel Grove scout hut to the first check point, Bowstones above Lyme Park, and Matuszewski eventually completed the course in 18 hours and 18 minutes and is probably one of few, if any who has completed the circuit every year since it’s inception.
Barring 1988 owing to illness our “Alf Tupper” hero accomplished the double in 1992 by first completing the course unofficially and then completing it again at the official start time to record 112 miles which will not easily be surpassed by anyone in the future to ensure the same number of hikes as the event has been in progress.
Next Sunday sees the annual Life Leisure Big Stockport 10 kilometres event around the town centre which starts at 10am from St Petersgate together with a junior fun run which starts at 10.15am.
Further details for both these events can be found at www.lifeleisure.net.
The previous day on Saturday (16/9) sees the ever popular Lantern Pike fell race at 2pm from Spray house Farm, Little Hayfield in conjunction with the annual sheepdog trials which race consists of a five mile circuit and a total of 320 metres of climb.