Halliwell rekindles longstanding links with Sunderland Harriers
A former Sunderland Harrier has rekindled his link with the club after a period of 58 years.
Ian Halliwell a former Monkwearmouth Grammar School pupil and one of a groupoftalentedathletesatthe school during the 1960s, got in touch with the Harriers after discoveringaSunderlandHarriers lapel badge.
He said: “I came across somethingI'dlikeyoutohave-a Harrierslapelbadgethatdates back to the 1920s.
“I only knew of one other in existence in the 1960s, but do not recall the owner. My aunt gave it to me around 1962 - apparently it belonged to my great-uncle, Henry Maughan, and I wore it on my "Monkey House" school blazer!”
“I was an active member of the club in the 1960s and left to go to Imperial College in London in 1966. I worked for RollsRoyceinDerbyuntil1981,when IemigratedfirsttoCanadaand later to the USA.
“I carried on running until into my 50s when a huge staph infectiondestroyedmylefthip. After that I turned to cycling andIstilldothatattheageof72. Iamcurrentlysemi-retiredbut workpart-timeasaconsultant to NASA and lecture and teach at US universities.’’
“I spent most of yesterday eveninggoingthroughtheclub website and was saddened to see that Glynn Bathgate had died. I knew Glynn through the Scouts as well as the Harriers, and he helped me when I won two 50-Mile events they organized in 1963 and 1964, when I was 16 and 17.’’
“Iamnowsettingbesttimes on the bike, believe it or not. I discovered at the age of 70, that I've been anaemic all my lifeandhavejustgotthatsorted out. If only I had found that out inmylateteens(whichiswhen it probably began), I wouldn't havebeenrunning3-hourmarathons!
“However,allthose70-mile training weeks have kept me pretty healthy, despite having been diagnosed as a type 1 diabetic in 1963.
“Mywife,Val(alsoex-MonkwearmouthGrammarSchool), havebeentogetherfor49years now and have a 30-acre place in a hilly area of central Ohio about 40 miles east of Columbus. Amazing running country and very challenging on a bike!Ispendalotoftimeonmy
Kubota tractor these days, cutting grass. That's when I plan my lectures.
“OnethingIamfairlyproud of is that in 2018 I had a text bookpublishedwithaGerman friend on modelling jet engine performance. My first activity inretirement.Itwasahugeendeavour, at 750 pages! We just signedacontractwiththepublishersforEdition2,whichwill be 900 pages! I'm a glutton for punishment.Youdon'tgetrich off text books though!’’
The first road race in the North East since March took place on Sunday with Covid-19 restrictions.
The Run Nation Dalton Park 10k took place at Murton. There was no mass start with athletes predicting their time and then they were allocated a start time for each wave of six runners.
The field had been reduced to 150 runners. Morpeth Harrier Russ Floyd won the race and Sunderland Stroller Alyson Dixon was the women’s winner.
Houghton Harrier Under-20HenryJohnsonclocked a 400m personnel best (49.34) intheTyneTeestrackandfield meeting at Middlesborough. Clubmate Will Bellamy won the 800m (1.53.07).