Harriers racers making a return in numbers after pandemic
The North Eastern Harrier League marked the halfway stage of the season at Lambton Park on Saturday.
And there is evidence that participation in the league is gradually getting back to normal,despiteongoingconcerns over the Covid pandemic.
The biggest fields of the season were seen at Lambton, where 535 men finished their 10k race and 438 women competed in their event.
Whiletheystillhaveawayto gotoachievenumbersreached previously, of well over 600 for men and 500 for women, the league is certainly back on the right track.
Andtheretogreetcompetitors was the strength-sapping Lambton course, the toughest on the circuit, with mountainous hills and extremely difficult underfoot conditions to contend with.
With three men in the first 10, Sunderland Harriers senior men's team looked to be on their way to victory. But, with one of their top runners dropping out through illness and the next counters finishing down the field, hopes were rapidly dashed.
Sunderland Harrier Michael Wilson, competing in his first senior men’s Harrier League race, made his debut a winning one and said after the race: “That was brutal!”
Enjoyingafive-minutestart from the fast pack, the middledistanceathletefoundhimself having a lonely race. He finished the challenging event in 37.47towinbytwominutesand 14 seconds.
Wilson was the third joint third fastest runner on the course behind Birtley’s fast pack man, Adrian Bailes, who got through to fourth with his time of 36.55. Then came David Green, of North Shields, who finished second behind
Wilson, running from the mediumpack,recordinganactual time of 37.24. Gateshead Harrier fast pack runner Conrad Franks equalled Wilson’s time in seventh place.
Sunderland club captain and medium pack runner Nathan Reed finished fifth in 39.45andfastmanLiamTaylor (38.19)took10th.Buttherewas a long wait for the next counter, Michael Edwards, who ran from the mediums to finish 43rd(43.01).Over-40MarkAnderson was the next to close in forSunderlandin64th(40.47), followed by Over-55 Paul Redman in 94th (46.36).
Birtley won the team race with 74 points from Tyne Bridgeon112,withSunderland third on 130.
First Division league table – 1 Tyne Bridge Harriers six points, 2 Morpeth Harriers seven, 3 Sunderland Harriers eight, 4 Birtley AC 15, 5 Wallsend Harriers 15, 6 GatesheadHarriers19,7HeatonHarriers 19, 8 Elvet Striders 19, 9 Gosforth Harriers 28, 10 Blaydon Harriers 29.
Houghton Harrier Chris Coulson finished 13th from the fast pack in 38.35 and Sunderland Stroller M40 Andrew Forbes was 30th from the slow pack (44.58).
Houghton Harrier Eleanor Daglish took third place in the women’srace(31.15)andahead of her was Tynedale’s Annette Quaid (29.46) and fast pack runner Danielle Hodgkinson of Wallsend (27.39).
Sunderland Harriers finished third in the four to count team race and were led home by slow pack runner Michelle Avery in eighth place (33.01). Linda Mudford finished 38th (32.54)fromthemediumpack, then came Hayley Dobinson 55th (35.44) and Alyson West 152nd (38.15).
Sunderland maintained their second place in the Second Division with nine points. Tynedale are on seven points and Jarrow and Hebburn are third with 10 points.