Debutants help Harriers secure ninth place finish in Road Relays
Sunderland Harriers achieved their best result since 2007 in the Northern Athletics Men’s 12-Stage Road Relay Championships at Birkenhead on Sunday.
Theyfinishedninthteamin the race over four long legs of 8kmandeightlegsoffour4km.
Club captain Jimmy Johnson said: “It was a good performance from the lads.
“We welcomed two newcomers into our team and they performed exceptionally well by running fast legs. It was a fine all-round performance from all the team that got us there.”
The Wearsiders were undoubtedly boosted by the two new signings in brothers Joe and Scott Armstrong. Elder brother Joe was formally with Morpeth Harriers and Scott, as well as competing for Sunderland,
also runs for Durham University.
Joe has a best for 1500m of 3.49.62 and Scott’s best for 800m is 1.53.72. Their talent was on show on Sunday where both athletes had outstanding performances. Joe, on leg two, charged through to 15th on his shortlegaftertakingoverfrom clubcaptainNathanReed,who finished 23rd on the opening long leg (25.02).
Joeclockedasuperb11.16to record the third fastest short stage time of the day to vastly improve Sunderland’s standing. His brother also shone on leg six where he climbed to eighth with his time of 11.49
Stephen Jackson, on leg three, had a scintillating run inmovingtheteamupsixplaces with his fast long leg run of 23.54.
Four-minute miler Michael Wilson was next off and he came back in seventh with his 11.57 time.
Owen Walpole made the longjourneyfromKilmarnock to Birkenhead to represent his club on leg five, but he slipped back to 10th with his 25.55 circuit.
Scott Armstrong handed over to Joe Pomfret for leg seven and he toured the relatively flat course in 26.20 to finish in 10th. Steve Rankin was on leg eight and the club were now targeting a top 10 position and hemanagedtokeephisrivalsat bay with his leg of 12.34.
Sunderland’s youngest competitor, 17-year-old Alexander Seed, ran up to expectations with his 12.55 clocking before handing over to Chris Bell (13.28).
Sunderland were still in tenth position with Derby one minutebehindthemwhenMichaelEdwardstookoveronthe 10th stage after running 13.04. Anchorman Craig Gunn now kept the momentum going with his 12.08 time to consolidate Sunderland’s performance in ninth spot after the disqualification Vale Royal AC
Sunderland also turned out a women’s team for the first time for a number of years. They finished 21st of 38 teams. Heaton Harriers finished 22nd.
The team was Amy Callaghan 31.40, C.Stidolph 17.45, NatashaSteel15.46,JessicaFox 31.03,HayleyDobson15.43and Vicky Haswell 16.26.
The winners were Vale Royal from Hallamshire and Salford. The fastest laps were Jessica Judd (Blackburn) long lap 25.25, Sophie Tarver short lap (Wirral) 12.38.
Fastest times: Long Lap: PhilpSesemann(Leeds22.26), DavidDevine(Liverpool)22.47, C Richards (Salford) 22.55. Short Legs: Nigel Martin (Sale Harriers) 11.02, Harry Wakefield (Salford) 11.06, Joe Armstrong (Sunderland) 11.16.
Results:1 Leeds City 3:0:41, 2 Salford, 3:05:49, 3 Hallamshire 3:10:23, 4 Blackburn 3:10:41, 5 Morpeth 3:10:59, 6 Liverpool 3:13:46, 7 Sale 3:15:09, 8 Leeds B 3:17:36,9Sunderland3:20:10,10 Derby 3:21:20.