With a distinctly autumnal feel in the air, the 2016 track season was largely consigned to the history books and the curtain rose on an important winter for Sunderland Harriers at the 34th annual Farringdon Relays on Saturday.
Having taken the North-East Harrier League title last season the pressure is on to improve on that performance and begin to emerge as an increasing force in regional, and eventually national competition.
Incessant rain throughout was very ‘cross-country’, but with the mild temperatures Saturday’s event had a distinctly pre-season feel about it, as clubs from throughout the region kicked off their Autumn/Winter campaigns in this popular event over a true cross-country course, complete with hills, mud and an ever-filling stream to negotiate.
The hosts dominated the men’s events, winning both Senior and Masters titles.
Durham City’s Dan Jenkin fired the opening salvo with the fastest time of the day (8:53) on leg one, chased home by Adrian Bailes and Alex Brown of Birtley and Houghton respectively, followed by a battle royal in royal blue between Steve Rankin and Ian Dixon to be first Sunderland Harrier home. Rankin narrowly prevailed 9:14 to 9:16 but Dixon had good reason to be pleased with his performance, fastest of the day amongst Masters by some 32 seconds, following a spell of hard training and having plunged waist deep into the 'water feature' halfway round the 1.8mile lap.
Kevin Jeffress (9:21) edged the team up one place to third at halfway before Michael Barker eased into a lead the royal blues were never to relinquish with a 9:40 effort. With speed aplenty in his legs following a successful track campaign, Steve McMahon anchored the quartet with a swift 9:07, fourth fastest overall on the day, and Sunderland ran out comfortable winners in 37:22, just over half a minute clear of Durham, with Morpeth in third. It was nice to kick off the season with a win, but there will be tougher battles ahead!
The Harriers B team of Jack Tallentire, Matt Devlin, Allan McManus and Paul Pickford finished 11th.
In the Masters race, Dixon was ably supported by Steve Potts, Tim Field and Steve Gordon for another easy Sunderland win, almost two minutes ahead of North Shields Poly. The Masters B squad (Allan Hodgson, Darren Stoker, Paul Redman, Al Knebel) finished 7th, the C team (Graeme Weeks, Dean Phillips, Gary Fox, Anthony Erskine) 11th and Fred Judson and George Harden, with a not too shabby 11:47 formed an incomplete team.
Talented youngster Sophie Burnett, 3rd in this year’s Northern cross-country championships, led home her club-mate Chloe Price for a Birtley one-two in the women’s race, which much to the chagrin of many competitors, and even more spectators, was routed around the stream crossing on the orders of the event referee. Alice Smith went off hard after the Birtley pair and was rewarded with a fine 10:52 clocking in third place.
Nicola Woodward, fresh from a Biosphere Expedition 3000m up in the mountains of Kyrgyzstan, relished being back on the country to crack to top ten in 8th, with Vikki Cotton, who had not trained all week due to a virus, bouncing back to place 11th. Judith Thirlwell (15th), Colleen Compson (23rd), Rachael Moore (24th), Linda Mudford (31st), Helen Higgins (39th) and Catherine Morris (44th) completed a good turn-out for the Harriets.
Josh Bland and Evie Compson both ran well to make the top ten in their respective junior races, Josh placing 6th in the U-11 age-group and Evie 8th in the U-13 girls category. Sean Mackie looked strong in running 10:16 to finish 10th in a competitive U-17 boys race.
Did we get a glimpse of the future in the U-11 Boys’ event as Sam Field and Oliver Dixon placed 20th and 21st respectively? Their dads, Tim and Ian, were integral to the Masters quartet’s dominant win so let’s hope Sam and Oliver go on to have such long and distinguished careers in the royal blue vest!
Sara Crossley ran 23rd and Evie Newby 24th in the girls U-11 1000m race, Jack Thirwell was 17th in the U-13 age group, and at U-15 Grace Mackie was 14th and Jade Thirlwell 17th amongst the girls, and Nathan Bland 11th and Harry Tiltman 20th in the boys race. James Lloyd (13th) and Dan Smith backed up Sean Mackie in the U-17 category.