ATHLETICS CHIEF APPEALS FOR RUNNERS NOT TO SPOIL BIG EVENTS

Following the North Tyneside 10k last week, where the winner ran in another person’s number, the North Eastern Counties Athletics Association has issued a statement.

Bill McGuirk, Chairman of NECAA and the North Tyneside 10k race referee, said: “Once again the North Tyneside 10k has attracted a number of competitors lining up using someone else’s bib number and it certainly came to a head this time round when the first athlete home was one of the guilty parties.

“Not only is it extremely dangerous to do this, it also takes away the joy that would have been awarded to the correct winner.

Athletics Chief Appeals For Runners Not To Spoil Big Events.

“Of course the athlete in question wasn’t the only one to break the rules. On checking the women’s leading finishers in the top 30 and after viewing video evidence, FIVE were men running in a woman’s number.

“Please, this has to stop now and while big events attract huge numbers of unregistered competitors who aren’t familiar with the rules of competition, there is no excuse for club athletes to even consider taking this kind of action.

“I appeal to all athletic club secretaries to make sure that every one of their members are aware of the situation re passing bib numbers on without clearance from race organisers.”

Sunderland Harriers will find it hard to match last year’s performances in the North East Masters’ Road Relay Championships at Hebburn tonight.

They came away with three team gold medals, winning both headline Over-35 events and adding the Over-45 Men’s team championship for good measure.

It will be a new look Over-35 women’s team, as the team from last year of Nikki Woodward and Vicky Haswell are both nursing injuries and Alice Smith has now moved to Pontefract. Last year they scored an emphatic win over Morpeth beating them by 73 seconds over the three legs.

The Over-35 men can call upon the same trio that won last year, in again heading Morpeth. Rob Walker, Steve McMahon and Ian Dixon were the men that did the business.

The Sunderland Over-45 team had to work hard for their win in 2018 and this time they may be missing two of that team in Paul Blakey and Tim Field, who have been on the injured list and only Micky Thompson has been in good form lately.

The race HQ is at Jarrow & Hebburn AC Clubhouse at Monkton Stadium, Jarrow, Tyne & Wear NE32 5NJ...

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