This year’s relays were held around the Etihad Stadium home of premiership Manchester City.
Halifax had 3 teams entered and they put in some solid performances. Team of the day were the u13 girls who came a marvellous 23rd place after Nia Harrison-Sargent gave them a fabulous start with a time of 13.15 for the 3.1k circuit. Nia was backed up by Amelia Hammond on leg 2 16.26 in 21st place and Lillia Mazurke brought the girls home in 23rd place 15.38.
In the U17 men James Johnson led the team in 22nd place on leg 1 12.38 for the 3.7k circuit followed by Joe Macdonald in 15.44 34th place. Joe was seriously hampered by the officials at the start of his leg as the officials hadn't realised James had already come in, this cost Joe 50 secs. Ewan Wheelwright clawed back a few places 12.56 and finished 30th.
The Senior men’s team of 6 came a very creditable 67th place beating over 40 teams with an outstanding 2nd leg from Max Burgin who ran 22.01 for the 4.1 mile circuit. Other times were,
Will Smith 24.14
Max Burgin 22.01
Charlie Spencer 23.56
Michael King 24.07
Rob MacDonald 27.07
Simon Johnson 24.39
Halifax Harriers had runners out in force at the weekend, both locally and far afield.
At the Yorkshireman Marathon, Will Carver finished in 4:08:25, Fiona Murphy had an excellent run to take first F60 prize in 7:17:07 with Sharon Cousen just behind in 7:17:16. Thirteen members ran the half marathon with category wins for Mark Crabtree (1st M60) 1:58:31 and Rachael Beaumont (1st F50) 2:13:33. Simon Gelsthorpe was third M60 in 2:12:49. Other runners in the half were David Nutton 2:20:45, Judith Cole 2:31:19, Jonathan Wood 2:32:31, Hazel Berrett 2:37:48, Clare Newton 2:40:37, Andrea Ackroyd 2:42:25, Martin Ellis 2:45:08, Margaret Deacon 2:53:58, Jenny St Romaine 3:13:23, Jude Baines 3:21:34.
The Great North Run is always popular with Halifax Harriers members even though the crowds can make fast times hard to come by. First back for the club was Marc Rocheteau 1:39:30 followed by Tim Pegg 1:52:53, Jazz Sandhu 1:56:08, David Cooper 1:57:54, John Moore 1:59:43, Chris Burrell 2:19:01, Theresa Booth 3:03:24, Susan Pegg 3:23:56.
Ryan Barker took on the challenge of running the Medoc Marathon in France which involves wine tasting at regular intervals along the course. Running times are of no significance, it’s all about the experience. However, he did complete the distance in 4:24:23.
The most travelled Halifax Harrier was Susan Hall who went to the beautiful capital of Estonia, Tallinn, for the marathon. Her time of 5:21:30 (third F70) was a club record for the F70 category. The course twists and turns through the town and even runs through the middle of the zoo.
Back on home soil, April Caulfield was back to winning ways at the Bawtry Forest 11k race with a time of 46:04, whilst Will Stewart ran 44:01.
Halifax Harriers had a hot day out at the Burnsall Feast Sports Day. With temperatures hovering around 25 degrees C, it was a tough day for running the 10 mile road race and the fell races. Burnsall Feast has been held since Elizabethan times around the village green.
Halifax Harriers had 28 runners in the field of 156 in the 10 mile race. The race starts from the village green and then it is a sharp right turn over the hump backed bridge as the route leaves the village. Then follows one of the many hills on the route as it passes through Grassington and Linton before the fast last mile descent back into Burnsall.
Sarah Cumber showed her class by leaving all the men from Halifax Harriers behind as she finished as second lady in 1:06:48 (1st F40).
Three men from the club had a tussle all the way round and finished within a few seconds of each other with Michael King on 1:08:46, Ryan Barker 1:08:50 (3rd M40) and Mark Crabtree 1:08:57 (2nd M60).
There were age group prizes for Jenny Hopkinson 1:20:31 (1st F50), Rachael Beaumont 1:21:37 (2nd F50), Raymond Hall 1:23:17 (1st M70) and Geraldine Roby 1:33:47 (1st F60).
The 10 mile race was followed by the junior and senior fell races with some fine performances by the junior members of Halifax Harriers. Sam Keighley was second U11 boy, with brother Harry Keighley first U15. In the U18 boys race, Harry Johnson was second and his brother James third. In the senior Burnsall Classic Fell Race, Simon Johnson finished in 21:57, Michael King 22:23, Ryan Barker 26:13, Stephen Fitz-Costa 28:07, Daniel Mahoney 28:25.
Other runners in the 10 mile race were Adrian Thomas 1:09:45, Sunny Curwen 1:12:21, Daniel Mahoney 1:14:30, Will Stewart 1:14:53, Helen Ward 1:15:43, Jonny Lister 1:17:55, April Caulfield 1:18:10, Paul Hopkinson 1:23:35, Ian Giles 1:25:24, Sharon Cousen 1:33:38, Samantha Layfield 1:36:19, Rachel McCauley 1:37:35, Nigel Rigg 1:39:07, David Parrington 1:40:50, Richard Corney 1:41:32, Deborah Kirkbride 1:41:57, James Kirkpatrick 1:42:34, Christopher Kirkbride 1:47:25, Jenny St Romaine 1:48:21, Chris Burrell 1:53:04.