Report by Ken Smith
REDCAR SUNDAY 30TH MARCH 2025.
Graham Hall had certainly picked the day to host the event with wall to wall sunshine, but a strong and cold wind .
The Redcar course uses the coastal road with its immaculate road surface and road closures ensures uninterrupted space for the athletes.
The days races began at 11.00.
Under 15 Boys
28 athletes lined up at the start in a very stuff breeze, but bright sunshine. They quickly got away on the out and back 5k course, slowly disappearing on the slight downhill towards the turn point. The leader at the turn was Adrian White, Trafford A.C. followed closely by Kirsten -Kyle Sridhar and William Delamere then a gap until 4th and 5th place.
The winner was Adrian White in a time of 16.15 which seemed to satisfy his watching coach Neil Canham. 2nd across the line and only just behind the winner was was Kirsten-Kyle Sridhar, 16.18, with the bronze medal going to William Delemere. 16.24. How Trafford could have done with a 3rd counter in the team result. Darlington won the gold medal. Wallsend the silver and Halifax the bronze.
Under 15 Girls.
23 athletes were under way promptly at 11.15 with a group of 4 athletes quickly contesting that front spot. Down the hill this group became split and at the turn it was the vest of host club New Maske that were at the front some distance ahead of Liverpool and Wakefield. Now up the hill and into the wind would test these athletes but it failed to change the order with Gabrielle Pinder winning followed by Rebecca Murphy, Liverpool Harriers, then taking the bronze medal Wakefield’s Isabella Tuft with Blackburn Harriers just behind in 4th place.
Team results had the City of York just ahead of Blackburn Harriers with Tyne Bridge Harriers taking bronze.
Under 17 Men
This age and gender group is always well contested and with 45 athletes the start was quite hectic as they raced away down the hill with that strong wind behind them. The large group at the front stayed together for a large part of the downhill with red vests dominating. Two Salford, one North Shields Poly and a couple of Keithley & Craven were the leading group at the turn. What would happen going into the wind and up the hill. It was the North East Athlete from North Shields Poly Daniel Watson who crossed the line first some 8 seconds ahead of Salford’s Jamie Barber with Ewen Wilkinson Keithley & Craven 3rd just 1 second behind
In the team event Keithley & Craven won gold. North Shields Poly2nd. In 3rd place were Gateshead Harriers but only because their 3rd counter finished 1 place ahead of Halifax, who had the same number of points .
Under 17 Women.
Down to 18 athletes for this group and a dominant performance for Salford Harriers, who had brought 3 athletes to these championships knowing 3 made a team.
It was the red vest of Salford’s Jasmine Wright at the front with Hattie Stead and Wakefield’s Rosie Thistlewood close by. The wind by this time had started to abate and the return to the finish was just that bit easier, with the front 2 athletes slowly pulling away from third.
Jasmine Wright won by some 21 seconds from Hatti Stead, Blackhill Bounders. Rosie Thistlewood was some third but almost a minute behind 2nd place.
Teams were Salford closely followed by Keighley and Craven and Chester Le Street receiving the bronze.
Senior Men
So how strong was the Leeds team was the question being asked. Last year they won this event at a very wet Wythenshawe Park from a resurgent Salford team with Morpeth and Liverpool close behind. Well as the wind continue to ease the men got under way at 12.00. and it was the yellow vest of Liverpool Harrier Jack O’ farrell who got back on that first leg in 29.19 Sale’s Nigel Martin was placed 2nd but given the same time. It was Sale who remained at the front for the next 2 legs before being overtaken by Salford’s Harry Wakefield on leg 4 Harry returned the fastest short leg time of the day 14.48. This was Salfords purple patch in the engine room of the race as they help 1st place for 3 legs until being pushed back into 2nd by one of the Leeds City stars Richard Allen who produced the fastest long leg of the day 28.19.
So into the last 4 legs and perhaps surprising it was Salford who overtook Leeds City on leg 8 ,Joe Moores running 15.14.However this was just the beginning as Salford remained in that 1st place, slowly increasing their lead over Leeds City for the remainder of the race winning in 4 hours 2 min52 sec, a minute clear of Leeds who remained in 2nd place with a gap of over 2 minutes on Morpeth in 3rd place .Morpeth who were 3rd on leg 5 and remained there for the rest of the race were never threatened in the 2nd half of the race, as the gap over 4th place Liverpool was over 10 minutes, 5th were Salford B team.
Senior Women.
Again it was Leeds City that everyone was looking too as holder Sale had not entered a team.
Jennifer Walsh their vastly experienced last leg runner was on first leg, so you knew they would get off to a flyer. and Jennifer did not disappoint producing the fastest long leg time of the day 34.22. followed by North Shields Poly and then York Knavesmire. with Trafford 4th.Ruth Jones on the 2nd leg for Leeds City increased the gap to over 2 minutes as North Shields Poly moved into 2nd spot, Tyne Bridge 3rd.
That gap between 1st and 2nd remained over 2 minutes for lap 3 as Tyne Bridge overtook North Shields Poly into 2nd but were not making any impression on those Blue and Yellow vests ahead of them. These top 3 positions remained the same for the rest of the race with Leeds City slowly pulling ahead to win by almost 6 minutes. Tyne Bridge Harriers were 2nd some 2 minutes ahead of their local rivals North Shields Poly.
Fastest short leg of the day went to Liverpool Harrier Faye O’hare 17.02 as she pulled the Mersey side club up 5 places briefly into 2nd Place. with Freya Potts on last leg finishing just 4 seconds behind Salford.
Many thanks to New Marske Harriers for hosting such a great event.
