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Northern League - Match 2

Report and pictures: Vicki Robinson

Carla Stansfield

Carla Stansfield ran personal bests in the 400 hurdles and the 1,500 metres

The second match of the Northern track and field league took place at Bebbington Oval on Saturday, and despite several absences from the team, Stockport managed to finish in 2nd place overall, and promotion to Division 2 is looking hopeful.

The day got underway with victory in the long jump for Nicola Barratt, with 4.62 metres, her best jump for several years. Nicola later recorded a highly impressive personal best in the 100 hurdles with 15.9 seconds. First off on the track though was the 400 metre hurdles where Carla Stansfield achieved the first of 2 personal bests, recording 74.5. Running in the B-race, team manager Alison Hesketh showed that she can still handle the hurdles after all these years, and took maximum points.

The men's 800 metres was no easy affair, with the first 4 athletes running under 1-58, but Ben Styles showed his strength, placing first in a personal best of 1-55.1. In the B-race Ross Millington was also easily under the 2 minute barrier winning in 1-57.1.

In the sprints Charlie Hesketh and Katie Deutsch scorched to personal bests over 100 metres with 12.9 and 13.0 seconds respectively, while Steve Callister recorded a very useful 23.1 seconds over 200 metres, but was unlucky to place only 4th in a high quality field. In the 400 metres, youngster Luci McLoughlin made an impressive debut dipping under the 1 minute barrier to record 59.8 seconds in second place.

Jonny WalshCarla Stansfield returned to the track later in the afternoon to tackle her main event the 1,500 metres, and did so in style, smashing her personal best by 9 seconds, recording 5-09. Bashir Hussain and Jon Walch (right) were also impressive over this distance, with Bashir just being edged out of first place in 4-10, and Jon placing 2nd in the B-race in 4-17.

Bashir went one better in the 5,000 metres winning the A-race in 15-53, while Mike Shaw also took maximum points in the B-race in 16-02.

In the men's field events, most impressive was Scott Boothby, competing in the triple jump for the first time, he won the B competition in 11.14 metres.

In the field for the women, Carmen Martinez and Hayley Dugan were both in fine form, with Hayley putting the shot a massive 10.04 metres to win the A-event by over 2 metres! There was also more success for Charlie Hesketh and Katie Deutsch, this time in the high jump with both girls winning their event with 1.50 metres and 1.45 metres.

The ladies' relay teams showed they were a class apart winning both the long and short relays by a substantial margin, with the 4 x 400 metre team being just shy of the club record, so look out for that being smashed later in the season. The men’s 4 x 400 metre team were just edged into 2nd place despite an impressive anchor leg performance by middle distance man Jon Walch.

The 3rd round of the Northern League takes place on Sunday July 2nd, and we need everybody out to ensure we get promoted!

Becky in the Golden League

Becky Lyne

Club coach and top 800 metre runner Becky Lyne has made a big impact on the Golden League series recently with a couple of excellent performances.

The former European under-23 800 metre champion who takes the minor's group on Thursday evenings at Woodbank Stadium won her first ever Grand Prix 800 metres in front of a packed Hengelo Stadium with a storming run, beating some of the world's best in a new personal best time of 2-00.04, shaving a full one and a half seconds off in the process.

After Hengelo it was a flight home and back to Stockport where she trained down at Woodbank in anticipation of the biggest race of her life, the Bislett Games in Oslo, home of the Dream Mile where the world's greatest athletes have competed over the years notably Seb Coe, Steve Ovett and Steve Cram.

Becky faced tough opposition from the world's fastest 800 metre runner Janet Kepkosgei of Kenya the Commonwealth Games winner and Kenina Sinclair of Jamaica. The race was paced through 400 metres in 59.4 by Monica Hennigan of the USA before dropping out to let the race begin and it was Jepkosgei who went at the bell.

Becky was in 5th but was chasing down the leaders on the back straight and onto the final bend in third and into home straight she used her kick that she has been honing down at Woodbank to almost overhaul Jepkosgei who just managed to hold of Becky.

1st Janet Jepkosgei (Kenya) 2.00.51, 2nd Becky Lyne (Great Britain) 2.00.67, 3rd Kenina Sinclair (Jamaica) 2.00.73.

Harriers on the Golden Mile

Report: Isaac

Brian Holland

Brian Holland was first Harrier over the line with a personal best. Photo from ProSportPhotos

On the hottest Sunday of the year so far, the masses of Stockport Harriers headed towards the Fylde coast to conquer the Blackpool Marathon and Half Marathon. Early starts for most for a planned 09.00am race start meant bar-b-q's and beer tasting sessions for the previous evening had to wait until after the race.

Disappointment awaited the field of over 2,000 before the start with the announcement of a delay of over 30 minutes as the water for the water stations was still on the M6 outside Blackpool. In the arid Blackpool sunshine, pre-race preparations went out the window and searches for fluid input and output became number one priority with some Harriers seen scuttling down onto the beach !

However in the face of adversity hero's are found and by initially using the club's expert pace maker (Steve Jones leading a group of wannabee sub 90 minute half marathoners in 6-45 per mile) Brian Holland finished the race not only with a personal best and first Harrier over the line but also as overall second MV50 in the race, an outstanding performance.

Brian was closely followed in quick succession by Lee Barratt and Neil Thompson (setting a personal best) ... who had fought bravely through the heat with a sprint finish with Lee's pace and experience outwitting a late dash for the line by his challenger. Just outside the 90 minute mark was Simon Knighton setting another personal best.

Barry Thompson

Barry Thompson (right) takes the award for biggest personal best of the day knocking six minutes off his time from last year's race now getting very close to the 1 hour 45 minute mark - he now has the bit between his teeth and was seen the following day down at track performing fast 800 metre reps and will possibly run the Rainow 5 on Wednesday 7 June.

First Stockport lady on Sunday was Deborah Cox, closely followed by the other half of that well known Harriers athletics partnership Susan Holland - also going sub 2 hours was Kathryn Ward with an excellent performance also from Jenny Day

In the marathon Adrian Edwards finished in an admirable 3-53-10 being the only Harrier to take on the ultimate distance.

Club Results
Marathon
272 Adrian Edwards 3-53-10
Half marathon
57 Brian Holland 1-29-30 PB
61 Lee Barratt 1-29-51
63 Neil Thompson 1-29-55 PB
69 Simon Knighton 1-30-21 PB
146 Sean Whewell 1-35-57
147 Steve Jones 1-35-57
236 John Harvey 1-41-12
318 David Gosling 1-44-43
377 Barry Thompson 1-47-04
380 Anthony Ward 1-47-09
614 Deborah Cox 1-55-24 PB
630 Susan Holland 1-55-49
653 Michael Thirsk 1-56-52
689 Kathryn Ward 1-58-18
864 Jenny Day 2-04-54

Some excellent pictures taken all around the course can be found at: www.blackpoolmarathon.com/results

Elsewhere at the Weekend

Report: Phil McCann

The continuation of the Altrincham and Spectrum Striders series was the Hollins Green 5k on the Saturday. This the second race in the series saw just John Parrott, Vicky Barrett and Phil McCann from Stockport Harriers. With many of our runners busy this weekend it was a humid start to the race. John was first Harrier in with 18-34 with Vicky 21-28 then Phil 24-36 making improvements on his steady comeback to racing!

Joanna RobertsonElsewhere Joanna Robertson (pictured) ran a back-to-back 5k. Running the Race for Life series at Heaton Park on the Saturday then on the Sunday at Rhyl. Joanna finished 3rd with a personal best time of 20-38 in Manchester then followed this up with a 1st place and another personal best improvement with 19-48!

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