Sedgefield Harriers News

Juniors Success at Sports Halll Athletics in Seaburn

Ten junior Harriers made up the lions share of the County Durham Athletics Network Team which competed in the Aviva Sports Hall Athletics competition at Seaburn on 15^th January.

Full results are here:

Boys Aviva Sports Hall Results - Seaburn January 2012

Girls Aviva Sports hall Results - Seaburn January 2012

Aviva Sportshall Fun in Athletics Festival is a national competition attracting a wealth of athletes and provides many children with their first major competitive experience. The emphasis is on fun, participation and the giving of one's best for the team! Representative teams from each of the English counties compete in regional festivals across England.

Sportshall is where several Olympians such as Kelly Sotherton started their Athletics career.

Ten U11 Junior Harriers helped form the County Durham Team at this Year's Aviva Sportshall North -East final at Seaburn Leisure Centre.

The Durham team were up against the best athletes from three other teams:

Tyne & Wear

Tees Valley

Northumberland.

Durham came a close 2nd in both the Boys & Girls events - a great improvement from last year with Tyne & Wear narrowly wining both competitions. Given that the Tyne & Wear team have such a large catchment area for their athletes the Durham team did particularly well.

The ten Junior Harriers who performed so well for County Durham were  

Girls:

Aimee Barlow

Ellie Davison

Eleanor James

Erin Peters

Boys:

Tom Burkhill

Adam Playle

Tom Nadin

Robbie Till

Jake Tomys

Liam Welsh

Local Heroes - Team of the Year 2011

Sedgefield Harriers have won further plaudits and recognition for the acheievemnets in development at the club.  At the gala dinner at Hardwick hall for the Northern Echo Local heroes Awards the Club received the Team of the Year Prize.  World Champion and athletics legend Steve Cram along with local Olympian Alison Curbishly presented the award to Ean Parsons, Scott Hydon and Marie Walker.  Members of the club were present to enjoy a celebratory night and Steve Cram stopped by the Harriers table for photographs and chat.  Another great achievement for the club in a marvellous year.

Neptune Relays 25.4.12

Details and entry form here for the Neptune Relays 25.4.12    Neptune Relays 2012

Gerry Kearsley Winter Handicap 15.1.12

It was a cold and foggy morning for this years Gerry Kearsley Winter Handicap.  Sixty Four runners took to the route with handicaps based on 10k times ranging from zero to twenty one minutes. First back was unattached runner (thinking of joining Hartlepool Burn Road!) Greg Swinbourne with a run time of 53:23 and running off a handicap of one minute.  Fastest man over the course was Will Horsley of Elvet Striders in 37:06 and fastest lady was Sedgefield Harrier Gail Bell in 43:42, both winning the Eamonn Murtagh donated 'Sedgefield for Sport' trophy which was awarded for the first time.  First Sedgefield Harrier man in the handicap was Richard Fearnside and first Sedgefield lady was Sarah Duell.

Gerry Kearsley Winter Handicap 15.1.12 - Results

Handicap Pictures

U13 Girls do the club proud at NE XC Championships

Over the usual mudfest of a course that is the NE cross-country championships, this year held at East Cramlington and hosted for the first time by Blyth RC, our U13 girls team won the clubs first medal at a North East XC championships.  The team of Hannah Featerstone, Rebbeca Mott and Ellie Gaines finished 6th, 7th and 22nd to finish 3rd team behind Jarrow & Hebburn and Darlington AC. The result was the highlight of some quality performances by individual Harriers.  Abie Hearmon finished 8th in the U17 girls, Jonna Baines finished 10th in the U20 men's race, Jamie Addison 42nd in the U13 boys, Ben Hetherington 18th and Sam Hearmon 27th in the U17 boys.  In the men's senior race Ean Parons finished 186th and Jason Catterall 207th in a field of 292.

Junior Awards Presentations

The junior awards presentations night at Sedgefield Cricket Club on Saturday 26^th November proved to be a hightlight of the year.  The young athletes who took part in the evening by talking about their experiences of being a part of Sedgefield Harriers in the past year showed that their talents extend far beyond running, throwing and sprinting.  It was a great example of how confidence and skills can be developed through sport.  Parents and coaches alike were very proud.  As usual there were a lot of awards to get through and the strength in depth of the club was demonstrated by the achievement and presentation of Academy Awards certificates.  The individual awards were eagerly awaited.  The winners were; Girls Field Performance, Lucy Robertshaw; Boys Field, Oliver Larcombe;  Girls Track, Hannah Featherstone; Boys Track, Liam Welsh; Girls Cross-country, Abi Hearmon; Boys Cross-Country, Ben Hetherington; Most Improved in Ean's Group, Sean Haycock; Most Improved in Scott's Group, Sam Hearmon; Most Improved in Marie's Group - Boys, James Raw, Girls Aimee Barlow; Most Improved in Sprints Group, Joseph Dredge; Most Improved in Throws Group, Matthew Jackson.  The accolade of Club Person of the Year wnet to Rebecca Mott.

Sedgefield Harriers - UK Athletics Club of the Year 2011

Unbelievable! A community village based club run by local volunteers represented England Athletics to beat-off competition form Belfast Harriers, Edinburgh and Swansea to become UK Athletics Club of the Year for 2011.  The awards were made at the Park Plaza Hotel in London on Saturday night 26^th November.  This is more recognition for the club that has gone from strength to strength since forming only six years ago and shows what can be achieved a team of motivated individuals working together.

http://www.uka.org.uk/media/news/november-2011/27-11-11-awards/

Annual Dinner and Awards Presentations 26.11.11

Sedgefield Harriers held their annual dinner and awards presentation night at the Hardwick Arms in Sedgefield on Friday 26th November.  Guest for the evening was Olympic Bronze Medallist and English marathon record holder Charlie Spedding who grew up in nearby Ferryhill.  Charlie gave an enthralling account of his career and his 1984 Olmpic race where he finished 3^rd behind Carlos Lopez and John Tracey while beating legends Rob De Castella, Tosheiko Seiko and Alberto Salazar.  The dinner culminated in the presentation of awards with Runner of the Year going to the Harriers' own Ferryhill flyer Jason Catterall who competes in everything from 100m to half marathon with plans for the 26.2 miles in Sunderland next May.  Diane Baines won Club Member of the Year for all of the background work she does at the club.  A new award of Volunteer of the Year which is open not only to members but also to anyone who makes a difference at the club - parent, coach, or supporter - also deservedly went to Diane Baines who all agree is the type of individual that an active club just can't do without.  The Supporter of the Year award - for someone who gives most time to supporting a runner - was split between Gareth James and Vivienne Parsons.  Time Trial winners were Jonathan Baines and Gail Bell with best improvement from Jason Catterall.  Grand Prix winners were Graeme Addison and Gail Bell.  Jonathan Wallace received a special award in recognition of six years service to the club committee.

Sedgefield Harriers are National Development Club of the Year!

Gallery - National Development Club of the Year 2011

At the glittering awards ceremony at the NEC that is the England Athletics Hall of Fame dinner, at which the legend that is Haile Gabrselassie graced the event with his prescence, Head Coach Scott Hydon collected the award on behalf of our club for National Devlopment Club of the Year for 2011.  This is a fantastic acheivement and marks the work of all of the those involved with the club but particularly the 16 coaches who dedicate their time to the fantastic junior section of the club.

Other links;

http://Article - England Athletics web site

http://Article - County Durham Sport web site

Harriers are winners at England Athletics North East Awards

Well Done to Marie Walker who has been recognised by England Athletics as Devleopment Coach of the Year at an awards evening at Chester-le-Street on 6th October.  The award is well-deserved for the amount of work that Marie commits each week to delivering high quality coaching to younger athletes.  The club is already reaping the rewards of Marie's work and many young athletes are well on their way thanks to Marie's efforts.  Marie also coaches within loacl primary schools and has introduced many junior athletes to the club which will stand the club in good stead for years to come.  Marie is an influential voice on the coaching group of the County Durham Athletics Network and is one of ten coaches in the North East on England Athletics' Local Coach Development Programme.  On the same evening the club was recognised as North East Development Club of the Year for it's work with young athletes and engaging so many young people in the sport.  The award was collected by Head Coach and Development Officer Scott Hydon who started the junior section in 2006.  The junior club now has sixteen qualified coaches delivering to young athletes in endurance, throws, sprints and multi-discipline and over 100 young athletes regularly attend sessions.  The club has been selected as one of only two clubs to go through to the national awards evening at the NEC in Birmingham on 21st October with a chance of winning the national award.

Sedgefield Serpentine 2011 - Results and Pictures (Full Report to follow)

Sedgefield Serpentine 2011 - Results & Pictures

In the meantime - well done to everyone who took part.  We were dead lucky with the weather.  It was a great race and James Askew of Aycliffe AC came out on tops deposing winner of the last three years Terry Wall of Morpeth.  Thanks to Alf Walton of Sedegfield Motor X (trophies and prizes) and U Hold The Key Self Storage for their sponsorship.  Thanks to Marshalls and time keepers.

We organise some other good races too so get yourself back for the Winter Handicap in January and especially for the Neptune Relays on 25th April next year.

Report by Race Director Matthew Jones

Junior Harriers train with Kate Avery

Top national junior athlete Kate Avery came along to Sedgefield Harriers on the 6th July.  Kate, who is 19 is among the top junior female athletes in the country who are beginning to make a big impact.  The visit was organised by coach Marie Walker who teamed up with Lloyds TSB to bring Kate along.  Kate answered questions from the junior Harriers before going on to join in a training session on the Community College track.

Team Prize and Junior Medal for Harriers at Sunderland

Sedgefield Harriers lived up to their billing at the innaugural Sunderland City 10k on Sunday 27th June.  The Harriers were featured in the Northern Echo recently as a club aiming for a team prize and needed to have senior men, senior women and junior teams involved.  On a very warm day were times were not the issue but all Harriers ran well.  See Results for results.  Sedgefield Harriers were 3rd overall club team behind home clubs Sunderland Harriers and Sunderland Strollers.

In the junior 3k race Sam Hearmon finished an excellent 7th overall and Abie Hearmon finished 2nd girl in a strong field.  See  Junior News  for pictures and report from the Sunderland Echo.

Junior Harriers win Athletics Newtork Quadkids Event 15.6.11

The Junior Harriers were in action as a team at the County Durham Athletics Network inter-club match at Maiden castle on Wednesday 15^th June against Durham City Harriers, Chester-Le-Street A.C. and Derwentside A.C.  This is an annual fixture that has taken place for three years and has been won by Durham City Harriers on both previous occasions. The event is aimed at younger athletes and has categories for U11, U13 and U15.  All athletes take part in a sprint, an endurance run on the track, a long-jump and a throw, scoring points for the club, so it is a good test of athletics skills and abilities.  There were some marvellous individual performances for the Harriers in all events and Sedgefield Harriers came out on top which was a fantastic result given the level of competition from other top clubs in the county.  The U13's won their category outright and Ellie Gaines was the top U13 girl of the whole event.  How would you like to win an athletics medal at Gateshead Stadium?  Leanne Fleetham and James Raw did just that recently with 2^nd place in the howler throw (the howler is used for teaching generic throws skills relevant to javelin, shot, discus and hammer) and a 3^rd in the standing long jump respectively in the Young Athletes League.  A lot of credit for all these results must go to the large team of coaches who work with the Junior Harriers developing their skills over a long period and preparing the athletes for competition, namely; Tim Dredge, Diane Baines, Kate Devine, Sharon Carr, Anne-Marie Robertshaw, Hannah Davison, Christine Hearmon, Sue Dobson, David Walker, and Frances Barlow who work with the lead junior coaches at the club (Marie Walker, Scott Hydon and Ean Parsons).

How to visit the Olympic Park Site

With momentum gathering towards the 2012 Olympics and tickets going on sale in a few days we took the opportunity while being in London to make a visit to the Olympic Park site at Stratford.  I thought it worth mentioning what there is to see at this stage, how to get there and what there is to expect.

We found a walking tour via the Olympic 2012 site ( http://www.tourguides2012.co.uk/tours.php ) and met at Bromley by Bow tube station at 11am.  We were in a  group of about 30 - price £9 ea. and £6 concessions.  The tour took 2 hrs and finished up at the Olympic Park.  The tour was worthwhile and well delivered by the guide and gave us an insight into the background of the area and the logistics of putting the Olympic site together including seeing the canal locks that have been installed and Danny Boyles' studio where he is working on the Opening Ceremony.  Having said that, if you do not wish to do the tour (and I wouldn't next time) you can go straight to the viewing area by Docklands Light Railway to 'Pudding Mill Lane'.  The viewing area (or 'View Tube' which is formed from 4 large shipping containers ) and the Container Cafe (also from shipping containers) overlook the 550 acre Olympic site and give a paranamic view.  The stadium is pretty well on, the aquatic centre is well on too and the basketball arena, athletes village, velodrome etc. can be seen in the distance.  You can hire a bike from the Container Cafe for £6/hr or £10 for 4 hrs to see more of the area.

It all looks really good and is worth a look.  There's still a lot to do before 2012 but you can see it really coming together.

Ean

National Cross Country's - Alton Towers - 19.2.11

The 124^th English National Cross Championships announced Sedgefield Harriers' arrival as a performance Club at a national level. 

The event that was staged at Alton Towers on an undulating course made all the more challenging by muddy conditions saw Sedgefield Harriers represented by 21 athletes competing across 7 age groups.  Six of these athletes have represented their county team through this winter and each of them franked this form with superb performances at Alton Towers.

Jonna Baines' performance was the pick of the day.  Jonna showed incredible strength over the U17 men's 6k course to finish 81^st.  This was arguably the best performance of Jonna's running career to date and was certainly just reward for incredible commitment to the sport over the past 5 years.

Ben Hetherington followed Jonna Baines home in the U17 men's event finishing in a fantastic 96^th.  This performance was all the more amazing when it's considered that but for a few days difference in Ben's date of birth he would be competing in the U15's.  Ben will have another year in the U17's and is sure to make an even bigger impression next year.  Both Ben and Jonna can now look forward with confidence to representing County Durham Schools in the English Schools Cross country Championships in Nottingham.

Gemma Varley completed a trio of top 100 performances for the Harriers by finishing 85^th in the U20 women's event over 6k.  Gemma now has her sights set on representing the North East Counties in the Inter County Cross Country Championship in Birmingham.

Rebecca Mott and Hannah Feathertone both represented their county school teams at a recent inter counties fixture.  They again ran with credit in the U13 girls' 3k event at Alton Towers finishing 196^th and 218^th respectively.  They will each spend a further year in the U13 age group where they will both be looking for top 100 finishes next year.

Rebecca and Hannah were supported in the U13 girls by Ellie Gaines, 296^th; Emily Robertshaw,  314^th; Charlotte Scurr, 359^th and Kate Carmichael 363^rd,  to take 35^th place in the team event and in doing so finish as the top U13 girls team from the North East.

The U13 boys' event saw the Harriers field a relatively inexperienced team with a number of bottom aged athletes.  However, they performed credibly finishing as 33^rd team and again, as with the U13 girls, the top team from the North East.  The individual U13 boys' performances were Josh Hetherington, 297^th; George Peden, 318; Robert Temperley,  324^th; Sean Haycock, 325 and Kieran Ferrey, 326^th.

As part of her preparations for representing Cleveland Schools County team at the English Schools' Cross Country Championships Abi Hearmon ran a strong race in the U15 girls' 4k event to finish 193rd. 

In the senior men's event or 10k both Scott Hydon and Jason Catterall ploughed their way through the unforgiving mud to finish in 923^rd and 1122^nd respectively.

The Harriers were represented in the U15 boys' event over 4.5k by Seb Reichel, 180^th; Sam Hearmon, 284^th; Joe Potts, 292^nd and Joe Worley 319^th.  These performances contributed to the U15 boys' team finishing in 28^th position and again as with U13 Girls and Boys they were the first team home from the North East.

Neptune Relays

There was a great night of racing and some good competition at the Neptune Relays in hardwick Park on Wednesday 20th April.  42 teams took part and the winners were Sedgefield Mens 'A' with Ben Hetherington, Richard Bayles, Jonathan Baines and Ian Blakemore finishing in 36:22 overall for the 4x 1.7 mile course.  Jonathan Baines recorded the best time of the night in 8:39 only 17secs behind Brian Rushworth's course record of 8:22 in 2010.  Full results are now on the web site - see 'About Us - Club Races - Neptune Relays'.  We look forward to seeing everyone again next year.

County Durham Sport recognise Sedgefield Harriers

County Durham Sport have recognised Sedgefield Harriers achievement in gaining clubmark.  See here for details.

County Durham Sport Newsletter December 2010

Annual Junior Awards Presentation Night - Saturday 26th November

The annual junior awards presentation night will be held this year on saturday 26th November starting at 6.45pm.  To accomodate the ever growing numbers of junior athletes and their parents the event will be held this year at Sedgefield Cricket Club.

We will be celebrating the achievements of the Junior Harriers in the past year, including presenting the Academy Awards certificates and Club Trophies!

Tickets cost £2 per person(children under 6 free) and are on sale on Wednesday 2 November at the junior session. Tickets are limited and available on a first come first served basis.

The night will be presented by the children, sharing their experiences at club events from the past year. Volunteers from Junior Harriers are needed to say a few words about Harriers events they have participated in.

There will also be a raffle with some great prizes, and a quiz at 20.30 hosted by Gareth James.

Make sure you buy your ticket early!

Summer Club Run 25.5.11

The first summer club run, new to a Tuesday evening, will take place on Tuesday 25th May.  The run will be over a distance of 5 or 6 miles at a comfortable pace with a social and inclusive nature.  Starting from the gates of the cricket club at 7.30pm. the route will be off road.  The run will be followed by a social drink in the Nags Head at 9.00pm.

More info (if needed) from Jonathan Wallace.

Charlie Spedding for Club Dinner in November

Olympic Marathon bronze medallist and London Marathon winner Charlie Spedding will be our guest at this years club dinner in Novemeber.  This continues the clubs tradition of excellent speakers following Sharon Gayter, Commonwealth Gold Medallist Utra Marathon runner and European indoor 3000m Champion John Mayock.  Charlie Spedding who originates from Ferryhill remains the last GB male athlete to win a medal in the Olympic marathon, the last GB male athlete to win the London Marathon and the GB male national marathon record holder.  Full details of the dinner which will be held for the first time at the Hardwick Arms will be confirmed soon.

Launch of Sunderland City 10k  -  9.3.11

The Sunderland City 10k organsied by Sunderland City Council and Steve Cram was launched today at the National Glass Centre Sunderland.  Ean Parsons and Scott Hydon were invited along on behalf of Sedgefield Harriers.  The event, which takes place on 26th June takes in the best of Sunderalnd including the Stadium of Light, the National Glass Centre, the Winter Gardens and the seafront and marina.  More details are in the press release  Sunderland 10k.  Entries are open now including on-line entries.

Strength and Conditioning Coach Visit

On Monday 7th March Julie Twaddle of the English Institute of Sport will be visiting the club to deliver two sessions, the first to the junior endurance group between 6pm and 7pm and the second to the seniors between 7pm and 8pm.  This visit is a 'Flying Coach' visit and is primarily aimed at providing guidance to coaches on delivering strength and conditioning.  The sessions will have benefit to our junior and senior coaches.  The sessions will be delivered to club junior and senior athletes and club members are therefore very welcome to attend to benefit directly from Julie's expertise.
 
The Flying Coach scheme is a part of England Athletics' programme of providng support and education to club coaches and we are very fortunate to have a session like this happening on our doorstep in Sedgefiled to support the work that is going on.
 
Strength and Conditioning is a cornerstone to the development of any athlete, whatever their age, and can give significant benefits in performance, especially if delivered correctly and encompassing the correct focus for a particular sport or activity.  It has special relevance to our coaching of junior athletes at Sedgefield where we are ensuring that we are adopting a coordinated development programme for juniors athletes to acheive their potential and acheive success.
 
A number of our junior and senior athletes are already benefiting from the junior and senior strength and conditioning sessions that take place at the college every Monday evening, funded by the club.
 
Julie Twaddle is a eminent coach of Strength and Conditioning based in the North East for the English Institute of Sport.

Hardwick Park Time Trial 22.1.11

Standings following the first time trial held in Hardwick Park on Saturday 22nd January are now on the web site at Hardwick Park Time Trial . Twenty four runners took part including runners from Newton Aycliffe and Blyth RC.

New Time Trial

The new time trials starts on Saturday 22nd January at a new time and over a new route.  You can start anytime between 9.00am and 9.30am from the visitor centre at Hardwick Park.  Time Trial organiser Mike Leakey will take your time as you set off and record your finish time.  The new time trial has been brought about following discussion and feedback at the club AGM in October.  A positive spin-off is that Gary Hetherington's sessions will not now be interupted once a month which will benefit training.  The time trial is a 2-lap course covering a total distance of 5km.  Further details here.

Gerry Kearsley Winter Handicap Results 15.1.11

The Gerry Kearsley Winter Handicap was run on Saturday 15th January in wet but warm conditions with lots of mud.  The overall winner was Andy Lowes (unattached) from South Shields who ran off a handicap of 17 minutes.  First Sedgefield Man was Jason Caterrall and first Sedgefield Woman was Susan Wallace.  Fastest man over the course was Will Horsley of Elvet Striders in a run time of 37:52 and fastest woman was Rosie Warnett of Sedgefield Harriers in a time of 48:30.  The handicapping again proved pretty accurate as all but two of the 61 runners returned in a spread of ten minutes. Full results at ...

/results/club-races.aspx

Club Women Lead the Way to London

Diane Baines (third time lucky!) and Jo James were the 'lucky' winners in the annual draw for the club places in the London Marathon.  The draw takes place each year at the clubs Christmas Do in the Nags Head.  Diane and Jo now join a group of six women from Sedgefield Harriers aiming for the London Marathon on 17th April; Gail Bell, Emma Craig, Rosie Warnett and Helen Parsons being the others.  This is a fantastic turn out and is really building a strong tradition of entry to the London from the club.  Club men in line to take part are Gary Hetherington and Anthony Long.

New Grand Prix Format for 2011

As discussed at the AGM changes have been made to the format of the Grand Prix in order to:

• make it more competitive
• support other local clubs, many of whom support our own races
• encourage even more of our own members to take part!

 The new style Grand Prix will work like this:

• 9 races between January and September
• Best 6 races (in terms of points scored) count
• 5 points for the winner, then 4, 3 - and everyone running the race will get 2 points
• 10 extra / bonus points for those running all 9 races
• 3 extra / bonus points for every PB achieved in a GP race

As always, while we will try to get up to speed with who has entered what through race results where available, you should let Rosie know the details of races you have competed in and your finishing time / position. You will also need to let Rosie know if you have achieved a PB over that particular distance.

Prizes will be awarded to the Male and Female winners at next year's Annual Dinner, October / November 2011.

Races

1.       Old Monks, Hart (Jan)

2.       Castleton Beacon (Feb)

3.       Dent (March)

4.       North Tyneside 10k (April)

5.       Pier to Pier (May)

6.       Redcar Half Marathon (June)

7.       Darlington Pitstop 10k (July)

8.       Ray Harrison Memorial 10k (August)

9.       Jelly Tea Race (September)

The first race is the Old Monks on 9 January. For those who havent done it before its a multi-terrain race over about 5.5 / 6 miles, and organised by Burn Road Harriers, Hartlepool. It starts and finishes at Hart Village and is a good local race which should get the Grand Prix off to a good start in the New Year. Forms for the Old Monks can be found at this link:

http://www.hartlepoolburnroad.co.uk/fixtures

We will shortly update the website with this Grand Prix info - and add details of confirmed dates when we have them.

100 Races

Sometime over the holiday period someone from Sedgefield Harriers will run in the 100^th race for the club this year.  A remarkable achievement that many clubs would be envious of.  See 'club results' for details.  If anyone has time to spare over the holiday period maybe they would like to work out who has done the most races and any other interesting stats!

London Marathon Directory

The Official register of London Marathon Runners 2001 - 2010 has been published.  Details - Directory of London Marathon Runners 2001-2010

John Mayock at Annual Dinner

European Indoor 3000m Champion and three times Olympian John Mayock was guest at the club's annual dinner at the Dun Cow on 12^th November.

John gave an excellent account of his career with anecdotes ranging from rooming with Linford Christie and John Regis to training with Hicham El Geurroj and working for Brendan Foster.  In an excellent night at the Dun Cow Marie Walker was voted Club Member of the Year for her work for the club over the year and Roger Whitehill as Club Runner of the Year for his 10k performances.  Members were joined by English 800m Champion Stacey Smith, England Athletics Club and Coach Support Officer John Stacey, Alf Walton Sponsor of the Sedgefield Seroentine and Peggy Kearsley Sponsor of the Gerry Kearsley Memorial Handicaps.

More information about the dinner at …

Club Dinner 2010

Roger and Marie Take Club Awards

Roger Whitehill has been voted by members at the Club Dinner as Club Runner of the Year and Marie Walker as the Club Member of the Year for 2010.

Roger was recognised for the award for his performances over 10k in 2010 when he has continued his impressive record of sub-40 times.  Marie's recognition is fully deserved and is for the massive amount of work she contributes to the club both as a junior coach and now as a committee member.  Marie was recognised in the Club Focus feature on the England Athletics web site (see link).

See the link below for a list of all of the nominee's.

Nominations for Runner of the Year and Member of the Year

England Athletics Club Focus - Sedgefield Harriers

Club Awarded Clubmark Status

Sedgefield Harriers have been awarded Clubmark Status by national governing body England Athletics. The status means that the club meets the required standards in things like management, environment and safeguarding young people.  It is the culmination of a lot of work led by Clubmark Coordinator Jo James.  The status is primarlily aimed at the junior section of the club but is regarded as a wider measure of the Club's management and structure.  More importantly, Clubmark status is nationally recognised across all sports organisations and allows partners the confidence to work with and support the club financially and practically.  The Clubmark certificate was presented to the club at the junior presentation night on Friday 8th October by England Athletics Club Coach and Support Officer John Stacey.

Club Focus - England Athletics

England Athletics have featured Sedgefield Harriers in their latest Club Focus feature on their web site for the North East.  Follow this link ….

England Athletics Club Focus - Sedgefield Harriers

Junior Cross Country Squad 2010/11

Fixtures, covering letters and entry forms for the Junior Squad cross countries are now available in the junior area of the web site.  Head Coach Scott Hydon has identified the fixtures that he would like the junior squad to target this winter.  The fixtures include the Northern Cross Country Championships which are on our doorstep in Sunderland in January and also details of the opportunity to compete for the club in Brussels before Christmas.

Follow this link for details

Junior Cross Country Squad 2010/11

Serpentine Trail Race 12.9.10

Terry Wall of Morpeth Harriers returned to defend the title he had won for the past two years and successfully saw off challenges from Mike Jefferies of NYM AC, James Askew of Newton Aycliffe AC and Andy Chadfield of Billingham Marsh House Harriers, with a time of 35:39 over the tough and varied trail course.  In the ladies race Sarah Jane Oates of Crook was first in a time of 46:129 ahead of Janet Raper of Sedgefield Harriers, herself a previous winner of the event.  Sedgefield Harrier Gary Hetherington was first male from Sedgefield and also winner of the Vet-50 prize.  There was an excellent turn-out of 123 runners for the race which was run for the first time from Sedgefield Cricket Club.  The weather was very kind with a warm sunny morning and runners and their families enjoyed a BBQ provided by Sedgefield Scouts.

Serpentine Trail Race 12.9.10 - Results

U13 Boys Win at Jarrow 8.9.10

The Junior Harriers U13 Boys Relay Team were find winners in their race at the Jarrow Relay Championships held at Monkton Stadium on 8^th September.  Sprinter George Pilkington set the team up with a storming first leg for George Peden, Ryan Chatt and Josh Hetherington to follow.  The club also had teams in the U13 and U15 Girls races and all aquitted themselves well despite most competitors being at bottom age in their age group or running in the age group above.  Sedgefield were up against Gateshead Harriers, Durham City Harriers, Chester-Le-Street AC and other established clubs on a night of competitive racing.

Record Junior Numbers - 8.9.10

Wednesday 8th September was the first junior session after the school summer holidays, although Harriers carries on right through without a break.  There have been higher than normal summer attendances by juniors of around 40.  The fist week after the summer is always an interesting time to see which faces return and see if there are any new faces - maybe after watching athletics championships on TV or talking to friends who are already members.  But the coaches could not have anticipated that 76 juniors would come along.  Attendances before the summer numbered around 55 -60.  On Wednesday 8^th September 11 juniors were at Jarrow competing in the Jarrow Relay Championships and 65 juniors came to the session at the Community College.  These are fantastic numbers and means that the club has a real depth of talent and potential for the future.  It is also apparent, and natural, that not all of the talent lies in endurance, we are beginning to see the development of skills and ability in sprints, jumps and throws.  It all bodes well for the future and is quite remarkable for a community the size of Sedgefield.  It seems that among young people Harriers is the place to be on a Wednesday!

Sedgefield Harriers  5^th Birthday

Sedgefield Harriers marked their 5^th birthday on Tuesday 7^th September with a run from Sedgefield Cricket Club and around Hardwick Park Lake.  A good turnout of Seniors and Juniors enjoyed some warm evening sunshine.  The Northern Echo covered the event with a photographer there to record the anniversary for posterity.

Clare is Steelman

 Regular Triathlete and member of Darlington Tri Club, Sedgefield Harrier Clare Westwood took a step up from her usual sprint triathlon distance to complete her first Steelman Triathlon on 3^rd July.  The Steelman is half an Ironman in terms of distance. The swim took place in the open water of Ellerton Lake near Scorton in North Yorkshire.  The bike distance was 58 miles and the run, 12 miles.  Clare finished in a good time of six hours and eleven minutes in 172^nd position.  There were 22 non-finishers!

Ian Blakemore - Ironman

Ian Blakemore took on the Nottingham Outlaw Ironman on Sunday 8^th August at the National Watersports Centre.  The swim of 2.4 miles was in the Regatta Lake at the Watersports Centre, the bike of 112 miles took in three loops of Southwell and back to the centre and was followed by the 26.2 miles marathon in and out of Nottingham City Centre.  Ian completed the whole course in 11hrs and 29mins, an excellent result.

Sedgefield Youth Awards 23.7.10

The annual Sedgefield Youth Awards were held in Ceddesfeld Hall, Sedgefield on Friday 23^rd July.  The awards are well attended and organisations including, SPYS (Sedgefield Players Youth Section), the Scouts, Sedgefield Junior Football Club and the Primary Schools are represented as well as the Junior Harriers.  The is a lot of competition and nominations for awards and the Junior Harriers were delighted to receive the Junior Sports Team of the Year award for 2010.  The award was received by Jonathan Baines.  Marie Walker received recognition for her excellent junior coaching sessions by being awarded the Youth Leader of the Year award, a decision which was warmly greeted by all those present.

Sedgefield Sports Awards - 23.7.10

The annual Sedgefield Town Council Sports and Community Awards are being staged on Friday 23^rd July at Sedgefield Racecourse.  The awards are sponsored by the Round Table and presentations are made by the mayor.  Sedgefield Junior Harriers have won on the previous two occasions and coaches Scott Hydon and Ean Parsons have also been previously recognised.

Brinsworth 10k: Well done Katherine Crosby …

In a marvelous effort Sedgefield Harrier Katherine Crosby organized the Brinsworth 10k in South Yorkshire along with her cousins on Sunday 4^th July in memory of her uncle Kevin Robinson who passed away last year after suffering from Cancer.  Kevin was 68 years old and is sadly missed by all of his family.  A keen runner, he was to be seen regularly running around Brinsworth.  Katherine and her family thought it would be a fitting tribute to organize a run in his memory and so it seems did a lot of other people because 263 runners took part.  All of the entry fee of £5 for each runner went to a cancer charity.   Four  Harriers, Rob Morrison, Jonathan Wallace, Diane Baines and Kerryanne Everett made the three hour round trip to support Katherine.  Well  done to all involved.

Brinsworth 10k Pics

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Good Times at Redcar

A good contingent from Sedgefield Harriers 'enjoyed' the wet conditions at the Redcar Half Marathon to record good times and positions in the race.  Ian Blakemore was first Harrier in a time of 1:21:41 and 41^st position overall in the race which was also the North East half marathon championships.  The fast flat route started at the Marske end of Redcar seafront and headed off along the seafront before joining the Trunk Road for an out-and-back loop past Lackenby.  The conditions were overcast with some drizzle, which kept competitors cool and spectators damp.  Richard Bayles recorded 1:25:35, Gareth Bell 1:27:59, Graeme Addison 1:30:43, Ean Parsons 1:33:13, Christine Hearmon 1: 53:40, Barry Durham 1:53:52, Susan Smith 1:56:29 and Emma Craig 157:10.  The bare results only tell half the story; it was Graeme Addison's second half marathon, the last being the Great North Run in 1993, he was seven minutes faster this time; Gareth Bell beat his previous best; it was Ean Parsons' best time since 1987!; Susan Smith and Emma Craig achieved personal targets of running under 2 hours.  This was a strong set of results for the Harriers.  While the senior race was going on Sedgefield Harriers juniors made their own contribution to a successful day; Ben Hetherington and Abie Hearmon were individual winners of the male and female events in the 3km family fun run.

Volunteers Evening  18.5.10

The club held a volunteers evening in Ceddesfeld Hall on Tuesday 18^th May.  Twenty Five 'stakeholders' in the club attended including members and junior parents.  Chair, Ean Parsons gave a presentation summarising the evolution of the club and its current scope and activities.  Head Coach Scott Hydon then gave his view of the future potential of the club and England Athletics Club & Coach Support Officer John Stacey gave his view of Sedgefield Harriers.  In the second half of the evening Ean Parsons described the importance of volunteers in the club achieving its potential and John Stacey described the support available for training, education and mentoring.  The evening provided a lot of food for thought and there were some strong expressions of interest from those present to help in the future development of Sedgefield Harriers.

There will be follow-up actions from the evening which will ensure that the volunteers who have come forward will be able to use their skills and commitment to contribute to the club.

Scott takes North Eastern Gold again

Scott Kippin won U17 boys gold medal in the 400m at the North Eastern Championships at Gateshead Stadium on 8th May.  Running as 'bottom age' Scott recorded 52.3 secs. in the final to take Gold, over a second ahead of Oliver Walker from Gateshead Harriers.  Scott followed up with a Silver in the 800m the following day in a time of 2:03.19 behind Cameron Boyek of Shildon AC.

Harriers at the Pier to Pier

Ten Sedgefield Harriers competed at Sunderland Strollers' Pier to Pier Race on Sunday 16th May.

New Daytime Running Session

Since March, Kerryanne Everett has introduced a daytime session aimed at novice runners. The sessions are held in Hardwick Park every Tuesday, starting at 9:45am. Please contact Kerry for more details at andycoll28@hotmail.com.

Local Heroes - 10.4.10

Sedgefield Ladies took the team prize at New Marske Harriers' Mermaid 10k on Good Friday, pipping North York Moors by a few seconds. Julia Atkinson-Tait, Rosie Sims and Janet Raper recorded 129mins 06secs combined. Gary Hetherington was first male vet50 in a time of 34:27 and sixth overall. At the North Tyneside 10k on Easter Sunday Gail Bell who is going well at the moment was first Sedgefield Harrier finished in a pb of 43:18. Gail is currently leading the senior ladies category in the North York Moors Winter Fell race series going into the last race, the Gisborough Moors on Sunday. It was good to see that the Harriers had twenty different individual runners competing in the Mermaid and the North Tyneside over Easter weekend and that the runners covered a spread of abilities and experience highlighting not only the participation levels at the club but also the clubs policy of inclusion, involving all runners no matter what personal goals they have.

Harriers Women win in Marske

The Harriers women were first womens team at the New Marske harriers Mermaid 10k on Good Friday, 2nd April.  Julia Atkinson-Tait, Rosie Sims and Janet Raper were the three ladies to count, narrowly beating North York Moors AC including Sharon Gayter.  In the same event Gary Hetherington was 6th overall and first over-50's male vet.  Julia Atkinson-Tait was firts woman over-40 vet.

Harriers Women Win in Marske

Sedgefield Ladies took the team prize at New Marske Harriers' Mermaid 10k on Good Friday, pipping North York Moors by a few seconds.

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Article in Sedgefield New May10

The North York Moors Winter Fell Race series came to an end on the 11^th April with the traditional Gisborough Moors Race run over 12.5 miles south of Guisborough and taking in Roseberry Topping and Captain Cooks Monument.  Graeme Addison, Matthew Jones, Gail Bell and Ean Parsons have been regulars over the winter in the eleven race series.  New member Janet Raper was 2^nd V45 lady in the final race while Gail Bell was joint winner of the senior ladies category and Ean Parsons was third in the Vet50 men's category for the series.  On Good Friday Sedgefield Ladies won the team prize in the competitive Mermaid 10k organized by New Marske Harriers and run along the seafront between Marske and Redcar.  The team included Julia Atkinson-Tait, Rosie Sims and Janet Raper.  The Harriers had a turn-out of 20 different individual runners at the Mermaid 10k and 2 days later at the North Tyneside 10k on Easter Sunday, an achievement unlikely to be matched by other clubs in the region.  This turn out illustrates the appeal of the club to all abilities and the success of the club in encouraging participation.

The Harriers have introduced two new running sessions in the past couple of months.  In partnership with Durham Sport a session aimed at Young Women has been introduced in Hardwick Park at 5.15pm each Wednesday and has focused on beginners, developing confidence and ability.  Another session has been introduced by Club Member and Run Leader Kerryanne Everret in Hardwick Park at 9.45am every Tuesday with similar aims and both sessions have been successful in encouraging those new to running.

As usual at this time of year there are a lot of races available for runners to enter and Harrier Rob Morrison should be congratulated on entering the Glenlivet 10k in his native Scotland for which he not surprisingly received a dram.

The success of the new beginners running groups and the participation of twenty runners of all abilities in two races at Easter shows that the Harriers appeal to runners of all abilities whether they run for fitness, socially or to compete.  Anyone requiring more information can contact Ean Parsons on 07771 828 568 or ean2005@hotmail.co.uk.

Sedgefield News - 19.4.10 - Sedgefield Harriers Juniors

Sedgefield Harriers Juniors had another excellent day at the Anne Marie Redshaw Open Track & Field Meeting at Shildon on 18^th April.

The star performance has to go to the under 13 girls for taking 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd in the Shot with Zoe Dobson (4.92m), Megan Devine (4.52m) and Elise Brown (3.81m).  George Pilkington again showed his potential by adding the under-13 boys 100m 1^st place, out-sprinting a Chester-Le-Street athlete, to his 60m 1^st from last years meeting in the younger age group; an excellent performance considering he is 'bottom age' meaning he was racing against boys a year older in this prestigious meeting.

One of the stand-out performances from any club at the whole meeting was from Sedgefield Harrier Scott Kippen who took first place in the under-17 boys 800m.  This was only the second time Scott has competed over 800m having taken first place in his previous outing in a County Durham Athletics Network meeting at Maiden Castle.  With 200m to go Scott was in 5th approximately 10m behind the leader but then he kicked at the 150m mark making up five metres in a few strides taking him to second place and then in the home straight he out-sprinted the leader in a breathtaking finish to win by a margin of 5m in an excellent time of 2:03.  An hour later Scott went on to compete at his more usual distance of 400m and took first place in 53.5 seconds.  Like George Pilkington Scott was competing at bottom age against older runners.

Junior athletes representing the Harriers were Tom Flatters (60m, L.Jump), Joesph Devine (60m, L.Jump), Emily Robertshaw (100m), Naomi Morgan (60m, 600m), Zoe Carr (60m, 600m), Kate Carmichael (60m, 600m, L.Jump), Cleo Waggott (60m, 600m, L.Jump), Eleanor James (60m, 600m, L.Jump), Amy Carr (60m, L.Jump), Josh Hetherington (60m), Sadie Able (150m, 600m), Ellie Gaines (800m), Elise Brown (Shot, 800m, L.Jump), Emily Robertshaw (800m), Rory Varley (800m, 3000m), Scott Kippen (400m, 800m), Seb Reichal (300m), Gemma Varley (3000m), Ben Hetherington (3000m), Lucy Robertshaw (L.Jump, C.Ball), Zoe Dobson (Shot, L.Jump), Megan Devine (Shot, L.Jump), Adam Flatters (L.Jump), George Pilkington (100m, L.Jump).

The meeting brought success for some athletes and - equally important - competition experience for others.  All of the athletes acquitted themselves well representing their club. The numbers competing and the diverse range of events are a testament to the range of disciplines the Harriers are able to offer young people wishing to try athletics.  Every Wednesday the coaches at the club cover a lot of ground, developing skills.  The club provides an excellent opportunity not only for young athletes of all abilities but also for anyone wishing to get involved in coaching or assisting coaches.  By assisting a coach with a session it enables the coach to spend more time with the development of individual children.  More information from Scott Hydon 07883 886 305.

Win for Aycliffe at the Neptunes

Aycliffe AC A team produced a great performance led off by James Askew to beat of Brian Rushworths Sunderland Harriers team at the Neptune Relays

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Gary Hetherington finished 4th Vet-50 at this years London Marathon

Evergreen Gary Hetherington felt disappointed at his with his run at this years London Marathon when he finished in 2:45:05!  He had no need to be.  Gary finished 4^th vet-50 and in 317^th place overall.