Sale Harriers Manchester

: 15 May 2025

YDL (lower) Match 1 Wavertree

YDL LOWER MATCH 1 (Liverpool, Wavertree) 3^rd May 2025

PETE SHAW

The YDL (Lower) is a National League for the U13 and U15 boys and girls. Sale Harriers are currently in the NW Premier League against Liverpool, The Isle of Man, Preston, Trafford and Wirral. The winner of the league will go to the National final and the bottom 2 will be relegated to the lower division, NW1.

In the U13 girl's events triple Cheshire champion MILLIE JACKSON had a great day on her club debut, winning the 75m, finishing 2^nd in the Long Jump and 3^rd in the hurdles. The 75m was rated the 4^th best performance of the day by any athlete taking part in the match. Double Cheshire Champions LUCY O'BRIEN had a comfortable win over 800min a fast time and also took part in the high jump and javelin. GRACE BROOMES took part in the maximum four events including a win in the hurdles. ALICE HORSFALL was our best performer in the throws finishing runner-up in the Javelin.

In the U13 boy's events JUDE KERINS and LOUIS FOSTER-WILLETTS were our stars taking part in the maximum four events with Jude a comfortable winner in the long jump. County champion ARTHUR O'HARE ran well to finish 3^rd in a high class 800m.

The U15 girls’ team is our strongest squad as it was during the cross-country season. We won the sprint relay with ASTRID HEMMINGFIELD, ZURIEL SARUMI, EVA ANWYL and AVA BROOMES and these girls dominated in sprints and hurdles events. Our middle distance squad of BEA SOPER, ROBYN HEYWOOD-WOOD, GRACE HILL, CAITLIN WETTERS, MEGAN BOYER and MADDIE APPLEBY are Northern cross-country champions and, as expected, dominated with four victories and two runners-up slots and teamed up with ISABELLE CONNOLLY to finish 2^nd in the 4 x 300m relay. Our hammer throwers gave the club a great start to the day with PHOEBE KERINS and ISOBEL LEAK both winning their events.

In the U15 boys events LEO OGBEIDE ran impressive sprint performances and teamed up with DAN WELLS, MAXIME SARTHOU and ALEXANDER Mc CRINK to win the sprint relay. THIERRY KERR had a great run in the 80m hurdles to finish runner up in a Level 9 performance of 11.85 seconds. NOAH PHILIPPS was a real stalwart taking part in four events including a 3^rd place in the 800m. Our hammer throwers did us proud (as they did in the girl's events) with ADAM CORRY-WILSON and ISAAC WRIGLEY finishing 2^nd in the A event and 1^st in the B.

Liverpool were clear match winners with Sale finishing 4^th but not far behind 2^nd and 3^rd place. Well done to everyone involved especially the officials who contribute to the points tally, Ayo Shonibare, Frank Cordingley, Rebecca Bell, Andrew Webster, James Bailey and Rachel Wrigley. Please let us know if you would like to help at any of the matches. We will lose points if we do not provide enough helpers. An enormous thanks too to CARL WORTHINGTON who as ever brilliantly managed the team.

Future dates stand at the moment as Match 2 Sunday the 1st June at Longford Park, Stretford. Match 3 Sunday 29th of June in Preston. Match 4 Sunday the 20th July at The Oval, Bebbington. The Final will be Saturday the 6th of September 2025

Results

: 05 May 2025

APRIL'S NEWS HEADLINES

April 12th: The men finished 25thin the National 12 Stage Road Relays in Sutton Park, Birmingham, an encouraging improvement on their 'No Finish' in 2024, 28thin 2023 and 33rdin 2022. This placed them 5thNorthern team. PHIL ROBERTSON, NICK BARRY, FINLAY DAY, PAUL PETERS, MAX KIDD-ROSSITER and JOSHUA ANDREW from the Northern team again did the trick joined by GEORGE NOBLE, ADE OLADITI, ALEX BRADFORD, ROBBIE RIGBY, STEVEN MORROW and DAVE HOWLETT. Phil, Nick and Finlay were the club's fastest!

The women have automatic entry to the Nationals (unlike the men) despite not having turned out a team in the Northern Championships. Had it not been for the stalwart behind-the-scenes work of SARAH GOULDEN, last year's National Bronze medallists may not have had a team in this Championship either. Thanks to the three ARMITAGES – L45 Mum, LUCY & SOPHIE, L40 JESSICA WELSH and L50 ANNE CHINOY they did very well to finish 25thand 5thNorthern team behind Leeds City, Salford, Liverpool and Steel City Striders. Lucy, of course, ran one of the day's fastest stages.

April 12th: CHRIS MILES was among the 40,000 in the Milan Marathon. Hefinishedin 2:54:48 just 90 seconds outside his PB achieved in last year's Manchester marathon. He said, “Given the heat of the day and recent injuries, I was pleased to finish my first race abroad and bank another sub-3”.

April 12th: KIRSTY LAW landed her second Commonwealth Games discus qualifying standard in just two days on a competition tour in the United States stretching out to 58.12m, compared with the 55.50m standard for the Games in her Scottish homeland. This placed her top of the early season Great Britain rankings by over two metres.

April 12th: RACHAEL ROZHDESTVENSKAYA representing her employer at their National Revenue & Customs Sports & Leisure (RCSL) annual competition won Gold medals in the 400m, 800m, 3k, the Trail race and led her Manchester region to the overall title.

April 18th: JENNY FOX, TRACEY TAYLOR,WENDY TERRY, MATTHEW GOWRIE and GUY GRUNDY made their 'Ultra' debut in the M2L '50' from Manchester's following the Trans-Pennine Trail and River Mersey (feeling exhausted yet?) all the way to Liverpool! They did exceptionally well. Jenny, Tracey and Wendy finished in just over nine hours - well inside the 14 hour cut-off and being among the top 200 were awarded special Gold medals.

April 19th: At the 70thanniversary of the Rivington Pike Fell race that incorporated the Gtr. Manchester Junior Fell Championships, AMBER KHAN and EMILY HEYS were stars. Amber won her U15 race and Emily was just behind in 3rd both qualifying to represent Gtr. Manchester in the Inter-County Fell Championships. A week later

at a fell race at Horton-in-Ribblesdale in Yorkshire, FLORENCE & BEN CONNOLLY ran brilliantly finishing 3rd and 9th in the U12 race.

April 21st: MATTHEW SPRAGG ran the world's oldest annual marathon – the Boston especially to raise money for the charity MIND. Despite carrying a long-time injury he still recorded 3:29.03

April 27th: LONDON MARATHON: Sale Harriers had fifteen among the 840,000 who applied. Those who best scaled their Everest were:

PHIL ROBERTSON (2:21.35) – a fantastic 6 ½ minute PB on his debut Manchester Marathon last year and 44thoverall including the elite men. Couldn't have gone better!

MARCUS NICHOLSON (2:31.47) – a 5 minute PB on last year's Manchester Marathon

AMY MIDDLEMAST(3:07.24) – a 90 second PB on last year's Amsterdam Marathon

WAYNE SHAW (3:10.10) – 1 minute PB and on track to go sub-3 in Berlin

ALICE WRIGHT (2:50.15) and BARNABY GORDAN (3:11.39) made great Marathon debuts.

BARNABY GORDAN (3:11.39) A 15 minute PB

Others may not have run their fastest on a tropical Sunday but their achievement is nonetheless noteworthy not least that several ran for charity. Alan White, for example, helped raise £50,000 for 'Maggies Centres that help anyone affected by cancer. Well done also to......

ROBERT DUNN (2:36.08) MAX KIDD-ROSSITER (2:36.57)

ALAN WHITE (2:41.05) LAURA BARBER (3:00.23)

OLIVER BARTLETT (3:47.59) ADAM MORAN (4:20.08)

JOHN ARCHER (M70) (4:30.47) JULIA REYNOLDS (5:19.03)

April 27th LONDON MINI-MARATHON: At the time of posting, BEA SOPER & ROBYN HEYWOOD-WOOD represented the North-West in the London Mini-Marathon, a great tribute to these girls ability following in the footsteps of stars like Sir Mo Farah, Eilish Mc Colgan and Keely Hodgkinson. This was Bea's 2nd consecutive selection.

April 27th: Manchester Marathon: On the same day as London, 18 Sale Harriers were among the 36,000. Those who best executed their marathon plan in near tropical conditions were ….

DMITRY ROZHDESTVENSKIY (3:54.42). A massive 1 hour PB on his last and his debut Manchester '24 marathon.

MATTHEW ROUGHLEY (4:12.17). A 30 minute PB on last year's London Marathon

NICHOLAS TYNAN ( 2:46.40) A 25 minute PB on his 2017 Manchester Marathon

JAMES COLLINS (2:53.40) A 6 minute PB on his Amsterdam '24 marathon

They made their marathon debuts: ALEX LAWTON (2:31.42), ALEX BRADFORD (2:40.34), AINE CUNNINGHAM (3:02.38), MARK BARNES (3:57.11), MATTHEW GOWRIE (4:15.35) and KATE GAVIN (4:54.05).

Not their fastest but still deserve congratulations: NICK BARRY (2:29.16), OLIVIER GAILLEMIN (3:02.17), SEAN KEARNS (3:49.42), FRANCIS BROUGHTON (3:54.34), HARRIET HAMILTON (3:57.01) RICHARD OUSEY (4:01.47), CHRIS BUCKLEY (4.24.32) RANJIT BENNETT (4:59.36) and TIM RAINEY (6:15.03).

DAVID BROWN, club President & Chairman, was race starter as he has been for every year of its history and FECHIN Mc CORMICK & DAWN WEATHERLEY represented St. Ann's Hospice working on the baggage drop zone.

(Please inbox me if anything is incorrect or missing and I'll update immediately. Please also ensure that if/when you achieve anything noteworthy particularly wearing the club vest you let me know. Fechin McCormick.

: 02 April 2025

DAVE PROCTOR IS WORLD MASTERS M35 3000m CHAMPION

Dave Procter

Hot on the heels of ANDY ASHURST & GEOFF TYLER winning World Masters Silver medals at the Indoor Championships in Florida, we now know that DAVE PROCTOR became the World Masters Indoor M35 3000m champion, beating two Spaniards. Dave is already the World Masters M35 1500m silver medallist and the 800m bronze medallist from last summer's outdoor championships as well as the 2022 World Masters 1500 champion.

Dave is coached by NORMAN POOLE at Wythenshawe. Wrote Dave on social media,

“This indoor season was only ever meant to be a curiosity challenge to myself; something different to have a go at and see how it went. A longer distance than I’m used to, at the wrong end of the age group, training through a British winter.It turns out, the difference between the impossible and the possible is simply the measure of one’s own determination. I worked hard at something unfamiliar and gave it my best shot, despite setbacks, and that’s what I’m most proud of. Also, having my top support team with me was so special. What a feeling having them there to see me win my second World Title” Congratulations, Dave from all at Sale Harriers.

Winner

Masters champ

3km Champion

: 02 April 2025

March news at Sale Harriers Manchester

March 1st

SUCCESS EDUAN was selected to represent GB & NI in the 4 x 100m at the World Athletics Relays in Guangzhou, China in May. This is such an important selection for Success as UKA are launching the start of a new Olympic cycle heading towards Los Angeles 2028 and are also selecting relay squads with the objective of qualifying for the World Championships in Tokyo later this year. Darren Campbell who is UKA's Head of Sprints, Hurdles and Relays at UK Athletics is also a Sale Harrier Life Member.

March 7th

IAN HOBBS, a long-time Sale Harrier died peacefully. Funeral details in April are elsewhere

March 8th

RACHEL ROZHDESTVENSKAYA recorded a great 18 second PB of 18.22 in the Tameside's 5k.

March 9th

ANDY ASHURST, the club's Seoul Olympian, smashed the UK Vet-60 Pole Vault record indoor and outdoor at Sale Harrier's final indoor promotion of the winter to a new height of 3.70m

March 15th

At the Podium 5k race in Leicestershire, LUCY ARMITAGE recorded an amazing 17 second PB for a new best of 16:24 and OSCAR SCHOFIELD equalled his massive PB of 14.28 a few weeks earlier at February's Armagh International. GEORGE NOBLE (15.08) improved his PB by 5 seconds.

March 20th

The 88th edition of The Harrier was published. 500 copies were distributed in the 1st week including complementary copies to Trevor Painter & Jenny Meadows & their elite training group.

The club's AGM re-elected David Brown as Chairman, Jack Frost as Treasurer and Frank Cordingley as Secretary.

MORRIS JEFFERSON, a Sale Harrier legend died RIP. Tributes paid to him and details of his farewell are elsewhere.

ANDY ROBERTSON took on the fastest in Europe and, aged 34, won the 60m European Indoor bronze medal securing his first ever major championship medal with a time that qualified him for the World Indoor Champs.

March 23rd

The Primary Section held its annual Over The Bales. As ever it was a great success attended by large numbers of local clubs.

Twenty-five Sale Harriers deserve plaudits on their Wilmslow HM (several used it as preparation for April Marathons.). Just DMITRY ROZHDESTVENSKIY celebrated a PB. The hero of the 10k race was CLARE Mc CARRON who completed her first race since her near fatal accident 12 months earlier whilst out running, in which she sustained multiple serious injuries.

NIGEL MARTIN in the Pulford 10k, recorded his 5th sub 30 minutes and was just 10 seconds off his best (29.40). NICHOLAS TYNAN (33.16) and ROBERT DUNN celebrated PB's and L45 SONIA SAMUELS (34.10) consolidated her position as Britain No.1 in her age-group.

March 27th

ANDY ROBERTSON at the World Indoor 60m Championships in China was in the form of his life but crashed out in his heat with a groin injury.

March 29th

ANDY ASHURST & GEOFF TYLER, two Sale Harrier Life Members, won silver medals at World Masters Indoor Championships in Florida. Andy became the World Masters Indoor M60 Silver medallist and Geoff won the M75 Discus Silver medal (Report elsewhere).

March 30th

The senior men's 7th place in the Northern 12 stage championships at Redcar was consistent with recent years. (They were 6th in 2024 on home territory of Wythenshawe, 6th at Redcar in 2023 and 7th at Birkenhead in 2022). NIGEL MARTIN, MAX WHARTON, ANDREW THOMPSON and PHIL ROBERTSON held the team in a brilliant 2nd place for the first four stages, then PAUL PETERS, FINLAY DAY, JOE GODWOOD, DAVID MARSH, WILL ONEK, JOSHUA ANDREW, MATT KIDDROSSITER and PAUL NOBLE held the 'fort' very well against Goliath's Salford, Leeds City and Morpeth. The senior women, last year's Northern 6-Stage champions, who'd recorded their best result for 23 years, did not turn out a team this year. The U17 boys also had the opportunity to retain their Championship title but also did not travel a team.

: 02 April 2025

World Masters

ANDY ASHURST & GEOFF TYLER

WORLD MASTERS SILVER MEDALLISTS

Andy and Geof

ANDY ASHURST & GEOFF TYLER, two Sale Harrier Life Members, at the weekend excelled at the World Masters Indoor Championships in Florida.

Just a few weeks after Andy smashed the UK Vet-60 Pole Vault record Indoor and Outdoor, he became the World Masters Indoor M60 Silver medallist. He came into the competition at the same 3.70m height as made him British champion, cleared it at the first attempt, then cleared 3.85m on his 2nd attempt and 4.00m on his 3rd attempt, his best to take the World M60 Silver medal and greatly improve his British record. This is his latest pinnacle in a long career that began when he became the 1986 Commonwealth Games Pole Vault Champion, the 1988 Seoul Olympian who's represented GB & NI at three Commonwealth Games. He contributes massively to pole vaulting at Sportcity, arguably the best centre in Britain.

Geoff Tyler, also a Sale Harrier Life Member, pivotal to Sale Harriers success from the mid-1970's – mid-90's particularly as the team manager for the Men's British League, won the M75 Discus Silver medal and was disappointed to just miss out on a medal with 4th in the Shot Putt. Geoff holds British M70 Discus & Shot records and is currently No.1 in the UK in the M75 Discus and Shot and 2nd in the Hammer. For 15 years he's been a valued member of Chelmsford AC as a throws coach and a qualified T & F official. He's just published a 498 page biographical book called 'White Pigeon'.

(Photo: Andy & Geoff met to celebrate their World Master's medals)