Saturday 26/10/2024 – Long Eaton

By Men's Team Manager Glenn Savage

3 Womens Team and Mens Manager Glenn V45 Women Bronze

After cancellation in 2023, due to the venue, West Park in Long Eaton, being flooded by Storm Babet, this much-loved event returned to the racing calendar at its traditional home.  Building works in progress at the site resulted in a new course, by and large a reversal of the familiar tried and tested 3km route.  However, it still retained its fast and flat profile, as evidenced by some super-quick times throughout the day. 

Sale Harriers had 4 teams that made the journey to the East Midlands.  These were led by the ladies, who, under the guidance of Team Manager Anne Chinoy, had enjoyed podium finishes at recent BMAF Relays on road and cross country, including silver for our W45 team the last time these championships were held in 2022.

An injury to one of our key W35 runners meant that Anne had to reshuffle the squad in an effort to make us as competitive as we possibly could be in both the W35 & W45 races.  Our W35 A team were relatively inexperienced, but the trio were not daunted by the opposition.  First up was Rachael Rozhdestvenskaya, a consistent performer for the club, and fresh from a recent Sub-3 Marathon PB.  It was clear that a very strong Charnwood outfit were going to take some beating, with the very good Potter twins and former European Cross Country Champion Gemma Steel making up the team, and their intentions were clear from the start.  Nevertheless, Rachael kept a close order and was prominent throughout, giving the team a great start in 4th place (11:57).  Club newcomer Jess Welsh was next.  She didn’t let nerves get the better of her, and ran a great race to take us into 3rd (12:03).  Bizunesh Deggefa represented Sale at last year’s BMAF Road Relays and has clearly got the relay bug now.  Biz is not afraid to mix it at the sharp end. Here, it was a very controlled effort (12:02) to retain 3rd place and bag bronze medals for the team.  Amazing that only 6 seconds separated all 3 ladies – what a consistent team effort! 

V35 Women Bronze

A little further back, our W35 B team were presenting their own challenge.  Newcomer to the veteran ranks, Sarah Goulden, was making a return to racing after some time out.  Sarah gave her usual gutsy performance, coming home in 11th place (14:05).  Club legend Carla Ousey dropped down an age group (you wouldn’t know it, looking at the evergreen Mrs Ousey), and her solid run, finishing in 13th place (15:15), even included the customary double thumbs-up for the cameras!  The baton then passed to Harriet Hamilton, another club stalwart.  Despite still recovering from the tough Yorkshire Marathon only 6 days before, Harriet ran a storming leg (12:24) to bring the team home in 10th place and 1st B Team.

As previously mentioned, our W45 team had enjoyed some success at recent BMAF Relays, so hopes were high that we could yet again challenge for medals.  Team Manager Anne Chinoy led the team out.  Anne is another recovering from a recent marathon (Chester), but this didn’t get in the way of another excellent performance.  Anne ended the first leg with the team in 2nd place, and her 12:25 was the 4th fastest W45 time of the day.  The team reshuffling meant that Caroline Kinghorn, a W55 runner, answered the call and dropped an age group to the W45 team.  She didn’t let anybody down, finishing her leg in 3rd place (14:47), with a fantastic run.  Caroline was starting to get excited at the prospect of a medal, and it was understandable with the reliable Helen Armitage on the last leg.  Helen didn’t disappoint, making that 3rd place her own, and storming on to the podium, her 12:56 being the 6th quickest W45 time.

The call to arms had been met with a rather muted response from our veteran men, and we were just represented by one team at these championships.  But what a team it was!  It has not gone unnoticed that in recent times we have had a number of elite Sale athletes moving into the M35 ranks, and their availability for events such as this would represent a great opportunity to win medals.

Will Onek, an 800 metres specialist, was well equipped to take on the hustle and bustle of the first leg.  Many clubs will put their faster runners on this stage to get the best possible start.  Will certainly got us off to a great start, coming home in 3rd place in 9:50.  The Charnwood runner who led on the first leg was their only runner, which effectively left us in 2nd place as leg 2 got underway.  Nigel Martin had made a recent return to racing following a long term injury problem, and his fitness is clearly coming back, as he wasted no time in closing the gap on Salford’s Joe Bailey, before opening up an impressive lead.  His time of 9:10 was the second fastest of the day.  It was shaping up to be a straight battle between us and Salford, but at this stage it went somewhat unnoticed that Bristol & West were making steady progress through the field.

Marathon runner Rob Dunn could have been forgiven for feeling like a hunted man, as he set off on leg 3 with the rest of the field chasing him.  It certainly didn’t affect his running, as his 9:59 maintained a healthy lead with just 2 legs remaining.  Leg 4 saw a superb run from Nick Barry, his 9:22 being the joint 4th fastest of the day, and identical to the Salford runner on the same leg, meaning the lead had not been shortened.  When Carl Hardman set off on leg 5 for Salford, it soon became apparent that, barring a disaster, he would not catch our Phil Richardson, and gold medals were looking increasingly more likely.  However, there was to be a twist in the tale.  As Phil emerged into the long straight just before the final turn, it was evident that Salford had been overtaken by Bristol & West, whose leg 5 runner, Ben Robinson, was on his way to the fastest time of the day (8:51), and making inroads into what seemed an unassailable lead for us.  Clearly, Phil had something in reserve (he wasn’t on the glory leg without justification), and a posse of Sale runners and supporters shouted him home to a brilliant victory, the gap being just 13 seconds at the finish.  Phil’s time of 9:22 was also the joint 4th fastest of the day.

All in all, it was a hugely successful and very enjoyable day.  These championships are well worth supporting.  They provide an excellent standard of competition, but they are also very friendly events, and typify the great camaraderie that exists within the running community.

Well done Sale Harriers Manchester!Mens Gold

Lakeland 5

On 1st September 2023, Victoria decided to step into the world of ultra-running. In reality, her decision likely came earlier, watching her husband (me) tackle the Lakeland 50. Anyone fortunate enough to have participated in this event knows how captivating and inspiring it can be. Victoria had never run more than 13.1 miles, so when she casually said, “I think I'll run 50 miles,” it perfectly captured the essence of the weekend and how easily you can be drawn into this massive challenge.

Questions start flooding in: Where do you begin? How do you train, fuel, and what gear do you need? But before anything else, you have to secure a spot. The first hurdle is getting into the race, as becoming a Lakeland legend is highly coveted. Due to its immense popularity, the organizers have introduced a ballot system, and with 6,000 entries for just 2,000 spots, the odds aren’t in everyone’s favour.

Fortunately, both Victoria and I (Duane) succeeded in the ballot, so the training began. Having completed it the previous year, I knew where I had gone wrong—I didn’t do enough hill training. The Lakeland 50/100 takes place in the rugged Lake District, and the 50-mile course boasts a daunting 3,100 meters of elevation, which is a challenge to train for in relatively flat Manchester.

Neither of us followed the training plan perfectly, and we didn’t log as many miles as we should have. However, we did manage multiple recce trips on the course, each presenting its own challenges. Unlike race day, where there are checkpoints for refreshments, these practice runs required us to be self-sufficient for long stretches, even foraging for water along the way.

The big day arrived on 27th July 2024. Armed with a plentiful supply of Tailwind and having completed one final kit check, we bid farewell to the Cordingley clan in Coniston. They were off to Ambleside for their traditional tourist Parkrun while we boarded coaches that would take us to the starting line. The weather was unpredictable—typical of the Lakes—and we were drenched by the time we boarded the buses. Sitting soaked for the entire ride wasn’t ideal, and traffic delays meant we were cutting it close to the 11:30 a.m. start, but we made it with just enough time to spare.

The race started in waves to prevent congestion on the narrow paths. Our first mistake was starting with our waterproofs on, as despite the rain, it was warm. We quickly shed the layers, and they stayed packed away for the rest of the race as the rain cleared and the sun made an appearance, turning the day into something spectacular.

Wearing our club colours turned out to be a real blessing. Even miles away from Manchester, I was surprised by how many times I heard people shout, “Go on, SALE!” Hearing those words helped keep us motivated throughout the race.

The course begins in Dalemain, tracing the eastern shoreline of Ullswater toward Howtown. After a quick climb, we faced the biggest ascent, followed by a punishing descent into Haweswater. The descent was brutal, possibly the worst many had ever encountered. Slippery and treacherous, it led to several falls, including mine, much to the playful cheers of those around me. Victoria followed suit shortly after, but her fall was more dramatic. Along the overgrown path beside Haweswater, the thick bracken hid the unstable ground. When Victoria stepped down, the path gave way, sending her sliding down the slope. Luckily, quick reflexes allowed her to grab onto the bracken and save herself from injury.

We reached the Mardale Head checkpoint, refuelled, and then pressed on through several more challenging climbs. Finally, we entered Ambleside, where the Cordingley family and a crowd of supporters were waiting.

The support in this little town is beyond words. Running through Ambleside makes you feel like a superstar, with streets packed with cheering spectators and every pub and bar buzzing with encouragement. After 35 miles, seeing familiar faces gave us the energy we needed for the final 15 miles. "Just 15 miles left," you might think—but I knew that meant another 6 gruelling hours, and this section would be run in complete darkness, with only our head torches and the lights of fellow runners to guide the way.

The night sky was breath-taking, filled with stars shining in all their glory. Victoria led the way for the rest of the race, showing incredible strength, especially on the uphills. We finally arrived in Coniston at 3 a.m., greeted by Jackie Cordingley, Ella, and Mia, our eldest daughters, who had stayed up to see us finish.

We crossed the finish line in 15 hours and 17 minutes—and loved every minute of it.

I have now signed up for the Lakeland 100 next year and Vicky has entered the 50 again.

ontrack

Marcus Nicholson

Hi everyone, I am a runner in the endurance section at Sale and have recently opened up my brand new physio clinic 'OnTrack physio' near Crossford Bridge in Sale. I have experience with everything from paediatrics to elderly rehab in the NHS, military and sporting settings. I now specialise in running and sports injuries but can assess and treat much more! See my website for full details of services.

All Sale Harrier members, including junior sections, are currently offered 25% discount across all my services. I also work with most major insurers for anyone with private health insurance.

I will also work with Fechin's 'dire needs fund' to offer physiotherapy to those juniors experiencing financial hardship. This is absolutely free for the athlete. I am making arrangements to run some clinics at the Etihad campus to make this more accessible. Coaches, parents, athletes - please get in touch if you know of any athletes that would benefit from this service.

Follow my pages for news and updates:

>>ontrackphysio.co.uk
>>Facebook
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Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Phone: 07519728784

If you have any questions or events that would benefit from physio/sports massage support get in touch.

Best wishes,
Marcus

JULY NEWS IN BRIEF

Fechin Mc Cormick

UK SENIOR T & F CHAMPIONSHIPS

Sale Harriers had twenty-one of its top T & F specialists among the nation’s best at the UK Senior Championships at Sportcity and this year had two bronze medallists – U23 pole vaulters SOPHIE ASHURST and LAZARUS BENJAMIN.

ENGLISH SCHOOL T & F CHAMPIONSHIPS

Sale Harrier kids did fantastic at the prestigious ESAA English Schools T & F Championships Those at the top of their game were:

  • ANNABEL AMADIN went one better than last year to become this year's Shot Putt National Champion.
  • MOLLY MILLS won the English Schools Intermediate 300m Hurdles silver medal with a PB of 43.62 that ranked her 3rd nationally and came within a whisker of Faye Harding's long standing club record of 43.20 set in Hungry in 2001.
  • FREYA DOCKERTY, last year's 110m Hurdles bronze medallist was crowned the ESAA Senior 100m Hurdles champion.
  • NEILA CHUKWU made the Junior 100m final, then ran the 3rd leg of the 4x100m to win Team gold for Gtr. Manchester by a mile.
  • LIAM O’BRIEN a year young just missed the 400m bronze medal in a PB of 46.37
  • MIA WALKER, also a year young, just missed out on the bronze medal.

MOLLY MILLS ENGLAND DEBUT.

MOLLY MILLS made her England debut, representing England Schools in the 300m Hurdles at the SAAB Home International at Carmarthen. She was selected on her 43.62 performance and silver medal at the England Schools championships.

RACHAEL & SUCCESS DIP UNDER 23

SUCCESS EDUAN and RACHAEL BENNET both dipped under 23 seconds for the first time, Success at an international in Switzerland and Rachael at the Loughborough EAP where she even beat an Australian going to the Olympics.

YDL LOWER

Following the final match in Blackburn Sale won the North-West Division title by a comfortable margin and will return to the Premier Division next year. Well done to everyone who contributed to this success throughout the summer – athletes, parents, coaches, officials and certainly not least CARL WORTHINGTON who, yet again, solo managed the team to its success.

SUCCESS EDUAN IN LONDON DIAMOND LEAGUE

Just a week after dipping under 23 seconds for the first time, SUCCESS EDUAN was selected to represent GB in the London Diamond League 'B' relay team, her first senior relay debut....and she was brilliant! Running the anchor leg she took the GB 'B' team to 3rd place.

ENGLAND U20/SENIOR T & F CHAMPIONSHIPS

Forty Sale Harriers competed in the England Athletics U20 & Senior Championships (inc.U23) at the Alexander Stadium, Birmingham. The Sale Harriers who most saw their talent and hard work rewarded were:

  • LAZARUS BENJAMIN became the U23 Pole Vault champion and now has a very impressive record of 7 National titles - 3 x U17 and 3 x U20.
  • TESS Mc HUGH became the Senior National 400m Champion to top a great year of also being the Welsh 400m champion when she dipped under 53 seconds for the first time ever.
  • U23 RACHEL BENNETT won her first England 200m gold medal.
  • U23 SOPHIE ASHURST won the pole vault silver medal but the three times U20 Champion was in form to take gold considering she'd vaulted 4.21m at the UK Championships and had an earlier encouraging string of PB's that culminated with 4.35m in France in May.
  • U20 ANNABEL AMADIN, last year's Shot Putt Champion, was this year's Silver medallist.
  • U23 JESS SPILSBURY was tactically brilliant in her very congested 1500m to win silver in the final yards. Equally impressive was LUCY ARMITAGE who bravely took on the lead and was still leading at the bell with five athletes still in the mix but was pipped to the post and just missed the bronze medal but recorded her latest PB of 4:22.73.
  • U20 FREYA DOCKERTY who ranks 4th nationally for the 100m Hurdles continued her great summer to win her first 100m Hurdles medal – bronze.
  • SEUN OKOME won the Triple Jump bronze medal to add to his silver and bronze in recent years.

THEA BROWN BRILLIANT IN EUROPEAN U18 CHAMPIONSHIPS

Thea in Banske

THEA BROWN's astonishing success at the European U18 European Championships has already been well documented and applauded on this club site. Again, the club congratulates Thea and her team on her Heptathlon Silver medal and medley relay bronze medal. A star is born!

THEA BROWN SELECTED FOR WORLD U20 CHAMPIONSHIPS

Just one week after her European U18 Heptathlon silver medal and medley relay bronze medal THEA BROWN is announced as selected for the World U20 Championships 100m Hurdles in Lima, Peru from 27 – 31 August.

NICK'S A RUNNING PEACH -AGAIN

For the 2nd consecutive year M60 NICK PEACH was 1st M60 in the Marple Runners 10k Trail race with his time just marginally slower than last year in 45.44. In his hey-day Nick was one of the nation's best. His 28.27 in the 1986 AAA Championships in Battersea Park remains Sale Harriers fastest 10k on the All-Time list. Nick represented GB & NI in the 3000m steeplechase at the1986 Edinburgh Commonwealth Games. He's normally coy about his racing prowess but, 30 years later he remains a running 'peach'.

LUCY ARMITAGE TO REPRESENT ENGLAND

LUCY ARMITAGE is one of 16 athletes selected to represent England at the home Nations 5k in Bute Park, Cardiff later in the year

RECORDS IN 3rd SIZZLER

The 3rdSizzler 5k on July 19, though a humid evening did not deter Brian Lucas (Northern Vets) from breaking the M75 course record to a new best of 22.48, a 10 second improvement on Richard Bacon's (Winston Runners) since 2017.The club's noteworthy 'sizzling' performances were:-

GEORGE NOBLE (15.52) who was 1st U20

CHRIS MILES (16. 58) A 23 second PB and 1sttime under 17 minutes

PAUL NOBLE (18.07) Almost a 2 minute PB

BARNABY GORDAN (18.41) A 6 sec. PB on last year's Sizzler

TIM KENNEDY (18.48) best of 2024

SOPHIE ARMITAGE (19:04) A further 5 sec PB on Sizzler 1.

CHRIS TOPPING (19.14) best of 2024

PHILIP LARGAN (19.15) 11 sec PB on Sizzler 1

BIZUNESH DEGGETA (20.42) Debut

JACKIE CORDINGLEY 1stL65

ANNABEL AMADIN INVITED TO OLYMPIC GAMES OPENING CEREMONY

ANNABEL AMADIN was invited to attend the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics by the Sports Aid Foundation as one of the nation's promising young athletes. This is
a fantastic affirmation for Annabel as a young talented athlete and recognition of her talent, dedication and commitment. It's also recognition of her coach's talent – BOB GAISIE and her family support.

ENGLAND ATHLETICS U15/U17 CHAMPIONSHIPS.

You have to be good – very good, to compete at the England Athletics U15 & U17 Championships, Those who most smashed it there were:

  • MOLLY MILLS, though still only 15 years old, became the England U17 80m Hurdles champion with PB's in her heat and final to rank 3rd in the UK.
  • LIAM NICHOLLS won the U15 Pole vault bronze medal with a PB of 3.77m. This was a fantastic achievement for Liam who's just in his first year of pole vaulting and propelled him to 3rd in the UK.
  • LIAM O'BRIEN made the U17 400m Hurdles final and delivered a great PB of 55.99
  • LILY OLDALE just missed out on the U17 javelin bronze medal. Lily holds the U15 club record for the javelin.
  • ROXY Mc HUGH flew over the U15 75m Hurdles faster than ever before recording PB's in both her heats and semi-final. Welsh champion EVA ANWYL also ran well in the same race but is still only in her 1st year in this age-group so lots more to come.

TRAFFORD TRAILS A WINNER

For the 2nd consecutive year, Sale Harriers dominated the Trafford Trails 5-mile race. With persistent rain and muddy stretches trail shoes were a necessity. It did not deter as the top 3 ladies were all Sale Harriers. ANNE CHINOY was delighted to finish 1stfemale for the second consecutive year and beat last year time by 26 seconds (35.20). Second was V35 BIZUNESH DEGGEFA and 3rd was V65 JACKIE CORDINGLEY. JULIA REYNOLDS and HARRIET HAMILTON also made it into the top 10 female runners. Among the men there were also some quality times. PHIL RICHARDSON, CHRIS MILES, TORRIN BLAZEBY and ANDREW CURVIS finished in a procession in 4/5/6/7th Former Sale Harrier Callum Rowlinson won the event in a course record of 27.46.

HAF AMHAD WINS DOUBLE BRONZE AT EUROPEAN TRANSPLANT GAMES

Congratulations to HAF AMHAD, based at Sportcity who did absolutely brilliant to win two bronze medals representing GB at the European Transplant Games in Lisbon. In his first ever international competition and in the searing heat, he won bronze in the Long Jump and bronze in Power Walking. Haf is a kidney transplant patient who lives with cerebral palsy and devotes much of his time as a Sale Harrier volunteer coach at Sportcity and is a true inspiration to disability athletes. Not only did he achieve his remarkable career pinnacle of double medallist but he did it the hard way. Without a sponsor and with no full-time employment, he had to raise all of the £4000 cost of travel and accommodation himself, nd wants to thank all those who supported him. The Transplant Games are an opportunity to showcase the benefits of Organ Donation and is a true celebration of the Gift of Life.

UK & ENGLAND U20/SENIOR COMBINED EVENTS CHAMPIONSHIPS

Sale Harrier's female combined-event athletes delivered fantastic results at the England U20 & Senior Combined Events Championships. Most noteworthy is that all are coached at Sportcity by JESS TAYLOR-JEMMETT the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games Heptathlon bronze medallist who also coached Trafford AC's Neve Davenport to become the U20 National champion. Well done and congratulations, Jess!

  • Senior GRACE BOWER had been one of Britain's most promising multi-event athletes throughout all her age-groups from U15 – U23 until a debilitating injury in 2019 blighted her career. She's returning to her best finishing 5th nationally that included a Shot Putt PB of 11.12m
  • Under 23 SCARLETT WHITTAKER was on fire with PB's in the High Jump (1.60m), Shot (10.53) and Javelin (28.39) and she improved her Heptathlon PB to 4745 and to rise to 7th in the UK.
  • Under 23 ELLISE FRYER-FRANCIS, like Scarlett had an excellent start to their season in June at the high ranking International EAP meeting in Newcastle. She continued her fine form with an 800m PB (2:30.35), a 200m PB (27.21) and a 100mH PB (14.94) to improve her Heptathlon PB score to 4634 points and to rank 10th in the UK
  • Under 20: SEREN REDFERN was hot from her English Schools Regional CE Silver medal and continued to strive with great PB's in the 100m H (15.53) and Shot (8.10m) and an improved Heptathlon PB to 4002.

YOUTH DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE (Lower) 2024 MATCH (4) BLACKBURN

Peter Shaw

 

In the U13 boy's events THIERRY KERR was again our star athlete setting three new club records in sprints and hurdles and, with his hurdles time, topping the UK rankings. MAXIME SARTHTOU had an impressive debut winning over 150m. ARTHUR O'HARE and TOBY HARRISON both finished runners-up in middle distance events. ISAAC WRIGLEY, FREDDIE HOOTON, JOSHUA STAFFORD and JUDE KERRINS scored valuable points in the field events.

DANIEL OWOSENI competed in four events in the U15 boy's age-group and won the 100m and long-jump with the highest Level 9 performance. DANIEL WELLS took part in three events winning the high jump. LIAM NICHOLLS was again a winner in the pole vault with a Level 9 performance that ranked him 4th in the UK.

Our U15 girls were in superb form and, with many in the same age-group next year, the future looks bright. Our sprinters won the sprint relay and dominated the sprints events. Well done to ROXY Mc HUGH and NEILA CHUKWU who both ran two Level 9 times and to EVA ANWYL, ZURIEL SARUMI, DANIELLA DUHAMEY, MADDIE APPLEBY and AVA BROOMES. Middle distance girls were also in great form with a comfortable victory in the long relay and outscoring the other clubs. Well done to MEGAN BOYER, ISLA ANDERSON, CAITHLIN WETTERS (Level 9), LOLA RICHARDSON and IZZY CONNOLLY. ANGEL AMADIN was again our most successful thrower taking part in three events and winning the discus, whilst PHOBE KERINS also scored valuable points.

NORA KWARTEMA won both the U13 girl's sprint events with Level 9 performances. HOLLY Mc HUGH competed in the maximum three individual events and was close to her PB in all three, whilst GRACE BROOME also scored valuable points in sprints and hurdles. Middle distance girls did us proud and upheld our harrier tradition. A particular mention to primary aged LUCY O'BRIEN who competed in three events including a Level 9 performance and PB over 1200m. Well done to ALESHA GLUBAS, EVE DOWLING and CICELY COLDWELL. ISLA QUINN was impressive in 2nd place in the long jump.

This was the last match of the season. Sale won the North-West Division title by a comfortable margin and will return to the Premier Division next year. Well done to everyone who contributed to this success – athletes, parents, coaches, officials and certainly not least CARL WORTHINGTON who yet again solo managed the team to its success.