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:
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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!
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MARCUS NICHOLSON (2:31.47) – a 5 minute PB on last year's Manchester Marathon
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AMY MIDDLEMAST(3:07.24) – a 90 second PB on last year's Amsterdam Marathon
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WAYNE SHAW (3:10.10) – 1 minute PB and on track to go sub-3 in Berlin
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ALICE WRIGHT (2:50.15) and BARNABY GORDAN (3:11.39) made great Marathon debuts.
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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 ….
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DMITRY ROZHDESTVENSKIY (3:54.42). A massive 1 hour PB on his last and his debut Manchester '24 marathon.
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MATTHEW ROUGHLEY (4:12.17). A 30 minute PB on last year's London Marathon
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NICHOLAS TYNAN ( 2:46.40) A 25 minute PB on his 2017 Manchester Marathon
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JAMES COLLINS (2:53.40) A 6 minute PB on his Amsterdam '24 marathon
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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).
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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).
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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.