THE 2024/5 HARRIER MAGAZINE IS HERE

The 2024/5 Harrier will be distributed from this Thursday evening! It's a new look magazine with larger print and photos, thanks to its new graphic designer Karen Daniels, the mum of one of our sprinter's at Sportcity. As always, it's action packed! It captures everything significant in the club's three sites over the past twelve months in glorious multi-colour.

            I'll be distributing it throughout the coming week beginning with Sportcity on Thursday evening from 6.30 – 7.30pm, then back to Crossford Bridge for the club's AGM at 8.30pm. I'll be distributing them at Over The Bales (Crossford Bridge) on Sunday and at the Crossford Bridge and Wythenshawe track sessions next Monday and Wednesday. Please make every effort to collect your copy then and take a copy for anyone else you know not currently attending club sessions so the magazine remains as topical as possible. With your help I'd hope that 90% of the club will have received their magazine within the next 7-10 days.

            Several pleas......please......as we begin!

  • TEAM MANAGERS: I'm asking the team managers, coaches, parents and/or spectators going to the Northern Road Relay Championships in Redcar on March 30th to take copies to distribute to club members and to give complimentary copies to other club's team managers, Northern Athletics officials and even runners from other Northern clubs. What brilliant club promotion! Beyond the Northern Relays, can you ensure you always have copies in your car-boots for the Northern League, NAL and YDL matches throughout the summer.
  • COACHES! Please! Please! Please! Have copies in your possession throughout the year to give as induction to your newcomers. What a valuable induction tool! I never cease to be dismayed and disappointed how, in 99.9% of cases throughout the year, coaches and team managers have not offered this club magazine to their newcomers as part of their welcome nor even directed them to where to find it.
  • PARENTS! Can you get your children to take a copy to their school's PE department and/or staff-room
  • LEISURE CENTRES, GYMNS, SPORTS SHOPS etc. If you belong why not take them a copy ? Again, what excellent club promotion.
  • PARKRUNNERS: Many Parkrunners don't attend club sessions Please take them a copy. You'll know who they are....or find out!
  • This quality magazine comes to you completely free, the cost borne by the club. If you can afford even a small donation, it will be much appreciated. The club's bank details to make a transfer great or small are Ref: Harrier, A/C Sale Harriers Manchester 71962084 Sort: 09-01-55
  • The club has quite a large diaspora – in Universities throughout Britain and USA, and members who live throughout Britain. The club considers it particularly important that you have a copy. We're happy to post it to you if you (or your parents) transfer a small donation towards costs. Please ensure to email me your postal address.
  • Finally, as with everything nowadays, feedback is important as a means of continuous improvement. Your feedback is most welcome. Since the Harrier is a public magazine I suggest you post your feedback on Sale Harrier's social media rather than to me personally. Remember! There's no such thing as negative feedback!

Enjoy what I hope you'll find is an interesting club magazine

NVS

Incredible Charity Opportunity 4th to the 7th June 2025

Event Details - Race the Capitals — North v South

Event sign-up page - Store — North v South

Details about previous events - About — North v South

The event’s motto is “ bringing people together, doing good, celebrating every step”. The purpose of the event is to allow participants to be part of something big, to raise money for charity, and to participate in a team running challenge (of which there are not many in the UK).

The race starts in Edinburgh on June 4th and finishes in London on June 7th. The race is made up of 91 half-marathon legs which will be completed by individuals from both team North and team South who sign up for the event.  

On Day 3 the race will be going from Lancaster to Wolverhampton via Cheshire.

Click the above links to find out more and maybe get involved.

 

Youth 

Age Group changes: transition plan

In January 2024, following a consultation process involving all Home Country Athletics Federations (HCAFs), UK Athletics’ decision to approve changes to the current competition age groups was announced.

This means that the age groups in which young athletes compete will change from U13, U15, U17 and U20, as is currently the case, to U12, U14, U16, U18 and U20 from 1 April 2026.

The objectives of the age group changes are to:

  • Simplify age group dates for all disciplines
  • Support athletes in their long-term development
  • Retain and recruit more young people in athletics 
  • Provide a clear, simplified pathway for all areas of the sport, from U10s - Seniors
  • Provide better gradual progression for all athletics events
  • And in creating an additional age group, better support age and stage appropriate competition formats & events

It’s important to point out that the age group changes alone are not viewed as the sole answer to the challenges we face as a sport in retaining and recruiting athletes and are part of a wider approach to arresting participation decline and increasing the number of young people engaged in track and field particularly.

Ahead of the implementation of the new age groups, the HCAFs have been undertaking further consultation with the sport as well as convening a task group and associated sub groups to ensure a smooth transition.

The key objective of phase one of the implementation process was to establish clear principles around the transition and to establish the key technical aspects of the change.

For more information see the England athletics website. Link here.

 

U15 girls

The Northern Cross Country Championships – Tatton Park January 2025

The Northern Cross-Country Championships are the penultimate pinnacle of the cross-country season, a challenge for every club. This year's cauldron was Tatton Park, unusually on the club's doorstep! A club succeeds when it rises to its challenges and Sale Harriers shone bright.....

  • The U15 girls continued their winning ways! The club section who've been so exceptionally successful throughout the past 12 months, they merit the front cover of the emerging club magazine, won the Northern Title for the first time since 2017 and the 4th time in their section's 30 year history -2008, 1999 and 1993.
  • The Senior Men flexed their formidable muscle in a way they'd not done since last spring’s 12 Stage Relay and they were rewarded with brilliant Bronze medals. They could not have done more again strong champions Leeds City & Salford who've shared the top two positions for the past four years......in fact since Sale Harriers repeatedly 'whopped' both of them as Champions in the previous four years. MAX WHARTON finished like a steam train in 5th, NIGEL MARTIN, who's represented the section with distinction in every championship except one since 2016 did so again in 9th, PHIL ROBERTSON who's also represented the club with distinction in the past six of seven championships and then there were NICK BARRY, JOE GODWOOD and BEN BRUNSWICK who made their Northern debuts and were understandably delighted to win prestigious Northern medals.
  • The senior women also showed what a formidable force they can be by winning magnificent silver medals, their best result since they became Northern Relay Champions and National Relay Bronze medallists last spring. LUCY ARMITAGE, the club's lead runner in last year's Junior Northern title, was again the club's lead in the senior race. Just a few places behind her was ALICE WRIGHT, a key member of the team in the past four championships and AINE CUNNINGHAM, the club's lead runner as an U15 when her section won Silver way back in 2015, the U17 Northern Title in 2017 and the U20 Title in 2019. LAURA BARBER brought home the booty!
  • Individual Northern Titles and medals were also battled for. Though some came very close and understandably were disappointed, they've the consolidation of knowing their talent and ability brought their team tremendous success.
  • Septuagenarians DAVE RODGERS and BRIAN GOULDEN deserve gold medals for delivering a very successful championship on home territory as clerks of the course. Few will know the amount of work they put into it......not just on the day but for several days beforehand.
  • Sale Harriers course marshals were the pride of the North, dotted around the course pulling their weight more than any other Northern or Regional club. The car-park were virtually empty and darkness falling when they were finally stood down.

The pinnacle of the cross-country year, the National XC Championships are on February 22ndat Parliament Hill . Go! Get 'em!

Full results

Fechin Mc Cormick

 

 

NORTHERN INDOOR CHAMPIONS

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Senior, U17 and U 20 held in Sheffield 11th\12th Jan 2025.

Sale Harriers had an impressive tally from the Northern Athletics Senior, U20 & U17 Championship in Sheffield - 9 Titles, 4 Silver and 1 Bronze medal. It was also a great championship for our Sale Harrier coaches and well done to them! BOB GAISIE coached 3 Champions, JESS TAYLOR-JEMMETT 2 Champions, 1 Silver and 1 Bronze medallist, ANITA RICHARDSON & KEITH HUNTER 2 Champions each, ALEX WORT 1 Champion & 2 bronze medallists, MIKE FENNELL 1 Champion and DAVE LOWE a Silver medallist. Beat that ! Congratulations & well done also to the following..

  • ANDY ROBERTSON, honoured in 2024 with Sale Harrier Life Membership for representing Sale Harrier's with distinction throughout his 25 year sprint career that included World, European, Commonwealth Games & Multi UK sprint titles, and rarely ever competing without his Sale vest, easily won his 2nd ever Northern Indoor 60m Tile.
  • RACHEL BENNETThad a fantastic championship! She not only became the Northern Senior 60m Champion, her finest performance since she won the title in 2015 as a 15-year old and she did it with PB's in both the heats and final (7.43)
  • TESS McHUGH is surging ! Last year's 400m Northern Senior Indoor Silver medallist became the 2025 Champion with the bonus of a new championship record beating that held by Bolton's Hannah Kelly who made the Paris Olympic 4x 400 team.
  • MOLLY MILLS became the U17 60m Hurdles Champion to add to her U15 title and it ranks her 4th in the UK
  • STEPHANIE JONES retained her senior Long Jump title and added it to her double U20 Indoor Titles and U20 silver medal.
  • SEUN OKOME retained his senior Triple Jump Title for the 4th consecutive year and his 7th senior title in eight year.
  • SHAUNNA THOMPSON retained her 4th consecutive Senior Indoor Shot-Putt Title.
  • MIGUEL GAISAH improved last year's Long Jump Silver medal to become the 2025 Champion.
  • ANNABEL AMADIN continued her clean sweep of U20 Indoor Titles with her 3rd consecutive Championship Title. She also holds U17 & U15 titles.
  • ROXY Mc HUGH: In her first championship race as an U17 she won the 300m silver medal with a PB in her heat and final (41.25). This was probably Roxy's best ever championship surpassing even last summer's Welsh Athletics 300m silver and Gtr. Manchester silver.
  • LOLA RICHARDSON won the U17 1500m Silver medal in a great PB of 5:22.91 and one of her best championship performances.
  • FREYA DOCKERTY: Last year's 60m Hurdles Indoor Champion became the 2025 silver medallist
  • ELLISE-FRYER-FRANCIS became the U23 Shot Putt Silver medallist in a PB of 11.93 and the 60m Hurdles Bronze medallist with another PB (8.89) to rank her 7th in the UK.
  • ALEX PARKINSON won his first Northern medal, senior Bronze in the 60m Hurdles .

In the same weekend Sophie Ashurst came 2nd in the Loughborough Pole Vault Meet with a seasons best jump of 4:15.