PETER SHAW

Sale Harriers junior section finished the cross-country season on a high note with races over hay-bales obstacles on home turf at Crossford Bridge.  One hundred and fifteen athletes turned out for the club, many of whom were making their club debuts and they impressed with many fine performances.  In the six races Sale Harriers gained five team victories against opposition from over 20 clubs from all over the north-west and four individual victories from TARA FERGUSON, ED SPARK, BEN KEELEY and FREDDIE MEREDITH.

Our U13 boy’s are the current Northern XC Champions and won the team race with FREDDIE MEREDITH, OSCAR SCHOFIELD and MATTHEW GARDNER finishing in the first three places. We were also awarded first B team medals due to fine performances from GEORGE NOBLE, FINLAY DAY and ERIC WOODWARD. Our U13 girls are the current Manchester XC League Champions and won the team race with JASMINE REED (2^nd), SARA CLOUGH (3^rd) and CARMEN SAFRANAUSKAS (4^th), whilst AVA CLOUGH , IZZY APPLEBY and HOLLY NEWTON won the B race.

Sale had a comfortable victory in the U11 boy’s team race with BEN KEELEY outsprinting team mates FINDLAY GODDARD and LIAM O’BRIEN to win the individual race.  Our B team of JOE SPARK, JOSHUA RODGERS and ALEX FRASER won their category. Sale was silver medallists and first B team in the U11 girl’s race. Well done to MADDIE HOLT, IMOGEN HILL, IZZY HALL, HOLLY NOLAN, ASH GILMORE and FRANCESCA HEWITSON.

ED SPARK outsprinted team mates DANIEL OAKES and BEN GARNER to win the U9 boy’s race, whilst JOE WELSBY, DANIEL LUKE and RYAN O’NEILL ensured victory in both the A and B team categories. It was encouraging to note that 30 boy’s represented Sale in this one race. TARA FERGUSON was a clear winner in the U9 girl’s race from team mate OONAGH Mc MANUS and with AMELIA HIGGINS were comfortable team winners. KATIE ROBERTSON, CAREY SULLIVAN and ROXY Mc HUGH all finished in the first 10 to ensure victory in the B team category.

A big thanks to all club officials and to GRAHAM and ANN MARSHALL for again organizing such a successful event. Many thanks to ERNIE GREENWOOD for taking photographs that can be viewed and bought at www.darkstarphotos.com    

Over The Bales 2019

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Sale Indoor Open - Sunday 10th March 2019 by Dave Greenwood

Like Pandora's Box, the Indoor arena swallows a surprising number of people. One minute it looks quite empty and seduces you into thinking there's not many there so it will be a short day. The call comes for 60m Sprints and out they come like a swarm of Bees buzzing around, chattering away in expectation. The hush falls and instead of the gun that scares the pants off people and awakens youngsters, there’s a softer electronic game noise and when there's a false start I thought at times I had gone back to the Nineties space Invaders game. Replacing the gun was a trial start system which was being used as an experiment; in the North of England with a view to becoming the new system. We will endeavour to seek more information from David Brown and report back.

 This was the renowned Sale Harriers Winter Indoor series, the Final event of the series in fact. As one would expect having seen the culmination of the major Indoor season with the Europeans in Glasgow recently, the numbers of athletes were not as great as there had been in early January. It's now the transition period when the rest do not look forward to the first freezing encounter with track and field outdoors. We usually get fooled into thinking spring is here, the Daffodils are out, Farah has stolen the limelight in the half and the marathon, it's Spring, then it goes grey, cold and wet again.

For the Sprinters and jumpers the relative warmth of Sportcity gets them ready again. The frustration of false starts and there were plenty, reminds people to go away and practice their starts again, he Long jumper who needs to take their run up a few inches back to hit the board. All are skills that are honed here. All that winter practice is not quite the same as competition.

On the positive side many will have left pleased with where they are at; a total of 99 P.B.s were recorded in the 60m!  That’s right 99 ! Come to Sale next winter and grab a P.B.

There were a number of 60m sprint races in the morning with the opportunity to go again at the end of the day with 300m races, hurdles and 600m. Two High jump beds were in action for the jumpers

The Pole vault; a wonderful facility which has helped raise the standard and popularity, was not as busy as it was at Vault Cardiff, an event nearly as good as Vault Manchester.

The invitation 200m Masters event saw 43 year old T.J.Ofori of Shaftesbury Barnet only just overcome Mike Coogan (V45) of East Cheshire in a time of 22.80, two athletes who would put many younger to shame. A measure of how good T.J. still is was his 60m time which was fastest of the day for all ages, in 7.60 seconds. I wonder how many of you will be in such good shape at their age ? Now there's a challenge.

Finally without the incomparable Jack Frost and all his co-workers this series would not be possible. Many of the officials are retired but spend most weekends officiating in Athletics. People like club stalwart Brian Goulden who had spent Saturday at the Inter Counties then all day Sunday at this. We should thank all these people and I'm sorry to say I recognise many but don't know all their names. Thank you to all those selfless people who dedicate themselves to this club and the sport.

Indoor Open Meet

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by Matt Spragg

“Where’s the mud?” cried the traditionalists as we arrived at Harewood House for the 2019 National Cross Country Championships. Completely dry ground, ridiculously warm weather and a magnificent setting all contributed to a memorable day.

Two long 6k laps for the two thousand or so men who assembled on the start line. And no mud meant faster running which, combined with the hills, meant that the race was as tough as always. The advice beforehand was to get a fast start to avoid any bottlenecks; all very well for those on the front row but for everyone else the first half mile was a frantic head-down shuffle, avoiding flailing arms and spikes until the field started to thin out.

Then the hills started - a long slog up to the back of the course (amazing views from here), before a steady downhill section which I hoped would take us back to the end of the lap; but no, the course went back up for a steep couple of hundred metres before a rapid descent down to the start/finish area.

So one more lap of the same. No letting up because any time you slowed down, a hundred people would overtake you. More of the punishing hills (no enjoying the views this time round) and then a seemingly endless sprint to the line.

Tremendous vocal support on the course from the SHM fans, with Dave and Brian popping up here and there to shout out their usual encouragement and words of wisdom.

Fantastic running all round, and great work towards the front of the field with Nigel Martin in an impressive 11^th overall, with Luke, Callum, Gaz and Dan making up the fifth placed men’s team.

The fun wasn’t over as we faced an interminable struggle to get out of the car park and then through the traffic in Leeds – although the minibus crew weren’t complaining as Glenn Savage had come up with the goods, producing a crate of Old Speckled Hen to help pass the time.

The day ended with some still bemoaning the lack of mud as we tucked into a well-deserved curry back in Sale. It was a true privilege to represent Sale Harriers in such a prestigious event. Here’s to next year!

      SALE HARRIERS MANCHESTER

NOTICE OF ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

TO BE HELD ON THURSDAY 19th of MARCH 2020         

COMMENCING AT 8:30pm

AT THE

ATHLETICS FACILITY

 CROSSFORD BRIDGE STADIUM

 SALE

Any items of business for the meeting must be notified in writing to the Club Secretary Frank Cordingley at 27 Barnfield, Urmston. M41 9EW. (email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.), to reach him no later than 21 days prior to the date of the AGM (i.e. 27th Feb 2020).