Schneider Electric Marathon de Paris 2022

On April 3^rd, three Sale Harriers set off in Paris on the 26.2 scenic route. Paris attracted 35,757 runners in total. The weather had threatened to be snowing all weekend when people arrived on Friday; by Sunday it was clear skies and ideal running conditions, but still cold. The race was won by Ethiopian Deso Gelmisa in 2:05:07, with the first female, Kenyan Judith Jeptum Koriv knocking over a minute of the course record with 2:19:48. Those new shoes Eh!

Richard ‘Eddie’ Edwards MV45 was first home from Sale Harriers with 2.51.51, pretty much half an hour faster than his last marathon in 2018.

Aaron Steele was over the moon with an 11 minute PB of 3.09.21, he did 3:21:23 in Manchester last year. This is likely to be Aaron’s last outing with Sale as he has decided to return to his native Northern Ireland with his wife and family after 7 years with Sale Harriers. We wish him luck on his new life and new challenges.

Helen Carter FV40, ran 3.38.31, a great improvement on her last Paris Marathon in 2016 of 3:46. She is having a great year with a 2:48:11 at the Trimpell 20 in March.

All 3 were delighted and celebrated around the sights of Paris afterwards. French sporting newspaper, L’Equipe, publish a marathon supplement on Monday 4^th. Eddie ranked 707, Aaron, 2580 and Helen 9268.  

The Manchester Marathon 2022

On the same day The Manchester Marathon, which meanders through the pleasant suburbs of south Manchester, attracted a host of Sale Harriers, many of whom were delighted with their times and positions.

"2:15:19 for *6th at the Manchester Marathon today - almost a 3 minute PB.

A very tough race with a 66 first half, but no regrets giving it a go and gave it everything.

Time to rest and recover!"

 

 In the ladies competition our very own Sonia Samuels came 4th with 2:32:30

 

 

Sophie Wood had a stormin race finishing in 9th position with 2:38:23.

She said:

Fechin McCormick

The Nation's most prestigious cross-country event returned to it's spiritual home of Parliament Hill Fields in February for the 17^th time following a missed 2021due to Covid-19.

ALAN WHITE, a member of the club's senior endurance section, described the 'National'' in an excellent article for Fast Running. “ Cricket has The Ashes. Golf has its majors. English football has Wembley. Horse racing has Cheltenham. Running has plenty of its own, but for English cross country, nothing quite matches the magnitude of the National. Many towns and cities have staged it, but when at Parliament Hill, the race is different. A national championship on another level. For many, it is the true home of English cross country, and once witnessed, the image of a never-ending sea of runners charging up the iconic uphill start lives on forever”.

If you've not done a 'National' at Parliament Hill wait and do the next one. Stand on top of that iconic hill up from the start line with London's skyscrapers as its backcloth and experience the ground thunder as the senior men explode from their 400m wide pens and charge up the hill forming an arrowhead as they speed for the top. I wish I could still do it!

Parliament Hill is a tough undulating course with killer hills and it tends to throw up everything from good underfoot conditions to having to plough through energy sapping mud and historically it's been run in horrendous snow, sleet and rain. This year's 8000 runners and thirteen age-groups who'd travelled from Gateshead and Morpeth and Penzance in Cornwall had good conditions but no-one escaped the stretches of thick, energy sapping mud thanks to February's storms Dudley, Eunice, Franklin and Gladys.

Sale Harriers enthusiasm for 'The National' is such that this year more seniors than any other club in Northern England travelled to the Capital - 34 senior men and women whereas Hallamshire had 25 and Leeds 20! For some it was the experience of taking part but for most it was the serious business of competing against the country's best, aiming for top positions and to win the prestigious team accolades and medals. Parliament Hill always attracts the best and this year's line-up's had their full compliment of national and regional champions in all the thirteen age-group races.

In the senior men's race, the club had NIGEL MARTIN cross the line in a brilliant 6^th place. The club's top senior endurance runner of 2021 raced his first Parliament Hill 'National' in 2015and finished 159^th . He wrote, “ I finally nailed 'it' with three MACCL wins (having previously never won a XC race), a win at the Gtr. Manchester Champs, 2nd at the 'Northern's' and now 6th at the 'National'. A medal was on my mind, but with Mahamed Mahamed, Emile Cairess and Alex Yee all running, they were always likely to lock the podium out' (as they did!). Let him inspire all you up and coming ambitious runners!

He led the club to 7^th place - a performance consistent with 10^th in 2020, 5^th in 2019 and 10^th in 2018. They were also the 2^nd Northern club behind Leeds City AC who retained their silver medals from 2020 and were champions in 2019. The seven men behind Nigel all finished among the top 200 which speaks volumes for the club's depth, quality and ability to be more widely successful. Well done NICK BARRY (64^th), DANIEL KASHI (100^th ), PHIL ROBERTSON (112^th), JAMES WIGNALL (112^th ), WILLIAM ONEK (137^th ), GAZ RAVEN (189^th) and ALAN WHITE (193^rd ) A special shout-out to evergreen M45 Gaz Raven who ran his 27^th consecutive 'National'. That's awesome!

The club also had a top finisher in double Tokyo Olympic Triathlon medallist, GEORGIA TAYLOR-BROWN MBE who just missed the podium in 4^th place. What a shame on her most most illustrious Olympian year! Georgia has cross-country in her heart and always finds the time to compete for the club when she's not on the World Triathlon circuit. She's won the National in 2014, was 3^rd in 2017 and 4^th in 2018 and 2019. This year, she led the club home for 16^th place thanks to ALICE WRIGHT (68^th), JULIET DOWNS (86^th) and ANNE CHINOY but, without some of the other key players missing who massively contributed to the club's success on the Northern & MACCL circuit throughout the winter, they were unlikely to return to the podium where they stood as National XC champions in 2018. For the record they were 10^th in 2020 and 14^th in 2019. Leeds City AC won this year's title.

The younger age-groups all had the experience of their lives. Many ran their first 'National' and to a person, all deserve the heartiest clap on the back. Parents, coaches and team managers will be very proud of their commitment, grit and determination that the 'National' demands. The U13 boys - JAKE ROYLE, ALEX FRAZER, LIAM O'BRIEN, ED SPARKS and DAN OAKES were 10^th team this year. In 2020 the section were 4^th , 6^th in 2019 and 3^rd in 2018. Congratulations to neighbours Trafford AC who were the champions.

The U13 girls were also 10^th , a position remarkably consistent with their recent 'Nationals'. They were 11^th in 2020,12^th in 2019 and 11^th in 2018. Well done to the club's starlets who've been awesome throughout the winter - ISOBEL HALL, OONAGH Mc MANUS, IMOGEN HILL, PHEOBE CARROLL and AMBER WEBB.

The U15 boy's have also been incredibly consistent in this Championship. They were 21^st team this year exactly as in 2018 and they were 9^th in 2020. As ever, well done to the squad of OSCAR SCHOFIELD, FINLAY DAY, JAMES O'BRIEN, SAM PEARCE, ALFIE CLARE and JOE SPARK. Oscar was a brilliant 4^th and what a pity he just missed a medal. This fast improving young runner was 58^th in 2019 and 32^nd last time ….so what progress!

The U15 girls just had ISABELLA APPLEBY and SOPHIE ARMITAGE fly the club flag and well done again to these two club stalwarts of their age-group throughout the MACCL season. Recruit a few more and win medals next year!

The U17 girls were similar to the U15 girls with only AKIRA EDGSON and CARMEN SAFRANAUSKAS on the start line. Akira, the Northern U17 3000m champion, seemed to love the mud and finished an excellent 47^th. Carmen, a club stalwart of the MACCL cross-country was 156^th.

The U17 boy's were arguably one of the day's highlights. Their 12^th finishing position was their section's first time in seven years to finish a team. Well done EVAN & EWAN SAVAGE, CHARLIE TITTENSOR, LUKE CHINOY, JACK SPARK, JOSHUA COLQUNOUN-LYNN and BEN EDWARD. Keep together lads....keep strong....and be on that podium in 2023.

The club's junior men and women are sections that struggle nationally to recruit numbers even though some southern clubs like Tonbridge Wells and Aldershot, this year's champions and silver medallists, seem to regularly medal and finish in top positions in this championship. Is it more than another North/South divide? For the ninth consecutive year, Sale Harriers recorded no junior men's team and had only ROBBIE RIGBY and ZAC GALLEMIN on the start line. Well done, guys for 'flying that club flag '. The junior women were more successful finishing a team in 5^th , particularly encouraging in that it was the first time since 2018 their section recorded a team result when they were also the National champions.

The National XC Championships brought an end to the winter's cross-country season. Thanks to everyone involved and that includes the indispensable team managers, parents and coaches Onwards now to an ever greater 2022/3.

Youtube link

NOTICE OF ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

TO BE HELD ON THURSDAY 7th of APRIL 2022.    

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 (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. 17th March 2022).

Masks will be advisable, and seating will be set out with Covid-19 in mind. The room will be ventilated so bring warm clothing if you attend.

Fechin Mc Cormick (Sale Harriers Manchester)

Last summer Sale Harrier’s ANDREW McASLAN – just 25 years of age, was diagnosed with Stage 4 of an incurable blood cancer called follicular lymphoma. He went through six months of immuno-chemotherapy and thankfully he continues to be in remission. He’s been told his remission is temporary because the condition at present is incurable and he has no way of knowing when it will return or how severe.

Athletic Weekly reported on Andy’s tragedy last October and wrote how, when Andy won 800m bronze in the British Universities Championships two years ago, he had hopes of progressing to international level, when his form and fitness began to deteriorate. “I knew something was not right,” he said after he’d run an under par 1:56.21 for 800m in Leeds in May 2021.

He and his partner, fellow 800m runner Leah Barrow, searched for answers and finally, following several frustrating misdiagnoses, he received the worst possible news that he had an incurable blood cancer called non-Hodgkin follicular lymphoma.

“Unfortunately my cancer is currently incurable” he said. Therefore even if remission is achieved, it will still be living in my body and there is a high chance that it will start growing again. However there is no indication of when and how severe.” Andy is at stage four of the disease at the age of just 25 so unless a cure is found, the treatment options will eventually run out.”

To raise awareness of the disease and to hasten a cure Andy and his sister Kirsten and their family and friends set about promoting the little known Follicular Lymphoma Foundation and fund-raising for them. The main fundraising event last October raised £2.6m and a personal fund-raising page which Andy himself set up raised an incredible further £80k! “If they can find a cure for the Covid-19 vaccine so quickly” he said,” then with the necessary funding in place it gives hope that a cure for follicular lymphoma can also be quickly found”.

The Foundation has been underfunded for so long so the resources have not been put into finding a cure but the experts have said that it is possible.”

Talent runs through Andy’s family. Andy’s sister, Kirsten is a British international 400m and 400m hurdler and was until recently a regular member of Sale Harriers T & F teams since 2013.

Throughout 2022 Andy, his partner, Kirsten and their family and friends will continue to raise awareness and funding so that a cure is urgently found for him. He’s just started an Instagram and YouTube account to document his cancer experience and his attempts to return to running following his treatment and to raise awareness for the disease and the Follicular Lymphoma Foundation.

The account is called ‘Cancer and the Comeback’ and any help sharing that on his behalf will be much appreciated. The link to the Instagram account is:-

https://instagram.com/cancerandthecomeback

.... The link to the YouTube is: https://youtube.com/channel/UC5SwZgBerBH7QdLB6jL8JqA

To make a donation, the direct link to the Follicular Lymphoma Foundation donation page is https://www.theflf.org/donate

Please put your whole heart and soul into supporting Andy and digging as deep as you can so we do our bit to get Andy a cure. After all he’s ‘one of us’ and we want him back onto that track…….in 1:50 PB shape at least! Please share........