City Harriers across the age categories continued their impressive form in Cross Country as they continued their consistency in the North East Harrier League home fixture at Aykley Heads. A course that is generally tough, with its undulations, and normally heavy going, was on this occasion mainly dry and good to soft in places.
The (under 13 Boys) got the Club off to a fine start with Noah Granville having a fine run under the handicap system finishing 3rd in the Race and an actual time of 14.05, followed by Sean McKay 15th in 15.01, and Daniel Laidler 17th in 15.04, the 3 scorers, the A Team finished 1st with 35 points. The B Team finished 9th with 99 points, with Ben Coffer 24th in 15.18, William Henderson 27th in 13.49, and Sam Terry 48th in 14.44, whilst Tom Sadanandom was 51st in 14.47, and Oscar Littlewood 54th in 16.45 in the incomplete C Team.
In the (under 17 Boys), Will Lindsey had a fine run finishing 4th in 26.05, and with Jack Prowse 11th in 27.55, and Joshua Erlebach 30th in 27.47, the Team finished a creditable 2nd.
Also finishing 2nd were the Senior Men’s A Team and as usual Dan Jenkin spearheading the attack from the fast pack despite a handicap of over 5 mins he went onto finish 17th out of over 400 runners recording a fine time of 34.46. He was followed by Chris Wilkinson 19th 40.13, Matt Guilder 35th 41.24, Robin Linten 39th 36.22, Michael Wade (u/20) 44th 41.51, Rob Hand (o/55) 51st 41.51 the scorers, and they again finished runners-up to the strong Morpeth Harriers. Veteran Dave King (o/50) led the next batch of Club runners and was 54th 41.55, followed by Kevin Knight (o/45) 119th 43.35, Elliott Makin (o/40) 154th 44.16, Francisco Martinez-Sevilla 160th 39.10, Pouya Heidari 205th 45.09, and Rob Garbutt (o/55) 318th 47.51, forming the B Team. Further veterans were Bob Hewitson (o/55) 378th 50.04, Tony McNeil (o/50) 410th 51.31, Mike Kenyon (o/45) 424th 52.09, Mike Dann (o/50) 428th 52.18, Geoff Watson (o/40) 458th 54.20, and Kit Erlebach (o/45) 490th 56.17 forming the C Team.
In the (u/15 Boys Team) Handicap, Sam Gibson had a great run from the fast pack finishing 7th in 12.19 which was the 4th fastest time, followed by the in-form Peter Cook who was 17th in 12.50, and with Joseph Rowntree backing them up from the slow pack finishing 18th in 14.33, the 3 counters forming the A Team, finished 3rd with 42 points. They were chased down by the fast improving Izaak Taylor who was 21st in 13.00, Callum Wilkinson 23rd 14.46, and the consistent Thomas Wraith 27th 13.11 the counters for the B Team, were 4th with 71 points. Twin brother Joshua Wraith equally consistent and close behind was 29th in 13.16, Luca Tarranu 30th 14.58, and debutant Adam Matthews 53rd in 17.27, the C Team were 9th with 112 points.
The (u/13 Girls Team) was again headed by Erin Keeler-Clarke finishing 21st in 15.07, with Rachel Mackenney 33rd 15.36, and Holly Cook 39th 15.50, the A Team were 8th with 93 points. They were closely followed by Jessica Peart 41st 15.57, Amy Nicholson 50th 16.12, and Emily Rogers 63rd in 18.52, the B Team were 12th with 154 points, with Olivia Selby 75th 21.21 backing them up in an incomplete Team.
In the Senior Women’s Race, veteran Rachel Terry (o/40) was first counter for the Club finishing 24th in 32.55, followed also by veterans Alison Walker (o/45) 60th 34.06, Angela Hall (o/35) 90th 34.47, and Kelly Bentley (o/50) 142nd in 34.26, the 4 counters for the A Team finishing 6th. Anne Wilson (v/35) was 203rd in 38.24, with Brian Brown (o/70) 252nd 40.22 (n/c), Sarah Erlebach (v/45) 290th 42.07, and Femke Nauschutz (o/45) 306th 43.44 (incomplete Team).
Naomi Erlebach finished 21st 16.30 in the (u/15 Girls Race) , and Laura Hopper was 31st in 29.27 in the (u/17 Women’s Race) as the sole representatives of the Club in those age categories.
However, in the (u/11) Fun Run there was a good turnout, and results were as follows:
Girls: Amber Denton 17th 5.38, Evie Peart 21st 5.42, Hattie Logan 32nd 6.02, Isabell Maddison 46th 6.26, Megan Mulholland 58th 6.49, and Esme Wraith 60th 6.51.
Boys: Harry Rose 6th 5.10, William Terry 24th 5.31, Sam Mason 26th 5.31, Lewis Littlewood 31st 5.44, Aaron Pickering 35th 5.53, Aidy Hall 51st 6.16, Jacob McLean 54th
6.23,and Logan Mulholland 56th 6.26.