Unbeaten Harriers win promotion

Jul 21 2008 The Journal

BORDER Harriers maintained their unbeaten record to win promotion to Division One after their final National Young Athletes League Division Two meeting at Monkton Stadium.

Despite excellent individual results, host club Jarrow and Hebburn – after leading at halfway – could not match the overall strength of their Cumbrian rivals.

Meanwhile, visiting athlete Tim Hartley was a convincing winner of yesterday’s 29th Northumberland Coastal Run from Beadnell Harbour to Alnmouth Estuary.

Hartley from Leicestershire, who is in the Veterans’ Over-40s category, was 76 seconds clear of Morpeth’s Michael Morris with 2007 winner Dave Kirkland of Alnwick a further 40secs adrift in third.

Twenty-sixth across the line was Judith Nutt of Elswick who regained the women’s trophy, ahead of Debbie Appleton of Havering and 2007 winner Amy Green of Keighley.

Gateshead Harriers comfortably qualified for the final of the British Athletics League Cup on Saturday. They now go to Bedford for a September showdown.

Gateshead won 10 of the 11 events. Richard Kilty , captain of the Great Britain squad that travelled to the recent World Junior Championships, shaved a 100th-of-a-second off his personal best in winning the 100m in a legal 10.60secs.

Andrew Sturrock (110m hurdles and 200m), Lewis Robson (400m), Andrew Wiles (1,500m), John Stacey (long jump), Gavin Howard (pole vault), Andrew Smith (hammer) and Ian Burns (javelin) also won.

Gateshead’s women’s team could not match the strength of City of Edinburgh, from the Premier Division.

Lauren Dewdney, who took the English Schools’ title on the same track seven days earlier, won the 100m hurdles. Leah Weatheritt also took victory in the hammer.