30th Jun 2009. Two More Outstanding Performances from Emily Freeman.
Emily is probably going to have the best year of her career if her latest performances are anything to go by. Competing in the Meeting Lille Metropole at Villeneuve-d'ascq in France she won the 200m in 22.79s, not far from her best ever time, and also came 2nd in the 100m in 11.42s. Emily is currently the UK's top sprinter, leading the UK rankings at both 100m at 200m. Meeting Results.

28th Jun 2009. 2 Medals & 2 Club Records at England U20 & U23 Championships.
The club had two medal winners at the England U20 & U23 Championships at Bedford, with pride of place going to Zara Hohn, who won the U23 100m Hurdles title in a New Club 100m Hurdles Record of 13.37s. Her time is just outside the qualifying time for the forthcoming European U23 Athletics Championships, but puts her 2nd in the early season UK rankings, and also moves her up to 32nd on the UK 100m Hurdles all-time list.
Jack Hallas also had probably the best result of his career so far by taking bronze in the U20 800m in a New U20 800m Club Record of 1 min 50.46 secs, beating Thomas Atkinson's record from just a month ago. He had shown what was to come the day before by beating his PB with his winning heat time of 1m 51.36s. James Mitchell was also competing, and ran a fast 11.14s in his U20 100m heat. Meeting Results.

28th Jun 2009. Results of Wilkinson Ackworth Open Meeting.
Ackworth Road Runners & AC successfully hosted their first open meeting at Thornes Park Stadium, and there were many club members in action. It was good to see our former English Schools Hammer Champion Anthony Swain back in action again, winning the senior men's event in 50.23m, and another highlight was Lucy Holmes & Hannah Yates (U15) having a good battle in the U17 Discus with 27.64m & 27.57m respectively. Grace Eyles had her customary 100m & 200m sprint double win and Abigail Roberts also had a good win in the U13 girls long jump. Meeting Results

27th/28th Jun 2009. Two Medallists in North East Schools Combined Events.
The club had 2 athletes representing West Yorkshire at the North East Schools Combined Events Championships at Jarrow, with Samantha Brook doing exceptionally well to come 3rd in the Inter Girls Heptathlon with a score of 3948 points, and Beth Porter also showing great all round ability coming 2nd in the Junior Girls Pentathlon with 2619 points. Download Meeting Results.

27th Jun 2009. Some Fast Middle Distance Times at BMC Nike Grand Prix.
At the BMC Nike Grand Prix at Stretford there were some good middle distance performances, with Kelly Johnson close to her 800m best with an excellent 2m 07.81s, and a new 800m PB from the fast improving Tom Coney in 1m 55.63s. In the 1500m races there was a PB from Sam Bucknall with 4m 02.81s, and season's bests for Nathan Elliot (4m 00.51s), Helen Singleton (4m 26.80s) & Sarah Beevers (4m 46.18s). Meeting Results.

27th Jun 2009. Another Fast 1500m from Charlene Thomas in Spain.
Charlene continued her excellent form with another fast 1500m at the Gran Premio Andalucia meeting at Málaga in Spain, finishing 2nd in her race in 4m 07.73s behind Iryna Lishchynska of the Ukraine. Race Results.

25th Jun 2009. Results of Second Reindeer Romp Off-Road Race.
There was a good standard of runners competing in the second of the Reindeer Romp Series of off-road races, with a new course record from Shaun Dimelow of Barnsley. First Harrier home was Martin Green in 5th, and with Neil Penn 8th and Chris Ward 10th Wakefield won the men's team prize. First lady home was Wakefield's fast improving Helen Beck in 29th, and with Alex Potter 35th and Julie Greenwood 43rd our ladies also won their team prize. Race Results.

24th Jun 2009. Thomas Atkinson & Lauren Proctor Selected for GB Youth Team.
Thomas Atkinson and Lauren Proctor have received the first international selections of their burgeoning athletics careers, being picked to run the 800m & 1500m respectively for Great Britain at the European Youth Olympic Festival at Tampere Finland on July 18th - 25th. Our warmest congratulations to Thomas & Lauren on this excellent achievement, and for the club to have 2 of the 23 athletes of the GB team shows that the club is really going places.
Report from UK Athletics and Details of the event.

24th Jun 2009. Wakefield Harriers Website Receives it's 200,000th Visit.
The Wakefield Harriers Website passed another landmark today when it received it's 200,000th visit. It took 7 years for the site counter to reach 100,000, but just 21 months to reach this second milestone, illustrating the increasing popularity of the internet.

23rd Jun 2009. Excellent New 1500m PB from Jack Hallas at Stretford BMC Races.
U20 runner Jack Hallas ran an excellent new 1500m PB of 3m 52.33s at the BMC Gold Standard Races at Stretford. Nathan Elliott ran a season's best of 4m 02.25s, and Chris Price showed improved speed with an 800m PB of 2m 02.72s. Meeting Results

23rd Jun 2009. Wakefield Harriers Selected to Compete at English Schools Championships.
Several club members have been selected to represent West Yorkshire Schools at the English Schools T&F Championships at the Don Valley Stadium on July 10/11th. Our congratulations to Jack Hallas, Tom Coney & Thomas Atkinson (senior boys), Marcus Nixey, Will Mulroy & Craig Westerman (intermediate boys), Matthew O'Connor (junior boys), Lauren Proctor, Sally Smith & Samantha Brook (intermediate girls), and Grace Eyles, Zoe Kerrins & Hannah Yates (junior girls) on their selection, and also to Rebecca Watts (intermediate girls), who has also been selected to represent Humberside Schools. For those wishing to support them at Sheffield, here are details of the event and a list of the full WYS team.

21st Jun 2009. Another Team Victory in Young Athletes League Round 4 at Barlborough.
Still awaiting detailed results.
Match Result :- Wakefield District HAC 445, Spenborough 295, 2DASH 274, Jarrow & Hebburn.

20th Jun 2009. Emily Freeman Wins 100m for GB in European Team Championships.
Emily was initially selected to run in the 4 x 100m relay for the Aviva Great Britain and NI team at the European Team Championships in Leira, Portugal, but a late withdrawal saw her drafted into the individual 100m. She had a fantastic run to win the event in 11.42s, and gain maximum points for the team, and also get Wakefield District Harriers a mention on the BBC! She became the first female from Britain to win this event, and it is the biggest win in her career to date. She later ran a good 3rd leg in the 4 x 100m relay, and helped the team finish 2nd in the race, and GB to an overnight lead in the overall competition. Report of first day from UK Athletics.

20th/21st Jun 2009. Lauren Proctor & Kelly Johnson Win Northern Athletics Titles.
At the Northern Athletics Senior & U20 Championships at Sport City, Manchester, the club had several athletes competing, with two returning home with titles. Lauren Proctor was outstanding again, winning the U20 1500m in 4m 24.60s, very close to her recent club record, and Kelly Johnson also won the senior 800m in 2m 09.14s. Helen Singleton also won a medal, coming 2nd in the senior women's 1500m in 4m 31.11s. Other top 8 finishers were James Mitchell (5th U20M 100m 11.22s), Jack Hallas (5th U20M 800m 1m 55.53s), Reagan Wright (6th SW 100m 12.83s), Faye Mitchell (7th U20W 100m 13.11s), Chris Price (7th SM 3000m Steeplechase 10m 22.10s) & Richard Gayle (8th SM Hammer 43.27m). Download full results

14th Jun 2009. New Club 100m Record from Emily Freeman in Berlin.
Emily was invited to compete in one of the supporting 100m races at the IAAF Golden League Meeting at Berlin, and won in a New Club 100m Record of 11.33 secs, which in the early season UK rankings puts her right at the top, and also moves her up to 21st on the UK 100m all-time list.

14th Jun 2009. Thirty Harriers Run in Bradford Millenium Way Relay.
The club managed to turn out 3 full teams of 10 to compete in the Bradford Millenium Way Relay, including a ladies team for the first time. No prizes this year, with the 'A' team coming 11th, the 'B' team 20th and the ladies team 39th out of the 44 competing teams.

14th Jun 2009. Victory in 3rd Match of Pennine Division of the National Junior League.
In the 3rd match of the Pennine Division of the National Junior League at Spenborough the combined men's and women's team had their best result so far, with a convincing victory. There were good wins for James Mitchell (100m 11.3s & 200m 22.7s), Tom Coney (800m 1m 59.0s), Sam Bucknall (1500m 4m 12.5s), Ben Holmes (HJ 1.87m), Rebecca Watts (100m 12.7s), Sally Smith (800m 2m 17.3s & 1500m 4m 57.6s) & Kirby Akindeinde (LJ 4.98m). So with just one match left the team are only one point behind leaders Middlesborough AC.
Match Result :- Wakefield H 497, Leeds City AC 447, Middlesborough AC 442, Bolton U H 338, Kirklees AC 325, Harrogate H 205, Bingley H 167, Team Tyne & Wear 0. Full Results.

13th Jun 2009. New Club 800m Record from Charlene Thomas.
At the BMC Nike Grand Prix at Watford Charlene confirmed that she is in the form of her life by breaking her second club record in a week. She finished 2nd in her race, running a New Club 800m Record of 2 mins 01.87 secs, a time which currently ranks her 5th in the UK. After his recent club U20 record Thomas Atkinson will no doubt have been a bit disappointed with his 800m in 1m 54.24s. Meeting Results.

13th Jun 2009. New Championship Record from Jack Hallas in West Yorkshire Schools.
At the West Yorkshire Schools Athletics Championships at Thornes Park, the club had many athletes competing with distinction for their school districts, with Jack Hallas being the star performer with a new Championship Best Performance of 1m 52.80s in the Senior Boys 800m. Other club members did exceptionally well too, with several victories in most age groups.
In the Intermediate Boys age group Nathanial Davis (200m 23.26s), Marcus Nixey (400m 50.01s) & Will Mulroy (HJ 1.88m) all won, and in the Junior Boys Matthew O'Connor was also a good winner (800m 2m 07.46s).
For the girls, in the Senior age group we had Kirby Akindeinde (Triple Jump 10.20m), and in the Intermediate Girls section Sally Smith (1500m 4m 52.55s), Samantha Brook (300m Hurdles 46.29s) & Lucy Holmes (Shot 9.74m) all won, and in the Junior Girls section Beth Porter (75m Hurdles 12.46s) & Hannah Yates (Discus 26.82m) came away with victories.
In addition there were grade 1 performances from Grace Eyles (JG 2nd 100m 12.5s & 2nd 200m 25.8s), Tom Leyshon (IB 2nd HJ 1.85m) & Beth Porter (JG 2nd LJ 4.91m) and grade 2s from Zoe Kerins (JG 3rd 200m 26.5s), Tom Coney (SB 2nd 800m 1m 55.69s) & Craig Westerman (IB 2nd Discus 40.06m).
Download Results in Excel

12th Jun 2009. Emily Freeman Selected for GB European Team Championships.
As a result of her excellent form Emily has been selected to run for the Aviva Great Britain and NI team at the European Team Championships in Leira, Portugal, next weekend. As last year she is in the squad for the 4 x 100m relay, and we send her our congratulations on her latest international selection. Details of GB team from UK Athletics.

10th Jun 2009. Charlene Thomas Wins 1500m at 'Super 8' Event .
Charlene Thomas continued her fine form when winning the 1500m in 4 mins 15.01 secs at the new 'Super 8' competition at Cardiff, organised by UKA. She won some useful prize money, but Zara Hohn was not so lucky, being disqualified from her 100m Hurdles. Meeting Results.

10th Jun 2009. Results of 4th WYT&F League Meeting at Wakefield.
On a wet evening there was still quite a good turnout, and Wakefield's winners on the night were Ashley Raby (U17M 800m 2m 08.34s), Jessica Barker (U11G Long Jump 3.46m), Bethany Thomas (U13G Discus 19.30m), Rebecca Watts (U17W 200m 26.44s), Alice Lightfoot (U17W Discus 21.32m) & Kirby Akindeinde (SW Long Jump 4.75m).
Results from Wakefield :- Mens and Womens.

7th Jun 2009. New Club 1500m Record from Charlene Thomas in Poland.
Charlene Thomas gave her World Championship hopes a huge boost by running a New Club 1500m Record of 4 mins 05.06 secs, when finishing 4th in the Janusz Kusocinski Memorial Meeting at Warsaw, in Poland. Her time is a qualifying standard for the championships, and currently ranks her 2nd in the UK behind race winner Steph Twell, and also moves her up to 17th on the UK 1500m all-time list.

7th Jun 2009. UK Women's League Division 3 Round 1.
In the first round of the UK Women's League Division 3 at Barking the team were without all their international athletes, and with several other key athletes missing, finished 7th overall. Top individual performances were by Helen Singleton, who finished 2nd in the 800m in 2m 11.03s, and 3rd in the 1500m in 4m 36.61s, and by over 50 vet Jenny Ibbitson who scored valuable points in the Hammer, Discus and Pole Vault. Debbie Collinson was 4th in the Javelin, and Fiona Thomas achieved a grade 2 performance with her 11.42m Shot.
Match Result :- Bedford & County 206, Havering Mayesbrook 202, Thames Valley H 179, Wigan & District 168, Medway & Maidstone 141, Newham & Essex Beagles 139.5, Wakefield & District HAC 116.5, Belgrave H 79. Download full results in pdf

6th Jun 2009. Emily Freeman Opens her Season in Style in Switzerland.
Olympic Semi-Finalist Emily Freeman easily won her first 200m race of the season, running 23.09s at the Geneva EAP meeting in Switzerland. The time shows she is on course for great things at this year's World Championships, and currently ranks her 2nd in the UK behind Olympic 400m Champion Christine Ohuruogu.

6th Jun 2009. Another Team Victory in North of England League Division 2E.
In the 2nd round of the North of England League Division 2E, at Middlesborough, the team had another victory in a close match to establish a clear lead in the division. There were excellent wins from U20 sprinters Chris Mitchell (100m 11.1s & 200m 22.8s) & Marcus Nixey (400m 50.0s), and a good haul of points from multi-eventers Darren Thomas and Alistair Robinson. Fiona Thomas also scored well in the throws, but it was a good all-round team effort to secure victory.
Match Result :- Wakefield 395, Durham City 390, Middlesbrough 310, Gateshead 300, Heaton 241, Border 183. Download Meeting Results.

6th Jun 2009. New Club U20 & U17 1500m Record for Lauren Proctor.
At the BMC PB Classic Meeting at Stretford there were many fine performances from our young middle distance runners, the highlight being a New Club U20 & U17 1500m Record of 4 mins 24.40 secs from Lauren Proctor, who not only broke her own U17 record, but also the U20 record from former Cross Country International Aine Hoban. Sally Smith ran a season's best of 4m 47.30s in the same race, and there was another big PB from U15 runner Matthew O'Connor who ran 4m 21.34s in his 1500m race, and Sam Bucknell cracked 2 minutes for the first time in the 800m. Meeting Results.

1st Jun 2009. Aine Hoban Returns to Competition in New Zealand.
After missing the whole of 2008 through injury, it is great news to hear that our former U20 and U23 Cross Country International Aine Hoban is back racing again, in New Zealand. She ran a 5k race in 17 mins 39s, and followed that up with her first Half Marathon, finishing 7th lady in the Christchurch race in the good time of 83 mins 21 secs.

1st Jun 2009. Excellent New 800m PB from Matthew O'Connor.
U15 runner Matthew O'Connor has been improving at an excellent rate this season, and at the BMC Regional Races at Jarrow he ran an excellent new 800m PB of 2m 06.6s, which is a grade 1 performance and less than 2 seconds away from Thomas Atkinson's club record for the age group. Meeting Results.

31st May 2009. Jack Hallas Wins Roberttown 7 Mile Road Race.
Jack Hallas took a break from the track to win his local road race, the Roberttown 7 Mile, for the second year running, with Nathan Bolton finishing 13th. Race Results.

31st May 2009. Comfortable Win in 3rd Round of Young Athletes League.
In the 3rd round of the Young Athletes League Northern 1 East Division at Scunthorpe the team had another good team victory. Top individual performances were by William Mulroy, winning the U17M High Jump with a new PB of 1.88m, and by Bethany Thomas, winning the U13 Shot with a 8.83m, both grade 1 performances. Grade 2 performances were achieved by Craig Westerman (U17M Discus 40.17m), Rebecca Watts (U17L 200m 25.8s), Zoe Kerins (U15G 200m 26.6s), Hannah Yates (U15G Discus 26.51m) & Bobby Jukes (U13B HJ 1.41m).
Match Result :- Wakefield & District HAC 429, Middlesbrough Mandale 352, Boston & District 197, Harrogate HAC 172. Download full results in pdf

31st May 2009. Paul Hallas Finishes 2nd in Yorkshire Vets Grand Prix Race at Walton.
The club once again hosted the 3rd round of the Yorkshire Vets Grand Prix series at Haw Park Woods, near Walton, and the scenic course was popular as usual, with a record 172 finishers for this year's race. Paul Hallas had an excellent run to finish 2nd overall, and easily the first M50, and led the Wakefield team of Adam Cooper 9th, Dave Brailsford 17th and Peter Gooding 43rd to 2nd team. Emma Pearson was our first lady home in 93rd place. Results from YVAA and see photo slide show from Edward Kingston.

30th May 2009. New Club Record for Thomas Atkinson at Manchester BMC Races.
In the warm conditions there were many excellent performances at the BMC Nike Grand Prix Races at Sports City Manchester, with many of the club's top middle distance runners in action. The outstanding performance was from 17 year old Thomas Atkinson, who made a huge step forward with a New U20 800m Club Record of 1 min 51.03 secs, finally erasing John Ashton's record from 1975. Jack Hallas was close to his 800m best with 1m 52.97s, and Tom Coney was another to make a big advance with his 1m 56.27s time. Lauren Proctor was very close to her best, running her 800m in 2m 11.01s, as was Dale Worton who ran the 1500m in 4m 01.76s, and Helen Singleton with her time of 4m 27.85s. Some excellent performances indeed, with most of these runners high up in the UK rankings. Meeting Results.

29th May 2009. Season's Opener from Charlene Thomas in Belgrade.
As last year, Charlene Thomas had her first 1500m race of the season at the Artur Takatch Memorial Meeting in Belgrade in Serbia, and came 3rd in a solid 4m 14.79s. Race Results

28th May 2009. Results of First Reindeer Romp Off-Road Race.
There was another record turnout of runners for the first of Tony Audsley's Reindeer Romp Series of off-road races, from the Reindeer Inn at Overton. First Harrier home was Craig Heppenstall in 4th, ahead of Alan Slack 6th and Richard West 9th, who finished 2nd team. First Wakefield lady to finish was Alex Potter in 32nd, from Helen Beck 35th and Sharon Sykes 53rd, with this trio claiming the ladies team prize. Race Results and some pictures.

24th/25th May 2009. Zara Hohn Wins Inter Counties Championships.
Three members of Wakefield Harriers were selected to compete for Yorkshire in the CAU Inter Counties Championships at Bedford. Zara Hohn added to her growing list of titles by winning the 100m Hurdles in 13.59s, to confirm her recent good form. U20 Thomas Atkinson ran in the 800m, running 1m 55.26s in his heat, and U20 James Mitchell ran in the 4 x 100m relay, after warming up with 11.32s in the invitation race. Download results

24th May 2009. Martyn Bernard Jumps in Brazil.
Martyn Bernard added another stamp to his passport when competing in the "Grande Premio Brasil Caixa de Atletismo" at Belém in Brazil, which is part of the World Athletics Tour series. He finished 7th in the High Jump with a 2.20m jump. Meeting Results

24th May 2009. Second Match of Pennine Division of the National Junior League.
In the 2nd match of the Pennine Division of the National Junior League at Darlington the combined men's and women's team came a creditable 3rd. There were good wins for Sam Bucknall (3000m 9m 20.5s), Craig Simpson (LJ 6.29m) Faye Mitchell (200m 26.9s), Mikaela Harrison (400m 59.4s) & Lucy Holmes (Shot 9.37m). Ben Holmes also caught the eye with his 1.84m High Jump, which would have won a medal at the previous day's Northern Championships.
Match Result :- Middlesborough AC 477, Leeds City AC 400, Wakefield H 361, Kirklees AC 344, Bolton U H 328, Harrogate H 247, Bingley H 160, Team Tyne & Wear 90. Full Results.

23rd/24th May 2009. Harriers Win Two Gold Medals at Northern U17/U15 Champs.
At the Northern Athletics U15 & U17 Championships at Gateshead the club had several athletes competing, and won two gold medals and seven minor medals. Marcus Nixey won the U17 men's 400m in 50.01s, and William Mulroy also took gold in the U17 men's High Jump with a PB of 1.86m, with Thomas Leyshon taking the bronze with 1.80m. Craig Westerman won two bronze medals in the U17 men's throws, with distances of 39.37m in the Discus and 11.59m in the Shot. Other Harriers to win medals were Samantha Brook (2nd U17W 300m Hurdles 46.81s), Bethany Porter (2nd U15G Long Jump 4.84m), Rebecca Watts (3rd U17W 100m 12.92s) & Sally Spurr (3rd U17W Pole Vault 2.10m). Download results in pdf

Beth Porter, Sam Brook and Becky Watts from the North of England Championships.

20th May 2009. Results of 3rd WYT&F League Meeting.
At the 3rd WYT&F League Meeting at Cleckheaton we had victories from Hannah Yates (U15G Discus 28.34m), Rebecca Watts (U17W 100m 12.9s), Samantha Brook (U17W HJ 1.43m) & Fiona Thomas (SW Shot 11.17m), with Grace Eyles coming close in the U15G 100m in 12.8s. We had no male winners, but Matthew O'Connor ran well in a competitive U15 Boys 1500m, coming 2nd in 4m 37.0s, ahead of Jake Worton & Daniel Franks.
In the overall league after 3 meetings the women are in the lead, with the men lying second.
Results from Cleckheaton :- Mens and Womens.

20th May 2009. Harriers Competing in Askern 10K Road Race.

17th May 2009. Comfortable Win in 2nd Round of Young Athletes League.
In the 2nd fixture of the Young Athletes League Northern 1 East Division at Wakefield the team had a great team victory. Top individual performance was by Bethany Thomas, winning the U13 Shot with a New Club Record of 9.13m. Other grade 1 performances were achieved by Grace Eyles (U15G 100m 12.8s & 200m 26.2s), and grade 2 performances by Thomas Leyshon (U17M HJ 1.80m), Craig Westerman (U17M Discus 40.66m) & Abigail Roberts (U13G High Jump 1.33m). The U15 Girls 4 x 100m relay team just missed the club record by a tenth of a second with their excellent time of 51.8s.
Match Result :- Wakefield 458, Bingley 280, Hallamshire 248, Hull Achilles 182.
Download full results in pdf

17th May 2009. Zara Hohn Breaks Club Record at the Loughborough International.
Zara Hohn was selected to compete for the England team in the 100m Hurdles at the McCain Loughborough International, and ran a legal PB and New Club 100m Hurdles Record of 13.46s, when finishing 2nd behind Jessica Ennis, who tops the UK rankings. Meeting Results.

12th May 2009. Fast 800m from Thomas Atkinson at Stretford BMC Races.
AAA U17 800m champion Thomas Atkinson, in his first year as an U20, ran a season's best of 1m 54.64s in the 800m at the BMC Gold Standard Races at Stretford. Meeting Results

9th/10th May 2009. 12 Gold Medals and a Club Record at Yorkshire T&F Championships.
The club had another good showing at the Yorkshire Championships at the Don Valley Stadium, Sheffield, and came away with a good haul of medals. Jack Hallas was outstanding, easily winning the senior 800m and 1500m titles in PB times of 1m 52.47s and 3m 57.44s, even though he is still an U20 athlete. Zara Hohn was also a clear winner, taking the 100m Hurdles in 13.99s. Marcus Nixey came 2nd in a very close U17 men's 400m, running a New U17 400m Club Record of 49.40s, breaking Thomas Atkinson's mark from last season.
In addition there were Yorkshire gold medals for Chris Price (SM 3000m Steeplechase 10m 12.06s), William Mulroy (U17M High Jump 1.85m), Kelly Johnson (SW 800m 2m 11.12s & 400m 58.08s), Kirby Akindeinde (U20W Triple Jump 10.38m), Lauren Proctor (U17W 1500m 4m 36.40s), Abigail Roberts (U15G Pole Vault 2.50m), Hannah Yates (U15G Discus 27.45m) & Olivia Radcliffe (U15G 1500m 4m 55.90s).
Silver medals were won by Tom Coney (U20M 800m 1m 58.69s), Thomas Leyshon (U17M High Jump 1.80m), Craig Westerman (U17M Discus 40.49m & Hammer 32.16m), Ethan Plumb (U15B Javelin 26.19m), Reagan Wright (SW 100m 12.35s), Ruth Dales (SW 100m Hurdles 15.89s), Helen Singleton (SW 1500m 4m 38.49s), Kirby Akindeinde (U20W Long Jump 5.04m), Sally Spurr (U15G Pole Vault 2.10m), Bethany Porter (U15G 75m Hurdles 12.04s) & Bethany Thomas (U13G Shot 7.85m), and bronze medals by Andy Ashton (SM Triple Jump 9.84m), Craig Simpson (U20M 100m 11.43s), Craig Westerman (U17M Shot 12.68m), Daniel O'Connor (U17M Discus 36.62m), Ethan Plumb (U15B Hammer 19.27m & Discus 21.19m), Matthew O'Connor (U15B 1500m 4m 37.61s), Helen Singleton (SW 800m 2m 14.31s), Sarah Bostwick Beevers (SW 2000m S/C 7m 42.09s), Faye Mitchell (U20W 100m 12.68s & 200m 26.22s), Mikaela Harrison (U20W 400m 60.12s), Rebecca Watts (U17W 100m 12.74s) & Danielle Anderson (U15G 75m Hurdles 13.30s).
Also of note were very fast sprint times from Grace Eyles who came 4th in a very high class U15 100m in 12.49s and 200m in 26.12s. Download Championship Results from Northern Athletics

6th May 2009. New League Record for Grace Eyles at 2nd WYT&F League Meeting.
At the second WYT&F League Meeting at Wakefield, Grace Eyles was the top performer with a New U15 Girls 200m League Record of 25.7 secs, which is not too far off the club record, and she also had victory in the Long Jump with 4.38m. Other grade 1 performances were by Bethany Thomas (U13G Shot 8.48m) & Zoe Kerins (U15G 200m 26.2s), and there was a grade 2 performance from Craig Westerman (U17M Shot 12.33m), and a notable victory from Samantha Brook (U17 Long Jump 4.85m).
Results from Wakefield :- Mens and Womens.

4th May 2009. Men's Team Finish 3rd in Rothwell 10k Road Race.

3rd/4th May 2009. Zara Hohn Wins BUCS Championships in New Club Record Time.
Representing her Sheffield Hallam University Zara Hohn won the British Universities Championships over 100m Hurdles, running a New Club Record of 13.26 secs, after earlier running 13.34 secs in the heats. Both times were New Championship Records, and although wind assisted, shows she is already in great form this year. Chiedu Ufodiama also had a good weekend, representing Birmingham University, with 2 new PBs in the Discus (39.12m) and Shot (11.57m). Results

3rd May 2009. First round of Young Athletes League Northern 1 East Division.
In the opening fixture of the Young Athletes League at York the team had a good all round performance, and finished a creditable 2nd behind the host club. Grade 2 performances were achieved by Thomas Leyshon (U17M HJ 1.80m), Craig Westerman (U17M Discus 39.65m), Lucy Holmes (U17L Shot 9.25m), Grace Eyles (U15G 200m 26.8s), Olivia Radcliffe (U15G 1500m 5m 03.9s) & Hannah Yates (U15G Discus 24.51m & Shot 9.00m), and the U15 Girls 4 x 100m relay team were very close to the club record with their excellent time of 52.1s.
Match Result :- City of York 388, Wakefield 343, Rotherham 321, Lincoln Wellington 257.
Download full results in pdf

2nd May 2009. Team Victory in First Round of North of England League Division 2E.
In the first match of the North of England League Division 2E at Middlesborough the senior men's and women's teams had a comfortable victory. The best results were in the Javelin, where Mark Lindsay won easily with a grade 1 PB throw of 58.50m, with Darren Thomas also winning the 'B' event, and Debbie Collinson and Michelle Lonsdale also having a double win in the women's event. Also in the field Fiona Thomas won the Shot with 11.36m, and Tiffany Lyons high jumped 1.65m, and U17 Wil Mulroy 1.80m. The junior sprinters performed well, with U20 Craig Simpson winning the 100m & 200m, and U17 Marcus Nixey the 400m in 50.6s, and Reagan Wright & Faye Mitchell having victories too. It was a good all round team effort, which will hopefully lead to a swift return to division 1.
Match Result :- Wakefield 421, Gateshead 354, Middlesbrough 308, Heaton 288.5, Durham City 282.5, Border 182. Download results in pdf

28th Apr 2009. Some Fine Performances at Trafford Open.
Some of the club's leading middle distance runners competed at the Trafford Open Meeting at Stretford, with some good performances. In particular Kelly Johnson ran the 800m in 2m 08.06s, just ahead of Helen Singleton who ran a PB of 2m 08.29s, and Thomas Atkinson made his 1500m debut in 4 mins 05.11s. Download Results

26th Apr 2009. Ruth Bailey Completes the Zurich Marathon.
Ruth Bailey successfully completed the Zurich Marathon in 4 hrs 34 mins, so our congratulations to her. With Dianne Simmons having recently completed the Paris Marathon, and Mark Domaille the Boston Marathon, Wakefield's marathon runners have really gone global this year.
See Zurich Marathon website.

26th Apr 2009. Wakefield Harriers Complete the London Marathon.
We once again had a contingent of athletes taking part in the Flora London Marathon, with some encouraging results. Carl Quinn broke 3 hours for the first time with 2hrs 57mins, and he was followed home by Chris Ward in 3hrs 15mins, running in with our first lady Sarah Bostwick-Beevers, completing her first marathon in the same time. Others finishers were Martin Holding, James Morris, Daniel Benjamin and David Sharpe, and our congratulations to them all for completing the course. Race Results from London Marathon website.

26th Apr 2009. Brian Fozzard & Richard West Win Yorkshire Age Group Titles.
In the The SIG Insulations Sheffield Half Marathon, which incorporated the Yorkshire Veteran Championships, Richard West won the M50 title in 1hr 22:44, just behind club mate Steve Faulkner, and Brian Fozard took the M70 title in 1hr 40:13. Race Results.

26th Apr 2009. First Match of Pennine Division of the National Junior League.
The club hosted the first match of the Pennine Division of the National Junior League at Thornes Park, and in an exciting match finished 2nd overall in the combined men's and women's competitions. Our national champions Thomas Atkinson and Lauren Proctor opened their track seasons with emphatic wins in their 800m races, and sprinters Craig Simpson, James Mitchell, Marcus Nixey, Becky Watts & Faye Mitchell all had excellent wins, as did Tom Coney in the 2000m Steeplechase and Craig Westerman in the Shot.
Match Result :- Middlesborough AC 450, Wakefield H 433, Bolton U H 427, Leeds City AC 406, Kirklees AC 314, Bingley H 240, Harrogate H 173, Team Tyne & Wear 141. Full Results.

25th Apr 2009. Neil Penn & Martin Green Complete Three Peaks Fell Race.
Neil Penn and Martin Green competed in the gruelling Three Peaks Fell race over a distance of 24 miles and with over 4500ft of climbing, made even tougher this year by the warm conditions. Neil finished a very creditable 80th in 3 hrs 50 mins, and Martin 162nd in 4 hrs 6 mins out of 615 finishers, with many runners failing to complete the course. Race Results.

19th Apr 2009. Sheffield 'Festival of Athletics' results.
Several of the club's athletes had their first outing of the season at the Sheffield 'Festival of Athletics', with some good performances recorded. Download results in Word.

19th Apr 2009. New Club Record for Craig Westerman at 1st WYT&F League at York.
At the first WYT&F League Meeting at York, Craig Westerman was the club's star performer with a New U17 Men's Club Discus Record of 41.27m. This throw, a grade 1 performance, easily broke Richard Atkinson's long standing mark from 1990, and puts Craig 3rd in the early season UK rankings. Another athlete to impress with a grade 2 performance was Grace Eyles, who came 3rd with 13.0s in a very high class U15G 100m. Dale Worton won his first race as a senior, taking the 800m in 2m 00.8s, and other winners were Bethany Porter (U15G 75m Hurdles 12.6s), Alice Lightfoot (U17L 800m 2m 38.9s) & Fiona Thomas (SL 100m 13.7s).
Results from York :- Mens and Womens.

12th Apr 2009. New Club U15 Pole Vault Record for Abigail Roberts.
At the Kingston upon Hull Open Meeting Abigail Roberts jumped a New U15 Girl's Pole Vault Record of 2.50m, ahead of her teammate Sally Spur, who cleared 2.30m. As Abigail is still an U13 Girl she also holds the record in that age group as well.
Download Meeting Results in Excel.

12th Apr 2009. Reward Scheme for Athletes who Compete for Wakefield District Harriers.
As an experiment this year, to try and encourage more athletes to compete for the club in Team Competitions, the Club Committee have decided to set aside some money to reward athletes who support the club. Download the Document describing the scheme.

11th Apr 2009. Wakefield Harriers Spring Open Medals Meeting.
There was an excellent turnout of over 420 athletes for the Spring Open Medals Meeting, with visitors from all over the North of England coming to Thornes Park Stadium, attracted by the wide programme of events and the electrical timing. Excellent Grade 1 performances were achieved by Grace Eyles (1st U15G 100m 12.66s & 1st 200m 26.07s), Marcus Nixey (1st U17M 400m 50.77s), Thomas Leyshon (1st U17M High Jump 1.80m) & William Mulroy (2nd U17M High Jump 1.80m), and Grade 2 performances were achieved by Zoe Kerins (2nd U15G 200m 26.71s) & Hannah Yates (3rd U15G Shot 9.16m & Discus 26.05m) Other good results to catch the eye included Bethany Thomas winning the U13 Shot with 8.49m, and Craig Westerman not far off the club U17 Discus record with his throw of 38.25m. In the middle distances Tom Coney ran a new 800m PB, winning in 2m 00.95s, and Beth Sharp also ran very well to win the U17 300m in an excellent 43.9s, even though she is only an U15.
Meeting Results and excellent Photograph Gallery from Flaming Photography.

5th Apr 2009. Harriers in Action at Rotherham Spring Open Meeting.
There were several club members competing at the Rotherham Spring Open Meeting, with some creditable performances. In the 100m James Mitchell ran 11.3s in the mens race, and Rebecca Watts 13.2s in the U17 race, and in the 200m they also ran 23.0s and 27.5s in their respective races. Olivia Radcliffe ran 2m 25.3s in the U15 800m. Meeting Results

5th Apr 2009. Dianne Simmons Completes Paris Marathon.
Having completed the London Marathon last year, Dianne Simmons wanted a new challenge, and successfully completed the Paris Marathon in a PB of 4 hrs 24 mins (4 hrs 17 mins chip time).
See Paris Marathon website.

5th Apr 2009. Wakefield Ladies team Finish 9th at Northern 6-Stage Road Relays.
The club were without leading runners Charlene Thomas and Julie Briscoe but still put on a very creditable display at the Northern 6-Stage Road Relay Championships at Stockport. The team of Sharon Marshall (15:59), Helen Singleton (13:41), Katie McHale (15:10), Kelly Johnson (14:58), Sarah Bostwick (14:41) and Shirley Griffiths (16:27) finished 9th team, with Helen's excellent time being 6th fastest of the day. Women's Results

5th Apr 2009. Chris Price Leads Men's Team to Victory in Wakefield Hospice 10k.

The annual Wakefield Hospice 10k race again attracted a large field of over 1000 runners, with many Harriers competing. Chris Price finished 5th overall in 33:25, and he was well supported by junior runners Thomas Coney (7th in 34:04) and Sam Bucknell (8th in 34:20) for a clear team victory. The 'B' team of Paul Hallas (14th in 35:17), Steve Faulkner (21st in 36:14) and Neil Penn (24th in 36:28) were 2nd team to finish, and with Paul Hallas winning the M50 prize in a New Club M50 10K Record of 35 mins 17 secs, and Brian Fozzard winning the M70 prize it was a good day for the men. The women's team were depleted due to the clash with the Northern Road Relays, but new member Helen Beck took her opportunity well to lead our ladies home in a PB of 42:41, in her first race for the club.

Chris Price & Helen Beck Wakefield Harriers 10k Champions for 2009 pictured with Club President John Newsome.

Download Race Results and See photo gallery from Tony Audsley

5th Apr 2009. Young Athletes in Wakefield Hospice Fun Run.
There were several young Harriers competing in the 3k Hospice Fun Run, and most of them finished in the top 10, and all enjoyed beating a few senior joggers.