31st Dec 2010. UK Senior Rankings for 2010 - Club has 9 top 50 Ranked Athletes.
In the World and UK top 50 rankings, published recently in Athletics Weekly, the club did well to have 9 athletes in the UK top 50, and with one athlete ranked in the World's top 50.
Emily Freeman & Charlene Thomas were not able to perform at their best because of injury, and failed to make the world's top 50 this year, but we still had one world ranked athlete. Martyn Bernard was Top of the UK Rankings in the High Jump with his best of 2.29m, which ranked him equal 16th in the world!

The club had 8 athletes in the UK Senior Women's Top 50 Rankings :-
Emily Freeman was ranked 2nd= in the 200m (23.21) & 14th in the 100m (11.62) ;
Charlene Thomas was 9th in the 1500m (4:10.31) & 14th in the 800m (2m 02.56) ;
Zara Hohn was 5th in the 100m Hurdles (13.41/13.25w) ;
Caroline Nutt was 34th= in the Pole Vault (3.40m) ;
Sarah Drake was 46th in the Hammer (46.83m) ;
Naida Bromley was 48th in the Javelin (40.92m) ;
Julie Briscoe was 12th in the Marathon (2h 40:46), 16th in the 10 Miles (58:29), 24th in the Half Marathon (1h 16:50) & 31st in the 10Km (34:40) ;
Helen Singleton was 45th in the 10Km (35:00).

The club had 1 athlete in the UK Senior Men's Top 50 Rankings :-
Martyn Bernard was ranked 1st (outdoors) in the High Jump (2.29m).

31st Dec 2010. UK Track & Field Junior Age Group Rankings for 2010.
In the UK age group top 20 rankings, published recently in Athletics Weekly, the club once again has several athletes ranked, so congratulations to them all :-
U13G Lauren Higson was 17th= in the 75m (10.3).
U15G Abigail Roberts was 4th= in the Pole Vault (2.95m) ; Zoe Kerins was 15th in the 300m (42.8).
U17W Samantha Brook was 9th in the 300m Hurdles (44.99) ; Grace Eyles was 15th in the 300m (40.59) ; Abigail Roberts (U15) was 20th= in the Pole Vault (2.95m) ; Rebecca Watts was 20th= in the 200m (25.1).
U17M Benjamin Holmes was 11th in the High Jump (1.95m).
U20M Jack Hallas was 14th in the 1500m (3m 48.89) & 16th in the 800m (1m 52.02).

31st Dec 2010. Several Harriers Compete in Auld Lang Syne Race.

26th Dec 2010. Another Victory on the Fells for Annabel Mason.
Annabel and John Mason raced at the Whinberry Naze Fell Race at Rossendale, one of the few races to take place in the ice & snow. The course was very snowy, with one ridge which was particularly treacherous, with deep drifting over the path and a steep drop if you got it wrong ! Annabel was able to compete in the senior race as the minimum age for entry was 14, and did extremely well to come first lady in 23rd position overall, with John coming 12th overall.

21st Dec 2010. The Club's Allocation of London Marathon Places.
The club's 5 London Marathon places have now been allocated. We only had 3 people with rejection slips, Emma Pearson, James Morris and Martin Holding, and so they were each given one of the places. There was then a randow draw for the other 2 places, and they went to Paul Minns and Ruth Bailey. So congratulations to these 5 runners, and we wish them the best in London in April.

21st Dec 2010. Senior Christmas Handicaps Postponed until New Year.
Due to the continuing icy conditions and arctic temperatures the annual Christmas Handicap race had to be postponed until the New Year, for the 2nd year running ! It finally took place on Tuesday 18th January 2011. Race Report and Results

19th Dec 2010. Cross Country Victory for Annabel Mason in PECO XC Series.
In one of the few events to take place in the wintry weather, Annabel Mason won the U17 girls race at the second of this season's PECO cross country races at Middleton Woods, near Leeds. Father John finished third overall and first vet 45.

12th Dec 2010. Calderdale Way Relay Postponed.
The club had 2 teams of 12 entered in the Calderdale Way Relay, but due to the recent heavy snowfall the event was postponed, and eventually took place on May 8th 2011. Race Report and Results

11th Dec 2010. Second Northern Indoor Open Meeting.
Once again several Wakefield athletes took part in the 2nd Northern Athletics Indoor Open Meeting at the EIS in Sheffield, with some good performances recorded.
Download Results from Northern Athletics

6th Dec 2010. New Members joining Wakefield Harriers.
Here's the list of people that have been accepted into membership by Wakefield Harriers at the monthly Committee Meeting. Please welcome them all to the club. List of New Members accepted into membership in December.

5th Dec 2010.  Club Cross Country Championships.
The final meeting of the Complete Runner Cross Country League at Thornes Park incorporated the Club Cross Country Championships. Results and photos of all the medallists.

5th Dec 2010. U17 Mens Team are Complete Runner Cross Country League Champions.

5th Dec 2010.  Victory for Julie Briscoe in Final Complete Runner Cross Country League.
The club successfully hosted the 4th and final meeting of the Complete Runner Cross Country League at Thornes Park, but had to use a different course due to the wintry conditions. The snow covered course didn't suit the track runners, but certainly didn't slow down Julie Briscoe as she demolished the field for a convincing victory in the senior women's race, with Helen Singleton also running strongly to finish a fine 4th. The senior men had their best team result to date with an excellent 3rd place, boosted by Paul Lockwood making his first cross country appearance for several years. Paul led the team home in an excellent 14th, and he was well supported by John Convery (27th), Dyon Whiteley (31st), Chris Price (35th), John Mason (41st) & Chris Ward (51st).
In the younger age groups there was a fine team victory from the U13 girls, with Saskia Lewis having an excellent run to finish 2nd, and with Emily Gill (10th) & Beth Oates (11th) the team were well clear. In the U13 boys race George Heppinstall (5th), Ben Read (6th), Harry Mallinson (11th) & Jack Boyes (20th) all ran well to finish 2nd team. The U17 boys trio of Steven Eastwood (6th), Ben Daggart (9th) & Matthew O'Connor (11th) were also 2nd, as were the U15 girls team, with Annabelle Mason having another fine run to come 2nd, and well supported by Stephanie Rodgers (7th) & Sophie Woolin (9th). The U15 Boys team of Sam Convery (12th), Daniel Franks (14th), Logan Gibb (17th) & William Ingram (19th) packed well to come 3rd. In the U11 boys race Carter Bower-Stead & Matthew Hill were 12th & 13th, and in the U17 girls Jessica Timmins was first home in 6th.
Results of all Races. and photos available from Flaming Photography men , women , juniors .

28th Nov 2010. Another Mason Family Double at the Silkstone Shuffle.
There was another double victory for the Mason family at the 4th Silkstone Shuffle, organised by Barnsley Harriers. Although only a junior Annabel was first lady to finish, and father John came 2nd overall, winning the vets category. Race Results.

27th Nov 2010. Charlene Thomas Finishes 16th at Trials for European Cross Country.
Several of the club's leading distance runners competed against top class competition at the McCain UK Cross Challenge at Sefton Park, Liverpool, which also incorporated the trials for the forthcoming European Cross Country Championships.
After returning from a spell of warm weather training in Kenya, the icy conditions will have been a bit of a shock to Charlene Thomas, who ran her first race since injury wrecked her summer season, and finished an excellent 16th in a high class field. There was also a good run by Sally Smith who finished 24th in her U17 Ladies race, Jake Worton had an excellent run to finish 19th in the U17 Mens race, and Jack Hallas had his first race after a spell of injury, and finished 45th in the U20 Mens race. George Heppinstall showed a return to form with 32nd place in the U13 Boys, and Rebecca Firth was 46th in the U15 Girls. Results of all races

24th Nov 2010. Harriers Invited Again to Compete in Relay Race in France.

21st Nov 2010. Personal Bests Galore at Leeds Abbey Dash 10K.
The club had a good number of runners competing in the Leeds Abbey Dash 10K Road Race, with some fast times recorded in the excellent running conditions. Julie Briscoe had her first race since the Toronto Marathon, and ran a superb new PB of 34:40 to finish 5th lady in a very high class field. Helen Singleton wasn't too far behind, finishing 6th lady with another great PB of 35:00, although due to the huge field her chip time, as for most runners, was a few seconds faster. Sarah Bostwick ran a solid 38:50, finishing 23rd lady, and the PBs continued with Helen Beck making a good improvement to 40:25, and new member Nicky Steel running an encouraging 43:46.
For the men John Convery ran his fastest 10k of the year when finishing first M45, and 64th overall in 33:21, and Paul Hallas ran a new PB of 34:38, which placed him 4th M50 and 100th out of the huge field of over 6000 runners. These times put John and Paul in the UK top 20 in their respective age groups for 2010. Several other club members ran PBs on the fast out and back course.
Leading results from Power of 10 and Full results from raceplus.co.uk

20th Nov 2010. Wakefield Harriers In Action at North of England Indoor Open.
At the first North of England Indoor Open Meeting at the EIS in Sheffield, the club had several athletes in action. With athletes of different ages competing in events together, all the performances are mixed up, but here are the Results.

20th Nov 2010. Two Team Victories at Third Complete Runner Cross Country League.
At the third meeting of the Complete Runner Cross Country League at Bramley Park the club had another good day, with two team victories and one individual winner once again.
It was Rebecca Firth's turn to win the U15 Girls race this time, with Annabelle Mason losing her unbeaten streak to finish 3rd, and with Sophie Woolin (14th) the team finished level on points with City of York, but just lost on countback. There was another team victory from the U17 Mens trio of Jake Worton (6th), Steven Eastwood (9th), & Matthew O'Connor (11th), and not far behind were Jordon Turner (13th), Ben Daggart (14th) & James Saxton (17th) in the 'B' team. The other team victory came from the U13 Girls, with Saskia Lewis (5th), Emily Gill (7th) & Beth Oates (13th) packing well to win their team race for the first time this season. The U15 Boys team of Daniel Franks (8th), Sam Convery (12th), Robert Sanderson (30th) & William Ingram (35th) also did well to come 3rd. In the U13 Boys race Ben Read (6th) & George Heppinstall (14th) ran well, as did Matthew Hill who was 11th in the U11 Boys race.
The Senior Men packed well again to finish an excellent 4th, with John Mason leading the team home in 37th, and well supported by Chris Ward (42nd), Dyon Whiteley (48th), Pete McNamara (53rd), Dave Brailsford (63rd) & Neil Dutton (75th). Results of all Races
The fourth and final fixture is our home event at Thornes Park on Sunday 5th December, which will incorporate our Club Cross Country Championships.

15th Nov 2010. The Club's Allocation of London Marathon Places.
This year the ballot for the club's allocation of 5 London Marathon places will be a random draw, in two parts. The first draw will be for those runners who had applied for a place themselves, and who had received a rejection slip. If there are still places left, then there will be a second draw for all other runners who hadn't applied themselves. All runners wishing to be considered for a club place must be members of Wakefield District Harriers & AC, and must have paid their England Athletics Registration this year. They must also ensure they have registered by 31st March 2011 for the following 12 months as well, and as the places are club places, we request that the runners who are allocated the club places have to race in club colours.
Runners with rejection slips please pass on your rejection letter to Chris Ward, or forward your rejection email to christopherandrewward@gmail.com. All other runners please let Chris know that you want to be included in the ballot for the remaining places. The deadline for entering the draw will be Tuesday 21st December, and the draw will be made that evening, after we have run the Christmas Handicaps.

14th Nov 2010. Pete McNamara Wins M50 Category in Yorkshire Vets Grand Prix.
At the final race of the Yorkshire Vets Grand Prix series at Spenborough, we had a good turnout of male runners. Pete McNamara led the team home in a fine 8th place, ahead of Martin Green (14th), Richard West (41st) & Jonathan Prideaux (47th), with the team finishing 3rd. Race Results.
Pete McNamara has had a good year in this race series, and won the overall M50 category.

14th Nov 2010. Mason Family Double at Scunthorpe Cross Country.
There was a double victory for the Mason family at the Scunthorpe Open Cross Country races, with Annabel easily winning the U15 race, and father John winning the vets category in the senior mens race. Race Results.

14th Nov 2010.  Some Great Performances from the Harriers in the Barnsley 10k.
Two of our leading veteran runners, M45 John Convery & M50 Paul Hallas, had their best road runs of the year at the Barnsley 10k, finishing an excellent 6th in 34 mins 12 secs, and 15th in 35 mins 27 secs respectively. Nathan Elliot was our next man home, pacing our leading lady Helen Singleton to 2nd place in the ladies competition, and 21st overall in 36 mins 12 secs.
Download Race Results

6th/7th Nov 2010. Fell Race and Cross Country Victories for Annabel Mason.
Annabel Mason raced at the Shepherds Skyline Fell Race at Lumbutts, near Todmorden, and came first girl under 16, and third overall in the race, knocking 3 minutes off the previous record. John Mason and Martin Green were well placed in the senior race, coming 23rd & 28th respectively out of nearly 300 runners. Race Results.
Annabel also competed the next day in the first of this season's PECO cross country races at Pontefract Racecourse, and came first girl under 17, and second overall.

6th Nov 2010. Great Team Results at the English National Cross Country Relay Championships.
The club had an excellent turnout of runners at the English National Cross Country Relay Championships at Mansfield, with full teams in most age groups competing against the best cross country runners in the country.
The Senior Men had a solid performance in their 4 x 5K event, with their 'A' team of Chris Price (17:19), John Convery (17:02), Paul Hallas (18:19) & Chris Ward (17:14) finishing a fine 56th, and the 'B' team of Pete McNamara (18:44), Steve Faulkner (18:51), Jonathan Prideaux (19:07) & Neil Dutton (19:17) coming 100th out of the 140 complete teams. The U20 Men's team of Dion Whitely (10:02), Ryan Hartley (10:36) & Ashley Raby (11:49) came 51st in their 3 x 3K race. The Senior Women were short of a team, but Helen Singleton ran a very fast time of 10:36 on the opening 3K leg, just 39 seconds slower than the fastest time of the day from Steph Twell.

The Young Athletes Who Competed at the Cross Country Relays.

1st Nov 2010. Club Committee News and New Members joining Wakefield Harriers.
It was agreed at the monthly Club Committee meeting that to keep members better informed, we would publish meeting minutes on the club website. It was also agreed to publish a list of new members that had joined Wakefield Harriers, so you could make them all welcome. The minutes will be added soon, but in the meantime here is the List of New Members accepted into membership in November.

30th Oct 2010. Two Team Victories at Second Complete Runner Cross Country League.
At the second meeting of the Complete Runner Cross Country League at Fartown, Huddersfield the club had another good day, with two team victories and one individual winner from the 10 age group races.
Annabelle Mason came home first in the U15 Girls race again, and with good runs from Rebecca Firth (3rd), Stephanie Rodgers (7th) & Sophie Woolin (9th) the team were clear winners too. There was also a team victory from the U17 Men, who were led home by Jake Worton in 5th. He was well supported by Matthew O'Connor (7th), Jordon Turner (8th) & Ben Daggart (9th), and they ran out easy winners. The U13 Girls team of Saskia Lewis (6th), Emily Gill (7th) & Laura Sanderson (28th) were an excellent 2nd team, and the U15 Boys team of Sam Convery (9th), Daniel Franks (13th), Logan Gibb (26th) & Robert Sanderson (34th) also did well to come 4th.
Although the U13 Boys had an incomplete team again, George Heppinstall (5th) and Ben Read (9th) ran very well again, and in the U11 Boys race Carter Bower-Stead was our first finisher in 18th
The Senior Men packed well to finish 6th, with the ever consistent John Convery finishing an excellent 20th, and he was well supported by John Mason (38th), Dyon Whiteley (42nd), Chris Ward (58th), Pete McNamara (94th) & Neil Dutton (110th). Alice Lightfoot was our first lady home in 56th place. Results of all Races

23rd Oct 2010. Another Team Medal for the Vets Mens Team in YVAA Road Relays.

17th Oct 2010. Fast Half Marathon by Paul Lockwood in Amsterdam.
Paul Lockwood ran an excellent time of 71 mins 24 secs when finishing 7th overall in the Mizuno Amsterdam Half Marathon. This is the fastest by a club member for several years, and easily puts him top of the club rankings for this year.
In the main race, the ING Amsterdam Marathon, our former club 800m record holder Alice Butler had her first attempt at the distance, and ran round with her husband Paul in 4 hrs 27 mins.

16th Oct 2010. Excellent Team Performances at ERRA Young Athletes Road Relays.
At the ERRA Young Athletes Road Relays at Sutton Park, Birmingham all the top teams from England were on show as usual, and the club once again had some excellent team performances. The best result was by the U15 Girls, with Rebecca Firth (14:39), Stephanie Rodgers (14:52) & Libby Greatorex (15:55) being easily the first Yorkshire team home in an outstanding 8th place. The 'B' team of Sophie Woollin (16:15), B Waldegrave (17:09) & Faye Beckett (17:09) were 47th. The U17 Ladies team of Lauren Brooke (15:12), Sally Smith (14:12) & Jessica Timmins (15:31) were also top Yorkshire team, and did very well to finish an excellent 14th overall. The U17 Mens team of Steve Eastwood (12:57), Matthew O'Conner (13:47) & Jake Worton (12:21) also led home the Yorkshire clubs in 28th. Our U15 Boys had two complete teams, Daniel Franks (13:18), Sam Convery (13:45) & Logan Gibb (14:33) doing well to come 21st, with the 'B' team of Andrew Jones (15:18), William Ingram (15:25) & R Sanderson (15:03) also running well to finish 46th. The U13 Boys trio of Ben Read (14:47), George Heppinstall (14:23) & Jack Boyes (15:36) were an excellent 17th, but sadly the U13 Girls were a runner short, though Saskia Lewis (17:53) & Emily Gill (16:03) still performed well.
With such a good standard of running in all age groups, it was a great show from the junior running section of the club, with Wakefield finishing first Yorkshire club in three age groups. Credit should go to the hard working coaches and team managers for such a great turnout. Results of all races from Sportsoft.

10th Oct 2010. 10k Road Race Victory by Paul Lockwood.
Paul Lockwood had his first victory of the year, when winning the Antrobus Cabbage Canter 10K at Northwich. It was a low key race, and Paul was well clear of the field by over 2 minutes, in a time of 32 mins 47 secs, not far off his personal best time.

10th Oct 2010. Good Pentathlon Win from Dannielle Anderson.
Multi-eventer Dannielle Anderson completed her outdoor season with a victory in the U17 Womens Pentathlon at the Derby AC Combined Events Open, with a new PB points score of 2414, 217 points up on her previous best. Meeting Results.

10th Oct 2010. Good Day for the Club at First Complete Runner Cross Country League.
At the first meeting of the Complete Runner Cross Country League at Nunroyd Park, Yeadon the club had a good day, with one team victory and one individual winner from the 10 age group races.
Annabelle Mason was our winner, coming home first in the U15 Girls race by a clear 12 seconds, and supported by Libby Greatorex (9th) & Sophie Woolin (14th) the team came 2nd. The U15 Boys team of Daniel Franks (8th), Sam Convery (10th), Logan Gibb (23rd) & Andrew Jones (32nd) also did well to come 3rd. The team victory came from the U17 Men, who were led home by an excellent 2nd place from Jake Worton, and with Steve Eastwood (4th) & Ben Daggart (5th) they ran out easy winners. Jessica Timmins was our leading U17 Lady in 6th place.

10th Oct 2010. Harriers Compete in Woodland Challenge.
There were several Harriers running in the popular Stadium Runners' Woodland Challenge cross country race at Storthes Hall near Kirkburton. The in-form Pete McNamara won his 2nd trophy of the weekend after finishing 5th overall to take the M50 prize. Race Results.

9th Oct 2010. Northern Athletics Cross Country Relay Championships.
At the first Northern Athletics Cross Country Relay Championships at Sheffield the club came away with medals in two categories, courtesy of the club's strong vets section. The M50 team of Paul Hallas (12:02), Dave Brailsford (12:40) & Pete McNamara (12:33) were leading their race most of the way but had to settle for silver, and there were also silver medals for the M40 team of John Convery (11:23), John Mason (11:43) & Jon Prideaux (12:55).

7th Oct 2010. Disappointment for Martyn Bernard at Commonwealth Games.

4th Oct 2010. New Members Elected to Harriers Committee at AGM.
At the Annual General Meeting there were a few changes to the Club Committee, with a few new members volunteering to help out. See list of Committee Members.

3rd Oct 2010. Harriers Compete in Isle of Axholme Half Marathon.
There were several Harriers running in the Isle of Axholme Half Marathon at Epworth near Doncaster, with the best performance coming from the improving Helen Beck. She finished 6th lady, and moved up to 3rd in this year's club rankings, with a new PB of 1 hr 30 mins 57 secs. Race Results.

2nd Oct 2010. U17 Men Win Silver Medals at Northern Young Athletes Road Relays.
At the Northern Young Athletes Road Relays at Wythenshawe Park, Manchester the club had the U17 Men returning with silver medals, and many other excellent team results. The team of Matthew O'Connor (11:46), Steve Eastwood (12:10) & Jake Worton (11:35) all ran solidly and were only 8 seconds from outright victory in the end, with Jake being 9th fastest overall. They actually finished 3rd team across the line, but Leeds City were disqualified. The U17 Ladies team of Sally Smith (13:30), Lauren Brooke (14:43) & Olivia Radcliffe (14:14) were not far off the medals too, finishing 5th in their 3 x 3.5k race, with Sally recording the 8th fastest time of the day.
In the 3 x 3k races the U15 Boys had a good 10th place finish, the team of Daniel Franks (9:43), Logan Gibb (10:43) & Sam Convery (10:15) all running well, and the U15 Girls team of Rebecca Firth (11:25), Stephanie Rodgers (10:34) & Libby Greatorex (11:31) came a good 11th in their race. The U13 Boys team of George Heppinstall (10:13), Ben Read (10:35) & Edward Dunbavin (11:17) were impressive in finishing 6th in their race, and the for the U13 Girls Emily Gill (11:45), Saskia Lewis (12:20) & Bethan Oates (11:40) completed a successful day with their 13th place finish. Results of all the races from Sportsoft.

2nd Oct 2010. Northern Athletics Senior Road Relay Championships.
The senior mens road relay team weren't able to match the excellent result of last year, but still finished a creditable 42nd out of over 100 teams at the Northern 6-Stage Road Relay Championships at Wythenshawe Park, Manchester. The team of Jack Hallas (17:27), Chris Price (17:57), Paul Hallas (19:37), Chris Ward (19:49), Peter McNamara (20:23) & Ryan Hartley (21:10) all ran well against top class opposition, and the 'B' team also did well to finish 78th. In the womens 4-Stage relay the team were a runner short on the day, but Helen Singleton still had an impressive run on leg 2. Mens results and Womens results.