31st Dec 2013. Harriers Compete in Auld Lang Syne Fell Race.
Several Harriers braved the wet and muddy conditions to compete in the Auld Lang Syne fell race on the Bronte Moors above Haworth. Matthew O'Connor was first Harrier home in 16th place, with John Mason in 32nd place taking the M50 prize. Katie McHale also made a surprise appearance to finish 126th.
Link to Results & Photos from Woodentops.org.

29th Dec 2013. Fast Time from Julie Briscoe in Ribble Valley 10Km.
Julie Briscoe finished 2013 off with a fast time in the Ribble Valley 10Km at Clitheroe, which incorporated the Northern Championships. In a top quality race she finished 7th lady in a time of 34m 59s, not far off her best for the year.

23rd Dec 2013. UK Senior Rankings for 2013 - Club has 8 top 50 Ranked Athletes.
In the World and UK top 50 rankings, published recently in Athletics Weekly, the club did well to have 8 athletes in the UK top 50.
We also had 1 athlete ranked in the World's top 50 again. Charlene Thomas was very unlucky not to make the World Championships this year, but her tremendous late season form saw her run a new 1500m club record, which was the 20th fastest 1500m time in the world! Our other world class athlete Martyn Bernard didn't compete at all in 2013.

The club had 7 athletes in the UK Senior Women's Top 50 Rankings :-
Charlene Thomas was 2nd in the 1500m (4:03.74), 39th in the 800m (2m 06.7) & 49th= in the 10Km Road (34m 47s).
Julie Briscoe was 10th in the Marathon (2h 40m 26s), 16th in the Half Marathon (74m 45s) & 49th= (with Charlene!) in the 10Km Road (34m 47s).
Abigail Roberts (U17) was 14th in the Pole Vault (3.80m).
Jenna Wheatman was 21st in the Hammer (52.66m).
Bethany Porter (U20) was 38th in the Heptathlon (3876 pts).
Mikaela Harrison was 39th in the 400m Hurdles (63.13s).
Abby Ward (U15) was 49th= in the High Jump (1.68m).

The club had just 1 athlete in the UK Senior Men's Top 50 Rankings :-
Scott Atkinson (U20) was ranked 44th in the 400m (47.91s).

23rd Dec 2013. UK Track & Field Junior Age Group Rankings for 2013.
In the UK age group top 20 rankings, published recently in Athletics Weekly, the club has 7 athletes ranked. Note that some of the athletes will appear higher in their Power of 10 rankings than they do in the Athletics Weekly rankings, because the Power of 10 rankings don't include performances from younger athletes. Congratulations to them all for their excellent performances :-
U15G Abbey Ward was 2nd= in the High Jump (1.68m) & 17th= in the Pole Vault (2.70m).
U15B Edward Dunbavin was 18th= in the Pole Vault (2.90m).
U17W Abigail Roberts was 2nd in the Pole Vault (3.80m); Abbey Ward (U15) was 11th= in the High Jump (1.68m).
U17M William Ingram was 14th in the 1500m S/C (4m 36.20s).
U20W Abigail Roberts (U17) was 3rd in the Pole Vault (3.80m); Sally Smith was 18th in the 800m (2m 09.47s); Bethany Porter was 20th in the Heptathlon (3876 pts).
U20M Scott Atkinson was 7th in the 400m (47.91s).

22nd Dec 2013. Annabel Mason Competes in Belgium in Lotto Cross Cup.
Annabel Mason was selected to compete for a British U20 team in the Lotto Cross Cup at Brussels in Belgium, and had another good run. The British team were dominant, taking the first 5 places, with Annabel finishing an excellent 3rd.

17th Dec 2013. The Club's Allocation of London Marathon Places.
The club's 3 London Marathon places have now been allocated. With several runners carrying numbers over from last year, we only had 3 applicants this year for the club places, so each was given one of the club numbers. So congratulations to Craig Orr, Mark Whitehouse & Chris Ward, and we wish them the best in London next April.

17th Dec 2013. Bailey Mann Wins Junior Christmas Handicap Road Race.
The Junior Christmas Handicap Race was won this year by Bailey Mann, just 3 seconds ahead of Chris Gascoigne. Matthew Hill was 3rd, and he ran the fastest time overall. India Elliott was first girl in 5th place in the race, and was fastest girl on the night.
Download Race Results in Excel.

17th Dec 2013. Jack Mitchell Wins Senior Christmas Handicap Road Race.
There was an excellent turnout of 45 runners for the Senior Christmas Handicap Road Race, with several younger members taking part for the first time, and testing themselves against senior opposition over the 4.5 mile course.

15th Dec 2013. Weekend Roundup of Leading Performances.
At the Sale Harriers Indoor Open Meeting U17 George Heppinstall improved his Pole Vault PB to an excellent 3.70m, a Grade 2 performance which ranks him 25th in the UK in his age group.
At the other end of the age spectrum M75 Brian Fozzard ran a New Club M75 10k record of 52:25 in the Bolsover 10k.
There were several Harriers competing in the Denby Dale Travellers 6 Mile Road race, with Pete McNamara being the first club member home in 6th place, and first M50. Paul Robinson was next Harrier home in 26th, with Nick Mannion finishing 38th. Race Results.

14th Dec 2013.  Thornes Park Stadium Opening Times During the Christmas Period.
Thornes Park Stadium will have the following opening times during the Christmas period :-
Monday 23rd Dec - OPEN AS NORMAL
Tuesday Christmas Eve - CLOSES AT 4pm
Wednesday Christmas Day - CLOSED
Thursday Boxing Day - CLOSED
Friday 27th Dec - LIMITED OPENING - 8.00am - 1.00pm
Saturday 28th Dec - OPEN AS NORMAL
Sunday 29th Dec - OPEN AS NORMAL
Monday 30th Dec - LIMITED OPENING - 8.00am - 1.00pm
Tuesday New Year’s Eve - LIMITED OPENING - 8.00am - 1.00pm
Wednesday New Year’s Day - CLOSED
Thursday 2nd Jan 2014 - BACK TO NORMAL
As a result there will be no club night on Tuesday 24th, Thursday 26th or Tuesday 31st Dec.

11th Dec 2013. Teams from Wakefield Schools for West Yorkshire Championships.
Here are the teams from Wakefield District Schools, selected to run in the West Yorkshire Cross Country Championships, to be held at Leeds Grammar School on Saturday 1st February. They include a large number of young Wakefield Harriers.
Download team lists in Word.

7th Dec 2013. Charlene Thomas Fastest at Leeds University Cross Country Relays.
Charlene Thomas had her first outing over the country at the Leeds University Cross Country Relays, a race mainly for students and composite teams, but still of a high standard. Charlene ran the fastest time of the day in the ladies race, and Sally Smith and Chris Woodger were also in action. Mens Results, and Womens Results.

1st Dec 2013. Good Times Recorded at Percy Pud 10k in Sheffield.
Nathan Elliot ran his first road race of the year, and finished 21st in 35:16 in the Percy Pud 10k in Sheffield, a time which moves him to 6th in this year's club rankings. U17 Faye Beckett also had a good run, running 40:40, not far off her recent PB. Race Results.

1st Dec 2013. Final Positions in West Yorkshire Cross Country League.
In the overall West Yorkshire Cross Country League competitions our teams weren’t quite as successful as in previous years, apart from the U15 Girls and U13 Boys teams who were both an excellent 2nd. Our only other team in the top 10 were the U11 Boys, who finished 8th. In the individual league standings Lucy Robinson was our best placed runner, finishing 3rd in the U17 Ladies. Other top ten finishes were achieved by Matthew Hill (4th U13B), Daniel Franks (5th U20M), Chris Ward (6th Senior Men), India Elliott (7th U15G), Bethan Oates (8th U15G), Sophie Morgan (9th U17W) & Mark Whitehouse (9th M50 Men). Final League Tables.

1st Dec 2013. Selim Khan Wins 2013 Distance Runners League Championship.
For the senior runners the final West Yorkshire Cross Country League race was also the final round of the 2013 Club Distance Runners League Championship. Selim Khan is this year's winner, ahead of Paul Robinson & Hugh Allen, with Joanne Biltcliffe the top lady in 4th place, so congratulations to them.

1st Dec 2013. Fourth West Yorkshire Cross Country League at Guiseley.
At the fourth and final meeting of the West Yorkshire Cross Country League at Nunroyd Park Guiseley there were a few good Harriers performances. The U15 Girls team of Bethan Oates 4th, India Elliott 5th & Rebecca Sheppard 16th ran well for another 2nd team finish, as did the U13 Boys team of Matthew Hill 4th, Liam Grosse 8th & Max Rose 25th. Lucy Robinson finished an excellent 2nd in the U17 Ladies race, and Cameron Dye was 9th in the U17 Men's race. For the Senior Men Chris Ward was first home in 36th, with U20 Daniel Franks not far behind in 38th. The other counters were Glen Shelley 108th, Tony Smith 133rd, Mark Whitehouse 139th & Hugh Allen in 150th, as the team finished 12th. Helen Beck was 33rd in the Ladies race. Results of all Races

23rd Nov 2013. Annabel Mason Finishes 7th in Trials for European Cross Country.
Most of Britain's leading cross country runners were competing at the British Athletics Cross Challenge races at Sefton Park, Liverpool, which also incorporated the trials for the forthcoming European Cross Country Championships, to be held at Belgrade next month. Annabel Mason, although still only an U17, competed in the U20 Women's race and ran very well to finish in 7th place, just a few seconds away from a qualifying spot for the GB team. Zoe Kerins also stepped up in distance and finished 46th.

21st Nov 2013. Club Member Kelly Johnson Passes Away After Long Illness.
It is with great sadness that we report that club member Kelly Johnson has passed away, after a long battle with cancer. Kelly was a very talented athlete indeed, with her best event being the 800m, where she won the Yorkshire title 5 years in succession between 2006 & 2010. She was also a regular member of the club's track and field teams and the road relay teams, and will be sadly missed.
Kelly joined Wakefield Harriers in 2006, after previously competing for Halifax Harriers, and shortly afterwards won her first Yorkshire Senior Women’s 800m title, which she also won for the next four years. In 2009 she gained a double, also winning the 400m title. That year was a good year for her because she also won the Northern 800m title, after being runner-up in 2006 and 2008. She represented both Yorkshire and the Northern Counties at 800m, finishing 3rd in the Inter-County Championships in 2006 and 1st in the Northern Inter-County Championships later in the year. Representing the North she finished 3rd in the 800m in the Area Championship in 2006 and in 2007 won the 800m in U/23 Home International. She competed for Wakefield in the National and Northern Leagues, generally winning the 800m, her form only beginning to slip in 2010, possibly due to the onset of her illness, although no one knew at the time. Kelly occasionally doubled up in the 400m or 1500m and often in a successful 4 x 400m team. Occasionally she ran cross-country and road relays, her last appearance for the club being at the Yorkshire Road Relays in 2011, although injuries and illness were already beginning to take their toll. She finally lost her battle against cancer on 21st November 2013, aged just 28.

18th Nov 2013. EGM to Discuss Proposed Change to the Club Constitution.
There are proposals to make the club a charitable trust, which will require a change to the club constitution. To discuss this change there will be an Extraordinary General Meeting at the Redoubt Inn on Monday 2nd December at 7.30 pm, which is open to all Club Members. Download proposed constitution.

18th Nov 2013. Club Distance Runners League Championship.
The Barnsley 10k and the Abbey Dash 10k made up the 16th round of the Club Distance Runners League Championship. Selim Khan has now moved into the lead, just ahead of Paul Robinson, but with just 1 race to go and only 5 points between them the League is going to go down to the wire this year. Joanne Biltcliffe is in 4th place overall, and can't be caught for the ladies prize.

17th Nov 2013.  Third West Yorkshire Cross Country League at Leeds.
At the third meeting of the West Yorkshire Cross Country League at West Park Leeds, we managed to get a full Senior Men's team out, despite the clash with the big 10k road races. Chris Ward was first home in 23rd, and with Daniel Franks 32nd, Andy Cartwright 40th, Dave Dawson 110th, Mark Whitehouse 119th & Keith Jones 130th the team finished 9th. In the younger age groups the best team results were from the U13 Boys team of Matthew Hill 4th, Liam Grosse 10th & Max Rose 11th, who were an excellent 2nd team, and from the the U15 Girls team of India Elliott 4th, Bethan Oates 10th & Rebecca Sheppard 11th who packed well again for another 2nd team finish. Our other complete team was that of the U11 Boys, where Callum Gaunt 49th, Edward Winstanley 51st & Adam Luke 62nd finished 10th team. In addition there were top 10 finishes for Ben Read 5th & Cameron Dye 10th in the U17 Men's race, and Lucy Robinson 4th in the U17 Ladies race. Results of all Races

17th Nov 2013. Some Good 10k Performances on the roads.
The club had quite a good turnout of runners for the Leeds Abbey Dash 10K, which incorporated the English 10k Road Championships. There was a very good quality field as a result, and Helen Singleton had an excellent run finishing 11th lady in 35:18, not too far off her best. However, due to the huge numbers taking part, the event has now been turned into a time trial for those not lucky enough to be in the 'elite pen'. With runners being set off in waves, this means the event was no longer a race, and finishing positions and gun times are now meaningless for those not at the sharp end of the field. However from the Harriers we can report sub-40 minute 'chip times' by the men from Neil Dutton 37:34, Glenn Shelley 38:27, Chris Rippon 39:14 & Selim Khan 39:39. And from the ladies sub-44 minute chip times were recorded by Helen Beck 40:18, Sarah Bostwick 40:36, Julie Greenwood 41:07 & Joanne Biltcliffe 43:50. Results from Power of 10.
In the Barnsley 10k, which is still a proper race for all, the fast improving U17 Faye Beckett had an excellent run to record a big PB of 40:27 on the undulating course, and M50 Pete McNamara also had a good run, and was first Harrier home in 38:31. Results from Power of 10.

16th Nov 2013. Julie Briscoe Competes for England in British Masters XC International.

4th Nov 2013. New Members Joining Wakefield Harriers in November.
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.

3rd Nov 2013. Another New F40 Club Record from Julie Greenwood.
Julie Greenwood finished 44th overall and 4th lady at the Capesthorne Half Marathon at Siddington in Cheshire. Her time of 89 mins 16 secs was another New Club F40 Half Marathon Record. Race Results from Power of 10.

2nd Nov 2013. English National Cross Country Relay Championships.
The club had full teams in five different age groups at the English National Cross Country Relay Championships at Mansfield, competing against the best cross country runners in the country. The Senior Men had a creditable performance in their 4 x 5k event, with Chris Ward, Nathan Elliott, Glen Shelley & Alistair Robinson finishing 96th.
For the younger athletes there were four excellent team performances. The U17 Ladies team of Faye Beckett, Rachel Firth & Lucy Robinson were 23rd, and for the U17 Men Cameron Dye, William Ingram & Ben Read were 20th. India Elliott, Rebecca Sheppard & Bethan Oates were 25th for the U15 Girls, and Matthew Hill, Liam Grosse & Max Rose finished 20th in the U13 Boys Race. Results from English Cross Country Association

2nd Nov 2013.  Second West Yorkshire Cross Country League at Bramley.
The unfortunate clash with the English National Cross Country Relay Championships at Mansfield meant that we only had a few runners competing in the 2nd round of the West Yorkshire Cross Country League at Bramley, and failed to complete any teams. However Annabel Mason was impressive again, as she beat all the senior ladies once more.
Results of all Races.

31st Oct 2013. The Club's Allocation of London Marathon Places.
The club has once again been allocated 3 places for next year's London Marathon, and the ballot for the 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 2014 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 race in club colours.
Runners with rejection slips please pass on your rejection letter to Chris Ward. 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 17th December, and the draw will be made that evening, after we have run the Christmas Handicap.

27th Oct 2013. Helen Beck Finishes 2nd Lady at Harewood 10 Mile Trail Race.
In the wet and blustery conditions Helen Beck had a good run at the Harewood 10 Mile Trail Race, finishing 2nd lady and 41st overall. Race Results from Valley Striders. Hugh Allen was first male Harrier home, and as a result moves up to 2nd place after 15 events of the Club Distance Runners League Championship.

20th Oct 2013. Distance Runners Roundup of Weekend Events.
In the Bridlington Half Marathon we had a few runners competing, with Paul Robinson first Harrier home in 88:28, and Nicky Steel first lady in 95:56. Diane Simmons completed the Amsterdam Marathon in 4 hrs 30 mins (4 hrs 13 mins chip time).

20th Oct 2013. 2013 Club Cross Country Championships.

20th Oct 2013.  First West Yorkshire Cross Country League at Wakefield.
The club successfully hosted the first meeting of the West Yorkshire Cross Country League at Thornes Park, and in glorious sunshine too! There was a good turnout in the younger age groups, but entries in the senior races were lower than usual, due to clashes with other major races. But that doesn't detract from an another outstanding run from 16 year old Annabel Mason, who elected to run the senior race as a non-scorer, and showed them all a clean pair of heels, winning by 47 seconds. Julie Briscoe had her first race just 2 weeks after her Chester Marathon victory, and although not fully recovered, still ran well to finish 3rd, with Helen Beck next home in 18th. The Senior Men were a surprise 3rd team, led home by 50 year old John Mason in 18th, just ahead of U20 Daniel Franks and Chris Ward. Our other scorers were U20 Jack Mitchell 28th, Glen Shelley 65th & Selim Khan 76th.
In the younger age groups the U17 Ladies team of Faye Beckett 2nd, Lucy Robinson 6th & Sophie Morgan 18th finished a good 2nd team, and the U17 Mens team of Ben Read 6th, Cameron Dye 22nd & Harry Mallinson 25th were 5th. For the U15 Girls Bethan Oates 6th, India Elliott 8th & Rebecca Sheppard 9th packed well for a good 2nd team finish, and for the U13 Boys Matthew Hill 3rd, Liam Grosse 11th and Rowan Briscoe 21st, making his debut for the club, were 3rd team. Our other complete team was the U11 Boys trio of Callum Gaunt 25th, Edward Winstanley 34th & Adam Luke who were 8th team. Results of all Races

13th Oct 2013. Distance Runners Roundup of Weekend Events.
Annabel Mason had a good race at the popular Woodland Challenge, coming second overall, and beating all the senior men except one, and finishing 1 minute 16 seconds ahead of the next lady, senior GB Mountain Running team member, Katie Walshaw. John Mason was 8th (and 1st M50), Paul Robinson 25th & Pete McNamara 30th out of the field of nearly 300. Race Results.
Julie Greenwood was 4th lady in the Wistow 10k, running a New Club F40 10k Record of 40 mins 07 secs. Race Results from Power of 10. Jasmine Kerry had a good run in the multi-terrain Oxford 'Half Marathon', recording 88:55.

13th Oct 2013. Excellent Team Performances at ERRA Young Athletes Road Relays.
At the ERRA Young Athletes Road Relays at Sutton Park, Birmingham, most of the top teams from England were on show, and the Harriers produced some excellent team performances.
The best results was from the U13 Boys trio of Matthew Hill, Liam Grosse & Max Rose, who weren't too far away from the medals in 7th, and 2nd Yorkshire club. We also had a 'B' team of Matthew Crorken, Oliver Mallinson & Callum Gee who were 38th, with Matthew impressing on his first appearance for the Harriers with the fastest time from the club. The U17 Ladies team of Faye Beckett, Lucy Robinson & Sophie Morgan were a good 16th and 1st Yorkshire team home, the U15 Girls team of Bethan Oates, Holly Kitching & India Elliot were 26th, and the U17 Mens team of Cameron Dye, Harry Mallinson & Ben Read were 30th. Results of all races from Sportsoft.

7th Oct 2013. New Members Joining Wakefield Harriers in October.
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.

6th Oct 2013. Julie Briscoe Wins Chester Marathon and Breaks Club Record.

Julie Briscoe won the Chester Marathon, and ran another New Club Record time of 2 hrs 40 mins 26 secs, beating her previous best which she set 3 years ago in Canada by 19 seconds. She finished an excellent 15th overall, 13 minutes ahead of the next lady Liz Weeks, and running strongly throughout the race, broke the course record by nearly 8 minutes. Congratulations to Julie for a fantastic performance, which should give her confidence to break the 2 hrs 40 minutes barrier at London next year. Results from Power of 10. Her time currently ranks her 7th in this year's UK Womens Marathon Rankings.

5th Oct 2013. Good Showing from Harriers at Northern Cross Country Relay Championships.
There was a good showing from the Harriers in several age groups at the Northern Athletics Cross Country Relay Championships at Graves Park in Sheffield. The senior ladies team of Helen Singleton, Sarah Bostwick & Helen Beck were a fine 7th, with the 'B' team of Julie Greenwood, Emily Stevenson & Joanne Biltcliffe also doing well to finish 15th. In the younger age groups the best result was from the U17 Ladies team of Faye Beckett, Lucy Robinson & Rachel Firth, who all ran well to win the bronze medals, and especially 1st year U17 Lucy who was 3rd fastest overall. For the U15 Girls India Elliott, Holly Kitching & Rebecca Sheppard were 11th. The U13 Boys trio of Matthew Hill, Liam Grosse & Max Rose were just outside the medals in 4th, and in the U17 Men's race Cameron Dye, William Ingram & Ben Read were a good 6th. Results from Sportsoft