Club News and Results Highlights

28th Apr 2024. Yorkshire & District Athletics League Match 1.
At the first match of the Yorkshire & District Athletics League at Cleckheaton the club had a great start, with Wakefield Harriers easily came out on top in the Premier Division. More details to follow.
Download the provisional meeting results in XL.

25th Apr 2024. Simon Midwood Wins Silkstone Shuffle Race 1.
The first race in the Silkstone Shuffle race series was a Distance League event this year, and there was a great win for Simon Midwood, as he came home 25 seconds clear of the field. Results Link

21st Apr 2024. West Yorkshire Track & Field League Meeting 1.
There was a good start to the West Yorkshire Track & Field League, with a good turnout of Harriers at the first meeting at Cleckheaton.
In the ladies events there were victories for Lucy Harrison SW Javelin 26.55m, Ella Bickerdyke U20W 100m 12.72s, HJ 1.40m & Javelin 15.47m, Amy Gleghorn U17W 80m Hurdles 14.35s, Sylvie Ellis U17W HJ 1.40m and Lily Keeler U15G SP 8.22m & 70m Hurdles 13.4s.
In the men's competitions, winning their events were Robert Brailsford SM 3000m in 9m 18.34s, Alexander Bostwick U20M 200m in 23.46s and Ethan Ford U13B 100m 14.17s, 75m Hurdles 13.71s & HJ 1.33m.
In addition, there was a grade 3 performance from Lily Keeler U13G LJ 2nd in 4.27m, and there were grade 4 performances from Sophie Torossian U15G 100m 2nd in 13.35s, Romy Fagan U15G 2nd LJ 4.54m and Thomas Hastings U13B 800m 2nd in 2m 30.05s.
Wakefield Harriers have taken an early lead in the league, with Ella Bickerdyke, Lily Keeler and Ethan Ford leading their age group standings.
2024 League Results and League Tables.

21st Apr 2024. New F45 Club Marathon Record for Angela Hall in London Marathon.

20th Apr 2024. Two Harriers Compete in London Mini Marathon.
Two Wakefield Harriers were selected to run for the Yorkshire & Humberside team in the British Athletics Road Championship, which was incorporated into the London Mini Marathon yesterday. U17 Rosie Thistlewood finished 47th in 9.17 for the 2.6km course and U13 Tommy Hastings 63rd in 9.46. It will have been a great experience for them both.

14th/15th Apr 2024. Some Excellent Harriers Marathon Performances.
At the Manchester Marathon there were quite a few Wakefield Harriers taking part. Darren Hewitt was the only Harrier to break the 3 hour barrier, with his time of 2 hrs 56:36, and other male runners under 3 hrs 30 mins were Sam Rogers 3:01:21, Thomas Sellers 3:17:55 & Peter Woodhead 3:25:32. For the ladies Emma Feeney was well under the 4 hour mark with her time of 3 hrs 34:06, which places her 19th in the club all-time list. Results Link.
At the Boston Marathon in the USA Craig Orr ran a New Club M60 Marathon Record with his time of 3 hrs 54:51, easily beating the previous record from 2003. Results Link.

13th Apr 2024. Wakefield Harriers Indoor Open Series Meeting 3.
There were more excellent performances at the third meeting of the Wakefield Harriers Indoor Open Series, including two more club records!
Benjamin Jackson ran a New U15B 50m Club Record of 6.7s, improving the record he'd set at the previous meeting, and Matilda Shaw equalled the U11G 50m Club Record of 7.7s, set by Olivia Roe ten years ago.
Lily Keeler had an excellent day, winning the U13G High Jump with 1.39m, the Shot with 8.60m, and the 50m with 7.5s. England U15 Indoor High Jump Champion Joshua Akintolu was back in action, winning his main event with a leap of 1.75m, and he also won the shot with 10.74m. Also winning two events was Ethan Ford, taking the U13B 50m in 7.5s and the High Jump with 1.30m.
Other Harriers winning events were Timothy Akintolu (U11B HJ 1.23m), Arthur Simpson (U11B 50m 7.9s), Matilda Shaw (U11G SP 5.28m) Romy Fagan (U15G HJ 1.57m) & Daniel Akintolu (U17M SP 11.11m).

8th Apr 2024. March Athlete of the Month - Benjamin Jackson.

1st Apr 2024. Wakefield Harriers Track & Field Club Championships.
This year, due to the uncertainty over Thornes Park Stadium, for U13s and above, the Track & Field Club Championships are being incorporated in the Yorkshire Track & Field Championships, Cudworth on Sat 11th May & Sun 12th May. Download Prospectus
For the Junior Jets, the Track & Field Club Championships are being incorporated in the West Yorkshire League Championships, at Cleckheaton on Sun 8th September. League Details

31st Mar 2024. Wakefield Harriers Annual Membership Due for Renewal.
This is a reminder that Wakefield Harriers annual membership is due for renewal on the 1st April.  All members will receive an email from England Athletics, which will have a link to make the membership payment. 
The annual membership fees for 2024/25 season are:- First Claim* (over 18) £55, Young Athletes* (aged 11-17) £45, Junior Jets (aged 8-10) £25, Lifetime* £20, Second Claim £15, Social/Volunteer Free. * indicates that this includes your England Athletic Registration fee. Note that, for young athletes, the membership fee you pay is based on your age on the 31st April 2025.
Please all make this process as smooth as possible, by renewing ASAP, then you'll be registered to compete in this season's events.
If you have any questions please email the Membership Secretary at membership@wakefieldharriers.org.uk

28th Mar 2024. Former Club Administrator Geoff Clarke Passes Away.

24th Mar 2024. Wakefield Hospice 10Km Road Race.

Our 2024 Club 10Km Champions Lucy Robinson & Adam Peers

24th Mar 2024. Yorkshire Veterans' Athletic Association Cross Country Championships.
There were no Harriers competing this year, because of the clash with the Wakefield Hospice 10k, but here are the results. Link to results of all races.

23rd Mar 2024. Wakefield Harriers Indoor Open Series Meeting 2.
At the second meeting of the Wakefield Harriers Indoor Open Series there were some excellent performances, including two club records!
Lily Keeler had an excellent day, running a New U13G 50m Club Record of 7.4s, as well as winning the High Jump with 1.35m and the Long Jump with 4.18m. Our other record breaker was Benjamin Jackson, who ran a New U15B 50m Club Record of 6.8s not once, but twice, as well as winning the High Jump with 1.45m.
Other Harriers winning events were Timothy Akintolu (U11B LJ & HJ), Arthur Simpson (U11B 50m), Ethan Ford (U13B 50m & LJ), Matilda Shaw (U11G 50m) and Romy Fagan (U15G HJ).
Many thanks to all the officials and helpers who made today's indoor meeting a success.
Link to series results and points scores.

17th Mar 2024. South Yorkshire Athletics Indoor Series Fixture 4.
There was another good turnout of young athletes at the fourth fixture of the South Yorkshire Athletics Indoor Series at the Sheffield EIS. There were good wins for Matilda Shaw (U11 Girls 150m 22.44s & 600m 2m 00.40s), Lily Keeler (U13 Girls HJ 1.37m), and two good 2nd places for Ethan Ford (U13 Boys 150m 20.76s & HJ 1.32m). Results Link.

17th Mar 2024. Road Racing Weekend Roundup.
At the North Lincolnshire Half Marathon Libby Greatorex made an impressive debut over the distance, as she finished 11th lady in the excellent time of 1 hr 24:00, which places her 8th on the club all-time list. Ryan Williams improved his PB to 1 hr 20:36. Results Link.
In the Vale of York 10 Mile Road Race Nicky Steel improved her PB to 66:05, as she finished 5th lady overall and 1st in the F45 category. Results Link.
Iain Yates and Stewart Knowles finished just 3 seconds apart in the Thirsk 10 Mile Road Race, as they finished 29th & 30th in times of 60:13 & 60:16 respectively. Results Link.

16th Mar 2024. Podium 5Km Festival at Leicester.
The English 5Km Road Championships were incorporated into the Podium 5Km Festival at Leicester, and there were several Wakefield Harriers competing. They all did well, recording the following times in their respective races :- Bobby Brailsford 16:04, Abbey Brooke 16:34, Suzie Brooke 17:48 and Julie Briscoe running a New F45 5Km Club Record of 17:53. Results Link.

16th Mar 2024. Three Harriers Compete in English Schools Cross Country Championships.

10th Mar 2024. Road Racing Weekend Roundup.
There were some good times recorded at the Retford Half Marathon. Ben Butler finished 12th overall and 2nd in the M40 category in a time of 1 hr 14:06, and he was chased home by James Coulman, who was just two places behind in a new PB of 1 hr 14:26. In 25th place in 1 hr 16:52 was Simon Midwood, and Chris Hunter and Mark Mills finished in times of 1 hr 21:57 and 1 hr 26:51 respectively. Results Link.
In the Chester 10k Helen Beck finished 19th lady and 4th in the F40 category in a time of 40:35. Results Link.

9th Mar 2024. Five Harriers Compete in Inter County Cross Country Championships.

Thomas Hastings, Paige Watson, Abbey Brooke & Rosie Thistlewood

4th Mar 2024. February Athletes of the Month - Paige Watson & Thomas Hastings.

3rd Mar 2024. National Primary and Year 7 Cross Country Finals.
The club had a few young athletes competing at the National Primary and Year 7 Cross Country Finals at Prestwold Hall, Leicestershire. In the Year 7 race Sidney Swan and Thomas Hastings were competing for Team West Yorkshire, and finished 30th & 42nd respectively, and Daniel Jones was 94th. In the Year 3 race Sedric Swan had an outstanding run to finish 7th, and in the Year 6 event Oliver Hastings was 188th. Website Link.

3rd Mar 2024. Road Racing Weekend Roundup.
Abbey Brooke was selected to run for the North of England in an inter-area competition, incorporated in the Trafford 10k road race. On the fast course she had a great run against a top class field to record an excellent new PB time of 34:23, which moves her up to 5th in the club all-time list. Results Link.
Several Harriers tackled the tough Liversedge Half Marathon, and came away with some excellent results. Adam Peers had his first race for some time, and did very well to finish 2nd in 1 hr 15:17, good running on the very hilly course. Craig Davidson also had a good run and finished 26th in 1 hr 28:53. Angela Hall had perhaps her greatest success to date, winning the ladies prize in 1 hr 32:13, and also doing well and making a welcome return to competition was Katie Peers, finishing 4th lady in 1 hr 35:02. Results Link.
After an absence of 10 years Nathan Elliott made a welcome return to competition, and recorded an encouraging time of 1 hr 16:39 when finishing 5th in the Anglesey Half Marathon, in his first attempt at the distance. Results Link.

17th/18th Feb 2024. British Masters Indoor Championships at London.

Wakefield Harriers had just two Master’s Athletes competing at this year’s British Masters Indoor Championship at Lee Valley-London over the weekend. The highlight was Richard Higson-Blythe, who won silver in an epic M45 60m final. He qualified from the heats with a season's best 7.70secs and later in a close final bettered that with 7.64secs to take 2nd place, where only 0.07 seconds split 2nd and 4th. This was Richard’s fastest 60m time in 10 years in his final season as an M45. Richard also competed in the 200m indoors on the Saturday and recorded another season’s best to finish 5th overall. These performances complimented the M45 Gold Richard also collected in the British Masters Indoor Pentathlon on the 28th January at Sheffield Institute of Sport. Stephen Thorpe finished a commendable 4th in the M50 Triple Jump with a jump of 10.24m, which is an indoor personal best for Stephen in a highly competitive field, Stephen also did well to qualify for the M50 60m final the following day. Meeting Results Link.

18th Feb 2024. Amy-Eloise Neale 5th in 3000m at UK Indoor Championships.
Amy-Eloise Neale was the only athlete from the club competing this year at the UK Athletics Indoor Championships at Birmingham. In a tactical 3000m race she raised the pace at halfway, but couldn't cope with the impressive turn of speed in the later stages by British record holder Laura Muir, and finally finished 5th in 9m 09.09s. Results Link.
Two weeks earlier she had run a much quicker time of 8m 48.79s at the World Athletics Indoor Tour meeting at Metz in France. Results Link.

18th Feb 2024. Ben Butler 3rd M40 in Snake Lane 10 Mile Race.
Ben Butler finished 18th overall and 3rd in the M40 category in the Snake Lane 10 mile road race from Pocklington, in a time of 56:47. Simon Midwood was also inside the hour with his time of 59:13. Results Link.

17th Feb 2024. Wakefield Harriers Indoor Open Series Meeting 1.
Wakefield Harriers held the first meeting of the new Indoor Open Series, and welcomed 100 young athletes from local clubs. Club members winning events were Timothy Akintolu (U11B LJ & SP), Arthur Simpson (U11B 50m), Ethan Ford (U13B 50m, 50mH & LJ), Benjamin Jackson (U15B 50m & LJ), Matilda Shaw (U11G 50m & SP) and Lily Keeler (U13G SP, LJ & 50mH).
Link to series results and points scores.

10th/11th Feb 2024. Joshua Akintolu Wins England U15 Indoor Title with Record Leap.

9th/11th Feb 2024. Road Racing Weekend Roundup.
Daniel Franks had a good win in the Even Splits York 5K Series at York, running close to his best with his winning time of 15:12. The fast improving Robert Brailsford was just a second outside his best as he finished 9th in 16:10. Results Link.
Julie Briscoe continued her fine form in the Barcelona Half Marathon, where she finished 4th in the F45 category, and set a new F45 Half Marathon Club Record of 1 hr 20 mins 06 secs, beating the previous record she set two years ago by over 2 minutes. Results Link.

5th Feb 2024. January Athlete of the Month - Joshua Akintolu.

4th Feb 2024. Northern Indoor U15 & U13 T&F Championships.
At the Northern Indoor U15 & U13 Track & Field Championships at the EIS in Sheffield there were some outstanding performances from the young Harriers taking part, with 8 medals won, including 5 gold medals.
Britain's top U15 Boys High Jumper Joshua Akintolu won his main event with an excellent leap of 1.87m, which was easily a new Championship Best Performance. Joshua was also a clear winner in the Long Jump, with a new PB of 6.06m. Another Long Jump winner was Ethan Ford in the U13 Boys event, with 4.36m, and he was also a double gold medallist after winning the 200m in 28.71s. We also won a gold medal in the U13 Girls Long Jump, where Lily Keeler was a clear winner with an excellent new PB of 4.43m. Lily also won a silver in the Shot with her throw of 8.74m. Other medallists were Romy Fagan (2nd U15G HJ 1.53m) and Ruby Morgan (3rd U13G LJ 3.86m).
Results from Power of 10, and Download a Press Report from Northern Athletics.

4th Feb 2024. Great Turnout of Harriers at the Dewsbury 10Km Road Race.

3rd Feb 2024. West Yorkshire Schools' Cross Country Championships.
Several Harriers competed for their local schools athletics organisations at the West Yorkshire Schools' Cross Country Championships at Leeds, and some of them have qualified for the English Schools' Cross Country Championships, which this year is at Pontefract Race Course on 16th March. Download Results in XL.

28ème Janvier 2024. Wakefield Ladies Win "La Ronde Givrée" Relay Race in France.

28th Jan 2024. Lucy Robinson First Lady in Meltham 10K.
Lucy Robinson chose a tough hilly course for her first race of the year, the Meltham 10K, but was easily the first lady home in a time of 38:48, a fine performance on that course. Results Link.

27th Jan 2024. Northern Cross Country Championships at Sedgefield.

21st Jan 2024. South Yorkshire Athletics Indoor Series Fixture 3.
There was an excellent turnout of young athletes at the third fixture of the South Yorkshire Athletics Indoor Series. After three fixtures Matilda Shaw leads the U11 Girls, Lily Keeler is 2nd in the U13 Girls and Ethan Ford 4th in the U13 Boys competition. Results Link.

21st Jan 2024. Road Racing Weekend Roundup.
The popular Brass Monkey Half Marathon near York once again produced some fast times. Daniel Franks continued his upward trajectory, finishing 9th in a PB time of 68:48, which moves him up one place to 7th in the club all-time half marathon list. James Coulman also had a good run with a PB time of 74:34, finishing 66th out of the large field of nearly 1700 runners, and also doing well were M50 Darren Hewitt in 82:14 and F45 Nicky Steel in 86:49, finishing 2nd in her age category. Results Link.
Scotland based Matthew O'Connor had a good run in the Nigel Barge Memorial 10K at Glasgow, finishing 3rd in a fast 32:35. Results Link.

20th Jan 2024. New Women's 60m Club Record for Leonie Ashmeade.
Leonie Ashmeade competed in the Jablonec Indoor Meeting in the Czech Republic, and showed she is in great form by running a New Women's 60m Club Record of 7.36 secs, breaking the previous record she set last year by 1/100th of a second. Results from Power of 10.

13th/14th Jan 2024. Senior & U17 Northern Indoor T&F Championships.
There were some good performances at the Senior & U17 Northern Indoor T&F Championships at the EIS in Sheffield. Club record holder Leonie Ashmeade won silver in the SW 60m in 7.44s, and she also won her 200m semi-final in 24.32s, but didn't contest the final. In her first year in the U20 age group, Ella Bickerdyke finished 5th in the U20W 60m final in a new PB of 7.90s, and she also recorded a new indoor PB of 26.16s in the heats of the 200m. Harry Pearcy ran an encouraging 24.42s in the heats of the U17M 200m. Results Link.

8th Jan 2024. December Athlete of the Month - Libby Greatorex.

7th Jan 2024. New Club U15 Boys High Jump Record for Joshua Akintolu.
Joshua Akintolu was competing in the Manchester Indoor Open Meeting at Sportcity, and got his year off to a brilliant start by jumping a New Club U15 Boys High Jump Record of 1.91m. This improved the previous record set 16 years ago by Thomas Leyshon by a massive 6cm, and is further than any U15 Boy in the country jumped last year.
Leonie Ashmeade also started her year well with an encouraging win in the Ladies 60m in 7.49s. Results Link.

6th Jan 2024. Yorkshire Cross Country Championships at Lightwater Valley.
The Yorkshire Cross Country Championships was held at Lightwater Valley once again, and there were a number of Harriers competing, who all did very well.
There was a good team of Ladies from the club, led home by Abbey Brooke who finished 13th in a top quality field. She was backed up by Nicola Steel in 40th, Helen Beck 48th, Angela Dales 59th and Natalie-Jade Harris 70th. The Ladies finished 7th in the team standings. U20 athletes Suzanne Brooke and Paige Watson did well to finish 8th and 11th respectively in their category. Club Cross Country Champion Daniel Franks had another fine run, finishing 22nd in the Senior Men's race. He was followed home by Chris Ward in 95th place, Thomas Sellers 112nd, Paul Gilbert 122nd and Philip Ambler 134th. Euan Gaskin was 11th in the U20 category.
In the younger age groups competing well were Rosie Thistlewood 7th & Sylvie Ellis 23rd in the U15 Girls race, Thomas Hastings 7th, Sydney Swan 19th & Daniel Jones 20th in the U13 Boys race, and Jessica Watson 21st in U17 Ladies event. The U13 Boys finished 3rd in the team standings.
Results link

24th Dec 2023. Thornes Park Stadium and Club Christmas Closures.
Thornes Park Stadium will be closed over Christmas and the New Year, and will not re-open until Tuesday 2nd January. However, due to holidays and a shortage of helpers, there will be no official Club Nights until Tues 9th January, and so the Club Cabin will not reopen until then.
Some coaching groups will be training during the first week in January, so please check with your coach, and anyone wanting to train on the track during that week must pay the stadium.

19th Dec 2023. Harry Beck Wins Junior Christmas Handicap Race.

19th Dec 2023. Laura Sellers Wins Senior Christmas Handicap Race.

10th Dec 2023. Very Fast Times at England 10k Championships at Telford.
The Telford 10k, which once again incorporated the England 10k Championships, produced a lot of very fast times, as usual. Two of those were recorded by two Harriers who were competing. Daniel Franks improved his PB to 31:10, which moved him up to 8th place in the club all-time list, and Abbey Brooke ran a 10k for the first time, and made an impressive debut with her time of 35:31, which places her 11th in the club all-time list. Results Link.

10th Dec 2023. Senior Men Win West Yorkshire Cross Country League.
At the end of the 2023 West Yorkshire Cross Country League season Wakefield Harriers did well to come away with several awards and some team medals.
The Senior Mens team regained the league title they won 2 years ago, but by the narrowest of margins, on countback. Coming away with silver medals were the U13 Boys, and also the U11 Boys, who turned out in good numbers this year, whilst the U15 Girls won team bronze medals.
In the individual standings we had just one outright winner, Rosie Thistlewood in the U15 Girls category. Daniel Franks was 3rd overall in the Jun/Sen Men Individual Points Table. In the U20 age group Euan Gaskin was 2nd in the Men's standings and Paige Watson 2nd in the Ladies standings. Amongst the veterans, there were top 3 finishes for Ben Butler 3rd M40, Steve Lowe 2nd M45 & Angela Dales 3rd F50.
Link to league totals.

10th Dec 2024. West Yorkshire Cross Country League Meeting 4 at Oulton.
It was extremely wet and muddy for the 4th meeting of the West Yorkshire Cross Country League at Oulton, organised by Rothwell Harriers. The Senior Men's team finished 3rd in their team race, with U20 runner Euan Gaskin leading the team home in 16th, a few seconds ahead of Jake Worton, making his first league appearance in 18th. They were followed by two other newcomers to the cross country team, Dimosthenis Evangelidis in 26th and James Coulman in 35th, and Steve Lowe 37th & Chris Ward in 41st were the other team scorers. Also doing well in the tough conditions were Thomas Sellers 59th, Paul Gilbert 64th, Philip Ambler 68th & Liam O'Flaherty 80th.
The Senior Ladies team finished 5th, with Libby Greatorex having her best run so far to finish an excellent 5th. She was backed up by Chloe Fitton in 25th, U20 Paige Watson 31st, Angela Dales 32nd, Natalie-Jade Harris in 37th, Rachel Rowe 39th, Georgina Yoh 40th & Laura Sellers 48th.
In the U15 Girls race Sylvie Ellis was first Harrier home in 10th, and with Evie Tunney 13th & Ava Walsh 15th, the team finished 3rd. The U13 Boys had the best team result, once again winning their team race by a single point. The scoring trio were Sydney Swan in 4th, Thomas Hastings 11th & Daniel Jones 14th, and we also completed a 2nd team with Harry Tolson 21st, Oliver Smith 26th & Harris Adam 27th.
In the U11 age group the scoring trio of Tommy Rudd 11th, Jack Sanderson 15th & Oliver Hastings 16th were 3rd team in the Boys race. Also doing well were Ned Jackson 24th, Ewan Low 29th, Freddie Falkingham 31st & Harley Stringer 39th. The U11 Girls team were also 3rd, with Matilda Shaw finishing 9th, Eirian Clark 13th & Hannah Adam 25th. Also running well individually was Jessica Watson, finishing 9th in the U17 Ladies race.
Results Link.

4th Dec 2023. November Athlete of the Month - Euan Gaskin.

3rd Dec 2023. Good Marathon Performances in Valencia.
Valencia in Spain has built a reputation as a fast marathon course, and this year's event attracted a top international field. Three Wakefield Harriers took part, with Ben Butler in 2 hrs 43:45, Chris Hunter in 2 hrs 47:23 and Simon Midwood with 2 hrs 48:44 recording very good times. Results Link.

26th Nov 2023. Some Great 10k Road Race Times.
Some great 10k road race times were recorded today, with Daniel Franks continuing his fine form with a fast time of 31:29 in the Wilmslow Festive 10K. Results Link.
At the The Hoober Homes Doncaster City 10k race several Harriers recorded PBs, with Robert Brailsford and Jake Worton joining the sub-34 minutes club, with their excellent times of 33:27 & 33:46 respectively. Nicola Steel was close to her best with 38:43, as she finished 3rd in the F45 category. Results Link.

18th Nov 2023. New Road 5 Km Club Record for Amy-Eloise Neale.
Amy-Eloise Neale was the 2nd lady home in the Podium 5K at Barrowford in Lancashire, and she ran a New Road 5 Km Club Record 15 mins 55 sec, improving her previous record she set four years ago. Results Link.

18th Nov 2023. West Yorkshire Cross Country League Meeting 3 at Leeds.
The club had some good results at the third meeting of the West Yorkshire Cross Country League at Middleton Park in Leeds. Wakefield Harriers had two individual winners, with Abbey Brooke first league runner home in the Senior Ladies race, and Rosie Thistlewood having a good win in the U15 Girls race.
The Senior Men's team finished 2nd in their team race, with Daniel Franks leading the team home in 4th place. Also running well were U20 runner Euan Gaskin in 14th, Ben Butler 16th, Chris Hunter 26th, Steve Lowe 36th & Chris Ward 44th. Our veterans did well, with Ben finishing 1st in the M40 category, and Chris Hunter 1st in the M45 category. Also doing well were Thomas Sellers 58th, Philip Ambler 67th, Ian Shipley 92nd & Ian Ogden 103rd.
Helped by Abbey's win, the Senior Ladies team finished 3rd, with Libby Greatorex 7th, Chloe Fitton 21st & Helen Beck 29th the 4 scorers. They were backed up by Natalie-Jade Harris in 31st, Angela Dales 32nd, Georgina Yoh 45th, Rachel Rowe 51st, Joanne Biltcliffe 53rd & Laura Sellers 55th.
With Rosie Thistlewood winning the U15 Girls race, and Evie Tunney 10th & Sylvie Ellis in 17th, the team were an excellent 2nd, and Ava Walsh also did well to finish 35th. The U13 Boys had the best team result, winning their team race by a single point, with the scoring trio being Thomas Hastings in 6th, Sydney Swan 12th & Daniel Jones 18th. Harry Beck in 31st, Oliver Smith 32nd & Harris Adam 33rd also ran well on the tough course.
In the U11 age group the scoring trio of Tommy Rudd 7th, Oliver Hastings 20th & Lochlan Ruddock 21st were an excellent 2nd team in the Boys race. Also doing well were Jack Sanderson in 22nd, Ned Jackson 25th, & Freddie Falkingham 29th. We just had 2 runners in the Girls race, with Matilda Shaw finishing 10th & Hannah Adam 25th, and also running well individually was Jessica Watson, 14th in the U17 Ladies race.
Results Link.

6th Nov 2023. October Athlete of the Month - Diane Simmons.
For becoming the first lady over 60 from the club to complete a marathon, Diane Simmons has been chosen by the Club Committee as the Wakefield Harriers Athlete of the Month for October.
Well done Diane!

4th Nov 2023. English National Cross Country Relays at Mansfield.
The English National Cross Country Relay Championships at Mansfield were held in very wet conditions this year, and the course was extremely muddy in places. However, that didn't deter many of England's leading middle distance and long distance runners from all over England from turning up to take part in the prestigious event. Wakefield Harriers had several teams competing, and they all did well.

29th Oct 2023. Wakefield Harriers Cross Country Championships.
The club successfully hosted the second meeting of the West Yorkshire Cross Country League at Thornes Park, with the meeting incorporating the 2023 Club Cross Country Championships.
There will be awards for the first 3 finishers from the club in each race, and these will be presented at the Club Presentation Evening, which is being held on Saturday 2nd December.
Many thanks to all the marshals and helpers who made the event possible.
List of medal winners in all races.

29th Oct 2023. West Yorkshire Cross Country League Meeting 2 at Thornes Park.

22nd Oct 2023. Some Good Performances at the Abbey Dash 10K.
There were some good performances recorded at the Abbey Dash 10K road race, which as usual was one of the highest standard 10k races in the country.
The leading runner from the club was Jake Worton, with his PB of 34:41, and he was followed home by Ashley Crow with 35:53, and Craig Davidson 35:56, Darren Hewitt 37:12, Jacob Shillam 37:19 and Thomas Sellers 37:52 were all well inside 40 minutes. Distance Coach Chris Mitchell had a fine run to finish just a minute away from the club M60 record with his time of 41:57.
Our leading lady was Libby Greatorex with a fine new PB of 37:10, which places her 3rd in this year's club rankings, and 14th in the club all-time list. Nicky Steel ran a season's best of 39:16, and U20 Paige Watson also did well to record a new PB of 42:34. Results Link.

21st Oct 2023. Northern Athletics Cross Country Relays at Sheffield.
Unfortunately, after the recent storms and very heavy rainfall, the event had to be cancelled.

15th Oct 2023. New Masters Club Records for Julie Briscoe and Diane Simmons.
Julie Briscoe finished an excellent 34th overall and 2nd in the ladies section in the Run For All Yorkshire 10 Mile race at York. She set a new F45 10 Mile Club Record of 59 mins 19 secs, beating the previous record she set two years ago by over 2 minutes. Results Link.
Diane Simmons became the first F60 lady at the club to complete a marathon, in the Run For All Yorkshire Marathon. She ran a new F60 Marathon Club Record of 4 hrs 18 mins 44 secs, and she now holds all the F60 club records on the road. Liam Gascoigne made a good debut over the distance with his time of 3 hrs 11:26, recent recruit M50 Ian Ogden ran his best marathon for several years in 3 hrs 26:27, and M55 Francis Mwaba did well to record 3 hrs 40:00. Results Link.
In the Hedgehog Half Marathon at Normanby in Lincolnshire there was almost another veterans club record, as Angie Dales finished just 6 seconds short of her own F50 record with a time of 1 hr 36:09. She was 2nd lady overall and 1st in her age group. There was a very strong showing from the men in this race, with James Coulman 5th in 1 hr 16:11, Chris Hunter 8th in 1 hr 20:01 and Simon Midwood 10th in 1 hr 20:39. Chris finished 1st in the M45 category. Results Link.

8th Oct 2023. West Yorkshire Cross Country League Meeting 1 at Nunroyd Park.

2nd Oct 2023. September Athletes of the Month - Lynsie Whyke and Stephen Thorpe.

2nd Oct 2023. The Wakefield Harriers 2023 AGM
At the Annual General Meeting held at Thornes Park Stadium there were a few changes to the Club Committee. Our former Olympian Alan Slack has now retired as Club Treasurer, after 15 years of excellent service, so a big thank you Alan from everyone at the club. Rob Ford has kindly agreed to take over the role. Most committee members agreed to continue in their positions for another year, but we welcome several new additions to the team.
It was also agreed that due to the increase in England Athletics affiliation fees, and other cost increases, the annual club membership fees would rise by £5 next April, to £55 for senior athletes, and £45 for young athletes. Training fees on club night will remain unchanged.

24th Sep 2023. Northern Athletics Autumn Road Relay Championships.
There were five teams from Wakefield Harriers competing at the Northern Athletics Road Relay Championships at Birkenhead Park, and they produced some fine performances.
The Senior Ladies team of Abbey Brooke, Helen Beck, Paige Watson & Nicola Steel did well to finish 17th out of the large field of over 60 teams. They were the 7th Yorkshire club to finish. The U15 Girls 'A' team of Rosie Thistlewood, Evie Tunney & Sylvie Ellis were an excellent 7th place, and were the 2nd Yorkshire club to finish in their event. Rosie had an outstanding run to win leg 1, in what turned out to be the fastest individual time of the day. In the U13 Boys race the team of Thomas Hastings, Harry Beck & Daniel Jones did well to finish 13th team, and the 1st Yorkshire club. Thomas had a superb run, and led the team home on leg 1, with the 2nd best time of the day.

17th Sep 2023. Another New F45 10k Club Record for Julie Briscoe.
Julie Briscoe finished an excellent 29th overall and 2nd in the ladies section in the RunThrough Altrincham 10K. She set a new F45 Club Record of 36 mins 37 secs, beating the previous record she set last year by 11 seconds. Results from Power of 10.

10th Sep 2023. Some Excellent Half Marathon Performances.
There were some excellent half marathon performances on the roads, in spite of the warm and humid conditions.
In the AJ Bell Great North Run from Newcastle to South Shields the club's two leading distance runners were in action. Amy-Eloise Markovc had her first race since the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, and she finished 7th in the ladies race in 1hr 15:19. Mark Bostock ran his first half marathon, and finished 22nd in the men's race in the excellent time of 1hr 08:31. His time puts him in 5th place in the club all-time list. Results Link.
In the Vale of York Half Marathon Nicky Steel and Angela Hall finished 2nd and 4th in their F45 category, with fine times of 1hr 27:40 & 1hr 30:31. Liam Gascoigne made a big advance with his new PB of 1hr 26:27, and Darren Hewitt was next Harrier home in 1hr 29:24. Results Link.

10th Sep 2023. West Yorkshire Track & Field League Championships.
There were some excellent results from the Harriers who competed in the West Yorkshire Track & Field League Championships at Cleckheaton, with many of them winning titles, and one breaking a Championship Record.
Joshua Akintolu won the U15 Boys High Jump with a leap of 1.81m, a grade 1 performance and a new Championships Record, and he also won the Long Jump with 5.21m. Another Harrier recording a grade 1 in the High Jump was Romy Fagan in the U13 Girls event, with her winning leap of 1.43m. Rosie Thistlewood recorded a grade 2 when winning the U15G 800m in 2m 21.69s, as did Ella Bickerdyke winning the U17W 200m in 25.86s.
Also winning titles, with grade 4 or better performances were Thomas Hastings (U13B 800m 2m 28.37s), Daniel Akintolu (U17M HJ 1.70m) & Ella Bickerdyke (U17W 100m 12.62s).
In addition we had grade 3 performances from Lily Keeler (2nd U13G DT 20.05m), Sophie Torossian (3rd U13G DT 18.52m) & Sylvie Ellis (2nd U15G LJ 4.77m) and a grade 4 performance from Evie Tunney (2nd U15G 1500m 5m 04.93s). In the non-graded events we also had victories from Sophie Torossian (U13G 80m 11.47s) and Grace Torossian (U11G LJ 3.51m).
Mens Results and Womens Results
The Championships event also provided the opportunity to present the medals to those who finished in the first three in their age group in the West Yorkshire League, and four Harriers came away with individual age group titles.
Ethan Ford was the winner of the U11 Boys title, Ben Smith the U20 Mens title, Romy Fagan the U13 Girls title & Ella Bickerdyke the U17 Ladies title. Silver medals were also won by U13G Lily Keeler & U15G Amy Gleghorn, and Bronze medals by U11B Lochlan Ruddock, U20M Alexander Bostwick, SM Stuart Smith & U20W Paige Watson.
Joshua Akintolu won the Frank Gledhill Award for the best field performance during the season.

8th Sep 2023. Wakefield Harriers Annual General Meeting.
The Wakefield Harriers Annual General Meeting is on Monday 2nd October, starting at 7 pm prompt at Thornes Park Stadium.
This is your chance to have your say about the running of the club, and to choose the Committee members for the next 12 months. The club really does need some additional people to come forward, to help with the organisation of the club, and the events it puts on. Look at the 'Club Contacts' page, which shows all the positions on the Committee. Members can apply for any of these positions, and if you're not sure what's involved, ask an existing Committee member. All nominations for Committee positions should be handed in at the cabin before the meeting.
The AGM is open to all club members.

4th Sep 2023. Wakefield Harriers August Athlete of the Month - Isaac Chen.

1st-3rd Sep 2023. British Masters Track & Field Championship.
Wakefield Harriers had several of their Masters athletes competing at the British Masters Track & Field Championship in Derby, with the club coming away with a number of British Champions. Starting on Friday afternoon with the W65 Discus won by Jennifer Ibbitson throwing 23.57m, almost 6m clear of her nearest rival, this was followed later that afternoon with another victory in the W65 Weight throw. Saturday continued with further success for Jennifer with victories in the W65 Hammer with a throw of 32.67m, amazingly almost 10m clear of the 2nd place athlete, and the W65 Shot. These results were complemented with a fine Silver medal in the W65 Javelin, to round off an excellent weekend.

Stephen Thorpe & Jennifer Ibbitson, two of the club's Masters Champions

3rd Sep 2023. Men's Team Finish 2nd in Leeds Country Way Relay.
The Wakefield Harriers Men's team were unable to defend their title from last year, but still finished an excellent 2nd in the Leeds Country Way Relay, a 6-stage long distance off-road relay, where each leg is run as a pair, and with the legs ranging from 9.4 miles to 11.7 miles in distance. Two of the Wakefield pairings won the fastest leg award, with Adam Peers & Jake Worton winning the prize on leg 2, and Mark Bostock & Elliot Smales winning leg 6.
The club also had a good ladies team who finished 4th in their category and a 3rd open team who finished 24th in the open category. Link to Results

23rd Aug 2023. Amy-Eloise Markovc Competes for GB in World Championships.

21st Aug 2023. Thornes Park Stadium Track Resurfacing Put Back to 2024.
The resurfacing of the Thornes Park Stadium track has now been put back to 2024, as no contractors were available to do the work this year. Unfortunately the news came too late for the club to be able to put on the John Newsome Memorial Open Meeting, so disappointingly, it cannot be held this year.

19th Aug 2023. North of England Track & Field League Match 4.
At the 4th and final match in the 'East Premier' division of the North of England Track & Field League at Rotherham the club finished in 5th place. Crucially they finished ahead of Kingston upon Hull AC, and so finish 4th overall in the league, and thus retain their place in the premier division.
Mark Bostock made a welcome return to the team, and had impressive wins in first the 5000m and then the 1500m. He was the club's only 'A' string winner, but there were also fine 2nd places for Ella Bickerdyke in the 100m, Lynsie Whyke in the Triple Jump, and Lucy Holmes in the Shot.
There were great efforts throughout from the rest of the team members Helen Beck, Suzanne Brooke, Jordan Guthrie, Mark Keeler, Regan Mawson, Alyce McCurdie, Ian Ogden, Owen Phillips, Amanda Potter, Zachary Rayner, Ben Smith, Christoper Watson, Paige Watson, Millie Wroe & Hannah Yates, with many athletes competing in several events to score valuable points for the team.
Download Results in PDF.
Match Result :- City of Sheffield & Dearne AC 377, Lincoln Wellington AC 366, City of York AC 339, Rotherham Harriers & AC 293.5, Wakefield District Harriers & AC 259, Kingston upon Hull AC 248.5.
Final League Positions after 4 matches :- City of York AC 21, Lincoln Wellington AC 18, City of Sheffield & Dearne AC 16, Wakefield District Harriers & AC 11.5, Kingston upon Hull AC 10, Rotherham Harriers & AC 7.5.

12th/13th Aug 2023. Northern Athletics U13/U15/U17 T&F Championships.
At the Northern Athletics U13/U15/U17 Track & Field Championships at Middlesbrough there were several Harriers competing, and they did well to come away with two silver medals.
Ella Bickerdyke won a silver medal in the U17W 100m in 12.24s, the fastest time she has ever recorded, although it was with a following wind. She did record a legal PB of 25.33s in the 200m, as she finished just out of the medals in 4th place. Lily Keeler also won a silver medal, as she finished 2nd in the U13G SP with a throw of 8.26m, and she also finished 5th in a very close LJ competition with a new PB of 4.12m.
Other top 8 finishers were Isaac Chen 6th in the U13B SP with 6.86m, Harry Pearcy 6th in the U17M 400m in 54.52s & Rosie Thistlewood 7th in the U15G 1500m in 4m 59.64s.
Results from Power of 10.

7th Aug 2023. Wakefield Harriers July Athlete of the Month - Romy Fagan.

6th Aug 2023. West Yorkshire Track & Field League Meeting 6.
At the 6th and final meeting of the West Yorkshire Track & Field League at Cleckheaton there were some fine performances.
There was a grade 2 performance from Lily Keeler (U13G SP 8.10m), grade 3 performances from Ella Bickerdyke (U17W 100m 12.76s & 300m 42.10s) and grade 4 performances from Lily Keeler (U13G 70mH 13.20s & DT 15.84m). In addition there were good wins from U11B Ethan Ford (75m 11.33s & LJ 4.12m), and F65 Jennifer Ibbitson (SW HT 28.38m & JT 18.40m).
At the end of the 6 meeting season Wakefield Harriers were clear winners in the league club standings, and in the individual standings, Harriers winning their age group titles are Ethan Ford (U11B), Ben Smith (U20M), Romy Fagan (U13G) & Ella Bickerdyke (U17W).
Also winning league medals were Lochlan Ruddock (3rd U11B), Alexander Bostwick (3rd= U20M), Stuart Smith (3rd SM), Lily Keeler (2nd U13G), Amy Gleghorn (2nd U15G) & Paige Watson (3rd U20W).
2023 League Results and League Tables.

1st Aug 2023. Wakefield Harriers Senior Runners Distance League Race 10.

28th Jul 2023. Amy-Eloise Markovc Selected to Run for GB in World Championships.

23rd Jul 2023. Yorkshire & District Athletics League Match 4.
Unfortunately the fourth and final match of the Yorkshire & District Athletics League had to be cancelled due to the bad weather.
This means that Wakefield Harriers finish as Yorkshire & District Athletics League Champions for the 2nd year running. So congratulations to all the athletes who took part, and a big thank you to all the officials and helpers without whom it wouldn't have been possible.

19th Jul 2023. Wakefield Harriers Senior Runners Distance League Race 9.

12th Jul 2023. West Yorkshire Track & Field League Meeting 5.
At the 5th meeting of the West Yorkshire Track & Field League at Wakefield there were some good performances.
There were grade 2 performances from Romy Fagan (U13G 150m 20.71s) & Rosie Thistlewood (U15G 1500m 4m 55.79s) and grade 3 performances from Sylvie Ellis (U15G HJ 1.49m) & Stuart Smith (SM DT 37.38m).
In addition there were excellent wins from Ella Bickerdyke (U17W 100m 12.84s), Alyce McCurdie (SW SP 9.07m), Alexander Bostwick (U20M 100m 11.42s) & Ethan Ford (U11B 75m 10.71s).
After 5 meetings Wakefield Harriers have a huge lead in the league club standings, and in the individual standings, Harriers leading the way are Ethan Ford (U11B), Ben Smith (U20M), Romy Fagan (U13G), Amy Gleghorn (U15G) & Ella Bickerdyke (U17W).
2023 League Results and League Tables.

9th Jul 2023. North of England Track & Field League Match 3.
At the third match in the 'East Premier' division of the North of England Track & Field League at Hull the club finished in 4th place once again. Ella Bickerdyke won both the 'A' 100m & 200m races, and Miles Sizer made a welcome return from Poland to win the 'A' 400m Hurdles. There were great efforts throughout from the rest of the team members Alexander Bostwick, Liam Greaves, Jordan Guthrie, Natalie-Jade Harris, Jennifer Ibbitson, Alyce McCurdie, Adam Murray, Amanda Potter, Stephen Thorpe, Christoper Ward, Christoper Watson, Paige Watson, Lynsie Whyke & Hannah Yates, with many athletes competing in several events to score valuable points for the team.
Download Results in PDF.
Match Result :- Kingston upon Hull AC 427, City of York AC 338, Lincoln Wellington 324, Wakefield District Harriers & AC 294, Rotherham Harriers & AC 239, City of Sheffield & Dearne AC 229.

8th/9th Jul 2023. Amy-Eloise Markovc Second in 5000m in UK Championships.
At the UK Athletics Championships at Manchester Amy-Eloise Markovc was not able to retain her UK 5000m title, which she had won convincingly last year. However she still came an excellent 2nd behind Jessica Judd, in 15 mins 58.87 secs, in what had been a slow tactical race.
Leonie Ashmeade had a similar championships to last year, coming 4th in her semi-final of the 100m in 11.66s, after finishing 2nd in her heat in 11.54s. Results Link.

8th Jul 2023. John Matthews & Mike Swain Memorial Jumps & Throws Meeting.
Unfortunately clashes of fixtures meant we didn't have a huge turnout for the John Matthews & Mike Swain Memorial Jumps & Throws Open Meeting. However there were some excellent performances from some of the club's athletes. Romy Fagan produced a grade 1 performance when winning the U13G HJ with a leap of 1.42m, and she also won the LJ with 4.02m. Lily Keeler produced a grade 2 performance when winning the U13G Shot with a throw of 8.26m, and she also won the Discus with 18.91m. Amy Gleghorn won the U15 LJ and HJ with 4.66m & 1.43m respectively, both grade 4 performances. There were also grade 3 performances from Lucy Holmes, winning the SW Shot with 10.90m, and from 2nd claim member Stuart Smith, winning the SM Discus with 38.91m.
There was also a good turnout from the Junior Jets, with Ethan Ford winning the U11B LJ & HJ with 4.11m & 1.21m respectively, and Arthur Simpson winning the U11B Shot with 5.60m.
Many thanks to all the officials and helpers for all their hard work in making the meeting a success.
Meeting Results

7th Jul 2023. Wakefield Harriers Senior Runners Distance League Race 8.
The St Aidan's 10K multi-terrain race was the 8th event in the Wakefield Harriers Senior Runners Distance League. The club had 8 runners competing, with 2 of them coming away with age category prizes. Philip Ambler had a fine run to finish 7th overall, and take the M50 prize, and Angela Hall finished 2nd lady overall and first in her F40 category. Results Link.
Link to Distance League page containing League Table and links to all fixtures.

3rd Jul 2023. Wakefield Harriers June Athlete of the Month - Steve Lowe.

30th Jun/1st Jul 2023. English Schools Track & Field Championships.
The club had several athletes competing at the English Schools Track & Field Championships at Birmingham, and they all did well. Joshua Akintolu equalled his PB of 1.78m as he finished 5th in the JB HJ, Rosie Thistlewood was very close to the club U15G record with her excellent PB time of 4m 44.78s in the JG 1500m, Alexander Bostwick ran 11.57s for the 100m in the SB 100m, and Amy Hunt leaped 5.06m in the SG LJ. Results Link, and Results from Power of 10.

28th Jun 2023. Mark Bostock Wins Hyde Park Summer Mile Event.
The Hyde Park Summer Mile was the 7th event in the Wakefield Harriers Senior Runners Distance League, and the club had a few runners competing in the 13 races held over the one mile distance. Mark Bostock was the overall fastest on the night, winning the final race in 4 mins 31 secs. Natalie-Jade Harris was our fastest lady, with a time of 6 mins 04 secs. Results Link.

25th Jun 2023. Yorkshire & District Athletics League Match 3.
At the third match of the Yorkshire & District Athletics League at Cudworth there was another great showing from the club's young athletes, and once again Wakefield Harriers came out on top.
Download the provisional results in XL

24th Jun 2023. Another U11 Boys Club Record from Ethan Ford.
At the Trafford Medal Meeting at Stretford Ethan Ford won 3 events, including running a New U11 Boys Club 75m Record of 10.53s secs, improving his previous record set last month. He also won the 150m in 20.98s, very close to his record, and won the LJ with 4.41m. Lochlan Ruddock had a good run over 600m, recording 1m 56.23s. Results Link.

24rd Jun 2023. Leonie Ashmeade Selected for GB Team in European Team Championships.

21st Jun 2023. West Yorkshire Track & Field League Meeting 4.
There were some great performances at the 4th meeting of the West Yorkshire Track & Field League at Wakefield.
Lily Keeler recorded a grade 1 performance in the U13G Shot with her big new PB of 8.73m, and Rosie Thistlewood was close to the league record in the U15G 800m with her impressive win in 2m 20.30s, a grade 2 performance. There were other grade 2 performances from Ella Bickerdyke with 25.66s in the U17W 200m and Joshua Akintolu with a leap of 5.57m in the U15B LJ. There were also grade 3 performances from Thomas Hastings (U13B 800m 2m 26.81s) and Ella Bickerdyke (U17W 300m 42.29s).
In addition there were excellent wins from Ethan Ford (U11B 600m 1m 48.28s & LJ 4.51m), Daniel Akintolu (U17M SP 10.15m) and Romy Fagan (U13G 80m 11.31s).
After 4 meetings Wakefield Harriers now have a big lead in the league club standings. In the individual standings, leading the way are Ethan Ford (U11B), Ben Smith (U20M), Romy Fagan (U13G) & Ella Bickerdyke (U17W). 2023 League Results and League Tables.

18th Jun 2023. North of England Track & Field League Match 2.
The second match in the 'East Premier' division of the North of England Track & Field League at Sheffield was a close affair, and the club finished in equal 4th place. The women's sprints were the club's best events, with Lucy Holmes and Ella Bickerdyke winning both the 'A' and 'B' string 100m & 200m races. Lucy also won the 'A' Shot, with Alyce McCurdie making it another double by winning the 'B' string. There were great efforts throughout from the rest of the team members Alexander Bostwick, Liam Greaves, Jordan Guthrie, Richard Higson-Blythe, Amy Hunt, Jennifer Ibbitson, Steve Lowe, Amanda Potter, Ben Smith, Harvey Thorpe, Stephen Thorpe, Christoper Ward, Paige Watson, Lynsie Whyke & Hannah Yates, with many athletes competing in several events to score points for the team.
Download Results in PDF.
Match Result :- City of York AC 365, City of Sheffield & Dearne AC 339, Lincoln Wellington 316, Rotherham Harriers & AC 306, Wakefield District Harriers & AC 306, Kingston upon Hull AC 253.

17th/18th Jun 2023. England Athletics U20 & U23 T&F Championships.
The club's two leading sprinters were in action at the England Athletics U20 & U23 Track & Field Championships at Chelmsford. Leonie Ashmeade was just outside the medals, finishing 4th in the U23W 100m final in 11.50s, whilst Thomas Wood was 7th in his U23M 200m semi-final, after running a fast 21.83s in the heats. Results Link.

17th Jun 2023. Leonie Ashmeade Selected for European Team Championships.
Congratulations to Leonie Ashmeade, who has been selected for the 4 x 100m relay squad at the European Team Championships in Silesia, Poland next week [23-25 June]. This is Leonie's first full international selection, and follows her excellent new PB of 11.43 secs this season. Report from GB Athletics.

11th Jun 2023. Bradford Millennium Way Relay.
Wakefield Harriers turned out 2 good teams of 10 to compete in the Bradford Millennium Way Relay, a challenging long distance off-road relay of 47 miles, involving 6300 ft of climbing. It was made especially difficult this year, as the conditions were very hot and humid, so there were no records broken.
After leading for much of the race, the Men's team finished an excellent 2nd, for the fourth time in succession, behind a strong team from Wharfedale. The Ladies team also did well to finish 25th overall, and 4th in category, out of the 49 competing teams.
Download the Results in XL.

10th Jun 2023. West Yorkshire County Schools T&F Championships.
Many of the club's young athletes were representing their school districts at the West Yorkshire County Schools Track & Field Championships at Leeds. There were some excellent performances, resulting in several members being selected to compete for the West Yorkshire Schools team at the English Schools Track & Field Championships at Birmingham. Results Link and Power of 10 entries.

5th Jun 2023. Wakefield Harriers May Athlete of the Month - Lucy Holmes.

3rd/4th Jun 2023. Northern Athletics Senior & U20 Outdoor T&F Championships.
There were just four Harriers competing at the Northern Athletics Senior & U20 Outdoor Track & Field Championships at Manchester, but they came away with two bronze medals.
Thomas Wood, who is in excellent form after running a 200m PB of 21.77s a few days earlier, won bronze in the senior 100m. He recorded the excellent time of 10.78s, a new legal PB, and not far off the electrically timed club record of 10.71s. Also winning a bronze medal was Mark Bostock in a tactical 5000m race in 15m 05.35s. He is also in great form, after running a PB of 14m 22.73s the previous week.
Lucy Holmes is also in the form of her life, and she came an excellent 5th in the Senior ladies 100m in a new PB of 12.51s. Lucy also finished 7th in the 200m in 26.07s, and Ben Smith ran 11.96s in his heat of the U20 men's 100m. Results Link.

4th June 2023. Two Team Medals at Yorkshire Vets Road Relay Championships.

31st May 2023. West Yorkshire Track & Field League Meeting 3.
At the third meeting of the West Yorkshire Track & Field League at Cleckheaton Ethan Ford added another club record to his collection. Competing as a guest in the U13 Boys race, he ran a New U11 Boys Club 80m Record of 11.43 secs, an improvement of 1/10th of a second on the previous record set by Ben Chafer in 2014. Ethan also won his U11B 75m race in 10.93s. There was also a grade 3 performance from Romy Fagan, winning the U13 HJ with a leap of 1.30m, and a grade 4 performance from Ava Walsh, 2nd in the U15G 1500m in 5m 14.41s.
Wakefield Harriers continue to lead the league standings. 2023 League Results and League Tables.

29th May 2023. More U11 Boys Club Records from Ethan Ford.
At the Trafford Medal Meeting at Stretford Ethan Ford won 2 races, and added further club records to his collection. He ran a New U11 Boys Club 75m Record of 10.72 secs with electrical timing, more or less matching his manual record of 10.7s. He also recorded a New U11 Boys Club 150m Record of 20.95 secs, improving on his indoor best, and also won the LJ with 4.23m.
Also in winning form was Romy Fagan, winning the U13G 75m in 10.49s, the 150m in 20.11s, and HJ with 1.41m, all new PBs and grade 1 performances. Rosie Thistlewood also recorded a grade 1, running 4 mins 48.15s in the U15G 1500m, and Libby Cree recorded a grade 3 in the U15G 300m running 43.56s. Results Link.

27th May 2023. Two Young Athletes Compete for Yorkshire.
Two young Harriers were selected to compete for Yorkshire in the Northern Inter-County Championships at York. Joshua Akintolu finished 2nd in the U15B LJ with a new PB leap of 5.92m, and Ella Bickerdyke finished 5th in the U17W 100m in 12.57s, very close to her PB. Results link.

21st May 2023. Yorkshire & District Athletics League Match 2.
At the second match of the Yorkshire & District Athletics League at Grimsby, Wakefield Harriers once again came out on top.
Download the provisional results in XL

20th May 2023. Another New Club 10000m Record for Amy-Eloise Markovc.

20th May 2023. North of England Track & Field League Match 1.
At the first match in the 'East Premier' division of the North of England Track & Field League at York, the club did well to finish 4th. Lynsie Whyke was the only 'A' string winner, taking the women's triple jump with 10.12m. However there were great efforts throughout from the team of Helen Beck, Ella Bickerdyke, James Coulman, Michael Flood, Jordan Guthrie, Richard Higson-Blythe, Lucy Holmes, Jennifer Ibbitson, Steve Lowe, Alyce McCurdie, Amanda Potter, Zachary Rayner, Ben Smith, Stephen Thorpe, Christoper Ward, Paige Watson, Lynsie Whyke & Hannah Yates, with many athletes competing in several events to score points for the team.
Download results in pdf.
Match Result :- City of York AC 397, Lincoln Wellington 361, City of Sheffield & Dearne AC 332, Wakefield District Harriers & AC 296, Kingston upon Hull AC 286, Rotherham Harriers & AC 222.

13th/14th May 2023. Yorkshire Track & Field Championships, Cudworth.
There was a decent turnout of Wakefield Harriers at the Yorkshire Track & Field Championships at Cudworth, and they came away with a haul of 15 medals.
Gold medals were won by :- Hannah Yates (SW HT 30.33m), Jennifer Ibbitson (SW PV 2.20m), Ella Bickerdyke (U17W 100m 12.5s), Joshua Akintolu (U15B HJ 1.78m & LJ 5.45m) and Romy Fagan (U13G HJ 1.35m & LJ 4.43m).
Silver medal winners were :- Jennifer Ibbitson (SW JT 19.68m & HT 29.96m), Lucy Holmes (SW 100m 12.52s), Rebecca Shepherd (SW 5000m 18m 49.2s), Ella Bickerdyke (U17W 200m 25.63s) and Sylvie Ellis (U15G HJ 1.46m).
Bronze medals were won by :- Alyce McCurdie (SW SP 9.71m) and Hannah Yates (SW DT 30.55m).
There were also some excellent performances that didn't win medals, including fine new PBs in the 100m and 200m from Thomas Wood with 10.85s & 21.91s. Leonie Ashmeade won her 200m heat in 24.80s and Lucy Holmes ran a fine new 200m PB of 25.26s. Download Results in PDF.

14th May 2023. Rob Burrow Leeds Marathon.
Several Harriers competed in the Rob Burrow Leeds Marathon. On a tough course, and in quite warm conditions, Ben Butler did well to finish 8th overall and 2nd in the M40 category in 2 hrs 46:04, to go 2nd in this year's club rankings. Also going 2nd in this year's club rankings for the marathon was new member Angela Hall, with 3 hrs 22:45. She finished 12th lady and 1st in the F40 category. This was a remarkable run, as it was only three weeks since she had competed in the London Marathon, where she recorded her PB of 3 hrs 09:06. Results Link.

10th May 2023. West Yorkshire Track & Field League Meeting 2.
There was another good turnout of athletes at the second meeting of the West Yorkshire Track & Field League at Thornes Park Stadium.
The top performer from the club was Joshua Akintolu, who won the U15B High Jump with an excellent leap of 1.74m, a grade 1 performance. Ethan Ford ran a fine new PB of 1m 51.1s with 2nd place in the U11B 600m, just losing out by a 1/10th of a second.
In the girls events Romy Fagan had two good wins in the U13G 80m in 11.2s, and 150m in 21.46s. Following her home in the 150m was Lily Keeler in 21.63s, who also won the Discus with a throw of 16.60m. Ella Bickerdyke won the U17W 200m in 26.08s, a grade 3 performance, and there were grade 4 performances from Amy Gleghorn (U15G 200m 28.0s) and Evie Tunney (U15G 800m 2m 29.3s).
Wakefield Harriers have a comfortable lead in the league, and leading their respective age groups are Ethan Ford (U11B), Ben Smith (U20M), Romy Fagan (U13G), Amy Gleghorn (U15G) & Ella Bickerdyke (U17W). 2023 League Results and League Tables.

7th May 2023. Wakefield Harriers Senior Runners Distance League Race 5.
The Pontefract 10k was the 5th race in the Wakefield Harriers Senior Runners Distance League, and the club had a dozen runners competing. U20 runner Elliot Prentice was the first Harrier home, finishing in 9th place in a time of 37:01, and also running under 40 minutes were Thomas Sellers in 37:56, Paul Gilbert 38:39 & Philip Ambler 39:02. Annette Hayward was the first lady home representing the club in 47:49.
Natalie-Jade Harris has taken over the lead in the Distance League, followed by Helen Beck and Paul Gilbert.
Results Link. and Link to Distance League page containing League Table and links to all fixtures.

3rd May 2023. Stadium Closure Due to Local Elections on Thursday 4th May.
Please note that Thornes Park Stadium will be closed on Thursday 4th May, as the building is being used for counting votes in the local elections. So there will be no club training at the stadium on Thursday, but please check with your coach if alternative training will be available..

30th Apr 2023. Leonie Ashmeade Wins BUCS 100m Gold Medal.

30th Apr 2023. Yorkshire & District Athletics League Match 1.
At the first match of the Yorkshire & District Athletics League at Cleckheaton the club had a great start. Wakefield Harriers came out on top in the Premier Division, ahead of Cleethorpes, Barton & Goole and Barnsley. It was a great all-round team effort from the Wakefield athletes, with many of them recording personal best performances.
Results from Power of 10. or Download the meeting results in XL.

23rd Apr 2023. West Yorkshire Track & Field League Meeting 1.
The West Yorkshire Track & Field League got off to a good start, with a quite a large turnout at the first meeting at Cleckheaton.
In the ladies events Lucy Holmes had good wins in the senior ladies 100m & 200m in 12.58s and 26.44s, and she also won the Shot with 11.07m, a Grade 3 performance. Ella Bickerdyke had excellent wins in the U17 ladies 100m in 12.56s and 300m in 41.94s. Romy Fagan had a good win in the U13G 80m in 11.5s, and also recorded a grade 4 performance in the LJ with 4.10m. There were also grade 4 performances in the U15G 1500m from Rosie Thistlewood & Evie Tunney with times of 5m 10.85s & 5m 11.40s respectively.
In the men's events Stuart Smith won the senior Discus with a grade 3 throw of 38.58m. Ethan Ford continued his fine form with wins in the U11B 75m in 10.93s, and LJ with a leap of 4.20m, and Thomas Hastings won the U13B HJ with 1.33m, a grade 4 performance.
There was a good turnout of younger members of the Harriers, and as a result Wakefield Harriers have taken an early lead in the league. 2023 League Results and League Tables.

23rd Apr 2023. New F45 Club Marathon Record for Nicky Steel in London Marathon.
The TCS London Marathon returned to its traditional April date, and this year there was another record number of competitors taking part. There were some excellent runs from the Harriers taking part, including a New F45 Club Marathon Record of 3 hrs 08:47 from Nicola Steel, improving her previous record she set in last years' race. Also recording excellent times were M45 Chris Hunter with 2 hrs 45:56, Ashley Crow with 2 hrs 48:25 & Ryan Williams in 2 hrs 49:40. Results Link.

16th Apr 2023. Two Marathon Club Veteran Records.
At the Manchester Marathon Darren Hewitt Equalled His Club M50 Marathon Record with his time of 2:52:13, matching exactly the time he ran last year. At his first attempt at the distance M45 Steve Lowe finished just a few seconds ahead of him in 2:52:07, finishing 477th out of a field of over 18,000. Results Link.
At the Boston Marathon in Lincolnshire Keith Brindle ran a New Club M70 Marathon Record with his time of 4:16:07, beating his previous record he set last year by over a minute. Results Link.

16th Apr 2023. New F60 10 Mile Club Record for Diane Simmons.
There were several runners from the club competing in the Vale of York road races over 5 miles and 10 miles. In the 5 mile race Julie Briscoe was 8th overall and 1st lady home in 30:09, and Helen Beck was 8th overall and 5th lady home in 31:32.
In the 10 mile race Diane Simmons added to her collection of veteran club records on the roads. She ran a New F60 10 Mile Club Record of 93 mins 05 secs, which also beat Pat Wood's F55 club record from 2011. Results Link.

15th Apr 2023. Douglas Bedford Memorial Open Meeting at Wakefield.
There was a decent turnout of athletes for the Douglas Bedford Memorial Open Meeting, held at Thornes Park Stadium. The track events were part of the Wakefield Harriers Track & Field Club Championships, and there were some excellent performances achieved by members of the club.
Romy Fagan had a great day, winning the U13G 200m in a grade 1 time of 27.90s, and she also won the 100m in 13.92s, a grade 3, and the LJ with 4.06m. Lily Keeler also had a successful day, winning the U13G Shot with a grade 2 throw of 8.12m, and 2nd in the LJ with 3.95m. U17 Ella Bickerdyke won the women's 100m in 12.73s, and was 3rd in the 200m in 26.13, both grade 3 performances.
We also had a good turnout of Junior Jets, with some of them enjoying their first proper athletics competition.
Many thanks to all the officials and helpers for all their hard work in making the meeting a success.
Meeting Results

7th Apr 2023. Club Membership Renewal Now Due for 2023/24 Season.
The Club Membership renewal is now due for the 2023/24 season. All club members should be receiving an email from England Athletics to renew your club membership, which includes the EA Registration. Please do this as soon as possible, to ensure you are eligible to compete in club team events this year.

3rd Apr 2023. Wakefield Harriers March Athlete of the Month - Elliot Prentice.

1st Apr 2023. Northern Athletics Spring Road Relay Championships.

26th Mar 2023. Yet Another New U11 Boys Club Record from Ethan Ford.
At the Spenborough AC Spring Open Meeting at Cleckheaton Ethan Ford continued to add to his club record collection, when he ran a New U11 Boys Club 75m Record of 10.7 secs, beating the previous record that had stood since 1995. There were several sprinters showing encouraging early season form, the best coming from U17W Ella Bickerdyke, running Grade 3 performances in the 100m with 12.8s & 200m in 26.2s. Results Link.

19th Mar 2023. Another New U11 Boys Club Record from Ethan Ford.
At the fourth and final South Yorkshire Indoor Open Meetings at Sheffield, there was a good turnout of young Harriers competing, with some excellent performances. The highlight was a New U11 Boys Club 150m Record of 21.01 secs from Ethan Ford, beating the previous record set by Ben Chafer in 2014 by over a second. He also had a clear win in the LJ with a leap of 4.38m. Lochlan Ruddock had a clear win in the U11B 600m in a fine time of 1m 55.73s, and Thomas Hastings won the U13B HJ with 1.30m. Romy Fagan also had a good day, winning the U13G 150m in a speedy 20.11s, and the 200m in 27.89s, both times not far off the club records. Results Link.
Ethan Ford was the overall winner of the series in the U11B age group, and Thomas Hastings was the winner in the U13B age group. Series Scores Link.

19th Mar 2023. Mark Bostock & Lucy Robinson Win Wakefield Hospice 10k.

12th Mar 2023. Yorkshire Veterans' Athletic Association Cross Country Championships.

11th Mar 2023. Three Harriers Compete in Inter County Cross Country Championships.
There were three Wakefield Harriers selected to run for Yorkshire in the CAI Inter County Cross Country Championships at Prestwood Hall, Loughborough. Fourteen years after first being selected to run for Yorkshire as an U15 athlete, Daniel Franks finished 152nd and 8th finisher for Yorkshire in the Senior Mens race, helping the county to finish 4th team. In the U20 Mens race Elliot Prentice was 142nd and 8th finisher for the county, helping Yorkshire to finish 3rd team. In the U13 Boys race the Yorkshire team finished 12th, with Samuel Bona being 6th home from Yorkshire in 218th place.
Congratulations to all three on their Yorkshire selections. Results Link to all the races.

7th Mar 2023. Track & Field officials Courses Being Held in Leeds.
The sport of athletics, and Wakefield Harriers in particular, desperately need more officials to be able to put on track and field meetings. England Athletics are putting on some level 1 courses at Leeds Beckett University, on Saturday 1st April. These are likely to be the only ones to be held in Yorkshire this year. The four courses on offer, with links to the courses are :-
Level 1 Track, 10:00-12:30 , Level 1 Race Walking, 13:30-16:00 , Level 1 Field, 10:00-14:30 , Level 1 Timekeeping, 10:00-12:30
If anyone is interested in finding out more about officiating, please contact the club's Officials Coordinator Jean Jackson :- jean.jackson@wakefieldharriers.org.uk

6th Mar 2023. Wakefield Harriers February Athlete of the Month - Leonie Ashmeade.

5th Mar 2023. Road Racing Weekend Roundup.
Mark Bostock was invited to compete for the North of England in the Trafford 10K road race at Partington. In a top class field he finished 41st in the very fast time of 30:20, his 2nd best ever time for the distance. Also recording very good times were Ben Butler with 32:06 and Simon Midwood with 34:46. Results Link.
There were some good runs at the Retford Half Marathon, used by several veteran runners as preparation for their spring marathons. M45 Steve Lowe was 17th and 2nd in the M40 category in 1:16:34, M45 Chris Hunter was 22nd in 1:18:19, and M70 Keith Brindle was 1st in the M70 category with 1:45:35. Results Link.
In the North Lincolnshire Half Marathon Angie Dales finished 5th in the F50 category in 1:37:07. Results Link.

26th Feb 2023. Ben Butler First M40 in Snake Lane 10 Mile Race.
Ben Butler finished 6th overall and 1st in the M40 category in the Snake Lane 10 mile road race from Pocklington, in a new PB time of 53 mins 21 secs. The time moves him up to 29th place in the club all time list for the distance. Results Link.

24th/25th Feb 2023. Club Record and Silver Medal for Leonie Ashmeade in BUCS.
Leonie Ashmeade continued her fine indoor season with a brilliant silver medal in the BUCS Athletics Indoor Championships at Sheffield. In the process she ran a New Club Womens 60m Record of 7.37 secs, breaking the previous record of 7.42 secs held by Olympian Emily Freeman since 2006. Competing for Sheffield Hallam University, Leonie broke the club record twice, as she had earlier recorded 7.41 secs in winning her semi-final. Results from Power of 10.

25th Feb 2023. English National Cross Country Championships.
There were a few young Harriers competing at the English National Cross Country Championships at Bolesworth Castle, near Chester, and they all did very well. Samuel Bona was 127th in the U13 Boys race, and in the U15 Girls race Evie Tunnie finished 133rd and Ava Walsh 216th. Results Link.

22nd Feb 2023. Second Thornes Park Stadium Indoor Meeting.

18th/19th Feb 2023. British Masters AF Track & Field Indoor Championships.
At the British Masters AF Track & Field Indoor Championships at the EIS in Sheffield there were several Wakefield Harriers competing, with six medals won.
Amanda Potter won three medals (2nd F35 60m 8.32s, 2nd 200m 26.46s & 3rd 400m 62.65s), Matthew Fawson won gold in the M40 3000m Walk in 20m 35.23s, and Stephen Thorpe won two bronze medals (3rd M45 LJ 4.73m & 3rd TJ 9.63m). Also doing well was Richard Higson-Blythe (5th M45 60m 7.99s, after running 7.89s in the heats, and 4th LJ 4.69m). Results Link.

18th/19th Feb 2023. UK Athletics Indoor Championships at Birmingham.
As the reigning UK and European Indoor 3000m Champion, Amy-Eloise Markovc was one of the favourites to win the 3000m at the UK Athletics Indoor Championships at Birmingham. However, she needed to get the qualifying time for the forthcoming European Indoor Championships in Istanbul, Turkey, and so was compelled to set the pace from the gun, ahead of a high quality field. She led until the last 800m, but couldn't raise her pace in the closing stages, and finally finished 4th in 9m 00.87s.
Leonie Ashmeade was also competing in the championships, and did very well to reach the final of the 60m. She finished in 7th place in 7.46s, after running 7.45s in the semi-final. Results Link.

9th Feb 2023. Another New Road 5 Km Club Record for Mark Bostock.
Mark Bostock competed in the Armagh International 5 Km Road Race in Northern Ireland, and finished 58th in a top class field, which included several international athletes. His time was a New Road 5Km Club Record of 14 mins 19 secs, beating his previous record set last year by 7 seconds. Results Link.

6th Feb 2023. Wakefield Harriers January Athlete of the Month - Samuel Bona.

5th Feb 2023. 6 Medals Won at Northern Indoor U15 & U13 T&F Championships.
At the Northern Indoor U15 & U13 Track & Field Championships at the EIS in Sheffield there were some tremendous performances from the young Harriers taking part, with 6 medals won in the field events. In the U13 Girls age group Lily Keeler came away with three medals, and 3 new PBs. She finished 2nd in the Shot with a throw of 7.99m, 2nd in the High Jump with 1.30m, and 3rd in the Long Jump with 3.99m. In the U15 Boys age group Joshua Akintolu won two silver medals, with 2 new PBs. He came 2nd in the High Jump clearing 1.76m, and he also finished 2nd in the Long Jump with 5.14m. Another silver medal was won by Amy Gleghorn in the U15 Girls Long Jump, with a jump of 4.12m. Results Link.

5th Feb 2023. Leonie Ashmeade Competes for England in Iceland.

5th Feb 2023. Good Times Recorded at Dewsbury 10Km Road Race.
Conditions were good for the Dewsbury 10Km road race, and there were some good times recorded by the Harriers. Ben Butler finished 14th overall, and he was first home in the M40 category in 32:03, very close to his PB. There were also fine runs from Ashley Crow in 34:06, Mark Mills 34:22, Andrew Teasdale 35:05, Sam Rogers 36:29, Craig Davidson 36:52, M50 Darren Hewitt 37:03, M50 Philip Ambler 37:39 & Thomas Sellers 37:56.
Helen Beck was our first lady home in a new PB of 38:37, a time that moves her up to 19th in the club all-time list. She finished 3rd in the F40 category, and Angela Dales was 9th in the F50 category in 43:09. Results Link.

4th Feb 2023. West Yorkshire Schools' Cross Country Championships.
Several Harriers competed for their local schools athletics organisations at the West Yorkshire Schools' Cross Country Championships at Leeds. Results Link.

30th Jan 2023. Entries Now Being Taken for The West Yorkshire Track & Field League.
Entries are now being taken for the The West Yorkshire Track & Field League. For 2023 these are to be done online, using SportSoft, and a link to the entry page can be found from the 2023 page for the league.
There are events at each meeting in the U11 category, but not for the U9 age group. U11 athletes must be in school years 4 or 5, with a DOB no later than 31/08/2014. WYL website link.

28th Jan 2023. Northern Cross Country Championships at Blackburn.

25th Jan 2023. Several Club Records at Thornes Park Stadium Indoor Meeting.
There was a good turnout of young athletes for the first indoor athletics meeting to be held at Thornes Park Stadium since the fire. This time it was Ethan Ford who was on fire, setting what must be a new club record for the number of club records set in one day. He broke the U11B long jump record twice, leaving the new record standing at a superb 4.31m, beating the previous record of 4.20m set by Joel Moverley in 2014. He also broke the U11B 50m record twice, finishing with the excellent new record of 7.3 secs, and Louie Burnell also beat the old record twice with his 7.9 secs. Ethan's time also beat the previous U13 Boys record of 7.5s, set by Ben Chafer in 2015. In the U13G age group Romy Fagan equalled the club 50m record of 7.5 secs. Results link.

25th Jan 2023. England Selection for Leonie Ashmeade.
The club sends its congratulations to Leonie Ashmeade, who has been selected to represent England in the 60m at Reykjavik Games. This is one of Iceland’s largest sporting events, with nearly 2000 competitors from more than 40 countries around the world participating in 15 sports, and England are sending an Athletics team. Report from England Athletics.

22nd Jan 2023. Another New U11 Boys 60m Record from Ethan Ford.
At the latest South Yorkshire Indoor Open Meetings at Sheffield, there were quite a few young Harriers competing, with some good performances. The highlight was another New U11 Boys Club 60m Record of 8.86 secs from Ethan Ford, beating the previous record he set last month by 7/100ths of a second. He also had a clear win in the 600m in a fine new PB of 1m 52.79s. U13 Girl Romy Fagan also had a good day, winning the 60m in 8.79s, and finishing 2nd in the 200m in 29.27s. Download Results.
We also had several sprinters competing the day before at the "Run Jump Throws Meeting at Sheffield. Results Link.

18th Jan 2023. Lifetime Vice President Terry Ridsdale Passes Away.

15th Jan 2023. Some Fast Times at Brass Monkey Half Marathon.
At the Brass Monkey Half Marathon near York there was a great run from the in-form Daniel Franks, finishing 8th. His time of 69:17 was the fastest by a Harrier for 11 years, and it moves him up to 7th in the club all-time half marathon list. Ben Butler also had a good run with a time of 73:06, finishing 44th out of the large field of nearly 1700 runners, and Andrew Teasdale recorded a fine new PB of 79:25. Results Link.

14th/15th Jan 2023. Senior & U17 Northern Indoor T&F Championships.
There were some fine performances at the Senior & U17 Northern Indoor T&F Championships at the EIS in Sheffield, with two medals won by Leonie Ashmeade. She won silver in the SW 60m in an excellent new PB of 7.44s, after running 7.48s in the heats. Her time is just 2/100ths of a second slower than the club record held by Olympian Emily Freeman since 2006. She also won a bronze in the 200m in 24.54s.
Several other athletes were just out of the medals, and had top 6 finishes. Ella Bickerdyke finished 6th in the U17W 60m in a new PB of 7.96s, and 5th in the 200m in 26.46s, after running 26.17s in her semi-final. Thomas Wood was 6th in the SM 200m in 22.68s, after running a fine new PB of 22.02s in his semi-final. Alexander Bostwick finished 4th in the U20M 400m in 52.55s, after running a PB of 52.24s in his semi-final. Last year's winner Mark Bostock was not at his best, after a recent injury, but still did well to finish 4th in the 3000m in 8m 40.97s. Erin Hunt was 5th in the U20W Pole Vault with a leap of 2.50m. Results Link.

9th Jan 2023. Wakefield Harriers December Athlete of the Month - Ben Butler.

7th Jan 2023. Yorkshire Cross Country Championships at Lightwater Valley
The Yorkshire Cross Country Championships returned to Lightwater Valley near Ripon, but the torrential rain overnight and early morning made the already tough course a real ordeal, as it became a mud bath in places. But despite the difficult conditions all of the Harriers competing did very well.
Club Cross Country Champion Daniel Franks had probably his best senior cross country race to date, finishing an excellent 13th in the Senior Men's race. He was followed home by Ashley Crowe in 74th place, Paul Gilbert 112nd and Ian Shipley 155th.
The best individual position by a Harrier was achieved by the fast-improving Samuel Bona, who was a superb 6th in the U13 Boys race, and should have clinched selection for the Yorkshire team with this run. The U15 Girls team also did well, with Rosie Thistlewood 9th, Evie Tunney 18th, Jessica Watson 25th and Ava Walsh 27th, as the team finished 4th. Other Harriers competing well were Elliot Prentice (15th in the U20 Men's race), Euan Gaskin (18th U17 Men's race), and Paige Watson (19th U17 Ladies race).
Results link