At the Lancashire County Championships in Blackpool on 12th-13th May, Preston Harriers athletes excelled. Athletes representing the club collected 44 Gold, 40 Silver and 24 Bronze medals.
Top of the medal table was under 17 Rhiann Beaumont, who won Gold in Javelin, Shot, Sprint Hurdles and Pole Vault, as well as picking up silver in the Long Jump. Under 15 James Lane won even more medals than Rhiann, with Gold in the Long jump, Shot Putt and Discus plus silver in Hammer, Javelin and Pole Vault.
There were also ten athletes who won two gold medals each. Under 17 Curtis Mitchell won the Long Jump and Sprint Hurdles, as well as finishing second in the High Jump and third for Bronze in the 100m. Will Goodier is now an under 17, and he took gold medals in Shot and Steeplechase, as well as collecting a bronze medal in the Discus. Under 20 Sam Johnson was the only other thrower to collect two gold medals, his coming in the Hammer and Discus.

The Tour of Horwich is back in mid June!

Although this is a mini-tour it's great to see this old favourite return.

More info and entry forms here

Results from Lytham race here

On Sunday 6th May the sun shone at Cottam Sports Arena for the first match of the Young Athletes League. Preston Harriers were competing against 5 other teams: Blackpool, Chesterfield, Lancaster & Morecambe, Leeds and Sheffield. Preston team members produced some outstanding performances, many athletes producing personal bests, which contributed to the win of over 100 points ahead of 2nd position competitor Sheffield.
Under 17 Rhiann Beaumont won the javelin, throwing over 40m for the second time this season, achieving a grade 1 performance. Also for the U17s, Lauren Malcharek won the high jump achieving a PB and a grade 2 performance with a jump of 1.60m.
Under 17 Chloe Unsworth sprinted her way to victory in the 100m with a PB of 13.2 seconds. She was also victorious in the long jump with a jump of 4.65m. Emily Lupton managed a grade two performance of 9.37m to win the U17 Shot.

Unexpected hot temperatures and cloudless skies greeted the athletes at this year’s 2012 London Marathon with Gethin Butler the leading Preston Harrier.  Gethin had a good first half split but found the pace difficult to maintain and had a tough patch at the 35K point. However, after recovering his composure he finished 110th overall and 12th in the Vet 40 category in a very creditable time of 2.36.50. 

Rob Affleck and Steve Hallas worked well at pacing each other over the first sections of the race but by mile 10 Rob had pulled some distance away from Steve. He then felt strong enough to push on and at one point actually passed Gethin Butler. Unfortunately Rob’s gritty early pace got the better of him with a period of cramp costing him time and places at the 21 mile point. To his credit, and with the usual support of the London crowds, Rob achieved a time of 2.41.10. 

Callum Rowett was 2nd in the Garstang Gallop, with 36.02, and Jason Parker 3rd in 36.32.  Phil Walsh was 19th and 2nd Vet 55 in 41.16.

The 2012 Lancashire Combined Events Championships were held over the weekend of the 21st and 22nd April at Hyndburn and five athletes from Preston Harriers competed.
In the U19/ Senior Girls Heptathlon Rhianne Beaumont competed over the two days in 100m hurdles, shot, 200m, long jump, javelin and 800m and was a gold medalist and Lancashire Champion.
Again over two days, Luke Farnworth competed in the U17/ Inter Boys Octathlon which comprised long jump, discus, javelin, 400m, 100m hurdles, high jump, shot and 1500m and came away with the silver medal.
James Lane competed on the first day in the U15/ Junior Boys Pentathlon which comprised 80m hurdles, shot, long jump and 800m whilst Nadia Patel and Georgina Newcombe competed on the second day in the U15/ Junior Girls Pentathlon comprising 75m hurdles, shot, high jump, long jump and 800m.
Following the above success Rhianne and Luke will no doubt be competing for Lancashire Schools in the North West Schools Combined Events Championships and trying to win through to the prestigious English Schools Combined Events Championships in September.

The second English Championship fell race, which was also part of the British fell racing championship (and the first race in that series), took place on Saturday 14th April in the lake district from Braithwaite Lodge, near Keswick.
Visibility was excellent but the conditions were tough, with a bitterly cold northerly wind and some sleet showers across the high tops. The race itself has fast become a classic and moved from its normal midweek slot to cope with the greater numbers this year. The race has a bit of everything, not least a huge climb of almost 2,000 feet to start off up to the first checkpoint on Grisedale Pike.

The 2012 track & field season started at the first Mid Lancs T& F League meeting at Stanley Park, Blackpool on Sunday 14th April; the weather being largely overcast and cold.  A total of 22 athletes turned out for Preston Harriers.

The Senior men and women were small in number but high in achievement with Kingsley Judd winning the 3,000m in 9:45.0, Tom Dewhurst winning the javelin with a throw of 45.96m and Caroline Warden taking 2nd place in the long jump with 4.19m.