Sun 23 Sept 2018, Sport City, Manchester
By the time the final runner had crossed the line in the men`s six stage Northern Athletics road relays at Sport City, Manchester, over 1,900 runners had taken part in the eight race events, from the u13s to seniors.
Harriers’ senior men had to run legs of 6.4k each and the A team finished 18th in a combined time of 2:09.50. Nathan Dunn had got the team off to an excellent start, finishing 5th on the first leg in 19.59. Rob Affleck ran the 2nd leg in 21.35, and Jack Deeingham picked up the 3rd leg, and Harriers were 15th at this point. Byron Sowerby, Matias Grixti and Kian Davis ran the final legs. The B team of Niall Higham, Alex Venables, Lee Foley, David Watson, Simon Robinson and Andy Whaley were 66th and the C team were 115th. Lincoln Wellington were the winners, with Leeds City 2nd and Liverpool Harriers 3rd.
Harriers’ ladies A team were led out by Emma Essex Crosby, in 26.27 over 5.4k, and there were four legs for the ladies. They finished 62nd with legs also run by Vicki Sherrington, Jade Bebbington and Jenny Wren. The B team were 94th. The winners were an exceptionally strong Leeds City.
In the U17 women`s event, with three individual legs of 3.7k, Darcey Lonsdale recorded the 8th equal overall fastest time in 13.39, with the team including Emma Fulton & Annabel Duffy finishing an agonising 4th, just out of the medals. The U17 men`s A team were 6th and Benjamin Preddy had the 4th fastest time of the day over the 3.7k legs with 11.22. He was joined by Liam Blackwell and Matthew Fazackerley. There was also a B team, which was incomplete as it lacked one runner.
The U15 boys were 9th, with three legs of 3.1k and the U15 girls were also 9th! The boys with Tom Durney, Thomas Barnes and Ethan Warren were always in the top ten and for the girls, Scarlet Sutton ran 5th fastest on the second leg.
The first races of the day had been the U13s. They also ran 3.4k each. The U13 boys had a very good opening leg by George Denye who was 2nd in 12.20, and with subsequent runs by Jenson Warren (13.30) and William Moorhouse (13.09) they finished 9th. City of Sheffield were the U13 boys winners. The U13 girls were 18th with runners being Hannah Thompson, Charlotte Mahoney & Megan Reynolds and Liverpool Harriers won the race.