Although judging by the weather summer still appears to be some way off, attention turns from the road to the track this weekend as the season gets fully under way with the North-East Championships at Gateshead on Saturday and Sunday.
Always one of the highlights of the track season, the North-Easterns give the speed merchants the opportunity to cast off their heavy winter training shoes, pull on their featherweight spikes and do battle on the famous Gateshead oval, scene of many a wonderful battle over the years, ever since Brendan Foster celebrated its opening in 1974 with a world record for 3,000m.
From 10.00 in the morning until 5.00 in the afternoon each day athletes will run, jump, hurdle and throw in pursuit of a highly coveted north-eastern medal. Some have high hopes of success, others will strive merely to improve their personal best or finish as high as they can in their age group, but no matter what all will give everything in what promises to be some fierce competition.
Andy Abbot’s sprint group, John Archer and Michael Hill’s middle-distance groups and Richie Tough’s distance boys will all harbour ambitions of taking home medals on the track and in the field.
On Saturday, former U-17 and U-15 girls 100m champion Hollie Lancaster is entered in the U-20 200 before taking on the 100m on Sunday, Eve Quinn and Jess Fox will test their speed over two laps, whilst Connor Prior, Mark Smith, Jack Tallentire and Liam Roarty contest the 1500m in their respective age groups.
In the field, Anna Harris will have high hopes of a medal in the women’s Long Jump.
Sunday sees several of the middle-distance runners doubling up and in the 1500m, Eve Quinn and Jess Fox will be gunning for medals, whilst amongst the men Ben Craig joins Mark Smith in the U-20 800 and both will be hoping to break the top three, although they may have the outstanding Markhim Londsdale of Crook to contend with. Recent training shows Sean Mackie is capable of getting near his 800m personal best of 2:04.5 which could put him in contention for a place on the podium.
Nathan Reed, Andy Powell and Steve McMahon are entered in a competitive men’s 5000m and none should feel overawed. In the absence of an outright favourite, all three could be in contention come the bell, after which anything can happen.