After the structure of the winter season, with NE Harrier cross-country leagues, Northern and National champs, followed by the road race, the summer is a more fluid affair as the diaspora of Sunderland Harriers extends to individual target races throughout the region and beyond.
Over the Bank Holiday a squad of Royal Blues ventured north of the border for the Edinburgh Running Festival, some eyeing new PB’s over the half-marathon distance, others with their sights set on racing twice that far.
Matthew Jones only decided to switch from the half to the full marathon late the previous week and, following minimal tapering, was rewarded with another new personal best. Matt’s 2:26:54 in 6th place (and first Briton home) shaved 70 seconds off the mark he set in Seville in February.
In the half, the highlights were Andy Powell’s competitive showing in second place, and Jimmy Johnson’s three minutes-plus improvement in clocking 1:26:10, just reward for a disciplined, structured approach to preparation that was a master class in peaking.
More than 30 Harriers turned out on home soil in the club’s own promotion, the Penshaw Hill Races last Wednesday night, with Nathan Reed, happily restored to fitness following a niggling Achilles injury, ensuring the title remained on Wearside by retaining his title over a testing three miles. Four clubmates made the top ten, and in the women’s race Alice Smith warmed up nicely for the weekend’s Durham Coast Half-Marathon by finishing third, one place and 20 seconds up on Jessica Fox.
On Sunday, Alice produced a stellar performance on a challenging 13.1 mile course around the County Durham coastline to place 6th overall and comfortably win the women’s section in 1:33:48. Despite feeling slightly undercooked in mileage terms going into the race, Alice underlined her undoubted potential in coping incredibly well with the twists, turns, hills and steps that make this race just that little bit different. Alice now looks towards the Great North Run in September and it will be very interesting to see how she runs on a flat, fast course with plenty of runners around to drag her along.
The track season has been slow to get under way this year, possibly due to the lousy weather so far in 2016, but that hasn’t stopped two of the Harriers most promising middle-distance runners posting impressive 1500m times. Oliver James showed terrific early season form at university in the US, posting a 3:46.81 in California in April, whilst Birmingham University student Michael Wilson took a massive 7.16 off his previous best when stopping the clock at 3:47.71 in the BMC Grand Prix at Watford at the end of last month. Along with the likes of, amongst others, Mark Smith, Ben Craig, Jess Fox and Evie Compson, it appears there is a bright future for the Harriers on the track.
On the women's side, Anna Harris continues to pick up consistent podium places over 100m and Long Jump on the North-East Masters circuit.
Next up on the track is the Northern Championships in Manchester this weekend, along with, somewhat puzzlingly, the Durham Schools Champs at Monkton Stadium on the same day, whereas the road runners continue to have one eye on the Sunderland 5k in July following which sights will turn to the big autumn races, including the Great North Run.