This article includes the March Street 5K results and series results, indoor track news from America, Gwent League round-up, Harriers representing Avon and Somerset in the Inter Counties XC Championships, Bath Half results and a new Meet the Harrier interview.
Elise Thorner racing indoor track in Boston
March Street 5K
It was the final race in the 2023/24 Street 5K Series on Wednesday 13th March. 71 runners completed the course. The junior Harriers were first home with Tom Webb winning the race and Sophie Nicholls being the first female finisher.
William McAslan and Aneri Tanna were the 1K winners and Oskar Beck and Elspeth Perkins were first home in the 2K.
Age Category Series Winners
Junior Series Winners
We will be back in October for the 2024/25 series. Make sure you put the dates into your diaries.
Race 1: October 9th 2024
Race 2: November 13th 2024
Race 3: December 11th 2024
Race 4: January 8th 2025
Race 5: February 12th 2025
Race 6: March 12th 2025
In the meantime why not enter the Summer Series held in Yeovilton organised by Yeovil Town Road Running Club? Details can be found here.
NCAA National Indoor Track & Field Championships
Report from Alan Thorner
"Wells City Harrier and GB International, Elise Thorner competed in her first NCAA National Indoor Track & Field Championships at Boston, Massachusetts for the University of Florida on Friday 8th March 2024. The 22 year old ran the opening leg of 1200m of the women's Distance Medley Relay, a four leg relay comprising of 1200m, 400m, 800m and 1600m. The team narrowly qualified in the final spot for these championships by 1/100th of a second in front of Harvard University to make up the 12 teams competing at the prestigious NCAA championships widely regarded as a world class athletics competition. Elise ran her second fastest time ever for 1200m in 3 mins 20 seconds handing over level with the 2nd place team in 3rd place overall, a position that was maintained by the team until the finish tape. This was Elise's 5th sporting All American award only issued to athletes who finish in the top 8 of a national collegiate competition"
Gwent League Pont-y-Pwl
On Saturday 2nd March saw the final cross country fixture in the John H Collins Gwent League at Parc Pont-y-Pwl. There was plenty of mud to contend with, on top of the infamous hill which saw the senior men ascend and descend three times. Oskar Beck made it 4 out of 5 wins in the series and Christian Green had a solid run in the men’s senior race with his highest ever finish in a Gwent League fixture. Alex Coombs and Matt Lusby also made the top 10. Sophie Nicholls came second which was enough to secure the U20 series win and the V55 men also won the fixture at Pont-y-Pwl. More photos from the day can be found on our Instagram page.
Adam Sutton pushing hard to the end
Wells City Harriers Results (Full results click here)
Senior Women:
59th - Lousia Saunders 32:21
Senior Men:
2nd - Christian Green - 35:49 (1st V35)
7th - Alexander Coombs - 37:00
9th - Matt Lusby - 37:38 (4th V35)
67th - Henry Sage - 42:41
82nd - Adam Sutton - 44:40
108th - Dan Williams - 46:26 (26th V45)
112th - Nick Stevens - 46:44 (7th V55)
115th - Tim Hindle - 47:03 (8th V55)
116th - Laurence Badman - 47:13 (16th U23)
117th - Jonathan Williams - 47:18 (33rd V45)
145th - Stephen Nicholls - 49:18 (14th V55)
147th - Steve Masters - 49:21 (15th V55)
148th - Stuart Nash - 49:22 (97th V35)
169th - Graham Goldsmid - 51:48 (20th V55)
236th - Mark Pople - 64:27 (41st V55)
U11 Boys
48th - Alfie Beck - 7:51
56th - Milo Cook - 8:05
U13 Boys
1st - Oskar Beck - 13:11
U20 Women
2nd - Sophie Nicholls - 20:46
10th - Amelie Cook - 24:13 (4th U17)
The results for the whole series are below. Oskar Beck and Sophie Nicholls both won their age category. The V55 men were first in the V55 division and congratulations to Christian Green who came 3rd in the V35 category and Stephen Nicholls who came 3rd in the V55 category. The senior men finished 5th in their first season since returning to Division 1.
Series Results:
Novice Boys: 23rd
U13 Boys: 12th
Oskar Beck 1st
U17 Boys: 12th
U23 Men: 22nd
Senior Men: 5th (Division 1)
Christian Green: 5th
Adam Gibson: 26th
Alexander Coombs: 34th
Matt Lusby: 38th
Laurence Badman: 103rd
Stephen Nicholls: 120th
Stuart Nash: 154th
V35 Men: 7th
Christian Green: 3rd
Matt Lusby: 22nd
Stuart Nash: 72nd
V45 Men: 7th
V55 Men: 1st
Stephen Nicholls: 3rd
Andrew Deamer: 12th
Graham Goldsmid: 18th
Tim Hindle: 23rd
U17 Women
Amelie Cook: 4th
U20 Women
Sophie Nicholls: 1st
UK CAU Inter Counties Cross Country Championships
On Saturday 9th March, seven Harriers were representing Avon and Somerset in the UK CAU Inter Counties Cross Country Championships at Wollaton Park, Nottingham. The conditions were good on a dry course with a very competitive field of athletes representing their counties from across the UK.
Alexander Coombs, Luke Prior and Matt Lusby with Jack Millar and David Awde of Bristol & West
Harrier Results
Senior Men
72nd Luke Prior - 29:00
168th Matt Lusby - 30:46
184th Alexander Coombs - 31:06
U17 Men
12th Tom Webb - 18:05
U13 Boys
23rd Oskar Beck - 11:08
U20 Women
23rd Sophie Nicholls - 21:05
30th Hannah Blundy - 21:37
Bath Half
Sunday 17th March saw ten Harriers hit the streets of Bath following a two lap course, starting and finishing at the famous Royal Crescent. Graham Goldsmid had a standout run, finishing 2nd in his age category with Nick Stevens finishing not far behind in 4th. Phoebe Aspinall finished 2nd U20 in a PB run. There were also PBs from Melissa Aspinall and Jonathan Williams.
Harrier results:
207th David Hirst - 1:21:13 (18th M45)
311th Jeremy Linter - 1:23:48 (37th M40)
456th Graham Goldsmid - 1:28:01 (2nd M60)
557th Jonathan Williams - 1:29:29 (45th M45)
582nd Nick Stevens - 1:30:01 (4th M60)
611th Phoebe Aspinall - 1:30:42 (2nd FU20)
1306th Tim Sanders - 1:42:12 (24th M55)
1805th Melissa Aspinall - 1:49:40 (17th F45)
5404th Natalie Winstone - 1:51:16 (159th F35)
5437th Mike Ommanney - 2:30:57 (406th M40)
Full results can be found here.
David Hirst, Jonathan Williams, Nick Stevens and Graham Goldsmid with their finishers medals.
Meet the Harrier
Our next edition of Meet the Harriers features treasurer and Couch to 5K run leader Sharon Bowles. Click here to read.
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