Geoff Hewitson Tag

10
0

by Geoff Hewitson Last Monday’s fourth NEMAA Track & Field League meeting of the 2024 season turned out to be a particularly successful one, on both a whole club and individual level. The Men’s team racked up a season’s best 126 points (probably our highest total on a single night for quite a while) to move up to 3rd in the League, albeit with just a 2 point advantage over North Shields Poly. Meanwhile our 6 ladies collectively scored 63 points

10
0

by Geoff Hewitson The third NEMAA Track & Field League meeting of the 2024 season took place last Monday evening at the usual venue of Monkton Stadium in Jarrow. The overall turnout from the club was 14 (9 in the mens team and 5 in the ladies). Most of these were the “usual suspects” but there was also a welcome return to NEMAA competition for Sharron Trevor, who reckoned it was about 15 years since her last appearance at the Track

115
0

by Geoff Hewitson Last Wednesday evening (1st May) the ‘team relay season’ was in full swing, with the ever popular Neptune Relays at Sedgefield clashing with the NEMAA (North East Masters Athletic Association) Road Relay Championships. Whilst our club had a massive presence at Sedgefield, it was just the one MV65+ team of Mark Standbridge, Andy Turnell and myself who made the trip to Jarrow to fly the flag for Crook AC. Our event took place in its usual home of Bedewell

123
0

by Geoff Hewitson A reasonable turnout of 9 Crookites were present for this annual event, much healthier than in 2023 when I was the sole club representative, and 2022 when I think it was just Stan and myself. A less than encouraging weather forecast (to put it mildly) for Sunday morning unfortunately proved to be spot on, and we were greeted on arrival with lashing rain and what felt like a freezing cold Northerly wind. As we took refuge inside the

127
0

by Brad Wight Another cracking club day out despite the downpour which managed to soak everything inside our once waterproof tent… The U11 lads were off first with Joe Hall Junior completing the 1km race in 5:20, he looked so determined on the long downhill finish, teeth gritted just like his dad at a NEMAA sprint! The U11 girls were next up, Eleanor Shaw and my youngest daughter Adelaide making their XC debut alongside Meadow Winham. All three slogged up the hill then

129
0

by Brad Wight What an unbelievable turnout for Crook! 66 runners across 14 teams with all age categories represented. More runners than any other club! The organisers weren’t joking when they responded to our entry submission with “I’m beginning to worry I haven’t ordered enough numbers.” Alistair Hart had to run with a hand drawn number and I noticed a few XC numbers being re-cycled too! The first race of the day saw the Women, Veteran Women (over 35) and V50 men

148
0

by Geoff Hewitson This annual event, held on Newcastle Town Moor, is essentially a jamboree of 4 events in one – a half marathon, 10k, individual 5k, and 5k couples relay. Clare Weir and myself had decided some time ago to fully embrace the “Valentines” theme by entering the relay event, which I think was the third time we’ve done it. Clare had pencilled it in as her first serious target following her knee surgery back in the early Autumn. In

134
0

by Geoff Hewitson “There is a course in Old Wallsend They call the Rising Sun And it's been the ruin of many a runner And God, I know, I’m one!” Well OK, so it’s not quite the opening lines to the early 60’s classic “House of the Rising Sun” by the Animals, but if lead singer Eric Burden (and/or the rest of the band) had experienced Saturday’s event, he may well have been tempted to change the lyrics! The link to the song (other than the

129
0

by Geoff Hewitson This annual event was traditionally held on a January Sunday morning in Durham for many years, when it was known as the Cathedral Relays. Towards the end of 2018 the long-standing host club (Durham City Harriers) pulled out of organising the event at which point Birtley AC stepped in to take it over, and moved the venue to the Lord Lawson of Beamish Academy in Birtley. It was held here for the first time in January 2019. The

135
0

by Geoff Hewitson Described on the race entry form as “A beautifully scenic, always inspirational, often challenging, approximately 5 mile handicap race along the sands between Blyth Harbour and Seaton Sluice Harbour” (wouldn’t disagree with any of that) 2023 was the 63rd running of what is one of the region's oldest races. Despite lots of expressions of interest, ultimately there were only three Crookites in this year’s race - myself and “Sands Race debutants” Lisa Donaldson and Phil Healey. The start time