Morpeth Harrier Ewan Line claims gold as club wins gold, silver and bronze medals

Morpeth Harrier Lawrence McCourt recorded the fastest time of the day on Saturday. Picture: Stuart Whitman Photography

Saturday saw the third round of the North East Harrier League take place at Aykley Heads on the outskirts of County Durham, with the league bidding farewell to the course, which will no longer be available.

There was one outstanding individual gold medal for Harriers to go along with the two team wins, one team second and one third place.

The individual win came from Ewan Line in the U13 Boys race.

With supporting runs from Jack Dhawar, ninth, George Moll, 10th, and Daniel Vermaas, 25th, the team were comfortable winners.

The U13 Girls finished sixth.

Lucy Raper was 11th, Faye Heatley 14th and, in her first outing in a blue and white vest, Amberley Foster was 51st.

With three to count in the Junior races, Ben Moll flew the solitary flag for Morpeth in the U15s, coming home 27th, with Emma Tomlinson, 13th, and Megan Potrac, 24th, running well but also missing a final counter in the Girls race.

There was better news from the U17 Boys, with Oliver Tomlinson finishing 10th, Stephen Craske 22nd and Elliot Mavir 28th, the team finishing third.

Up and coming young triathlete Millie Breese had her first run for the club in a while with the second fastest U20 run of the day in the combined U17 and U20 race, with Caitlin Flanagan finishing 19th.

There were nearly 400 finishers in the day’s Women’s race, with Morpeth narrowly missing out on the team victory.

Catriona Macdonald led the charge, recording the day’s fastest overall time of 26:44.

Veteran Jane Hodgson, who had watched daughter Emily finish 14th in the U11 Girls, ran the day’s second fastest time of 27:02.

In only her second Harrier League fixture, Poppy Buck finished 15th.

The team count was finished by Shuna Rank, 53rd, whose daughter, Lizzie, finished in 76th, with Robyn Bennett, 69th.

There were over 550 finishers in the Senior Men’s race, with Morpeth dominating proceedings.

Peter Smallcombe was second overall, with Alex Cunningham fifth.

Lawrence McCourt recorded the day’s fastest time for the three laps, with club colleague Sam Hancox one second behind.

Connor Marshall, 24th, and Lee Cuthbertson, 27th, completed the count.

Alex Brown lost a shoe but still finished 31st, Ian Armstrong 34th and Rob Balmbra 45th.