Lambton Estate gears up for Harrier League debut

This was due to be the third league promotion of the season, but is now the second, after the Druridge Bay Country Park fixture was postponed due to flooding in the car park.

Sunderland Harriers’ Senior Men’s team got off to a good start in their league campaign when finishing third in the First Division at the opening fixture at Wrekenton.

Team Manager Jimmy Johnson said: “We are involved in the title chase and we have got to keep the momentum going in the remaining fixtures.

“Lambton is virtually our home course so I’m expecting a good show and turnout from our runners.”

The royal blue vests will be expecting club captain Nathan Reed to lead the way in the handicap race, running from the slow pack.

This will be Reed’s first Harrier League race since 2016 when he gained promotion from the slow pack to the fast pack by his performances at Peterlee, Alnwick and Wrekenton.

He has now been demoted to the slow pack as he has not competed in the league for three years.

Joining Reed in the slow pack are Aidan Crowe, Michael Laws and Chris Cantle, while the medium pack runners are Sam Thirlbeck and Michael Thompson.

Fast pack runners include Michael Barker, Craig Gunn and Steve Rankin, who will be giving Reed and the slow pack a five minutes start.

Entry to the Lambton Estate will be just off the A1M/A183 road junction near Picktree.

This is situated 300m along on the A183 from the A1M junction and is a left turn into the estate, through a large arch. This is the only entry point into the estate.

After the event, cars will be required to drive through the estate and will exit at Bournmoor onto the A183. There is road works there and temporary traffic lights are in use.

Lambton Park timetable: 12.00 Under-11 Boys, 12.05 Under-11 Girls, 12.15 Under-17 Men, 12.20 Under-17 and Under-20 Women, 12.35 Under-15 Boys, 12.40 Under-15 Girls, 12.50 Under-13 Boys, 12:55 Under-13 Girls, 13.05 Senior & Veteran Women, 13:50 Senior and Veteran Men.

Sunderland Harriers have been moved up to eighth from ninth following the disqualification of second placed Hallamshire in the Northern Athletics Cross Country Relay Championships at Sheffield.

Sunderland Stroller Alyson Dixon heads to the Leeds Abbey Dash 10km on Sunday after picking up an England Athletics bronze medal in the Great South Run in Portsmouth on Sunday.

The double Olympian and world record holder for 50km, finished fifth in 56.27. Her best time stands at 55.01 from the Brampton to Carlisle 10m in 2018.

The winner of the race was Elish McColgan, who broke her mother’s, Liz, course record of 52.00, with her glittering winning performance of 51.36.

Richmond’s and Zetland’s Marc Scott won the race in 46.57.

Sunderland Harrier Over-40 Kevin Jeffress finished 11th in the Yorkshire 10m road race in 56.22. Clubmate Darren Dodd recorded 3.16.01 in the marathon.

Sunderland Strollers were out in force in the Yorkshire Marathon in York and they were steered home by John Halligan, who recorded 3.07.09.

Then came Over-45 Neil Proctor 3.13.36, Over-45 Stephen Armstrong 3.29.40 and Martin Wheller 3.41.38.

The women were headed by Over-35 Danielle Hodgson 4.02.03 and Over-45 Clair Smith 4.04.27. Houghton Harriers’ Over-40 Marguerite Harvey recorded a time of 3.36.19

Sunderland Harrier PauI Reineck finished fifth in the Hamsterley Forest 10km in 46.12.

The race winner was Lee Thompson of Crook (40.58).

*Sunderland Harriers club committee on Monday finally adopted the date of 1884 as the date of their formation after the Sunderland Echo archives revealed the evidence needed to rubber stamp the decision.

This places the Harriers as the oldest club in the North East.