Clive Cookson 10K: Results & Report

Ladies & Gentlemen.. Tyne Bridge Harriers have landed

Fantastic night! If they didn’t know us before, they sure do now!! Up the TBH’s

Sean Kelly posts this report

Tyne Bridge Cook Up A Storm!

It seems that we have new faces running in Tyne Bridge Harriers vests at every race! The local running community must be wondering who’ll be representing the club at the next event! Sparrow Morely and Daniel Birchall earned their first full cap for Tyne Bridge at Wednesday night’s Clive Cookson 10km race. Quite a battle between youth and experience it proved to be…

Warm and windy conditions were the order of the day at 7.15pm as the runners set of on a course that is a mix of very fast sections and steady climbs on gravel tracks. A difficult course to pace correctly. It’s easy to say this from a spectator’s point of view, but all of our runners seemed to set their pace to a near-perfect pitch. It probably felt a lot harder racing the course.

As the runners completed their first of two laps, it was Dave Moir (star of the recent ‘Barefoot on the Beach’) who led the charge, closely followed by Tarahumara devotee, Louis Goffe, who was looking surprisingly fresh. New kid on the block, Sparrow, was revelling in the conditions and was hard on Louis’ heels. Right behind was David Appleby, who, like Mr Moir was using this race as a warm-up for the marathon in twelve days time. The battle was on between these four and less than 40 seconds separated the four of them.

David Daniels passed next, using his unrivaled pace judgment to assist our training companion, Emily Collinge who was aiming for a sub-40 minute finish. At that stage it looked good.

Daniel Birchall came flying past, well on course for a massive PB performance. The question was, had he set off too fast? We’d soon find out…

David Rowe and Rob Kirtley were next to pass our group of supporters and they were locked in a friendly battle. Over the past few months, David has been recording PB s as often as the Lib Dems have broken election promises (well almost as many). Rob is really beginning to hit form again after picking up some battle scars in the London Marathon a few weeks ago.

Graham King seemed to be high up in his age category as he moved steadily through the field, picking off runners who had set off too enthusiastically on this warm evening. He was benefiting from changing into a vest, just before the start, that actually fitted him (actually, it’s Kenny’s vest and he would like it back for his race on Sunday!)

Emma Moir, as classy as ever, floated past and seemed to be enjoying her running as she, too, was showing her experience by pacing her running just right. She was moving through the field and looking good for the second half of the race.

We could spot the runners flying down Rake Lane. The fastest part of the course is the final 2km and our lads came thick and fast towards the finish! There had been some movement in positions, Louis Goffe had pushed on in the headwind at the back section of the course and had built a lead over the other Harriers. He sprinted past and finished in a new PB of 36:14 in 10th position. We then saw a trio of Harriers in a line, David Moir, Sparrow Morely and David Appleby crossed the finish line in that order in 13th, 14th and 15th position. The second best team on the night, just behind hosts, North Shields Poly.

Emily (honorary Tyne Bridge Harrier) battled through the wind and fatigue to record her time of 39:40, paced by the ever reliable DD.

A thrilled Daniel Birchall was next across the line. The look on his face told you that he had just recorded a new PB and by some considerable margin. Well done! The training is paying off.

Rob Kirtley finished very strongly and was just able to hold off the challenge of David Rowe. David, for once, did not record a PB. However, he consolidated the fine performances of recent months and is a dead-cert to nail a few more PBs before the end of the summer.

Graham King won 1st prize in the over 55s sections and looked to have given it everything as he turned the corner into the final section up to the finish to finish in 43:41.

Emma Moir, our only female representative of the evening, looked as cool as she had done on the first lap. Maybe training whilst pushing a double jogging buggy builds up so much strength that you feel totally unleashed when you are running free! She finished in a fantastic time of 46:49.

A wonderful performance from the body of Tyne Bridge Harriers this evening and another marker in the sand for the newest and fastest growing club in the North-East!

Full results can be found HERE