With the YDL meeting at Tipton cancelled on Sunday there was very little to report so I’ve deliberately held this one over to include the Seniors League fixture at Tamworth.
There was some track action in the England Masters AA Inter Area Track & Field meeting at Yate near Bristol where a trio of our athletes were called up to represent the Midlands area against the Eastern, Northern, Scottish, South West, Southern Counties, Wales Masters Teams and a team from Veterans Athletics Club based in the London area. With some very challenging entry standards the racing was of a high calibre and all our athletes pulling on the Midlands Masters vest performed with credit. Sabrina Thomas was 4th in the F35 1500m in 5.29.06, Lucie Tait-Harris was 2nd in the F50 clocking a season’s best 5.17.12, Lucie then claimed a win to bag maximum points in the F50 800m in 2.36.89, with Sabrina claiming another 4th place finish in a race she was dreading, the F35 3000m in 12.14.22. Meanwhile Greg Asbury was multi eventing with a 3rdplace in the triple jump, recording a distance of 9.19 metres, a 3rd place in the M50 400m with a season’s best of 57.16, and assisting in the 4 x 100m by leading off the team taking the first leg and placing 2nd in a total time of 51.00.
There was some midweek action on the tarmac as Tipton Harriers hosted the third, and final race of their Black Country Run Series, the venue for the finale being Dudley Zoo for a 2 lap 5k. With the start on top of the hill outside the castle this was a classic case of what goes down will have to come back up again so the steep downhill start to each lap was only followed by a steep uphill finish but the turn into the castle gate and cross the line in the castle courtyard was certainly a novelty. Paul Rogers, who won a similar race at the same venue 30 years ago was first back for the club in 40th place in 20.19, claiming the 1st M60 prize on the night and also in the series itself, Dave Norman was 67th and 2nd M55 in 22.06, Chris Staien placed 81st in 22.55, Katie Staien was 95th in 23.45, Pete Campbell placed 147th in 26.53 and Amara Gill was 176th in 28.13.
There was some weekend road action at the Burton 10k where Jonny Morris claimed a win. Despite some digging there are no results as yet, I could tell you what happened in every year including 2025, but nothing for 2026 yet. More will follow.
And in the Solihull Half Marathon, Lee Wright, finished in 1.43.49 in 278th place.
Back on the track a depleted seniors squad travelled to Tamworth for a league fixture in Division 3 North East, with many having to double up and some of the older guard being called upon to fill gaps and do things that they had no previous experience at the club did phenomenally well to finish 5th on the day. Chyloh McKenzie won the 100mA in 10.80, with Joshua Tchoua winning the 100mB in 11.40, Tyron Prescad also ran in a B race coming 6th fastest in 11.80. Chyloh was 3rd in the 200mA in 23.10, Joshua won the B race in 23.2, with James Crust 2nd in 23.6. Joshua continued his string of 2nd places in the 400mA finishing in 53.50, with Connor Blincoe winning the B race in 55.60. Tom Pryor won the 800mA, leading from the gun and stopping the clock in 2.04.5, Dave Norman was 4th in the B race clocking 2.51.20, a second off his PB. Over 1500m there was a 6th place for Charlie Tait-Harris in 4.44.80, Danny Malone placed 3rd in the B race in 4.56.30, Dave Norman ran as a guest, shaving a second off his PB with 5.41.9. The club placed 3rd in the 4 x 100m with 46.6 and 3rdin the 4 x 400m in 3.41.4. In the long jump Nacardo Lewis placed 3rd with a leap pf 5.52 metres, Theo Ricketts was 2nd in the B competition with 5.35 and Theo Nicholls was 3rd with 5.28. Nacardo won the triple jump with 13.25, with Theo Ricketts claiming the win in the B event with 10.29.
Kayliah Henry was 5th in the ladies 100mA with 13.6, Sabrina Thomas had a blast over 100m in the B race clocking 17.5. Louies Webster was 4th in the 400mA in 1.16.3, with Sabrina Thomas finishing in the same time taking 3rd in the B race. Lucie Tait-Harris was 4th in the 800mA in 2.37.0, with Sabrina running 2.46.1 to take 5th in the B race. Megan White, despite a couple of weeks of illness, won the 1500mA in a comfortable 5.20.2 after allowing a couple of Royal Sutton Coldfield athletes to take the lead in the first couple of laps before moving ahead and winning with a fair bit in hand. Lucie Tait-Harris was 4th in the B race in 5.40.1. Kayliah was 3rd in the long jump with 4.43. In the throws Louise Webster was 3rd in the shot with 8.88, 7th in the discus with 15.66, was 3rd in the javelin with 23.76, and won the hammer with an impressive 39.75. Georgina Neilson won the B hammer with a throw of 34.54, a throw that would have placed her 2nd in the A competition and placed 4th in the javelin with a throw of 17.44 metres. Running as guests over 100 metres Kofi Ocran clocked 12.3, Roshane Gordon ran 11.9, Theo Nicholls 12.2, Tom Hughes 13.2, Harrison Ash 13.6 and Tom Machin 19.8. Over 200m Tyrone Prescad ran 24.3, Kofi Ocran 24.8 and Theo Nicholls 24.9.
There was a pre European Championships meeting at Alexander Stadium in the Birchfield Closed Invitational meeting but again, almost a week later, we have no results. I’ll keep an eye open.
Finally spare a thought to Noel McKakly and Fiona Hancock who have been involved in an official role at the European Championships, it’s superb that we have representatives from the club involved in such a prestigious event. Congratulations to them both.
Dave Norman
