What a weekend for Wallsend Harriers!
Whilst teams of three gave it their all over a two-mile leg of muddy terrain at Durham Relays, a merry band of Green and Golds took on the infamously fast (but cold) Brass Monkey half marathon in York. And what triumphs they bestowed.
The decs are down, the scales slightly heavier, what better way to start the year as you mean to go on…with a good old fashioned, mud infested, obstacle strewn x-country.
Herrington had all you could ask for – mud in bucket loads, streams to leap across, hills a plenty, branches to duck…
I loved it! It was really muddy. It was really hilly and a bit chilly, but there was a great atmosphere. If you haven’t done a x-country with the club yet you really must. I haven’t donned my spikes for years and I think even then I only wore them once. My babies have always come during the winter so I’ve had a good excuse. The last time I was at Ackley Heads I was weeks away from having baby number two and feigned sympathy with all the runners as they grumbled about the “massive hill” at the end and the generally tough course. Now it was time to face the music…
It’s not the first time I’ve woken up on a very cold, frosty morning ahead of a big race and thought “why am I doing this?” Sometimes I wonder why I didn’t pick an indoor hobby that would not cause me pain and mean I’d stay warm. But Brampton to Carlisle is one of those races that reminds me why I love running and why I love running with Wallsend Harriers.
I imagine that most Wallsend Harriers have raced this event at some point in time but for anyone that hasn’t it was described as a fast flat course, which it was. Basically it is two laps of Newcastle Parkrun with a couple of hairpin bends thrown in for good measure.
The very first Heaton Memorial Road Race took park in 1920 to remember those who died in the Great War. Heaton, in common with many other North East clubs lost many of their young men in the conflict between 1914 -18. Out of the 120 Heaton members registered at the time – 100 served in the forces – 12 never to return.