More than 100 runners took part in the popular event around the Watergate Forest Park in Lobley Hill, Gateshead, organised by Low Fell Harriers and the testing course still produced some top performances.
A group of 7 quickly broke away before Morris took the lead at about half a mile and gradually started to turn the screw and pulled away. Only Wallsend's Chris Smith was able to mount a challenge but the experience of Morris, who started his career as a 12 year old at North Shileds Poly, enabled him to come home to a comfortable victory.
Morris' winning time was 16.15 and he explained after the race "it would have been nice to get a sub 16 clocking before the Great North Run but it was quite a tough course with some tight turns so I've go to be happy with it".
In the ladies event Wallsend's Danielle Hodgkinson cruised to an easy victory, placing 5th overall in a time of 17.15, just 2 seconds off her 2010 PB and 13 faster than when she won this year's North East 5k title. Hodgkinson admitted after the race that the benefits of altitude training played a massive part in her fast time after spending 2 weeks training in Font Romeu in France with the British Army athletics team.
The race also incorporated the North East Vets (VAANEE) 5k Championships with Sunderland's V50 Paul Merrison taking the title and Tynedale's Joanne Lee taking the ladies.
A very organised, well marshalled and friendly event. Results were produced within a hour of the finish and the free buffet went down a treat with runners, spectators and officials alike!
Full results are yet to be published but leading results are below. We also have a short video clip of the leading runners and some photographs from the night.
Leading results:
1. Michael Morris (Morpeth) - 16.15 2. Chris Smith (Wallsend) - 16.26 3. Steve Rankins (Sunderland Strollers) - 16.57 4. Patrick Duffy (Heaton) - 17.04 5. Danielle Hodgkinson (Wallsend) - 17.15 F 6. Thomas Foley (Heaton) - 17.24 7. Richard Scott (Blackhill Bounders) - 17.29 8. Paul Merrison (Sunderland) - 17.31 V50 9. Elliot Kelly (Morpeth) - 17.32 U17 10. Steven Graham (Sunderland) - 17.38 11. Balaz Jomoggi - 17.55 12. Alan Hodgson (Sunderland) - 17.56 V40 13. Chris Waugh (Morpeth) - 17.58 V50 14. Steven McMahon (Sunderland Strollers) - 18.01 15. Peter Hearn (Tynedale) - 18.05 V45 16. Tim Alsop (Sunderland Strollers) - 18.08 V40 17. Kevin Blyth (Sunderland Strollers) - 18.11 V50 18. George Rudman (Blaydon) - 18.33 U17 19. Maurice Woodwood - 18.34 V55 20. Jordan Bell (Blackhill Bounders) - 18.37 U17 | 21. Carl Watson (Low Fell) - 18.39 V40 22. Craig Proudlock (Gateshead) - 18.51 23. Kevin Lister (NE Vets) - 18.52 V40 24. Paul Hutchinson (Tynedale) - 19.00 25. Paul Tate (Gateshead) - 19.04 26. Kevin Sorlie (Derwentside) - 19.12 27. Joanne Lee (Tynedale) - 19.16 F35 28. Geoff Hewitson (Crook) - 17.37 V50 29. Peter Richardson (Sunderland) - 19.38 V60 30. Alison Brown (Morpeth) - 19.40 U17 31. Mark Reynolds (Tyne Bridge) - 19.47 32. Peter Summerbell (Low Fell) - 20.02 V45 33. Paula Foley (Gateshead) - 20.03 F 34. Ellen Tullo (Heaton) - 20.09 F 35. John Watson (Sunderland) - 20.11 V55 36. Michael Brabam (Low Fell) - 20.14 37. Harry Matthews (Elswick) - 20.16 V60 38. Gary Pemberton (NE Vets) - 20.20 V55 39. David Reay (Derwentside) - 20.23 V40 40. David Coulson (Birtley) - 20.27 V45 |