Catching-up with Richmond and Zetland Harriers results is as difficult as catching the athletes!

Saturday January 10, having placed sixth in the Yorkshire X-C Championships the previous weekend and been selected for the Inter-Counties at Wollaton Park, Nottingham, Andrea Woodvine competed for Nottingham University in the North Midlands X-C League at the same venue and, although the course for the Inter-Counties may change, she still has the advantage of home ground. On the day, Andrea was always in-the-hunt and finished fourth in a time of 21:45, just 31 seconds behind the winner.

Sarah Gregory had a good day out on Sunday, January 25 when she chose to test her London Marathon preparations with a run-out in the Brass Monkey Half Marathon at York and managed to knock over four minutes off her best. Sarah said: "Although this was a PB, I feel I could have gone faster...I ran my first mile in 7:15 and was holding back, thinking this was too fast to start, but I felt good all the way round and wished I'd kept going at that pace...the finishing time on my watch was 1:37:37 but the time they gave me in the results was 1:37:59 as it took me 22 seconds to cross the start line from the gun going off...a flick through the results shows me finishing 19th Senior Lady, in 285th place overall and over an hour ahead of the 851st and last finisher...whatever, I was totally pleased - with my preparation, my performance, my race and my time."

The trials for the North Yorkshire SportsHall Athletics team took place on Sunday, February 1 at Millthorpe School, York - three Harriers took part and all did-the-business. SportsHall Athletics is a very popular, regular and organized activity in other parts of the Country. Competition is for Under-13 and Under-15 Boys and Girls (usually School Years 7/8 and 9/10); older athletes were welcomed but were not eligible for team selection. The events included two lap, four lap and six lap runs, standing long jump and standing triple jump, high jump and vertical jump, shot putt and speed bounce. One lap was two lengths of the School Hall and reversaboards helped athletes turn at the end walls. There were also a variety of relays. Marcus Clarke competed in five of the six events contested in the Under-15 Boys section, only choosing to omit the vertical jump - 2nd 2 laps 22.8, 1st 4 laps 49.7, 2nd standing long jump 2m48, 2nd standing triple jump 6m48 & 1st speed bounce with 64. Sophie Broadway is something of a veteran at these events having competed twice last year; she competed in three out of the five events contested in the Under-15 Girls section and won them all - 1st 2 laps 23.1, 1st vertical jump 53 & 1st standing long jump 2m06. Leanne Shaw was the third Harrier and chose to compete in four events in the Under 13 Girls section - 3rd 2 laps 24.0, 4th standing long jump 2m00, 1st standing triple jump 5m70 & 6th vertical jump 38. All three athletes have been included in the team to compete in the next round - the North-East SportsHall Athletics Competition at Thornaby Pavilion, Teesside on Sunday, February 22.

This weekend there is only one event on the Winter Fixtures List; Sunday 15th, NYSD League X-C #5 at Teesdale Comprehensive School, Barnard Castle from 1pm. Being local, there should be a good turnout of runners in all seven races and this could give the Club a fighting chance of regaining the Aggregate Trophy.

* www.rzh.org.uk