WITH the lockdown continuing for the foreseeable future, Richmond and Zetland Harriers are finding novel ways to keep themselves fit and competition-ready for when life does return to normal.

Dan Upton was at the top of his game and looking forward to the summer athletics fixtures with vim and vigour after an excellent winter programme. He was going from strength to strength when the season was curtailed. However, not to be kept from his beloved throws, he has set up a throws circle in his back garden and entered the Valhalla throws virtual competition with measurements and adjudication by Mrs Upton.

Dan put together a great string of six throws in the shot with his best of 12 metres 49 centimetres coming in the first round, with four of the set of six going over 12 metres, to take the virtual V40 win.

Elsewhere in the club, this week’s spotting of athletes out and about included James Wilkin running to his road end, with dad Alastair spotted on his tractor. Others include Ken Harker, Rob Scott and husband and wife team Ian and Vicki Christon.

Shona Fletcher has run around her garden 468 times (the groundsman wasn’t impressed with the damage to his turf, nor was the poor child recording the laps).

With the cross country league cancelled with two events not completed, the current cumulative results had many of Richmond’s athletes in the hunt for the top individual prizes. In the U11 boys Rhys Robinson was going well in eighth place and Archie Lawson in 20th. Ellie Rabjohn was in fifth place, but only three points spanned from second to fifth and Matilda Ellis was in 13th after only one counting race.

In the U13 boys Thomas Carter was in ninth and Ollie Middleton in 16th, and in the girls category, Olivia Jackson-Bowers was in seventh and Phoebe Haw in 18th. Tom O’Mahoney led the U15 boys category, with another Richmond athlete in second in the form of Josh Hammett, while Joe Reeve was just a bit further back in sixth. In the U15 girls Alana Teasdale was in seventh and Shannon Robinson in ninth. Charlie Stephenson leads the U17 men’s category with Alex Reeve in 11th. Jake Stephenson leads the U20 men, with Matthew Lambert in third position.

In the U20 ladies Rachel Smith sits comfortably in second place in the standings. In the senior ladies Jo Adams is in second place with Rebecca Smith in seventh. The senior men had Rob Scott in seventh, Scott Wardman in 12th and Reece Dalton in 14th. Leon Reeve was 13th, Julian Simpson in 14th and Steve Middleton in 16th in the V40 men. In the Vet 40 ladies Donna Riddler was seventh and Rebecca Simpson in eighth.

The V45 men had Ken Harker sitting at the top of the board with Tony Lambert in third, not far behind is Carl Jones in sixth and Paul Simpson in 19th. Nicola Simpson also sits at the top in the V45 ladies, with another Stephenson in third, this time mum Stephanie, Fiona Wilson in 11th, Kimberley Reeve in 12th and Elaine Watters in her debut season in 14th.

The Vet 50 men are also led by another Richmond athlete, this time Mark Forrest and Simon Withers in 22nd. Pauline Whittaker is third in her category the V50 ladies and Paul Bowman is in eighth in the V55 men category.