How do I?…
- I have a question or want to tell you something
- I want to sign up for an event
- I want to attend a training session
- I want to purchase kit
- I want to claim a club record
- I want to read about our clubs history
- I want to tell our members about our business or see what business they support
- I want to see what discounts are available to me
- I want to read our clubs processes or policies
Club Championship rules and competitions can be found here and points will be populated here
Our club was formed in 1891, but how did the club become Darlington Harriers? Who were the people that founded the club? Read about some of the great athletes that have graced our club, Olympians George Butterfield, Robert Hawkey and Joy Grieveson. Read about Fred Wyers who competed in the 1958 Commonwealth Games and other notable athletes such as Bob Stockdale, William Wylie, Ian Barnes, Paul Harker, Lewis Moses, Kieran Maxwell who have graced our club over the years and let’s not forget all the current members. The club is steeped in the town’s history from basic beginnings to current day and these pages will be updated daily as I trawl through the British Newspaper Archives.
Get Involved
We want to see the club colours at all of our events, especially team events such as relays, National, Northern or North-Eastern where we can get together as a group, support each other and make these events a social occasion. So let me introduce you to our Senior Club Captains.
In addition to athletes, we are always looking for volunteers to support club and local events so please reach out to Sarah Johnson as your first point of contact if you can support in any way shape or form. Thank you! #UTH
Track Development – Feeling Blue?
You will have seen that our Track will be unavailable to train on as it undergoes a full refurbishment from March 13th. Work has actually already started with the lighting in and around the athletics track. We expect the work to be completed by end of June after an issue has delayed the rebuild which is out of the clubs and council’s control.
Race Result
On the 9th June (Friday) we had a small number of Harriers at the Blaydon Races which is a fast 5.8 (approx) race from Newcastle City Centre to Blaydon Town. The race is now in it’s 41st year and has grown from 250 entries in 1981 but over recent years the course has changed slightly with a different starting point on the quayside.
Some great performances from our Senior Harriers with Gareth Kyle leading the group home in 33:30. Karl Hume surprisingly was next in 37:21 ahead of Barry and Louise Talman who were celebrating the formers birthday so warmed up for the run with a beer and ice cream…standard! Steven Wilkinson who has been running this race since 1997 was next home in 38:36 ahead of Jared Holdcroft in 45:37 and Andrew Glencross 49:45. Great work by you all. Photos below all but Jared, Andrew and Emma (please tag me in a photo if you find one!)
Full results for the race can be found here
With temperatures increasing throughout the week, the weekends races were always going to be challenging for our competitors. No more so than for our marathon runners who completed the Swaledale marathon (ironically not 26.2miles but with lots of hills (over 3500ft’s worth to contend with off road over the 24mile course).
Official results have yet to be released but Mark Milner who clearly was using this as a cool down event after his 110m race last weekend finished in 4hrs 59, Val Clarke finished 1st VF60 with Rob Stewart in 6hrs 40. In that heat….incredible achievements. Gutted not to have been able to run and give my number to Mark………
Also running on the day was Robin and Rose Rutherford’s children (well 3 of them anyway)and former Darlington Harrier’s Jamie Rutherford (3rd male) Susie Stephen (2nd lady in 4:00.54 )and Simon Rutherford (9th). Photos courtesy of Robin.
Sunday morning we had a small number of athletes at Redcars 5mile race which is the old Victorian 10km event minus the first 1.2m from the back of the Mermaid public house. Like all of the Redcar events, this is flat and fast (or in theory it should be fast), starting towards New Marske and heading into Redcar before making two loops around the 5km circuit and returning back towards where the start was.
It was a warm event even at 10am with surprisingly a head wind as runners returned around the top of the 5km circuit and the 2mile return runback to base. On the day Paul Cook was first home in 13th place in 31.11 with Barry and Louise Talman next home in 18th and 20th place, two days after their jaunt out at Blaydon Races. Pauline Brown finished 32nd in 35:09 giving her a superb 86.55% in the women’s age grading, surely a contender for this years road championship prizes. Ian Brown was next back in 39th in 36:07 while Sean Craggs using this as part of a longer run finished 56th in 38:23, one place and 17 seconds ahead of Stephen Gardner who edged Sharon Carbert out by 3 seconds into 58th. James Gardner finished his run in 47:51 for 78th place to complete the Harrier finishes. Prizes for Paul, Louise, Pauline and Sharon. Well done all. Unfortunately someone was unkind enough to send me my photo finish below….err thanks!
Another race to take place this weekend was the Half Marathon in Southend and is described as fast and flat and ideal for both experienced and new half marathon runners. On a hot day Brian finished the race in 2.17.52. Great work in tough conditions Brian. Full results can be found here
Don’t forget to check out how our Track & Field athletes got on, stories available via our club website front page.
Useful Info
