Harriers trio in Sale Open Indoor action

The first Sale Open Indoor meeting of the winter saw three of our Harriers in action on a quality day of athletics at Sportcity.

Tom Kramer produced a best shot putt of 7.62, up with his current best standard and ran an excellent 2nd in his 200m heat in 27.7.

Scott Greenwood made a long-awaited individual competitive debut in the tough U20 section and produced a good first effort of 27.3 in the 200. Scott gained further valuable track experience shortly after, finishing with a time of 1.37 in a competitive 600m heat.

Charlotte Bowker failed a pre-meet fitness test on a knee injury but switched to the U15 girls shot putt and, in her first ever competitive attempt at the discipline, produced a highly creditable best putt of 5m.44.

The next event of the series is on Sunday 21st December, start 11.00am. We'd like to see more of our under 15s and 17s joining Scott, Tom and Charlotte, so if you fancy a go and need more information about entry standards, prices, transport etc. see Ian at training.

More Great Performances at Sportshall Round 2

Another big team of 20 Harriers turned out at the 2nd round of the GM Sportshall League at Sportcity on Sunday. Our athletes built on the promise shown in round 1 with a host of fine performances across all the events, including the relays, where our four teams in the U11 and U13 age bands worked well together and delivered two 2nd and two 4ths.

Our rapidly developing team of U11 boys performed very well again in the heats and finals of the 1 and 3 lap races, whilst individual highlights this Sunday included a terrific vertical jump of 39 by Matty Clancy (U11 boys), which made him 2nd B athlete, a PB of 79 in the U13 girls speed bounce for Naomi Richardson, and s second successive win in the U13 girls 6 lap for Charlotte Bowker. Ella Clancy achieved a 3rd in the U13 girls shot with a putt of 6m33, while Tom Kramer finished 2nd in the U15 boys shot with a putt of 7m62.

Overall, another excellent afternoon's action. Well done to all our athletes and to the many parents who came along to give them such strong support; it really makes a difference!

Steve and Ian will have the full results for you to look at in about a week's time.

Juniors' Winter Fixture List Updated

The full winter fixture list for 2008/09 is now available in the links section on the right hand side of this page. Thanks to Ian Halliday for providing this information.

Super start to Sportshall season

Our biggest ever squad of 20 took part in the first round of the Greater Manchester Sportshall competition at Sportcity on Sunday, with over half making their competitive debut for the club. We were well represented across all the age groups and events and had teams in two of the relay categories for the first time for a number of years.



There were some highly promising performances from our debutants in all the age groups, whilst our seasoned Sportshall campaigners continued where they left off last season with some excellent efforts.



Highlights included 1 and 3 lap heat wins for Lewis Thirsk, Adam Boardman and Harry Wain, an impressive win for Charlotte Bowker in the 6 lap and very good first efforts at the relay by our teams in the U11 Boys and U13 Girls categories. A full list of performances and placings will be added shortly when we receive it from the organisers.



A big well done to all our athletes and their parents and friends who turned up to support them. We've set a good standard this time, let's go for it and achieve some even better results at the next round on 30th November. PLEASE NOTE THIS EVENT WILL START AT 12.00 NOON DUE TO MAN C v MAN U MATCH SO WE WILL NEED YOU TO BE THERE NO LATER THAN 11.15.

Junior XC Improvements

Improvements across the board for Rochdale Harriers junior cross country runners was the order of the day at Chesham Park in Bury, despite appalling weather conditions last week.

Charlotte Bowker recorded a creditable 18th position in the U13 girls, in a time of 12mins 14 secs, closely followed by Naomi Richardson (27th) in 12mins 37 secs, and Natasha Banjacs (28th) in 12mins 39 secs.

Leon Hollinrake followed up his debut in Blackburn with another gutsy run, to finish 33rd in the U13 boys, in 12mins 09secs.

Jack Walsh was the in form U15 boy recording a time of 15mins 50 secs to finish in 24th position, followed by Tom Kramer, who despite a fall in the treacherous conditions humg on to 26th position, recording a time of 17mins 21 secs.

Tim Richardson

Girls Show Determeination at XC

ROCHDALE HARRIERS' juniors turned out in force on Saturday for the first race of this seasons' Red Rose Cross Country League at Witton Country Park in Blackburn.

Despite the recent rain the track was in reasonable condition, apart from a couple of very muddy areas on the hill secion of the course.

From a strong field of 46 runners, Naomi Richardson (29th) led home Rochdales' U13 girls in 15mins 51, closely followed by Charlotte Bowker in her first appearance for the junior squad, and Natasha Banjac (35th) in 16mins 47.

The girls showed real grit and determination, each suffering from various problems during the race The u15 boys also performed well, with Thomas Kramer coming home in 22nd place in a time of 16mins 32, followed by Jack Walsh (24th) in a time of 16mins 33, and Jack Cassidy (28th), in 18mins 20

Juniors Rub Shoulders with Ron Hill

Rochdale's Juniors made the back page of the Manchester Evening news last Friday with athletics legend Dr Ron Hill.

Ron Hill set three world records in his time, at 10 mile, 15 mile and 25km distances. He also represented the UK at Olympic level several times and won gold at Comnwealth level.

Read more

Be part of our Sports hall team!

We're now moving into the winter programme and upcoming soon is the Greater Manchester Sportshall league. Harriers compete three times, in November December and January, at Sportcity, against teams from other clubs across Greater Manchester. Don't worry if you haven't done sportshall much before, we'll be training everyone in all the events over the next few weeks so you'll get plenty of practice before we compete.

Steve will be giving out details of how to joint the team, which costs just £4.50 for the three matches, at training this week. We had an improved turn out last year and looking to send our biggest-ever team this time, so let's see lots of you having a go, it's great fun!

Harriers make the grade at Blackpool

Three of our junior Harriers were in action again at Blackpool's September Open Meeting and produced some top class performances. Tom Kramer contiued his run of PBs by breaking the 14 sec barrier in the 100m for the first time, fnishing 5th in a time of 13.7. Charlotte Bowker built on her debut at Wakefield with a huge long jump of 3.96 (AAA Grade 3 standard) for 6th place, a time of 14.4 (Grade 3 standard) for 4th in her 100m and a very good time of 2.48 (Grade 4 standard) in windy conditions for 6th in the 800m. Naomi Richardson also produced a big PB in her long jump, adding almost 20cm with a distance of 3.79 (Grade 4 standard) for 9th place. This was followed by a win in her 100m heat in 14.9 (Grade 4 standard) and 5th place in her 800m in 2.58.

This was another excellent effort by our athletes, who are pictured above with their AAA Grading Certificates and badges.

Trio shine in the sun at Wakefield

Three of our athletes made the journey to Wakefield's September Open Medal meeting last Sunday and all produced excellent performances. It was a Harriers competitive debut for two of our recent recruits, Charlotte Bowker and Amelia Gavin, whilst Tom Kramer was making a return visit to a track where he PB'd in the long jump earlier in the year.

Charlotte won her heats of the 100 (14.6) and 800 (2.45), and recorded a very good 3.33 in the long jump. Amelia ran an excellent 2nd in her 600 (2.13) and produced a very good first effort of 2.68 in the long jump.

Tom's improvement continued with a tremendous hat trick of PBs in the 200, long jump and shot. In the 200 he finished a close 2nd in 27.2, while he added 12 cm to his PB in the long jump, finishing 4th with a distance of 4.71. His best effort of the day came in the shot, where he added almost a metre to his PB with a bronze medal winning putt of 7.54.

All three enjoyed a productive day in glorious weather and move on to the final outdoor meeting at Blackpool this Sunday.

Tracksuits update

Just to let you know that we have most of the tracksuits and jackets that existing members have ordered, we are just waiting for some tracksuit tops in size LY to be embroidered; this should be done by the end of the week. Ian will be giving out completed orders at the end of training nights over the next couple of weeks.

Anyone who's joined the club recently and is interested in a club tracksuit or showerproof jacket will be able to see and try on some samples on training nights from the beginning of October. Ian will give you details at training.

Have a go in September comps!

After a quiet period in the August holiday period, the track and field competition season picks up again with the Trafford Medal meeting on August Bank Holiday Monday (25th). September is busy, with the two traditional Blackpool Wyre & Fylde Open Meetings, and Wakefield's popular Sptember Medal Meeting.

Let's see more of our young athletes joining Gina, Tom and co and having a go in some of these comps. Your coahces will be able to advise on which events to enter, costs, transport etc, and give you the entry forms. See Ian, Janet, Steve or Tim at training or give them a ring.

Fun in the sun at Barnsley

Our young athletes were in great form at the recent Young Athletes Open Meeting at a sun-drenched Barnsley AC.

A five-strong team included debutant Liam Knox, who finished 2rd in his long jump and performed very well in both the 200 and 800. Tom Kramer recorded a PB of 27.3 in his 200, whilst Jack Walsh also PB'd in a strong 800 race with a time of 2.29. Naomi Richardson reached the semi-finals of the 100 and performed well in both the long jump and 800. Team captain Gina Thornton continued her good form with 2nd in the 800 in a time of 2.31.

Well done to all our athletes.

Gina's top show in Regional Schools event.

Gina Thornton carried on from her excellent showing in the GM schools event when she competed against the best young athletes from counties across the North and Midlands in the Mason Trophy inter-county event at the Alexandra Stadium, Birmingham last Saturday.

In damp, drizzly conditions Gina finished a highly creditable 7th in the Intermediate Girls 800m final in a time of 2.28. This was right up with her time recorded in much better conditions the previous week and continued her excellent recent run of form.

Tracksuits Update

We now have samples of the tracksuits and showerproof jackets. For those who have already expressed an interest, Ian will be at training from approx 6.40 each night for the next two weeks so you can pick your size, place your order and pay a £10 deposit (or the full amount if you're having your initials on). If you missed the flyer Ian gave out last week with all the confirmed price and size details, see him on Tuesday for one. Make sure you show your parents and they are welcome to come with you to sort things out.

We will only have the samples for two weeks so you will need to move fast if you want a tracksuit and /or a jacket.

See Ian if you've any queries or need any more information.

Barnsley Junior Comp upcoming

Just a reminder about the Young Athletes event at Barnsley AC on Sunday 13th July. We went to this competition last year and had a good day despite some dodgy weather. Facilities at Barnsley are very good, with a big covered stand for excellent viewing of the action and a big club with a snack bar and changing facilities.

The event starts at 11.00 and should finish no later than about 4.00. We've already some athletes entered in, so if you fancy joining them and having a go, entry forms are available from Ian at training this week.

Harriers top show in GM Schools event

Gina Thornton, Tom Kramer and Jack Walsh all represented Rochdale Schools in the Greater Manchester Schools Championships at Trafford AC.

Gina's change of tactics in the 800m paid big dividends as she smashed her previous best, finishing third in a new PB of 2 mins 27. This was enough for Gina to qualify for selection to represent Greater Manchester in next Saturday's Inter-County Championships at the Alexandra Stadium, Birmingham.

Tom got through the first phase of the long jump competition and finished an overall 6th in his section with a best of 4m 50.

Jack ran well in a hotly contested 800, recording a new PB of 2.30 in finishing 7th.

Well done to all three of our athletes for an excellent set of performances

Great Manchester Runs from Juniors

In the Great Manchester Run the juniors performed as follows:

Tom Kramer, finished 16th , time 09.01
Jack Walsh finished 10th, time08.48
Liam Moore finished 128th, time 12.16
all in the Boys 12-14 category.

Beth Greenwood finished 68th in the Girls 12-14 category, time 12.14
Matthew Walls finished 46th in the Boys 9-11 category, time 10.13
James Kramer finished 362nd in the Boys 9-11 category, time 14.36.

Juniors Run Littleborough 5K

In the Geoff Dogget Memorial 5K race at Littleborough,

Lewis Thirsk posted 23 min 16 sec and Callum Moore clocked 23 min 36 sec. Sophie Thirsk ran 25 min 10 sec and Liam Moore finished in 27 min 54 sec.

More pictures.

Tom's Trafford Medal Haul

Tom Kramer enjoyed a very successful first visit to the Trafford Medal Meeting series today. He ended the afternoon with gold in the shot with a PB of 6.85m, silver in the long jump with a distance of 4.38 and a very good 28 sec run in a competitive 200 metres.



Well done Tom, let's see more Harriers joining him at the next meeting which is on Spring Bank Holiday Monday, 26th May. Entry details from Ian or Janet.

Club Tracksuits

If you are interested in obtaining a Rochdale Harriers & A.C. tracksuit please your parent/guardian to sign the attached form and return a copy to one of the Junior coaches:

Club tracksuit Form

Memberships now due

It's time to renew your Harriers membership for another year. Some prices have increased this year, as the amount we have to pay UK Athletics to register athletes has increased to £5.00 each.

2008 prices are as follows:
Under 11s: £7.00
Under 13s - Under 17s: £12.00
Under 20s in full-time education: £12.00
Family memberships - ask coaches for details

You must be a paid-up member of the club to be covered by insurance when training, so it is important that you let us have your membership fee no later than the end of May. If you haven't paid by then you will not be able to train until payment is made.

Fixture Lists Updated!

The latest Juniors' fixture list for May onwards has been updated with all of the latest track, field, road and cross country evennts. See the Fixture List link on the right of this post.

There is a printer friendy version of the Junior fixture list towards the top of the page.

Also the FAQ page has been updated, including contact details for the Juniors' coaches.

Many thanks to Ian for this information.

Busy weekend for Juniors

A busy weekend of events saw our juniors in indoor action at Sportcity and outdoors at Pendle's track in Nelson.

On Saturday, seven of our athletes took part in the Sale Open Junior Indoor meeting at Sportcity. Amongst the highlights were a great debut from Emily Eden, who was straight into competitive action after just two weeks with the club. After a promising 2nd in her 200 heat, Emily was 2nd overall in the soft javelin with 18.25 metres and jumped 3.47 in the long jump.

Other top performances included Jack Walsh's win in the 600m, Naomi Richardson's PB of 3.61 in the long jump, Callum Moore's long jump of 3.91 and Tom Kramer's 28.5 for 2nd in the 200m. Jame Kramer and Liam Moore put up great performance across three events each, including first attempts at longer distances in their runs.

On Sunday, Ella Clancy and Shauna O'Connor flew the Harriers flag in the Pendle Spring Open meeting at Nelson. Both girls overcame their inexperience to deliver big performances, with a 1-2 in the shot, 3rd and 4th places in the 100m and big efforts just outside the places in the long jump. A great efffort by both girls, who've given themselves a platform to build on in upcoming events through the season.

Well done to all our athletes for their efforts and lets's see more athletes joining in the fun at the next open meeting at Wakefield on 13th April - see Ian for details!

Harriers trio star in Regional Sports Hall Finals

Rebecca Jones, Tom Kramer and Naomi Richardson all put in great performances for Greater Manchester in the North West Regional Sports hall finals at Robin Park Arena, Wigan, last Sunday.

Rebecca took gold for GM in the standing long jump and put in sound performances in both the 2 lap race and the speed bounce

Tom helped GM’s U13 boys to a gold in the obstacle relay, finished 5th overall in the standing triple jump and ran well for the GM team in the 4x1 relay.

Naomi helped the U13 girls to 3rd in the obstacle relay and 4th in the 4x1 relay, and was an excellent overall 4th in the speed bounce.

Well done to all three for a great day’s performances against some top competition from across the region.

YOUNG ATHLETES EXCEL AT GM SPORTSHALL EVENT

Our biggest-ever squad of 16 Junior athletes took part in the final sportshall athletics event of the season, the Greater Manchester Championships.

In a busy day of competition, our athletes produced some excellent performances with many reaching finals and a total of seven medals being claimed. Medallists were:

• Rebecca Jones (gold for vertical jump, gold for standing long jump and silver for standing triple jump);


• Tom Kramer (silver for shot putt and bronze for standing triple jump);


• Liam Knox (bronze for speed bounce); and


• Naomi Richardson (silver for speed bounce).

Well done to all our athletes for such a great turnout and to all the parents who came along to support them.

Rochdale Juniors Blog - First Post!

This is a test post to see if the blog is working.

It should be possible to add all Junior Coaches as Editors to this Blog and even any of the older Juniors who you think are up to the challenge of posting professionally.

To start with Ian Halliday has author status.