Wakefield Harriers runners are in record-breaking form

Sunshine escape: Wakefield Harriers runners who recorded some impressive times in the Seville Marathon, in Spain.

Julie ran out a clear winner in the ladies section in the tough Liversedge Half Marathon.

She finished sixth overall in the race, just behind Mark Mills, and set a new F45 club record of 82 minutes, 23 secs, beating the previous record set last year by Nicky Steel.

A group of Harriers distance runners escaped from the storms raging in the UK to run in the sunshine in the Seville Marathon, in Spain, and recorded some great times.

Record run: Julie Briscoe set a new Wakefield Harriers club record when competing in the Liversedge Half Marathon.

Ben Butler finished in 2:35:04, Chris Hunter ran a personal best 2:39:54, Simon Midwood 2:42:17, Chris Snowball a PB of 2:50:47, Chris Ward 2:58:00 and new member James Coulman 3:07:34.

Wakefield Gym Club enjoy more national success in British Championships

Wakefield Harriers’ Olympics runner from last year Amy-Eloise Markovc, meanwhile, has put herself in line for a place in the Great Britain team for the forthcoming World Indoor Championships at the 1500m distance.

The American-based runner made a trip over from the USA to compete in the 1500m at the televised Müller Indoor Grand Prix at Birmingham and finished fourth and was first British runner home, in a top quality international field, in a new outright PB time of 4:08.68.

Markovc’s time was even faster than her outdoor PB and is a qualifying time for the World Indoor Championships which will be taking place in Belgrade, Serbia.

Back outdoors, six young Harriers runners are set to compete in the English Schools Cross Country Championships.

Several Harriers competed for their local schools athletics organisations at the West Yorkshire Schools’ Cross Country Championships, held at Leeds.

In the junior girls race Libby Cree finished third, Jessica Watson fifth and Evie Tunney 11th. In the Inter Boys event Euan Gaskin was fifth and Zachary Rayner 19th and in the senior races,

Elliot Prentice and Sam Langley were ninth and 14th respectively in the boys race, and Suzie Brooke sixth in the girls race.

There were also two Harriers competing at the North Yorkshire Schools’ Cross Country Championships, held at Catterick. In the Junior girls race Rosie Thislewood finished third, and in the inter girls race Holly Walker was sixth.

Rosie, Holly, Euan, Libby, Jessica and Suzie have all qualified to compete for their counties in the English Schools Cross Country Championships, to be held on Saturday, March 19 at Hop Farm, Paddock Wood, Kent.

Forthcoming events include the Yorkshire Vets Cross Country Championships at Sheffield on Saturday, March 12 and the Wakefield Hospice 10K, incorporating Club 10k Championship, on Sunday, March 20.

The Northern 12/6 Stage Road Relay Championships take place in Birkenhead on Sunday, March 27 while the Douglas Bedford Memorial Open Meeting will be in Thornes Park on Saturday, April 9.