On Track with Wallsend Harriers
Track & Field Athletics with Wallsend Harriers
Late April / early May sees the traditional start of the Track & Field season. Track & Field athletics is often perceived as the ‘blue riband’ element of our diverse sport – this is what the viewers watch whenever the Olympics, World or European Championships are broadcast. For many people it is the most ‘pure’ of all athletics disciplines, largely because the sport takes place within standardised parameters. Unlike road or cross-country competition, that can have such unpredictable variables as surface, terrain, elevation and weather conditions, track & field takes place in tightly-regulated conditions. One consequence of this is that it allows accurate comparisons between achievements in different arena, allowing an absolute benchmark by which individual athletes can assess their performances.
Wallsend Harriers may be a traditional harrier-based club, with an emphasis on endurance running, but it also offers members a number of opportunities to take part in and enjoy the pleasures of track and field athletics
League Competition
The club is a member of the North of England T&F League. Wallsend re-entered this League last summer as part of a combined team with Blyth RC. There are four fixtures over the summer season, offering male and female athletes the opportunity to try all of the standard track & field events. Scoring is combined from both men and women and there is promotion and relegation within the Leagues.
The events are; 3000m steeplechase (men only), 5000m (male), 3000m (female), 1500m, 800m, 400m, 200m, 100, 110m Hurdles (men) 100m Hurdles (women), 400m Hurdles, long-jump, triple-jump, high-jump, pole- vault, shot-putt, discus, hammer and javelin. You can compete in more than one event if you wish.
The North East Athletics League
Held on occasional Wednesday evenings throughout the summer at Gateshead Stadium and Monkton Stadium, Jarrow. These meeting provide an ideal format for any member keen to try track & field events but perhaps unsure of the type of competition. Wallsend members can simply turn up on the evening and enter any of the scheduled events, at a cost of only £2.50 per event. Some track events are run as graded races i.e. athletes of similar ability run against each other - which promotes better performances.
Each meeting has a slightly different set of events, but for those members keen on distance running, there is always an endurance race – usually either 3000m or 1500m.
Meeting dates are shown on the race calendar section of the website.
Track & Field Championships
The first ‘rung of the ladder’ is the North East Championships, held usually at Gateshead early in May. Next upwards are the North of England regional championships and then the highest level is the National Championships, which have qualifying standards.
Open Meetings
These are generally held early and late season, at venues such as Shildon, Gateshead and Carlisle.
British Milers Club events
These are held at various levels locally (at Jarrow) and regionally and nationally at distances of 800m+ The races are both paced and graded - and are where most middle distance runners set PB’s.
Veterans
Whilst veterans can and do compete as seniors, there is a North East veterans T&F league and championships. Check the Veterans North East website - http://www.communigate.co.uk/ne/veteransathleticsnortheast/
General News
Other Categories
| Category | Articles |
|---|---|
| General News | 114 |
| Race Results | 23 |
| Club Championship | 2 |
| Winter Grand Prix | 12 |
| Wallsend 10k Road Race | 9 |
| Social | 1 |
| NE Harrier League | 13 |
| Summer Grand Prix | 12 |
