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The Blaydon Race on 9th June produced the closest battles for NECAA titles in many years, with most of the region’s best athletes lining up amongst the 5,000 runners. Calum Johnson, uncertain about his fitness after a month off in March played a canny game as he sat at the back of the leading group of Lawrence McCourt, Finn Brodie, Carl Avery and Chris Coulson, all of Morpeth and Houghton’s Alex Brown until Scotswood Bridge. The Gateshead Harrier steadily ramped up the pace, first of all easing the group away from Alex Brown and then Finn Brodie before putting the ‘hammer down’ with a kilometre to go. The four time champion was away and
quickly established a ten second buffer to come home as the champion for the fifth consecutive time, a performance only bettered by Elswick’s Mike McLeod who has seven victories to his credit.

Calum closed in with 27:57, Carl Avery held on doggedly for second on 28:07, to add to his win in the NECAA 5k Championships and Chris Coulson, one of the region’s emerging talents completed the podium in 28:10.
The women’s race was no less exciting with only seven seconds separating Birtley’s Lydia Turner, back to approaching her best as a youngster, winning in 31:39 from Houghton’s Charlotte Dillon, home for her track scholarship in the US. Megan Stenhouse completed the podium in 32:37 to add to her win in the NECAA 5k championships.

Alex Brown’s sixth place kept him on top of the NECAA Endurance Grand Prix with 25 points, ahead of Carl Avery on 19 and Lewis Liddle on 14. Jess Eaton of Tyne Bridge remains out in front in the women’s Gand Prix with 26 points, Holly Lawrence hangs on to second on 20 points and Megan Stenhouse completes the top three on 18.

The next NECAA Championship with be the half marathon as part of the AJ Bell Great North Run on Sunday September 13th