Junior Section Report for December 2023
Sunday, 3rd December
Cannock Chase 5K
On what was a somewhat snowy course and whilst her mum and dad were running in the 10K event, Isla Muller ran the 5K race finishing in 18th position out of 34, and in a fantastic time of 35:45, so a big well done to Isla!
Sunday, 10th December
112th Harriers Christmas Handicap
George Millinchip won this festive race on the Chase, beating off some stiff competition from Chris Skellern and Leon Stringer. Great running George and keep up the excellent work!
Saturday, 16th December
North Staffs Cross Country League – Rugeley
We had seven Juniors running in this final North Staffs event, on what was a clear and sunny day, as follows.
Under 11 Girls – 1.6K
Name |
Position |
Time |
Sharna Burbridge |
19 |
7:49 |
Total No. Finishers: 34
Under 13 Boys – 2.6K
Name |
Position |
Time |
Henry Orton |
14 |
11:23 |
Fraser Stamp |
17 |
11:56 |
Jenson Doxon |
18 |
12:10 |
Daniel Plimmer |
21 |
13:35 |
Total No. Finishers: 22
Overall Team Position: 4th
Under 15 Boys – 3.0K
Name |
Position |
Time |
George Millinchip |
8 |
11:16 |
Korey Langston |
18 |
13:25 |
Total No. Finishers: 20
Well done to everyone who ran in this event which proved to be a tough course.
Monday, 18th December
Harriers Christmas Hat Club Run
On what was the final Monday night training session of the year, the twenty or so Juniors wearing their array of festive hats and lights, joined the adults and ran to the Christmas Tree in Market Square where they had their photograph taken. This proved to be a popular event and all that took part seemed to enjoy themselves.
A big thank you to David Wilson Homes, one of the Club’s sponsors, for donating some token Christmas gifts to the Juniors, it was very much appreciated.
Finally, the Junior Coaches would like to thank all of the Juniors for their fantastic efforts, hard work and achievements during 2023, whether that has been training with the Club, on your own, or participating in races, and we wish them and their parents all the very best for 2024, hoping next year continues to see some great racing!
Junior Section Report for November 2023
November has been a relatively quiet month race wise for the Juniors, with only the North Staffs Cross Country at Park Hall to report on.
Saturday, 18th November
3rd North Staffs Cross Country Race – Park Hall
We had eight Juniors running in this North Staffs event, on what was a cold, damp and cloudy day, as follows.
Under 11 Girls – 1.8K
Name |
Position |
Time |
Sharna Burbridge |
30 |
10:31 |
Tabitha Evans |
37 |
11:06 |
Total No. Finishers: 45
Under 13 Boys – 2.7K
Name |
Position |
Time |
Henry Orton |
21 |
11:12 |
Fraser Stamp |
26 |
12:45 |
Total No. Finishers: 28
Under 15 Boys – 3.0K
Name |
Position |
Time |
George Millinchip |
9 |
9:44 |
Korey Langston |
22 |
11:19 |
Finlay Summers |
24 |
12:57 |
Romeo Blake |
25 |
12:58 |
Total No. Finishers: 25 Current Team Position: 5th
Well done to everyone who ran in this event.
Some of our Juniors have continued to compete in the local Park Runs including Douglas Crawford, Daniel Plimmer and George Millinchip, so well done to them and keep up the great work!
With the dark nights well upon us now, the Monday night training sessions have continued to attract a consistent attendance of between 20 and 25, and a handful continue to attend the Wednesday speed sessions, which has been pleasing to see.
Junior Section Report for October 2023
October was a relatively quiet month for our Juniors with only one race to report on.
Saturday, 14th October
2nd North Staffs Cross Country Race, Stafford Common
We had 10 Juniors running on home ground, on what turned out to be a sunny autumnal afternoon, as follows:-
Under 11 Girls
Name |
Position |
Time |
Sharna Burbridge |
15 |
6:51 |
Total number of finishers: 38
Under 13 Boys
Name |
Position |
Time |
Daniel Plimmer |
19 |
12:17 |
Henry Orton |
20 |
12:27 |
Jenson Dixon |
21 |
12:30 |
Fraser Stamp |
22 |
12:37 |
Sebastian Barron |
24 |
13:16 |
Total number of finishers: 27 U13 Boys Current Position: 4th
Under 15 Girls
Name |
Position |
Time |
Bessie Fletcher |
14 |
14:58 |
Isla Muller |
15 |
15:26 |
Total number of finishers: 15
Under 15 Boys
Name |
Position |
Time |
George Millinchip |
5 |
14:37 |
Finlay Summers |
19 |
18:42 |
Total number of finishers: 20
Well done to all who took part in this event.
Some of our juniors continue to participate in the local park runs all putting in some great times and continuing to get PB’s – well done to all and keep up the great work!
Despite the darker nights, we have been seeing between 18 and 26 juniors in attendance at the Monday night training sessions which is reasonable, and some have now started to attend the Wednesday night adult sessions which has pushed them further.
Junior Section Report for September 2023
September has been a quiet month for the Juniors in terms of races, with only one to report on.
Saturday, 16th September
North Staffs Cross Country League – Betley Court Farm
With the return of the NSCCL, this race being the first in a series of four held at Betley Court Farm – a lovely rural but hilly course, on what turned out to be a mild and dry afternoon. Out of nine juniors that had entered, we had just four running as follows.
Under 11 Girls – 2K
Name |
Position |
Time |
Sharna Burbridge |
26 |
8:03 |
Total number runners in field: 40
Under 13 Boys – 3.5K
Name |
Position |
Time |
Fraser Stamp |
23 |
16:27 |
Total number runners in field: 27
Under 15 Boys – 4.3K
Name |
Position |
Time |
Korey Langston |
25 |
13:59 |
Finlay Summers |
29 |
16:15 |
Total number runners in field: 29
Well done to everyone who ran in this event, all putting in some fantastic effort and achieving some great times.
A few of our Juniors have continued to take part in the local Saturday morning Park Runs, achieving some excellent times.
Having settled back into the school term, we have seen a slight increase in Juniors attending the Monday night training sessions at the Cricket Club, with some new faces coming along, which has been encouraging to see.
As part of his Duke of Edinburgh scheme, Finlay Summers has started to help plan and deliver part of the Monday night training sessions and has shown great potential. Well done Fin!
Finally, on the Wednesday,13th September Junior Coach Mark Oliver and his family went to visit the 7th Stafford Cubs at Hixon to deliver a sample training session to help attain their Athletics badge, and to make them aware of the facilities and benefits provided by Stafford Harriers Junior section. The session was very well received with some budding young athletes in the making, and some interest shown in the Club. Thanks to 7th Stafford Cubs for inviting us along and we look forward to supporting you in the future.
NSCCL Cross country results
Pos |
Bib |
Name |
Gender |
AG |
Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
26 |
34 |
Sharna Burbridge |
F |
F11 |
8:03 |
23 |
149 |
Fraser Stamp |
M |
M13 |
16:27 |
25 |
196 |
Korey Langston |
M |
M15 |
13:59 |
29 |
197 |
Finlay Summers |
M |
M15 |
16:15 |
Junior Section Report for August 2023
August is traditionally a quiet month for the Juniors and races, with many people away on holiday, and we are aware of only a small number participating in racing events. Korey Langston made his debut in the Harriers Time Trial held at Castlefields on 9th August, and completed it in a very respectable time of 24:17, and perhaps more importantly, beating his Dad! Well done Korey!
Participation in the various local Park Runs has continued with Oliver Richardson regularly competing in the Cannock Chase event and producing some good times – well done Oliver and keep up the great work!
We have over the last month continued to witness reasonable attendance at the Monday Junior training sessions held at the Cricket Club, which has been pleasing to see, and we are now seeing some interest in the forthcoming North Staffs Cross Country League races due to start this month.
North Staffs Cross Country Races
Would you like to take part in the Cross Country races held during the autumn? If you are 9 years or older, these are a great opportunity for you to run off road against other like-minded juniors on four different courses, and will help improve your running, strength and stamina.
Venue |
Address |
Date |
Betley Court Farm |
Main Road, Betley, CW3 9BH |
16/09/23 |
Stafford Common |
Stone Road, Stafford, ST16 1JY |
14/10/23 |
Parkhall |
Parkhall Country Park, Weston Coyney, Stoke-on-Trent |
18/11/23 |
Keele University |
Keele Sports Centre, Keele University, Newcastle, ST5 5BG |
16/12/23 |
The junior races are split into age categories and usually start from 12 noon. The distance of each race ranges between 2K – 5K, depending on age category and gender.
Cost per person: Free!
If you would like to take part please let Chris, Mark, Graham or Brian know as soon as possible, and advise which event(s) you would like to run in.
Further details to follow nearer to each race.
Junior Section Report for July 2023
15th July 2023
Harrier Games
After 4 years of not having them the Harrier Games returned with a vengeance to Rowley Park, and we even managed to dodge the occasional rain shower! We had seven Juniors run in the various events, all enjoying themselves, putting in some fantastic performances, mainly beating the seniors and some picking up well deserved medals as follows.
Korey Langston First in Group C Gold
Jacob Hubbard Second in Group C Silver
India Langston Joint Second in Group D Silver
Darcey Pestel Joint Second in Group D Silver
India was also awarded the Performance of the day after a terrific run in her 200m event, and Hugh Richardson awarded Star Junior Award.
A big well done to Korey, Jacob, India, Darcey and Hugh and to all that took part!
19th July 2023
Staffs Knot 2 Mile Fun Run
We had 11 of our juniors running in this event, which was put on and organised by the Harriers, and for some this being their first time competing. George Millinchip finished in 1st place in an excellent time of 12:15 – well done to George and of course all of the Juniors for representing the Club, putting in some fantastic performances, and great to see some family participation too.
Name |
Position |
Time |
George Millinchip |
1 |
12:15 |
Scott Butler |
5 |
14:14 |
Daniel Plimmer |
8 |
14:35 |
Fraser Stamp |
10 |
15:20 |
Bella Smith |
11 |
15:21 |
Olivia Stamp |
13 |
15:51 |
Isla Muller |
22 |
18:21 |
Oliver Richardson |
23 |
18:27 |
Coralie Williams |
25 |
18:42 |
Frankie Smith |
26 |
18:57 |
Penny Challinor-Pyatt |
36 |
24:23 |
Total Number of Runners: 38
27th July 2023
Harriers Handicap Race
We had just one Junior, Korey Langston running in this race on the Chase on what was a warm and muggy evening, who found himself running against the seniors but still putting in some great effort, finishing in 14th place in a time of 31:14 – well done Korey!
In terms of attendance over the last month it has been fairly consistent at the Monday Junior training sessions held at the Cricket Club, although this is expected to drop off during August due to the holiday season, but then pick up once again during September.
Photos from our Fun Run
19th June 2023
Well done for everyone taking part.
Junior Section Report for June 2023
June has been a relatively quiet month for the juniors, with only one known race to report on.
14th June 2023
Showground 2 Mile Relays
We had just one team running in this Harrier-organised event, on what turned out to be a glorious summer’s evening at the County Showground.
Team Name: Harriers Young Flyers
Name |
Leg |
Time |
George Millinchip |
A |
12:06 |
Korey Langston |
B |
14:02 |
Dan Plimmer |
C |
15:08 |
Jenson Dixon |
D |
16:24 |
Team Time |
57:42 |
Overall finishing place: 8 out of 11 Boys teams
This is always a great competitive event for the Juniors, who are able to run alongside the adults, all put in some fantastic performances, and for many giving the adults a run for their money! Well done all!
Attendance at the local Park Runs has continued to take place by some of the juniors, which is always pleasing to see, and also provides a great opportunity to benchmark performances and monitor improvement.
Junior Section Report for May 2023
May has been a quiet month for the Juniors with very little to report on other than a few competing in the local Park Runs, which is always pleasing to see, particularly with them being non-Harrier events. Regular participation in these really does help bring people’s times down over the weeks and months. Well done to everyone who took part in these various races.
Junior Section Report for April 2023
April has been a reasonable month for the Juniors, with a few events to report on.
Saturday, 1st April
Sutton Park 5K Road Championships
Five Juniors made the trip down through Rugeley and Lichfield to these events in which we had two age categories, the Under 13’s and Under 15’s Boys.
Under 13 Boys
Name |
Position |
Time |
Finlay Summers |
24 |
22:07 |
Brandan Smart |
25 |
22:39 |
Korey Langston |
26 |
22:44 |
Fraser Stamp |
28 |
26:44 |
Total number of finishers: 28
Under 15 Boys
Name |
Position |
Time |
George Millinchip |
22 |
20:26 |
Total number of finishers: 24
A big well done to everyone that ran in these races, in which there were some high-calibre young athletes.
Wednesday, 19th April
5K Time Trial, Castlefields
George Millinchip was the only Junior to compete in this event, the first of several to be held on a Wednesday evening from April through to September and is intended for people to measure their improvement on the same course over time. George ran a very impressive 21:18, finishing in first place. Well done George!
Outside of the Harriers brother and sister Finlay and Imogen Summers have been stirring up some dust at the local Isabel Trail Park Run, Fin getting a PB of 21:44 and his sister competing in her first ever Park Run! Well done both for putting in some great performances and keep up the fantastic effort. Also, George Millinchip, Oliver Richardson and Daniel Plimmer have continued to participate in these events, with Dan getting a new PB of 22:43 – well done all!
The Monday night training sessions at the Cricket Club have continued to be steady with typically between 18 and 26 Juniors in attendance, and some new faces showing up, which has been encouraging to see. The lighter nights now open up more scope for improved and varied training sessions.
Junior Section Report for March 2023
Sunday, 12th March
Stafford Half Marathon 1 mile Fun Run
Finlay Summers ran in this local event around the town centre of Stafford putting in a top performance and finishing in a very respectable 4th position, so a big well done to Fin!
Saturday, 25th March
Rowley Park 4 x 1mile Relays
We had three teams of four Juniors running in this event, all putting in some great times, so well done to all that ran. Also, a big thanks to Chris Skellern, Antonio Treglia, Saffron Latham and Kerri Delaney for helping out on the day.
After much consideration, the Committee have decided not to pursue the EA Funetics initiative for the time being due to the limited perceived benefit it would bring to the Club. Also, given the relatively large amount of resources needed to successfully support the delivery of this, it was felt the Club could not fully commit at this time.
On Wednesday, 29th March the Club took part in a Duke of Edinburgh Award evening at Stafford Grammar School, whereby we had a display area with giveaway goodies where would-be recruits could find out a little more about the benefits of joining Stafford Harriers. I am told the evening was a great success and some potential new recruits were identified, so a big thanks to Saffron Latham, Vanessa Welham and Ian Hodkinson for supporting with this event.
Some of our Juniors have continued to compete in the local Park Runs all putting in some great performances and achieving some awesome times – well-done guys and keep up the great work, they really do pay off!
Finally, it should be noted that six of our previous Juniors ran in this year’s Stafford Half Marathon including Matthew Hilsdon, Lucas Willson, Robbie Gorman, Jack Heath, and Amy & Jake Oliver, and I think this is a real testament to the Junior section and indeed the Club that they have continued to run into adulthood and embrace the sport. Well done guys!
Junior Section Report for February 2023
February has been another quiet month for the Juniors, with little race participation to report on other than the weekly Park Runs and some inter-school cross-country events. Finley Summers, Daniel Plimmer, Korey Langston, George Millinchip & Fraser Stamp have produced some excellent times at the local park run venues – well done to everyone who continues to run in these events which offer some fantastic opportunities to regularly run a set distance, under race conditions and monitor improvement.
The Committee have been looking at and reviewing the potential benefits of signing up to the England Athletics Funetics Legacy initiative – an opportunity for the Club to provide 4 – 11 year olds an introduction to athletics though participating in fun activity sessions in the hope they will join the junior section in time. A decision on whether or not the Club will sign up will be made imminently.
Junior Section Report for January 2023
January has been a quiet month for the Juniors with no participation in any races, as far as we know other than the local Park Runs, where we have seen a few taking part in these events, all putting in some great performances.
The Monday night training sessions at the Cricket Club started back up 9th January and have proved to be popular with some new faces showing up, which has been encouraging to see.
Saffron and I had a quick catch-up with a lady from England Athletics about the possibility of introducing Funetics to the club and the potential benefits it can bring, which we will present to the Committee for further discussion.
We also have an opportunity to promote the Club, including the Junior section at a Duke of Edinburgh evening held at Stafford Grammar School in March, where we hope to be able to talk to some children, make them aware of the Stafford Harriers Junior section, hand out some flyers and be on hand to answer any questions.
Junior Section Annual Report for 2022
Over the course of 2022, we saw a reasonable but steady attendance down at the Monday night Junior training sessions held at the Cricket Club, with typically between 15 and 30 regularly showing up, as well as seeing some new faces over the course of the year, which is always encouraging to see.
In March we had three Juniors running in the Stafford Half Fun Run, Finley Summers, Abe Langford and Sharna Burbridge, all putting in some great performances. Fin and Abe even managed to make the front page photo of the Staffordshire Newsletter – well done all!
Also in March we saw our older Juniors – Lucas Willson, Matthew Hilsdon and Ben Green move into training with the seniors and running as young adults in races, and on behalf of the Junior Coaches I would like to express my thanks for their hard work, determination and commitment over the years in representing the Junior Harriers, and I hope they all continue to progress as they move into competing against the seniors.
June saw the Stone St Michaels Relays in which we had two teams of Juniors racing, and for some their first competitive event, running alongside the adults, and all putting in some fantastic performances, and for many giving the adults a run for their money! All that ran received a medal and goodie bag, along with a photo of the Mayor of Stone! A big thanks to the parents who helped out with marshalling and organising the juniors at the various changeover points on the course.
Also in June the juniors were very lucky to have an England Athletics coach take one of their Monday night training sessions, which provided some fun coaching, but also some inspiration and learning was taken, and this knowledge has since been used by the junior coaches on subsequent sessions.
In July the Harriers hosted the Staffs Knot 5 Mile race and Fun Run, in which we saw eight juniors participating in the latter, with Jack Dawson finishing in a very impressive 2nd place, in an excellent time of 11:49 – well done to Jack and of course all of the Juniors for representing the Club, putting in some fantastic performances, and great to see some family participation too.
During late spring and the summer months, the Club put on the 5K Time Trials in which we saw some of the Juniors competing, all keen to improve on their previous times – a big well done to all who ran in these events.
September saw the Harriers put on the Showground Relays, in which there were three Junior teams racing, each with four runners and all putting in some great performances, and more importantly, all enjoying the team spirit.
The autumn saw the return of the darker nights however training was able to continue on the grass with the available lighting in place, and thankfully only a handful of sessions had to be delivered on the nearby car park due to waterlogged grass.
The Committee voted unanimously to use some of the Together Active funding to buy some winter training clothes for those Juniors who had shown an ongoing commitment to the Club and regularly attended the training sessions over the course of the year, and it was pleasing to see this being worn whilst attending the autumn cross country events, providing a smart consistent appearance whilst representing the Club.
A couple of former Juniors, and now running with the seniors, kindly drafted a flyer to advertise the Club’s Junior section, and with thanks to Tom Davall for his assistance with the graphic design, and Steve McHugh for the printing, we have now got a professional looking leaflet available for distributing at various events and local sporting venues. It is hoped in time this will start to improve awareness of the Club’s Junior section and boost membership.
Park Runs
Some of the Juniors continued to run in the various local park runs during the course of last year, all putting in some great performances, and for Reuben Willson he ran his 100th event in July, which is a tremendous achievement. It’s really pleasing to see these events continue to attract the Juniors on a Saturday morning, and through regular attendance and hard work, their times continue to improve.
Pete Hodgett’s Memorial Handicap Races
The Club was able to put on three of the Pete Hodgett’s Memorial Handicap events during 2022, and two of which saw Junior George Millinchip winning the race – a big well done to all who ran in these races, as always providing some stiff competition for the adults.
Cross Country Races
Last year we had a number of Juniors competing in the four North Staffs Cross Country Races held at Betley Court Farm, Stafford Common, Park Hall and Keele University, typically 10 or so running across the various age categories. A big well done to all that ran in these races as the quality and calibre of runners from other Clubs is often high.
Finally, I would like to say a huge thank you to all of the Juniors who have continued to run with the Club, and to the parents for their support and commitment, and of course to the Junior Coaches for their ongoing dedication, hard work, enthusiasm and encouragement, without whom, we would not have a Junior Section.