Junior Section Report for November 2024
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, 16th November
3rd North Staffs Cross Country Race – Park Hall
We had just four 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 |
| Ivy Piercy | 25 | 9:30 |
Total No. Finishers: 35
Under 13 Girls – 2.7K
| Name | Position | Time |
| Sharna Burbidge | 8 | 11:19 |
Total No. Finishers: 15
Under 15 Boys – 3.0K
| Name | Position | Time |
| Fraser Stamp | 7 | 11:11 |
| Finley Hayes | 9 | 12:02 |
Total No. Finishers: 12
Well done to everyone who ran in this event.
Some of our Juniors have continued to compete in the local Parkruns 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 15 and 25, and some continue to attend the Wednesday speed sessions, which has been pleasing to see.
Junior Section Report for October 2024
October was a relatively quiet month for our Juniors with only one race to report on.
Saturday, 12th October
2nd North Staffs Cross Country Race, Stafford Common
We had 6 Juniors running on home ground, on what turned out to be a sunny autumnal afternoon, as follows:-
Under 11 Girls
| Name | Position | Time |
| Ivy Piercy | 22 | 7:03 |
Total number of finishers: 36
Under 13 Girls
| Name | Position | Time |
| Sharna Burbidge | 15 | 7:00 |
Total number of finishers: 22
Under 13 Boys
| Name | Position | Time |
| Daniel Plimmer | 17 | 12:12 |
| Jenson Dixon | 22 | 12:54 |
Total number of finishers: 24
Under 15 Girls
| Name | Position | Time |
| Isla Muller | 15 | 15:32 |
Total number of finishers: 15
Under 15 Boys
| Name | Position | Time |
| Finley Hayes | 14 | 14:08 |
Total number of finishers: 17
Well done to all that 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 15 and 22 juniors in attendance at the Monday night training sessions which is reasonable, and a few continue to attend the Wednesday night adult sessions, which has pushed them further.
Junior Section Report for September 2024
September has been a busier month for the Juniors in terms of races and events, which has been pleasing to see.
Tuesday, 10th September
Harriers Handicap
Korey Langston ran in this event, this time held at Stafford Common with the aim of getting people into cross country training, and he finished in 7th position in a time of 29:10 – well done Korey!
Wednesday, 25th September
Harriers Time Trial, Castlefields
Isla Muller bravely ran with her mum on what was a very wet evening along the disused railway line and managed to achieve a time of 29:13, finishing in 5th position – well done Isla!
Saturday, 28th 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 – a lovely rural but hilly course, on what turned out to be a sunny afternoon. Out of nine juniors that had entered the series, we had six running as follows.
Under 11 Girls – 2K
| Name | Position | Time |
| Ivy Piercy | 29 | 8:09 |
Total number runners in field: 42
Under 11 Boys – 2K
| Name | Position | Time |
| Douglas Crawford | 37 | 8:04 |
Total number runners in field: 37
Under 13 Girls – 2K
| Name | Position | Time |
| Sharna Burbidge | 18 | 7:36 |
Total number runners in field: 21
Under 15 Girls – 3.5K
| Name | Position | Time |
| Isla Muller | 17 | 19:05 |
Total number runners in field: 18
Under 15 Boys – 4.5K
| Name | Position | Time |
| Korey Langston | 14 | 13:53 |
| Finley Hayes | 18 | 15:43 |
Total number runners in field: 19
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, and on 14th September Dan Plimmer ran his 200th which is a massive achievement and commitment, so a big well done to Dan!
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 with attendance being typically 20 or so.
As part of their Duke of Edinburgh schemes, we have had a couple of Juniors ask if they can use running as their chosen sporting activity, which the coaches are happy to support with, and in return over the next few months, they will start to plan and deliver part of the Monday night training sessions.
Junior Section Report for August 2024
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.
Participation in the various local Park Runs has continued with Dan Plimmer and Oliver Richardson regularly competing in the Cannock Chase event and producing some good times – well done Dan and Oliver and keep up the great work!
We have over the last month continued to witness reasonable attendance at the Monday and Wednesday 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 later this month.
Junior Section Report for July 2024
July has been a relatively quiet month for our Juniors with only two known events to report on.
17th July 2024
Staffs Knot 2 Mile Fun Run
We had seven 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. Fraser Stamp was the first Junior Harrier back in 2nd place in an excellent time of 13:13 – well done to Fraser and of course all of the other Juniors for representing the Club, putting in some fantastic performances.
| Name | Position | Time |
| Fraser Stamp | 2 | 13:13 |
| Finley Hayes | 3 | 13:23 |
| Daniel Plimmer | 4 | 13:47 |
| Douglas Crawford | 10 | 16:09 |
| Daphne Giannaki | 13 | 17:55 |
| Penny Challinor | 16 | 18:29 |
| Oliver Richardson | 17 | 18:40 |
Total Number of Runners: 28
31th July 2024
Harriers Time Trial
Brother and sister Fraser and Olivia Stamp ran on what was a very warm summer’s evening, with Fraser finishing in 8th position in a time of 27:05 and Olivia in 9th place and a time of 28:14. There were 14 finishers. Well done to both!
We have been making good use of the new training and coaching equipment that has been purchased for the Juniors, including the cones, ladder and hoops, and the Cricket Club have kindly provided us with a storage area in one of the ISO containers in the carpark, which makes it much more convenient to utilise on each training session.
In terms of attendance over the last month it has been fairly consistent at the Monday and Wednesday 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, once the schools start back.
Junior Section Report for June 2024
June has been quite a busy month for the juniors, with three known events to report on.
12th June 2024
Showground 2 Mile Relays
We had just one team running in this Harrier-organised event, on what turned out to be a nice evening at the County Showground.
Team Name: Harriers Young Flyers, comprising Finley Hayes, Dan Plimer, Jenson Dixon and Korey Langston.
Overall finishing place: 5th out of 245 teams, so a really great achievement and a massive well done!
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!
26th June 2024
5K Time Trial
We had just Jenson Dixon running as a Junior in this Harriers organised event on what turned out to be a warm and muggy evening. Jenson finished in a time of 27:55 – well done Jenson!
29th June 2024
Harriers Summer Games
Four Juniors competed against the seniors at Rowley Park stadium, with the sun actually making an appearance which allowed us to enjoy the picnic in the park afterwards. Finley Hayes won his group, receiving a gold medal, whilst Daphne Giannnoki also won her group, receiving a gold medal, Hugh Richardson was awarded a bronze medal and not far behind was his brother Oliver. Well done to all who took part in this event, this is always a great opportunity for the Juniors to shine on the track when competing against the seniors!
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 2024
May was a relatively quiet month for the Juniors, with only two races to report on as follows:
Tuesday, 21st May
Harriers Handicap
Korey Langston was the only Junior to run in this Harrier organised event, on what turned out to be a mild and muggy spring evening, with the local bugs certainly biting! Korey ran exceptionally well finishing in first place in a time of 27:34 – a massive well done to Korey!
Wednesday, 29th May
5K Time Trial, Castlefields
We had just one junior competing in this event running against the seniors, which was Jenson Dixon, this one being the second in the series 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 a period of time. Jenson ran really well finishing in 21:25, knocking off almost 4 minutes from the previous time he ran the course in April, proving these sessions really do work and you get out from them, what you put in.
We have also seen some Juniors continue to compete 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 bringing people’s times down over the weeks and months. Well done to everyone who took part in these various events.
Finally, the Club has invested in some training equipment and new style vests for the Juniors, funded by the recent grant that has been secured, thanks to the Chairman. The equipment includes cones, hurdles, hoops, agility poles and a precision speed ladder which will be used over the coming summer months as part of the Junior training programme. The vests will be worn by those Juniors representing the Club in the Cross Country events later in the year.
Junior Section Report for April 2024
April has been a quiet month for the Juniors, with only one event to report on.
Wednesday, 24th April
5K Time Trial, Castlefields
We had four juniors compete in this event running against the seniors, the first in the series 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 a period of time.
| Name | Position | Time |
| Fraser Stamp | 1 | 22:17 |
| Jenson Dixon | 3 | 25:10 |
| Olivia Stamp | 4 | 25:47 |
| Isla Muller | 6 | 27:18 |
A big well done to Fraser for winning this event and to everyone who took part in this event. Can you run a faster time next month?
A few of our juniors continue to participate in the local Parkruns, which is pleasing to see, and like the time trial, provide a great opportunity for them to assess their performance over time on the same course.
The Monday night training sessions at the Cricket Club have continued to be steady with typically around 15 Juniors in attendance, and some new faces showing up, which has been encouraging to see. The Wednesday night sessions also continue to see a few juniors attend and the lighter nights now offer more scope for improved and varied training sessions.
Junior Section Report for March 2024
Saturday, 16th March
English Schools Athletic Association Cross Country Championships
George Millinchip was representing Staffordshire in this prestigious event, facing some very stiff competition, finishing in 255th place and a time of 17:54, out of 329 runners. Very well done George for putting in a great performance.
Sunday, 17th March
Stafford Half Marathon 1 mile Fun Run
We had Dougie Crawford, Jack Dowlan and Ruby Evans all run in this event, heading their way around the streets of Stafford, all putting in some fantastic performances, so well done everyone!
Saturday, 23rd March
Sutton Park Road Championships
We had six Juniors running in this popular event, as follows.
Under 13 Boys
| Name | Position | Time |
| Daniel Plimmer | 25 | 23:38 |
| Jenson Dixon | 28 | 24:14 |
| Ollie Hylton | 30 | 27:22 |
| Travis Greensill | 31 | 29:02 |
Total No. Runners: 31
U15 Boys
| Name | Position | Time |
| George Millinchip | 4 | 18:16 |
| Korey Langston | 21 | 22:42 |
Total No. Runners: 22
A big well done to everyone who ran in this event.
Junior Section Report for February 2024
February saw some activity for one Junior in particular this being George Millinchip, having competed in an inter-school cross country event, a Park Run on Cannock Chase, as well as the Dirty Dozen also at the same venue. George has continued to produce some excellent times at these events, firstly at the Staffordshire Schools County Cross Country Championships on 3rd February, where he came 4th overall in his age group (Y10/Y11), and second within Stafford, in a time of 18:10 over a distance of 5K. By finishing top 6 he has been awarded a place in the National Event where he will represent Staffordshire. Next on the 10th February George won the Cannock Chase Park Run finishing in a time of 18:17 and getting a PB for his efforts. Finally on 24th February he ran in the Dirty Dozen 12K Trail event and was the first Harrier home in a time of 59:08, ahead of the Club’s Chairman Nitesh Thakrar. A massive well done to George for representing the Club at these events and for putting in some fantastic performances.
Also putting in some excellent times and achieving some great results at the local Parkruns, we’ve seen Dan Plimmer, Oliver Richardson and Douglas Crawford out in force – well done and keep up the good work!
Junior Section Report for January 2024
January has been a quiet month for the Juniors with only one known race in which we have seen some participation, as well as the local Park Runs, where we have had a few taking part in these events, all putting in some top performances.
Sunday, 28th January
Walton Wobble 10K
George Millinchip and Finlay Summers both ran in this local event George being the first Harrier back finishing in 9th place, in a time of 40:18 and first in his age category, whilst Fin finished in 76th place, in a time of 50:36 and was also first in his age category. A big well done to both for completing the hilly course and putting in some great performances.
Following the Christmas break the Monday night training sessions at the Cricket Club started back up on 8th January and have proved to be popular with some new faces showing up, and there has been further interest in the Wednesday night sessions, which has been encouraging to see.