SALE HARRIERS MANCHESTER AGM 2026 TEAM REPORTS
NORTHERN 12/6 ROAD RELAYS
The 2025 Northern 12/6 Stage relays returned to the windswept seaside town of Redcar. For the first four stages, NIGEL MARTIN, MAX WHARTON, PHIL ROBERTSON and ANDREW THOMPSON lived up to their reputations as class acts. Throughout the first four stages, they held 1st or 2nd place!
PAUL PETERS, FINLAY DAY, JOE GODWOOD, DAVID MARSH and WILL ONEK took the next five stages and did well to defend their strong position against powerhouses Salford, Leeds City, and Morpeth, holding Sale Harriers in 5th place by Stage 9. JOSHUA ANDREW, MATT KIDD-ROSSITER, and PAUL NOBLE then gave it their 100% and brought Sale Harriers across the line 7th, consistent with post-Covid years when they were 6th in 2024 on home ground at Wythenshawe, 6th at Redcar in 2023 and 7th at Birkenhead in 2022.
Salford Harriers & AC are rarely out of the top three in this championship and have dominated it for the past 15 years. Yet again, they claimed the Northern title, dethroning Leeds City last year’s champions with Morpeth 3rd. Unfortunately, the senior women who were last year’s champions and still have a medal-winning squad did not turn out. This championship also hosts a 5k Championship for younger age groups. The U17 boys, last year’s champions, did not defend their title either. Report by FECHIN Mc CORMICK.
NATIONAL 12/6 ROAD RELAYS
Following the Northern 12/6 Stage Championships, the National 12/6-Stage Championships took place two weeks later at their spiritual home, Sutton Park, Birmingham. For the first time, there were no long legs in either the men’s or women’s events due to changes in Sutton Park’s access regulations, which made the usual extended sections unsuitable.
The men finished 25th nationally—an improvement on last year’s “No Finish”, as well as 28th in 2023 and 33rd in 2022—though still below the standard typically associated with Sale Harriers at National level. This placed them 5th among Northern teams, behind Leeds City (5th), Salford (16th), Liverpool (17th), and Morpeth (19th). Representing the club were PHIL ROBERTSON, NICK BARRY, FINLAY DAY, PAUL PETERS, MAX KIDD-ROSSITER and JOSHUA ANDREW, GEORGE NOBLE, ADE OLADITI, ALEX BRADFORD, ROBBIE RIGBY, STEVEN MORROW and DAVE HOWLETT. The club’s fastest on the day were Phil, Nick and Finlay Day in that order. Well done, guys!
Although the women did not field a team for the Northern Championships, they retained automatic entry to the National Championships (unlike the men). Despite SARAH GOULDEN working tirelessly behind the scenes to assemble a competitive squad, last year’s bronze medallists struggled to put out their strongest team. Led by the three ARMITAGES—L45 MUM, LUCY, and SOPHIE—along with L40 JESSICA WELSH and L50 ANNE CHINOY, all six competed admirably in this intimidating arena to finish 25th overall and 5th Northern team, behind Leeds City, Salford, Liverpool, and Steel City Striders. Unsurprisingly, Lucy Armitage produced one of the fastest stages of the day. Report by FECHIN Mc CORMICK.
DOUBLE VICTORY IN CALDERDALE RELAYS
Sale Harrier’s long term love affair with the Calderdale Way Relay, that 60 mile circular loop split into 6 legs, took place in mid-May with five teams and a total of 60 runners competing. Following success in the mixed team category in both 2023 and 2024,the club broadened its ambitions entering teams into the Open (three teams), Vets and Ladies categories. Competing against traditional fell-running clubs is always a challenge for a club like Sale with its strong track and road heritage, but this year Sale rose to the occasion and dominated across the board.
The Men’s ‘Vets’ team set the tone leading from gun to tape, ably led by ROBERT DUNN and CHRIS DONNELLY who finished 6th on the opening leg. ANDREW CURVIS and RICHARD EDWARDS were also impressive on Leg 4 recording the 10th fastest time on the day). The team finished 11th overall and 1st ‘Vets’ team, with MATTHEW HARRISON and TOM STEVENSON bringing the team home – over an hour clear of their nearest rivals, Holmfirth Harriers. Next onto the podium were the ladies. Cross Fit Queens, Bea and Amy set the team off in style holding 2nd place until leg 3 when JESS and ERIN TERRY stormed through to take the lead (and nearly outpaced their dad!). From there, the team never looked back, finishing 4 minutes ahead of Calder Valley with HELEN ARMITAGE and SUZIE SMITH securing the win on the last leg.
The three Open Teams delivered strong performances as well. The Open A team finished 10th – just ahead of the Vets. Performance of the day went to GEORGE NOBLE and FINLAY DAY who were the fastest pair on Leg 3 overall, clocking a time just two minutes outside the course record! The Open B team placed 24th with the Open C Team finishing 54th.
A big thanks goes to ANNE CHINOY whose behind-the-scenes organisation was key to the ladies’ team victory, and to Halifax Harriers for once again hosting this fantastic event. Sale have now won four of the five available team categories – leaving only the Ladies Vets title still to chase. Report by FECHIN Mc CORMICK.
DOUBLE BRONZE AT BMAF ROAD RELAYS
The veterans of Sale Harriers achieved their best-ever results at the British Masters Road Relay Championships at Mallory Park motor racing track, Leicestershire, held in early May. The W35-44 and M35-44 teams both secured bronze medals, while the W55-64 team finished 5th.
In the W35-44 category, RACHAEL ROZHDESTVENSKAYA, JESSICA WELSH, and BIZ DEGGEFA, fresh from their bronze medals 6 months earlier at October’s ’24 BMAF Cross-Country Championships, were joined by LUCY COOKE who was part of the club silver medal-winning W45 team in 2023, talented enough to drop down an age-group! Rachael set the standard by clocking the fourth-fastest time, contributing significantly to the team’s eventual bronze medals. This marks the second-best result for this section in the club’s history, following their silver medal achievement in 2022. Aldershot, Farnham & District took the gold medals, and Lincoln Wellington the silver. This club age-group is making a habit of podium finishes at these events. Long may it continue. A big thank you to HELEN ARMITAGE who deputised as team manager for ANNE CHINOY who was having her first experience of racing abroad winning 1st female in the Adelaide 10k and being reunited with her 101year old grandfather, a WW2 veteran. She’s readily excused!
Following their thrilling victory at last October’s BMAF Cross Country Relays, the M35-44 team were also well set to medal at this championship. WILLIAM ONEK, PHIL RICHARDSON, NICK BARRY, and NIGEL MARTIN were joined by STEVEN HENDERSON and World Masters 3000m champion DAVID PROCTOR. William provided a solid start on the first leg, and Nigel Martin again delivered his typically impressive performance to record the second-fastest time of the race running the anchor leg to secure the bronze medals behind Bristol and Salford. This achievement marks the first-ever medals for this section at this championship. Credit to Phil Richardson for rounding up the team.
In the W55-64 race, LYNDA ROWLINSON, HEATHER BRINT and JACKIE CORDINGLEY finished 5th. Jackie, showcasing her ageless fitness and talent, was good enough to down an age group to anchor the team in their first-ever appearance in this championship. Report by FECHIN Mc CORMICK.
WELSH CASTLES RELAYS
The Welsh Castles Relay, held every year in early June, is a major highlight for the club’s endurance section. The event has been a fixture since 2009 for the men and 2011 for the women, and it remains the club’s toughest challenge on the calendar. This two-day, 20-stage, 209-mile race the length of Wales — from Caernarfon Castle in the north to Cardiff Castle in the south is unrelenting in its toughness, whilst against some of the strongest teams in Britain.
The race logistics demands exceptional organisation, so a huge thanks once again to RICHARD EDWARDS and CHRIS DONNELLY for their outstanding commitment as team managers. Just as important as the racing itself, the weekend is a wonderful social occasion, bringing together club members, families, and friends who travel the full length of Wales to support the teams. This year, the ladies’ team achieved an excellent 3rd place for the second consecutive year, while the men finished a strong 8th in the Open race.
MEGAN TUCKER got the ladies off to a great start, winning Stage 1. Followed by TRACEY TAYLOR, HELEN ARMITAGE, BIZ DEGEFA, VICKY CORDINGLEY-GAUNT, JACKIE CORDINGLEY, BEA CORDINGLEY, JENNY FOX, LYNDA ROWLINSON, LAURA BARBER, HEATHER HUGHES, SARAH GOULDEN, HARRIET HAMILTON, LAURA MARTIN, ANNE CHINOY, ALICE WRIGHT, SUZANNE SMITH, JESS TERRY, WENDY TERRY and ERIN TERRY they yo-yoed among the top five for 16 of the 20 stages until they consolidated their 3rd place in the final stages.
The club turned out arguably its strongest men’s team in MATTHEW SPRAGG, NICK BARRY, PHIL ROBERTSON, MARK FOX, TOM STEPHENSON, STEVEN HENDERSON, CHRIS DONNELLY, DAVE MARSH, ROB DUNN, NIGEL MARTIN, JON TERRY, RICHARD EDWARDS, ALEX BRADFORD, JOE GODWOOD, CHRIS TAIT, ANDREW CURVIS, GARY ROWLINSON and OLIVER BARTLETT.
There were several exceptional performances, most notably NICK BARRY, who won his Stage 2, breaking the course record. ROB DUNN took Leg 10, the last leg of day one, with its ‘spicy’ hilly start and the longest leg of the weekend to finish 1st Vet. NIGEL MARTIN then launched day 2 at 7 am by tackling the mountainous Stage 11 with its 250m of climb over 10.6 miles, recording his 4th mountain win and 5th stage win also to break the course record and run ‘probably my best run in this event’. CHRIS DONNELLY was the veteran winner on Stage 8, and ANDREW CURVIS the veteran winner on Stage 18 and 3rd overall. All were rewarded with the prestigious yellow vests, and Nigel and Rob Dunn were also presented with the sought-after Welsh Dragon trophies as 1st finishers on their mountain stages. GARY ROWLINSON is to be commended for stepping into the breach in the 11th hour. Last and certainly not least, PHIL ROBERTSON had a really strong run, his last as a single man!
Sale Harriers have a very respectable Welsh Castles record. The men have participated every year since 2009, and the women since 2011. Both teams’ most successful year was 2018, when both were victorious. Next were 2017 and 2019, when the men were first and the women were third. Throughout the years, the women have rarely been out of the top three, their nemesis always the Serpentine Running Club and the organising club Les Croupiers. Before Covid-19, the men were rarely out of the top three, but since Covid-19, the men have slipped to 9th in 2023, 7th in 2024, and 8th in 2025, whilst most of the other top-placed clubs have remained largely the same. Report by FECHIN Mc CORMICK.
SUMMER T&F CHAMPIONSHIPS
YOUTH DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE LOWER
The YDL Lower is a National League for U13 & U15 boys and girls and in recent years our youngsters have been exceptional in winning eleven Northern and three National titles. CARL WORTHINGTON has single-handedly managed our team which this year finished runners up to Liverpool in the NW Premier League.
The League identified the top ten performances in each match. The following Sale Harriers were awarded this accolade:- BEA SOPER, JASON ADELAKUN, MILLIE JACKSON, NEILA CHUKWU, GEORGE HORSFALL , ROBYN HEYWOOD-YOUNG and JUDE KERINS.
Highlights of the 2025 season:-
Triple Cheshire Champion MILLIE JACKSON made her club debut in match 1 with two of her performances being ranked in the Top10 performances of the day.
The U15 Boy’s sprint relay team of JASON ADELAKUN, LEO OGBEIDE, ALEXANDER Mc CRINK and THIERRY KERR won by over 2 seconds in the outstanding time of 47.9 seconds.
The U15 girls sprint relay team of EVA ANWYL, ZURIEL SARUMI, AVA BROOMES and NEILA CHUKWU won in 50.9 seconds.
ARTHUR O’HARE who consistently ran outstanding times in the U13 boys 1200m.
English Schools Silver medallist NEILA CHUKWU, despite competing in four events, recorded 12.4 seconds for 400m which ranked the 4th best performance of the day.
In match 3 JASON ADELAKUN won four events including running 36.8 for 300m which ranked as 3rd best performance of the day.
Apart from athletes mentioned above, the following athletes are to be commended for taking part in the maximum four events in a match – JOSHUA HOWELL, OLIVER HOWELL, NOAH PHILLIPS, DANIEL WELLS, ZIVA CHUKWU and LEO OGBEIDE.
Having set multiple club records last year THIERRY KERR made a successful transition to the U15 age-group with outstanding performances over hurdles & sprints.
U13 JUDE KERINS had wins in the Long Jump and Javelin. His best Javelin performance ranked him 7th best performance of the day.
GEORGE HORSFALL had a great win in the U15 Boys 1500m which ranked him 6th best performance of the day.
LUCY O’BRIEN, FLORENCE CONNOLLY and CICELY COLDWELL were outstanding in the U15 girl’s endurance events, also taking part in the High jump, Javelin and Sprint Relay
The U15 Girls middle-distance squad not only dominated the endurance events but also were outstanding in the 300m and long relay. Well done BEA SOPER, MEGAN BOWYER, MADDY APPLEBY, CAITLIN WETTERS, ROBYN HEYWOOD-YOUNG, GRACE HILL, ISLA ANDERSON and ISABELLE CONNOLLY. Report by Peter Shaw.
YOUTH DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE UPPER
We started the 2025 season in North West 1, but were hopeful of a promotion back to our spiritual home of the Premier Division. Unfortunately, in addition to the ongoing issue of some athletes not prioritizing the YDL, we were also plagued by injuries and narrowly avoided further relegation. We competed at Blackburn in April, Leigh in May and Ellesmere Port in July and did well to hold onto fifth position overall out of seven teams. We were able to put up a number of amazing performances across all the disciplines and it was heartening to watch so many athletes enjoying the events, celebrating personal bests and winning team points
One athlete who deserves a mention is ANNABEL AMADIN who has competed at every YDL for each of the last three years and won Shot Put all nine times! She is now ageing out of the U20s, but we would like to thank her for all the points and wish her every success in her adult career. Also worthy of a mention is multi-eventer RYAN MC CAFFERY who competed in the maximum four events plus a relay in match 2, and won three of those!
Congratulations to the following athletes who also won their events, often in very competitive fields: ALFIE CARTER, JOSHUA DOYLE, DALOLA KAJOPAYE, MELVIN MANUHWA, ROXY Mc HUGH, LIAM NICHOLLS, LIAM O’BRIEN, VICTORIA OKOBI, CALUM PARK, SEREN REDFERN, LOLA RICHARDSON, NIAMH RIDLER, MAYA ROSS, ELEANOR ROURKE and PANAGIS ZAPANTIS.
The relays were a particular highlight, with the U20 boys sprinters winning twice with ELIKEM AMEGADZIE, MAX CUNNINGHAM, JOEL DANQUAH, MELVIN MANUHWA, RYAN Mc CAFFERY and BEN SHITTA. The U20 girls also won the 4×100m with MADISON HOLT, DALOLA KAJOPAYE, FIDELIA OGBONNA and DANIELA REMI-SALAKO and the U17 girls won with RUBY LANGFORD, VICTORIA OKOBI, LOLA RICHARDSON AND CHRISTABEL REMI-SALAKO. We never had enough U20 middle distance runners for the mixed relay, but our very young team of MATTY CULLEN-BROWN, CONOR Mc MANUS, LOLA RICHARDSON and MAYA ROSS put up a good fight and didn’t look out of place against the older athletes.
We would like to to take this opportunity to thank DAVID BROWN, SCOTT COOPER, FRANK CORDINGLEY, TOM CUNNINGHAM, ADELE DOWNEY, BRIAN GOULDEN, FECHIN Mc CORMICK, AYO SHONIBARE, ALISON SMYTHE, MARGARET TRICKEY, CHRISTINE TYRER and ANDY WEBSTER who all officiated over long days and made the events possible.
And finally, looking to the future: it would be incredibly helpful if every (uninjured) athlete could commit to doing at least one YDL a season. If everyone did this, 2026 could well be the year of our triumphant return to where we belong. Report by KIRSTY CULLEN AND ANDY BROWN
NATIONAL ATHLETICS LEAGUE (CHAMPIONSHIP DIVISION)
A season of what if.
After being relegated to the Championship Division last season, our aim was to return to the Premier Division at the first time of asking. In our Championship Division were Trafford AC, City of Liverpool, City of York AC and Notts AC. In the first two matches, held in York and Liverpool, we managed to finish 2nd and 1st respectively.
Going into the final match, we needed to finish 4th out of the 5 teams to qualify for the promotion match in Oxford a few weeks later. We just made it, finishing 4th. On that day we only had two women covering all the track events, but fortunately the men’s team performed strongly and secured our place in the promotion match. Unfortunately, when it came to Oxford we did not have the turnout required to finish in the top two and earn promotion back to the Premier Division. We placed 4th out of 8 teams—a missed opportunity to return to top-level club athletics.
Over the season there were some fantastic performances, with multiple victories and personal bests. It was great to see so many athletes using the league as a platform to improve. Looking ahead, I hope next year all athletes, coaches, and groups can buy into the goal of getting back into the top league. We have the ability; we just need the chance to show it. Finally, I would like to give special thanks to those who put their names forward for every match—your commitment has been invaluable. Report by team manager James Bailey.
NORTHERN LEAGUE ATHLETICS (WEST PREMIER DIVISION)
Another fantastic year of Northern League Athletics (almost all in glorious sunshine). Following Dave Marsh’s departure last year (thanks for all your hard work Dave) John Smith and his wife Cath kindly volunteered to manage the women’s team on an interim basis. It is in no small part that Sale Harriers owe their survival in the league to their brilliant teamwork, thank you. This is a great point to add a heap load of thanks to Phil Richardson who once again marshaled the middle distance guys expertly.
It’s true to say given how close each match was that every performance counted and there were many notable performances in each round across all the events. In the true spirit of Northern League Athletics individuals stepping in, often at the last minute or doubling up for hard earned points all performed heroically and genuinely made a difference. Going into the last round 4 teams, including ourselves, were mathematically capable of being relegated. In the end, after a brilliant and tense day of athletics we finished 1st (2nd overall) and comfortably avoided the drop.
It’s incredibly important that Sale are represented in the top tier of the Northern League Athletics and there continues to be outlet and opportunity for young athletes to taste senior athletics, for senior athletes to continue to hone their skills and in general for Sale athletes to have an opportunity to compete against talented athletes from other clubs in the North West. Sale Harriers and the many people in the background who go into making the league happen deserve recognition for providing this important and much needed stepping stone into senior and national league athletics. Report by team Manager PETER CRAMPTON.
AUTUMN ROAD & XC CHAMPIONSHIPS
NORTH WEST COUNTIES ROAD RELAYS
The North West Counties Road Relays traditionally signal the start of the autumn racing season, bridging the gap between the summer track & field programme and the winter cross-country campaign. The 2025 event was held in mid-September at Birkenhead Park, where it was the club’s youngsters who once again shone brightest. These relays provide valuable preparation for the Northern and National 6/4 Stage Relays. However, many of the senior squads – both men and women, take their end-of-season break at this time, so it was again the junior athletes who carried the flag for Sale Harriers — and they did so very impressively. The 2025 event proved to be one of their most successful, with almost every age group delivering excellent performances.
Congratulations to all the athletes, and sincere thanks to their coaches, team managers, and parents for their commitment and support. Here’s how they fared…
U15 Girls continued their dominance, retaining their Gtr. Manchester Gold and Silver medals.
U13 Girls built on last year’s gold medal performance. They not only retained their Gold medals but also won team Silver medals.
U15 Boys last year claimed their section’s first medals in three years (Silver). This year they went even better to win Gold.
U17 Girls produced arguably their best-ever performance improving from last year’s silver to this year’s Gold medals.
U11 Boys – Greater Manchester Gold & 4th in NW
U11 Girls – Greater Manchester Silver & 3rd in NW
U17 Men – Greater Manchester Silver & 10th in NW
U13 Boys – Greater Manchester Bronze & 8th in NW
Though many senior athletes did not take part in 2025 TONY DAVENPORT, ANDY CURVIS, ROB DUNN, AND JOSHUA ANDREW represented Sale Harriers for the first time in many years. Well done to them. The senior women have not competed in this event since 2022. Report by team Manager Fechin McCormick.
NORTHERN AUTUMN 6/4 & YOUNG ATHLETES ROAD RELAYS
Despite relentless rain, the Northern Road Relays were anything but a “damp squib” for Sale Harriers at the Northern 6/4 Road Relay Championships. Hosted by Leigh Harriers, the club produced several impressive performances — with the Under 15 Girls once again ‘top-notch’.
UNDER 15 GIRLS: Even with several squad members having moved up an age group, last year’s champions — whose ‘B’ team also claimed bronze in 2024 – continued to be simply brilliant. The ‘A’ team finished a strong 5th, driven by the ever-reliable and super talented trio of CAITHLIN WETTERS, MEGAN BOYER and BEATRIX SOPER, who came within just 12 seconds of the bronze medals. They may well have secured them had poor Caithlin not taken an early fall.
The ‘B’ team of ROBYN HEYWOOD-YOUNG, ISLA ANDERSON and MADDIE APPLEBY again rose to the occasion, bringing their ‘B’ team home first overall and, therefore, also awarded medals. Even more impressively, this section was the only club to field full ‘C’ and ‘D’ teams, highlighting the squad’s depth and commitment. Well done, coaches & parents.
WOMEN: The senior women were flying! LUCY ARMITAGE, CHLOE ELLIOT, OLIVIA BROWN and NICOLA MOYNIHAN raced superbly to finish 4th, the team’s best result since winning silver back in 2015. Their performance was just seconds away from the bronze medals and came close to dislodging long-standing powerhouses Leeds City and Salford Harriers from their usual podium places. Also impressively, Sale Harriers were the only senior women’s section to field full ‘B’, ‘C’ and ‘D’ teams, showcasing their depth and potential.
UNDER 17 GIRLS With several of last year’s U15 stars stepping up an age-group, the future looks bright for this age-group – and their results confirmed it. Their ‘A’ team of ISOBEL HALL, IMOGEN HILL and CHARLOTTE UNDERWOOD were top placed 5th – marking the best result for this age-group since before 1998, almost 30 years ago. Their ‘B’ team of PHOEBE CARROLL, HANNAH SQUIBBS and RUBYMAE LANGFORD also ran strongly, highlighting great depth within the squad.
UNDER 13 GIRLS again showed great consistency. The ‘A’ team finished 6th, a position in line with their performances over the past five seasons and the ‘B’ team were 17th. Well done to LUCY O’BRIEN, FLORENCE CONNOLLY, IMOGEN MORAN, CICELY COLDWELL, WILLOW FAWLEY, ERIN SOWERBYCROSS.
UNDER 13 BOYS were 10th place, the U15 BOYS 8th and the fact the U17 section turned out three teams for the first time in 20 years, is indicative of the development of this club section.
SENIOR MEN: Last year, the team acknowledged that their 12th place finish – their best since winning silver in 2019 – did not truly reflect their potential. Their 2025 aim was to rectify that!
Though NIGEL MARTIN, ALEX BRADFORD, STEPHEN HENDERSON, PHIL RICHARDSON, NICK TYNAN and SAM PENDRILL are all ‘fleet of foot’ and gave it everything against seriously strong opposition, the team was again outpaced by their Northern rivals. They finished 24th marking their most disappointing result in the club’s history of this championship. Report by Fechin McCormick.
NATIONAL AUTUMN 6/4 ROAD RELAYS
Two weeks after the Northern Road Relays, Storm Amy – with its torrential rain and 95mph gusts, threatened to wreak havoc at the National 6/4 Road Relays in Sutton Park, Birmingham. Fortunately, conditions held, and Sale Harriers fielded teams in all 14 age categories, including several ‘B’ teams, a credit to the dedication of team management and parents. The club’s standout performers were the senior women and the Under-15 Girls.
SENIOR WOMEN: Their 14th place was their best result since 2017 when they also placed 14th (You’ve to go back to 2006 for their next best result of 6th).
The star of the day was – once again, LUCY ARMITAGE, competing in her fourth consecutive National 4-Stage Championship. Taking the opening leg, she brought the team home in 4th, recording the 7th fastest stage of the day among Britain’s top runners. She was ably supported by OLIVIA BROWN and NICOLA MOYNIHAN, both of who had delivered the club’s best performance in a decade two weeks earlier at the Northern Championships. With CHIARA YOUNG stepping in for CHLOE ELLIOT, this quartet also proved both exciting and promising. The team also fielded a ‘B’ team, featuring other committed youngsters like SOPHIE ARMITAGE, MIA GIBBONS, and MEGAN TUCKER. With a growing number of bright, talented young females emerging in the club, the future looks promising……but they must get together and believe they’ve the power to win medals in major championships. Local rivals Vale Royal AC who were last year’s silver medallists, were crowned the 2025 champions. Leeds City continued their decade-long dominance and Sale Harriers were the 3rd Northern team.
U15 GIRLS: Thanks to typically great runs – yet again, by ROBYN HEYWOOD-YOUNG, MEGAN BOYER and BEA SOPER, the U15 girls ‘A’ team were an excellent 6th, matching last year’s result and equalling their section’s best performance in 17 years…long before any of them were born! They were also the 2nd Northern team and, once again, this age-group, impressively fielded ‘B’ and ‘C’ teams showcasing the great talent they have across all the squad.
YOUNGER AGE-GROUPS: Across all the younger age groups, most teams finished around the middle of the overall results, similar positions to recent years. Encouragingly, many managed to field at least two teams in each category.
SENIOR MEN: Two weeks after the men posted their most disappointing ever Northern 6-Stage result, they unfortunately followed it with their lowest ever finish in this championship – 49th out of 50 clubs! Report by Fechin McCormick.
NORTHERN AUTUMN XC RELAY CHAMPIONSHIPS
Two weeks after the National Road Relay Championships were the Northern XC Relays at Graves Park, Sheffield. Yet again Sale Harriers younger age groups were the club’s pride and joy especially the U15 Girls, U13 Boys and U11’s.
U15 GIRLS: They retained their Northern title thanks to ROBYN HEYWOOD YOUNG, MEGAN BOYER and BEA SOPER. Bea & Megan were also part of last year’s champions title. (Bea was even part of the U13 bronze-medal-winning team way back in 2022!). The team’s strength in depth was evident, with four complete teams competing — a testament to the section’s continued development…..and their ‘B’ team would have been even higher than 10th had poor GRACE HILL on the 2nd lap not been mistakenly held back for several seconds. Their U15 boy’s colleagues – GEORGE HORSFALL, OLIVER HOWELL, LENNY ALVES, 9th place was one of their better results in recent years and is encouraging for the future.
U13 BOYS: They produced a brilliant performance to claim their first Northern title since 2019. The young stars — CHARLIE HODGSON, ARTHUR O’HARE and JOSHUA HOWELL showed tremendous talent and teamwork to secure victory by just eight seconds over Keighley & Craven AC and Warriors Pentathlon AC. A fantastic result and a proud moment for this growing section and their coaching team DAVE MARSH, TRACY CAINE, ADAM MORAN & MATTHEW BEACOCK.
U11 BOYS & GIRLS: They also shone! The U11 Boys – JACOB RENSHAW, JUDE ROGERS and JOSHUA LEONG won magnificent silver medals and delivered their Primary Section’s best result in this championship since they won the silver medals way back in 2019. Even better, their ‘B’ team in 8th place was this section’s best ever ‘B’ team result! The U11 Girls — CONNIE SUMMERS, POPPY DOWLING and DARCEY DAVENPORT also ran superbly to finish 5th, their age-groups best result since 2022. These performances highlight how strongly the Primary section is currently thriving!
OTHER NOTABLE RESULTS: FLORENCE CONNOLLY, LUCY O’BRIEN and IMOGEN MORAN matched last year’s 8th place finish and the U15’s boys – GEORGE HORSFALL, OLIVER HOWELL and LENNY ALVES did very well to take their team from 15th last year to 9th (Next year, medals, lads!). Report by Fechin Mc Cormick.
NATIONAL AUTUMN XC RELAY CHAMPIONSHIPS
At the National XC Relay Championships in Mansfield, two weeks after the Northern XC Championships, yet again it was the younger age-groups who were brilliant, on this occasion the U15 girls, U13 boys and the U13 girls not far behind.
U15 GIRLS – 4th PLACE
The U15 girls’ team missed out on the Bronze medals by just one measly second – an agonizingly close finish. Had poor Bea Soper not tripped on the run-in, they would certainly have had their Bronze medals. The same talented trio of ROBYN HEYWOOD-YOUNG, MEGAN BOYER, and BEA SOPER, were once again superb. Just five seconds more and they would also have taken the silver medals from Chelmsford AC. This U15 squad has now finished 4th in 2024, 4th in 2023, and 5th in 2022, demonstrating admirable consistency.
U13 BOYS – 6th PLACE
This was a brilliant improvement from 17th last year and 19th in 2023 with CHARLIE HODGSON, ARTHUR O’HARE, and JOSHUA HOWELL, the same excellent trio who won the Northern title two weeks earlier. They recorded their section’s best result in this championship since 2010, when the club won the title !
U13 GIRLS – 11th PLACE
Another strong performance was the U13 girls’ team of FLORENCE CONNOLLY, LUCY O’BRIEN, and IMOGEN MORAN, who were 11th nationally — such a huge leap from 28th last year! This group is on the rise and showing signs of returning to their regular top-ten contention. These young groups also fielded ‘B’ and ‘C’ teams, showing their depth and development.
SENIOR WOMEN – 10th PLACE
The senior women delivered an encouraging performance in 10th place — signalling a welcome return to their top-ten form following ‘quieter’ seasons in 2022 and 2023. Special ‘Well done’ to ever-reliable LUCY ARMITAGE, a warm welcome return to MEGAN DAVIES, and great to have long-time club star IZZY BURKE representing the club at this national level
OTHER RESULTS
The U15 boys finished 30th and the senior men were 51st. Both these overall positions were within the top third of the national clubs who took part. Yet again, the U17 and U20 men and women were not represented – similar to many clubs across the country. Report by Fechin McCormick.
BRITISH MASTERS AUTUMN XC RELAYS
“The 2025 British Masters XC Relays at Long Eaton, Derbyshire proved to be yet another successful event for Sale Harriers. We were brilliantly represented with 5 (3-stage) women’s teams and one (5-stage) men’s team”. This was women’s team manager ANNE CHINOY’s headline on social media and it’s easy to see why! Her veteran teams won Sale Harrier’s three sets of medals – W35 Silver, W45 Bronze and W55 Silver, their best haul ever in this championship.
LAURA BARBER, JESSICA WALSH and RACHAEL ROZHDESTVENSKAYA were the strong ‘A’ W35 team. (Rachael & Jess were also a part of last year’s W35 Bronze medal-winning team). Laura gave them a flying start, passing the baton to Jessica thirteen seconds ahead of 2nd place and clocking the 4th fastest time of their W35 race. Jessica maintained the momentum with the 9th fastest leg before Rachael faced the daunting task of chasing Gemma Steel, international & former English National XC champion! Despite still recovering from her Berlin Marathon & Manchester Half marathon, as Gemma soared into the distance for Charnwood to win the title, Rachael ran the 3rd fastest W35 leg overall to secure the well-earned silver medals. The section again fielded a ‘B’ team, featuring solid runs from SARAH GOULDEN, SUZANNE SMITH and BELINDA HAMMOND. Suzanne and Belinda were both running down an age category. They were the first B team home in 8th place (up from last year’s 10th place).
HELEN ARMITAGE, ANNE CHINOY and HARRIET HAMILTON were the W45 team who repeated last year’s W45 bronze medal success with another team Bronze performance (this year, just 10 seconds behind second place)! All three were outstanding, running the race’s 7th, 8th and 9th fastest W45 stages overall. The W45 ‘B’ team of CAT JONES, birthday girl CARLA OUSEY and SINEAD FERGUSON also put in strong performances to finish in 10th place. This year marked Team Manager Anne’s eighth consecutive BMAF XC Relays and followed just 6 days after earning an individual W50 silver medal in The British Masters Marathon Championships. Her growing BMAF medal haul also includes team silver medals at the 2022 XC Relays (W45), 2022 Road Relays (W35), 2023 Road Relays (W45) and team bronze in 2024 XC Relay (W45). Helen also earned team silver on the 2022 & 2023 Road Relays teams and team bronze in the 2024 XC Relay team. Harriet also made up the 2022 Road Relays W35 silver medal team.
JACKIE CORDINGLEY, LYNDA ROWLINSON and HELEN REAGAN were the evergreens who won the W55 Silver medals…a tremendous achievement with Jackie dropping down an age-group. Jackie won an individual Silver medal for being 2nd fastest W65 of the day, an immense tribute to her enduring talent. Jackie ran the 4th fastest team W55 leg, and Lynda was 6th fastest. This was their section’s first-ever BMAF XC Championships medals.
JOSHUA ANDREW, DIMA ROZHDESTVENSKAYA, TIM KENNEDY, HECTOR CHINOY and RICHARD OUSEY formed a M35 team with Joshua getting the team off to a great start in 6th place. Though not the M35 team who captured the title last year, they all stepped up to represent the club on this National stage, led by team manager Glenn Savage. The competition in this event is particularly fierce and this year it was neighbouring club Salford Harriers who dominated, securing the top 2 positions with their A & B team. Report by Anne Chinoy and Fechin McCormick.
WINTER 2025/2026.
COUNTY XC CHAMPIONSHIPS
GTR. MANCHESTER
Once again, the club’s younger age groups delivered Sale Harriers’ greatest success at the Greater Manchester Cross Country Championships in Leigh with many of them winning selection to represent Gtr. Manchester at the Inter-county championships in March ’26. A huge round of applause, therefore to:
U13 Boys: Last year’s champions returned to the podium, claiming an excellent team silver medal. ARTHUR O’HARE also produced a superb performance to win individual silver.
U13 Girls: The U13 girls matched last year’s achievement by retaining their team silver medals, thanks to strong performances from FLORENCE CONNOLLY, ERIN SOWERBY-CROSS and MIA BRADLEY.
U15 Boys: A big clap on the back to GEORGE HORSFALL, OLIVER HOWELL, and LENNY ALVES. They always represented their section admirably and deserved their bronze medals.
U15 Girls: For the 3rd consecutive year, the club’s U15 girls were the undisputed stars of the championship! Their dominance continued with BEA SOPER retaining her U15 Title (adding to her double U13 championships). With similarly talented MEGAN BOYER winning the silver medal & MADELINE APPLEBY the bronze – they had a clean sweep of U15 individual medals. This trio easily retained their Gtr. Manchester title for the 3rd year running. Crossing the line in rapid procession behind them were ROBYN HEYWOOD-YOUNG, ISLA ANDERSON & CAITLIN WETTERS. They also retained their ‘B’ team silver medals. Within seconds of them crossing the line, followed by AMBER KHAN, BRIDGET FLYNN & EVE DOWLING. They narrowly missed out on repeating last year’s remarkable clean sweep of team Gold, Silver and Bronze.
U17 Boys & U17 Girls: ISOBEL HALL, PHOEBE CARROLL & CHARLOTTE UNDERWOOD lit a light of hope by winning team silver medals, their section’s best result since 2021. Whilst their fellow boys weren’t among the medals, CONOR Mc MANUS, MATT CULLEN-BROWN and MASSEY CUNNINGHAM are laying strong foundations for the future through their commitment and performances.
U20 Women & Men: After four years of competitive battles between Sale and Salford, the U20 women emerged as champions. This was thanks to SOPHIE ARMITAGE and the addition of talented sisters, NORA & NOUF ALDUAIJ, newcomers from Kuwait, alongside her. The U20 men did not field a team.
SENIOR WOMEN: LUCY ARMITAGE was once again the standout performer, continuing her outstanding year across track, road, and cross country. She retained her Greater Manchester individual title with an emphatic two-minute winning margin. With her colleagues MEGAN TUCKER and ANOUSKA BROOKE also running very well, they came very close to stopping Salford H &AC from retaining the title.
SENIOR MEN: For the 2nd consecutive year the men did not complete a team with several of the club’s leading athletes opting to compete at the Stockport ’10’ and Telford 10k. Had they chosen to challenge the three-time champions Salford Harriers & AC, the resulting battle would have been a thrilling contest—ideal preparation for the Northern and National Cross Country Championships and potentially enough to see Sale Harriers crowned Greater Manchester’s top club with nine sets of team medals.
MERSEYSIDE
Congratulations to PHIL ROBERTSON who won the Merseyside XC Title at the championships held at Sherdley Park, St. Helens. Hailing from West Kirby, this victory marks Phil’s 3rd senior title and he also has two silver medals under his belt. As one who’s also never been out of the top five finishers in this championship and taken part in every championship except one since 2012, he surely goes down in the annals of Merseyside’s XC championship as one of its most successful ever competitors. This was also his first race in four months following his marriage in August. Congratulations on both counts, Phil.
LANCASHIRE
Congratulations to NICOLA MOYNIHAN who also had a great day at the Lancashire Cross Country Championships. A middle distance specialist competing on a tough course at Townley Park, Burnley, Nicola did brilliantly to finish 6th in the senior race, a result that earned her selection for the Lancashire team at the Inter-County Championships in March 2026. She was also especially pleased that her friend Trafford’s Bethany Reid won the senior title, kicking with just 100m to go.
Nicola also has an impressive record in this championship! She’s competed in all 14 Championships since first taking part as an 11-year-old. Her 6th place finish ranks among her best ever performances to date.
CHESHIRE
At the Cheshire Cross Country Championships in Crewe, Sale Harriers’ youngsters delivered their strongest performances in many years, further highlighting their section’s continued development.
U13 GIRLS: The team was crowned champions thanks to outstanding runs from LUCY O’BRIEN, IMOGEN MORAN, and ISLA IGOE. Lucy was also awarded the silver medal for her typically strong race, finishing ahead of most of the boys.
U15 BOYS were also convincing team champions, with NOAH PHILIPPS winning the individual silver medal and continuing to demonstrate his impressive potential. Behind him, ARTHUR FORDYCE just missed the bronze medal, followed by JAKE HARRISON, who was also top placed. U13 BOYS: Unfortunately, JONTY FORDYCE and TOBY HARRISON did not have a third team member to complete a scoring team. Finishing 5th and 6th, respectively, they would otherwise have been comfortable champions. All of these athletes were selected to represent Cheshire at the Inter-County Championships in March.
CUMBRIA
At the Cumbrian Championships in Keswick, club newcomer CHARLIE HODGSON won the U13 silver medal – a very warm welcome to the club, Charlie. Charlie has an impressive record in this demanding championship. Last year he finished 4th and was the silver medallist in 2024, each year earning selection to represent his county at the Inter-County Championships. Report by Fechin McCormick.
NORTHERN XC CHAMPIONSHIPS
The 2026 Northern Cross-Country Championships took place at Pontefract Racecourse, renowned for its challenging, undulating, left-handed track. Sale Harriers’ thoroughbred fillies, colts, mares and stallions, as always, gave it their best in pursuit of titles, medals, prestige and pride. Again, a huge thank you to everyone who represented the club.
The U15 GIRLS convincingly retained their Northern Title: BEA SOPER, MEGAN BOYER, ROBYN HEYWOOD-YOUNG and GRACE HILL – along with their entire age group, immortalised themselves in Sale Harriers’ history by becoming the first-ever U15 Girls team from the club to retain this Northern title. Bea Soper also narrowly missed an individual bronze medal by just six seconds. Eleven of this section, showcased Sale Harriers – more than any other Northern club.
The Senior Men retained Bronze medals: Salford Harriers & AC were overwhelmingly dominant, retaining the Northern title, with their top four finishers all inside the top ten. Leeds City AC – last year’s silver medallists and champions in the two preceding years, were again unassailable in retaining silver. Against such formidable opposition, nothing more could be asked of MAX WHARTON, PHIL ROBERTSON, PAUL PETERS, ALEX BRADFORD, MATT BARNES and STEVE Mc CARRON than to retain their bronze medals.
The senior women finished 6th with an outstanding individual performance from Alice Wright, who won the silver medal. Although last year’s silver medallists and 2024 bronze medallists, the team of ALICE WRIGHT, NICOLA MOYNIHAN, CHIARA YOUNG, JESSICA WALSH and SARAH GOULDEN was again formidable and again were not far off the podium. It’s just that champions Vale Royal AC, silver medallists Salford H&AC and bronze medallists Leeds City AC were exceptionally strong and well clear at the front. Alice’s silver medal capped a sensational run and marked her finest hour yet in five years of consistency and commitment to the team.
The U13 Boys finished 4th, their best result since winning Bronze in 2022. ARTHUR O’HARE finished an excellent 7th and continues to be a cornerstone of this developing group. With JOSHUA HOWELL never far behind, supported by a growing squad that, on this occasion, had DANIEL TOPPING, YUSUF ELMI, JAMES WALSH and EDWARD MORAN, this section has more to come.
The U13 Girls were 6th & much improved due to LUCY O’ BRIEN’s typical front-running, recording her best ever position of 14th, followed by FLORENCE CONNOLLY, CICELY COLDWELL, ERIN SOWERBY-CROSS, WILLOW FAWLEY and MAIA BRADLEY. Despite the toughness of this major championship – certainly not for the faint-hearted, more inspiring than these young girl’s results is their resilience and the extent to which they give 100%, not just for themselves but for their team friends and their club. They make themselves proud!
The U15 Boys 5th was best in years. Again, this hard-working and steadily improving group showed great promise, thanks, on this occasion, to the efforts of GEORGE HORSFALL, NOAH PHILLIPS, JAKE HARRISON and CHARLIE HATTRELL.
The U17 Boys deserve special mention on their 8th : Whilst the club congratulates neighbours Trafford AC on winning this age-group for the 3rd consecutive year, ALEX FRASER, MATTHEW CULLEN-BROWN, CONOR Mc MANUS, MASSEY CUNNINGHAM continue to strengthen as a squad. Their result represents the section’s second-best finish in a decade, underlining their steady and promising progress. Report by Fechin McCormick.
MANCHESTER AREA CROSS-COUNTRY LEAGUE (MACCL)
The Manchester Area Cross-Country League (MACCL) runs from October through February with five monthly matches and is among the most reputable in the country for depth and the quality of competition. Sale Harriers consistently ranks among the region’s leading clubs across most of the fourteen age groups. As we clap for the most successful, let’s give a big ‘shout-out’ to those MACCL guys who work so hard to make this league so respected, competitive and valuable to clubs across the region. Our thanks also go to the host clubs, Sale Harriers’ officials, team managers and super-star volunteers…..and certainly not forgetting generous photographers.
U13 BOYS: The ‘A’ team, last year’s title holders, were 2nd with ARTHUR O’HARE the deserving individual champion. He led the overall winning team alongside TOBY HARRISON (6th) and CHARLIE HODGSON and JAMES WALSH regular top ten members.
U13 GIRLS: The ‘A’ team were 3rd with LUCY O’BRIEN, as always, the section’s front-runner. FLORENCE CONNOLLY and IMOGEN MORAN also had a great season with both top-placed.
U15 BOYS: The U15 Boys ‘A’ team retained their Bronze medals from last year with NOAH PHILLIPS ending a great season finishing equal 1st in the league. His top finishing colleagues – all promising runners were GEORGE HORSFALL, JAKE HARRISON and RUEBEN DUNN.
U15 GIRLS: The U15 Girls easily retained their MACCL title for the 3rd consecutive year with their ‘B’ team also highly placed 3rd overall. MEGAN BOYER was the MACCL champion and GRACE HILL secured the bronze medal, both showing much improved form. BEA SOPER was a convincing winner in the two races she contested. Other top overall finishers were ROBYN HEYWOOD-YOUNG, MADDIE APPLEBY, CAITLIN WETTERS, ISLA ANDERSON, AMBER KHAN and BRIDGET FLYNN.
U17 MEN: They were much improved placing 2nd team with both lads top-placed overall. MATTHEW CULLEN-BROWN and CONOR Mc MANUS are this age-group’s back-bone.
U17 WOMEN: Warriors was the only team to compete in at least four matches. PHOEBE CARROLL was the club’s flagship runner in this age-group. Well done, Phoebe.
SEN.WOMEN: Unassailable champions for the previous 5 years, the senior women relinquished their long-held title to Chorlton Runners to take the silver medals. This came after a battle royale throughout the five matches. CHLOE ELLIOT was Sale’s highest placed runner across the five matches but there were outstanding performances from ALICE WRIGHT who had a fantastic victory at Tatton Park and 2nd at Liverpool. AINE CUNNINGHAM was a magnificent 4th at Liverpool. NICOLA MOYNIHAM delivered two top class performances in two races finishing 4th and 7th and LAURA MARTIN, MEGAN TUCKER, JESS NUGENT, sisters NOUF & NORA ALDUAIG and HANNAH BROWN all contributed massively at the sharp end. Their ‘B’ & ‘C’ teams too, were locked in nip-n-tuck battles with Chorlton Runners. Sale’s ‘B’ team came out on top, thanks to ANOUSKA BROOKES, HEATHER HUGHES, SOPHIE ARMITAGE and CHIARA YOUNG. Veterans RACHAEL ROZHDESTVENSKAYA and ANNE CHINOY also were key contributors.
VET.WOMEN: As the senior women battled with Chorlton Runners, so also did the club’s veteran women but, in this case, Sale triumphed to retain the Division 1 title for the 2nd consecutive year. ANNE CHINOY, (who retained her 1st L50 status for the 3rd consecutive year), JESSICA WELSH, SARAH GOULDEN, HARRIET HAMILTON and JACKIE CORDINGLEY (who was 2nd L65 overall) were the back-bone throughout the series.
SEN.MEN: The senior men had held the MACCL title for the previous five years. This year, a super-strong Salford squad won all five matches and took the title across the River Irwell. Sale pushed them hard, with standout performances from PAUL PETERS, PHIL RICHARDSON, NICK TYNAN and BEN REES. Others played pivotal roles in one or more matches. NIGEL MARTIN was 2nd at both Woodbank and Tatton Park; ALEX BRADFORD, MAX WHARTON, GEORGE NOBLE and PHIL ROBERTSON really pressured Salford. Zippy veterans were also formidable – the likes of MATT BARNES, ROB DUNN, STEVE Mc CARRON, MARCUS NICHOLSON and ANDY CURVIS. Sale Harriers ‘B’ team and ‘C’ teams compensated for the ‘A’ team not retaining their title as both enjoyed victories!
VET.MEN: The veteran men finished 3rd behind Chorlton & Stockport but their ‘B’ and ‘C’ teams retained both league titles for the 3rd consecutive year. Individually, ROBERT DUNN was 3rd M40 across the series as was JOHN ARCHER in his M70 category. MATT BARNES retained his M45 title and AIDAN RAFTERY retained his M65 title for the umpteenth year. Report by Fechin McCormick.
NATIONAL XC CHAMPIONSHIPS – U15G BRONZE MEDALS!
The pinnacle of the cross-country season that began in October ’25, ended in February ’26 with the prestigious National XC Championships at Sedgefield in the wilds of the North-East where 4000 fearless, hardy runners in 10 age-groups – many the country’s best athletes, hauled themselves around character-building terrain, embracing mud and sporting club colours.
Sale Harriers most successful were again the U15 Girls who improved their 4th place last year to become the 2026 National Bronze medallists and delivered their section’s best result since they were the National XC Champions in 1999. BEA SOPER (16th), ROBYN HEYWOOD-YOUNG (36th) and MADDIE APPLEBY (50th) were – yet again, the very talented trio who’s top finishing positions last year were almost identical to this year, joined this year by MEGAN BOYER who massively improved from 121st last year to 37th . What a great year she’s ended, the recently crowned MACCL Champion!
All the other section’s positions were similar to 2025…
U13 GIRLS – Last year 10th . This year – 12th
U13 BOYS – Last year 15th . This year -13th
U15 BOYS – Last year 33rd from 34 teams. This year 25th from 28 teams
U17 GIRLS – 14th out of 14 teams. This year – no team
U17 BOYS – Last 2 years no team. This year 18th out of 18 teams.
U20 GIRLS – No team for 3rd consecutive year
U20 MEN – Last year 17th team. This year 14th team.
WOMEN – Last year 8th. This year 19th
MEN – Last year 17th team. This year 14th team & 6th Northern Team.
There were several outstanding performances among the top finishers:
U13 ARTHUR O’HARE improved from 95th last year to 28th this year
U15 GEORGE HORSFALL – improved from 234th to 25th this year.
U20 NAILAH CHRISTMAS – Massively improved in her 1st year U20.
WOMEN: NICOLA MOYNIHAN – top placed 47th & CIARA YOUNG top placed 100th .
MEN: BRHANE GEBREHEIM – was sensational! Top 10 for 9k and placed 24th in his 1st National. MAX WHARTON 43rd and ALEX BRADFORD 119th were also top placed. Report by Fechin McCormick. p
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- Calderdale 2025
