And so this years Cross Country event has started off with a bang. In Stewart park in Middlesborough, families, running clubs and friends gathered to support today's runners.
The weather was breezy but sunny and the grass was short, so no high knees (thank god!)
The route was a winding course through the park, with some sneaky inclines which made you work for them and as always with grass running, it was quite a challenge!
1st off the under 10s/12s boys & girls including HARCs own George and Ezra. Strong running from the pair of them over the 2K course.
Next came the under 14s Boys & Girls and then under 16s.
Then came the U18, U20 Sen and Vet ladies plus U18 Boys and over 65 Vet Men for a 6Km two lapper of the park. Fantastic efforts from Sam, Louis, Jade, Lindsey, Jess and Eve.
Last but not least the U20 Senior and Vet Men V40 to V60 with a tough 9km 3 laps...
20 sessions completed, and what a season it has been! Our junior athletes have worked incredibly hard, developing their technique across running, jumping and throwing, and it’s been fantastic to watch their confidence and skills grow.
But it wouldn’t be HARC without the personalities, the laughs and, of course, the cheeky comments that came along with every session! 😂❤️ Every single junior brought something special to the group, and they’ve made these sessions an absolute joy.
We finished the season in the best way possible, with the parents getting involved too and what a blast we had! 🙌
The final session was topped off with three very proud coaches presenting certificates to each and every athlete, celebrating all their hard work, progress and commitment throughout the season. 🏅👏
20 sessions. So many memories. Plenty of laughs. And a whole lot of proud coaches! ❤️
Well done, everyone — what a brilliant season! 🎉...
What a fantastic day we had at Catterick Athletics Track for our very first club sports day! It may have been cold, but we were lucky enough to dodge the rain and spirits were high throughout.
We welcomed adults and juniors alike – club members and non-members – to compete in a brilliant mix of traditional athletics disciplines and fun challenges.
Everyone had great fun competing in:
100m sprint
4 x 100m relay
Long jump
Javelin
Shot put
And the more adventurous events proved very popular, with lots of laughter echoing around the track…
The Croc-throwing competition was Michelle’s favourite… even though she wasn’t allowed a fire pit to aim for!
The tug of war saw some epic battles and a few grass-stained bottoms!
There was fierce competition for the top spot in the three-legged race… and, miraculously, nobody fell over!
The egg and spoon obstacle challenge was trickier than it looked and the eagle-eyed officials were handing out time penalties for those...
From 1st April 2026, the age groups for UK Athletics are changing. This post sets out the new groups, competition regulation distances, weights and sizes, and the anticipated progressions.
Age Groups
The age groups themselves are switching from largely odd numbered ages (U13, U15, U17 and U20) to even numbers age groups (U12, U14, U16, U18, U20). The table below shows how school years map to age groups:
The 'cut-off' date for everyone up to U18 will be 31st August. This means the athletes age on the 31st August determines the age group they compete in for the whole season that follows.
Event Progressions
With these changes, the distances, weights and sizes of the events have be realigned. The tables below show the competition progressions for track & field, cross-country, and endurance events:
Hurdles
In addition to the above, the following specifications apply for hurdles:
Steeplechase
In addition to the above, the following specifications apply for steeplechase:
Throws
In addition to the above, the following specifications apply for throws:...
For the third consecutive year, our members have assembled a crew of ‘HARC Hydras’ for the Scarborough Dragon Boat Challenge. The squad of 17, plus supporters, enjoyed a brilliant day out at Yorkshire Water Park, paddling against 19 other teams, all raising money for their chosen charities.
HARC paddled on behalf of Dementia Forward, a charity which provides support and advice for those living with dementia across North Yorkshire, helping them to live well and stay connected with their communities. So far, the team has raised £651 via their fundraising page. Thank you to everyone who has contributed to that super total. If you’d like to add to this, you can still make a donation here: https://scarboroughcavaliersrotary.enthuse.com/pf/harc-x-dementia-forward.
The event was initially blessed with sunny weather as the teams gathered on the lakeshore. The HARC Hydras took part in three races, each comprising four boats, with two second place finishes and one third. This placed them mid-table by the end of the competition,...
Our athletes have started 2024 with a bang! Team HARC have taken on a wide variety of events since the start of January and we are proud of every single result.
Firstly, a special mention to Victoria Maidwell for her fantastic performance at the Shakespeare Marathon, earning her a PB of 03:56:55. Victoria shows incredible commitment to her training, working extremely hard to push herself for every new challenge. Huge congratulations on breaking through the sub-4 hour mark, Victoria – we look forward to seeing you smash your next targets!
Joanne Sinnott has continued her passion for ultra-distance events with a 50 mile run from Manchester to Liverpool. Jo relishes the kind of distances most of us only dream of… or perhaps have nightmares about! Huge well done, Jo – you are a machine!
There was a great HARC turnout for this year’s Thirsk 10 Mile and Lightwater Valley 10k events, which fell on the same day. These are two very different events...
You may well ask 'What goes on at HARC, aside from intervals and the regular Thursday social runs?" The answer is: C25K support runs and graduation, parkrun milestones, marathon/ultra training runs, competing at Lightwater Valley 10K and Thirsk 10 miles, and the NYSD relays at Darlington South Park to finish off the Xcountry season. Phew! Aren't you glad you asked?...
Every days a school day, well it is on track night! Huge thanks to Chris Lees for another great session. It was great to see the psychology of running applied on the track, hopefully it will give you all something to reflect on. Team Caterpillar & Hambleton Athletics & Running Club a great club collaboration...
By Ruth Hancock.
Since our last report, members of Hambleton Athletics and Running Club have been very busy achieving a variety of personal goals and working hard to raise funds for charity.
Phill Heward became HARC’s first recipient of a club place at the London Marathon. Phill was really happy to finish in 4hr 10 min. He said “It was every bit as tough as I expected but even more enjoyable than I’d hoped. Thanks to all for the encouragement and to HARC for the opportunity.”
Graham Finlay achieved a huge milestone of 200 Parkruns in April and chose his favourite at Fountains Abbey to host this momentous occasion. As ever, HARC members turned out in force to support him and celebrated with a special cake in the café afterwards.
At the Kieran Maxwell Memorial event in Middlesbrough, junior shot putter Harvey Wilkinson secured the top spot with a personal best throw of 11.38m and edges closer to the UK top 20 as a...
There has been much to celebrate this autumn, with club members taking part in a huge array of races and events. Whilst we put enjoyment at the heart of what we do, often with the mantra “no such thing as too slow”, we also recognise the importance of celebrating the achievements of those who enjoy challenging themselves to go “faster, higher, stronger”. To that end, here are some particularly noteworthy performances for which huge congratulations are extended:
Harvey Wilkinson is going from strength to strength, winning the U17 shotput in the Gateshead Indoor Series, having just moved up an age category – outstanding achievement!
Joanne Sinnott tackled the Tadcaster 10 Mile and the Yorkshire Marathon, achieved course Personal Bests for both – fantastic!
Craig Keedy came 10th overall at the Dalby Dash and finished in 2nd place at the Bridlington Half Marathon. Not satisfied with silver though, he absolutely stormed the course at the Gunpowder Plot 10k and took home the overall winner’s trophy – what a start to the season!
Michael Hollinshead smashed his previous course PB at Arrachar 10k, knocking an incredible 7 minutes off his previous time,...
