Great weekend this athletics wise and socially. Linda and I travel by car to this event and stay with friends in Shropshire, this makes it much more pleasant for us, and excuses my lads from competing in the YAL the following day, which I still maintain is too much for the kids to be expected to do. This year, I think that our journey to the half waypoint could only have been marginally better than the bus route. We hit every traffic jam through the roadworks on the A66; the M6 was fine …until we hit the floods and the crawling along for an hour. Then we turned off to get away from the M6 and went through Warrington, which was also flooded, and grid locked. When we hit the A449, the roads were clear, so we rang our hosts to tell them we wouldn’t be long, and an hour later rang them again from 2 miles up the road!!! There had been a serious accident, and ambulances and police had the traffic just about stopped. This truly was the journey from hell….hope the athletics is better!!

The next day journey was much better and we arrived at the sun-baked stadium shortly after the Baardman family, who were playing with a “rocket” in the car park. They had also traveled by car, but they were doing down and back in a day. Next to arrive was Kate Murphy’s’ mam and dad, who also arrived ahead of the bus. The bus arrived and everyone gathered together for the team photo in the new tops. Then, forward and in to competition.

The athletics seemed to be a higher level than normal, and I think there were more teams. This year there were seven areas represented, and Durham gave an excellent account of themselves, winning most of the groups and as a result winning the overall trophy.

Birtley, did not have as many winners as I expected on the track, with Robbie, Adrian, Kate, and the girlie relay team only managing second, and I had thought they were dead certs. Our Sophe continued her run of wins by comfortably winning the 800m, as did Paige with the 1500m. I don’t know how the jumpers did Ade didn’t win, and I think Paige was second in a jump off. Lorraine did say that Kayleigh had won the shot putt with a new PB to regain her under 11 title from last year. I don’t know how the other throwers did.

Last two years I have given the race of the day to Robbie Loraine, for the way he destroyed the field in the 800, and the following year his determination resulting in him breaking the national course record in the 800. This year (and I am a little biased) I give it to Adrian. To be honest whatever happened he would not have beaten the lad from Berkshire. He was cut up at the start, and ended up one hand on the ground stumbling along and after25 metres he was 5metres behind the next last person, but he kept going and after the first lap he was on the back of the pack, and he just worked his socks off on the second lap. On the second bend the Welsh lads edged him out to the third lane, and he battled all the way round and managed to finish second, well behind the winner, but well ahead of the third place runner. Well-done Ade.

Everything seemed to have run smoothly, there did seem to be a shortage of officials though as Steph ended up team manager for four teams. Unless I missed anything, we only seemed to have three other officials in Dave Howell, Maggie, and Janet. A shame really though, because as everything went so smoothly it meant events just rolled along and the officials didn’t get a rest at all.

Generally speaking, a good weekend spoiled only by the traveling down….oh yes, and on the way back we got caught in the traffic from Oulton Park where there had been a saloon car rally which held us up for half an hour again.

Oh yes and our favourite athlete from Chester (Tracy Laws) could not make it.