Athletics
TEESDALE AC was well represented at this year’s Great North Run.
Erica Dixon (running for Marie Curie), Gail Foster (Parkinson’s Uk), Louise Franks, Dave Palmer, Fiona Turnbull (Parkinson’s Uk) and Joanne Wall were all very efficiently delivered to and from this the event by Dave from Hodgson’s.
This was the 40th Great North Run, as last year’s was cancelled due to Covid and began with a very well organised staggered start and a different finish, on the Town Moor rather than South Shields seafront.
This meant we got to run over the iconic Tyne Bridge twice and enjoyed two fly pasts by the Red Arrows.
The route was out and back and it was very moving to see the billboard celebrating the efforts of Barnard Castle fundraiser Honia Bor.
The route was quite undulating near the end, taking us past the Monument and Blackett Street right into the city centre.
As usual there was fantastic public support cheering us along the way as well as some interesting costumes, including the three little pigs, a giraffe, Mario & Luigi and a rather large dog.
This was Dave’s 20th Great North Run and he came in with a very respectable 2h34mins, given he hadn’t trained since tearing a hamstring. It was Gail and Erica’s first Great North Run and they came in at 2h50mins and 2.03 respectively. Louise ran 2.20, Joanne 2.32 and Fiona 2.54 despite a knee injury.
Also running from the club were Lesley Chapman, Clare McGrath, Mandy Harrison and Tilly McAllister but their times weren’t available at time of writing.
Thanks very much to the support crew Judith Rodwell and Peter Dixon.
Fiona Turnbull
