Grand Prix 2012 will start in March,
with the first counting race the Wallington Half Marathon on the 25th March,
closely followed by the Blyth 10k the following weekend and the North Tyneside 10k the weekend after.
A full list of qualifying fixtures can now be found on the Grand Prix pages on the website.

Please note that the races are now grouped into three categories, A, B or C;
you will need one qualifying race in each of the three categories by the end of the season.
One Park Run in category A may be counted.

Scores will now be calculated using Age Graded tables.
A copy of the formula used to do this can be found online
This will ensure that you can choose your best performances,
irrespective of the number of other Harriers competing.

New Grand Prix Rules

Please can we encourage as many of you as possible to take part this year:
the Grand Prix is aimed at encouraging participation by members of
Morpeth Harriers in a good variety of local races and ensuring a high standard of competition.
You can sign up on the noticeboard in the club house or by sending your details to the website.

Finally, a big thanks once again to Pam and Tony Woodcock
for six years of sponsoring the Grand Prix and a warm welcome
to Phil Walker who is now stepping into the breach.

The clear winning margins of Paul Waterston and Marie Drodzowicz
at the top of the Grand Prix tables for 2011 will come as no surprise
to those who have kept an eye on last year’s results.

Paul set his stall out at Blyth back in April and was never thereafter off the top of the table,
with 14 points his lowest scoring count in the club handicap race at Lancaster Park in December.

Behind him, it was good to see Rob Hancox rewarded for his hard work
and persistence throughout the year with a clear second place,
his best performances coming towards the end of the year – perhaps when he was free of tent duties.

Phil Walker in third place overcame injuries picked up in London Marathon training
to pick up enough points to pip Norman Clark – who himself moved up to the Vet 60 category
during the year and had a string of good results.

Behind them, Mike Winter, Fergus Bates, Hamish McCallister-Williams
and Peter Scaife all had seasons affected by injury.

Marie, meanwhile, had a storming season and only missed one race,
the Elswick Cup – when she was in her own words, ‘disappointed to be on holiday’.
Even she will admit, however, that her handicapping in December was a tad generous.

Behind her, Jane Briggs, like Rob in the Men’s,
raced competitively throughout the year but just couldn’t close the gap.

Though their priorities are probably elsewhere, Jane Hodgson
and Kate Chapman put in enough races to finish third and fourth –
although in Jane’s case she was usually the leading lady home.

Thanks must go to Pam and Tony Woodcock for their
generous sponsorship of the Grand Prix for the last six years.
In Pam’s case, she will now be able to focus on at least a top three finish, we hope!

Arrangements for the presentation and the highlight of the Morpeth Harriers
social season, the awards night, will be announced shortly.

Mens Final Results

Womens Final Results

The aim of the Grand Prix competition is twofold: to provide a good standard of competition
within the club while also ensuring high levels of participation by Morpeth Harriers in local races.

After six years of successful sponsorship by Pam and Tony Woodcock Planning Consultants,
this year’s event sees Phil Walker, Chartered Financial Planner, stepping into the breach,

and after a lot of discussion, the format is being adjusted to include
a greater number of races and age-graded scores.

This should mean that you will get a score for the quality of your performance
which is irrespective of how many other members turn out,
and you won’t be looking anxiously over the start line to see
how many of your fellow club runners are participating !
In addition, as age-graded tables are being used,
the competition will now be open to all senior male and female members
who have signed up to take part, whether veterans or not.

The range of races is also being expanded.
Although this will mean more races to choose from –
including your best Park Run of 2012 for the Saturday morning early birds –
the number of races you will have to include to count is being reduced
from its present figure of 10 down to 6.

This means you shouldn’t have to race all the year round and,
if you are unfortunate enough to pick up an injury,
you will still have time to make the requisite number.

Click here to see list of 2012 GP Races

In the meantime, please do think about taking part in 2012.
The first race in the Grand Prix will be the Northumberland Half on 25th March,
so you have plenty of time to get training.

You will of course need to sign up for this year’s competition –
which is free to enter – and we will need dates of birth for the scoring system to work.

Get the ball rolling now by emailing the club with your details
or signing up in the club house soon.

Grand Prix update – 3 races to go !

Click here for Latest Mens Tables
Click here for Latest Womens Tables
With 12 of the 15 races in the Male Veterans and Women’s Grand Prix now completed,
there are only three opportunities to add to your points total: Brampton to Carlisle in November,
the Norman Woodcock in December (if it takes place this year – it has been cancelled for the last two)
and the Club Handicap.

With ten races to count, runners are approaching the point where
they can drop a low scoring race or, indeed, have now completed 10.

Paul and Marie remain clear leaders in their respective competitions,
with Rob Hancox and Jane Briggs in second place.

There have been some alterations of positions.
These are usually because you haven’t been credited with being
a member of the club, and so have been overlooked when the points have been allocated
(as happened to Shuna at the North Tyneside);
in the case of Blaydon, it was because the print was so small !

For corrections, queries and clarifications,
please email me
or speak to me at the clubhouse.

Marie Drozdowicz had been the only competitor male or female to complete all possible races
till last Wednesday, when she missed out on the Elswick Cup through holiday.
Again, like Paul she has a clear lead with both Janes in strong second and third places.

So far, 63 club members have taken part in 9 races,
with similar numbers of male and female members;
the next race is our own Morpeth 10k on Tuesday,
for which entries can be taken on the night.

Ladies Grand Prix Table

Veteran Men Grand Prix Table