NEHL Eltringham Farm, 10th October 2026

This venue was only introduced into the Harrier League in March at the end of last season, so it was a quick return to this scenic spot overlooking the Tyne Valley. Having missed it then due to injury, I asked numerous people what the course was like and the word most commonly used was “brutal”. Mud and losing shoes in “the pond” were also talking points, but at least we could expect better conditions underfoot this time around after our very dry summer. The weather still did its best to make life hard for the runners, with the wind being so strong that we weren’t allowed to put up the club tents! The wind also meant changeable skies from brilliant blue to heavy rain and back again – so the lack of a tent was felt by those there for the junior races (luckily we arrived during the shower and sat it out in the car).

The first involvement for Claremont was with Christopher Bell running in the under 14s. Christopher was straight into the action. Still only 11, he is very much at the younger end of this field, so faces tough competition from older boys. Our other junior, Charlotte Kerr, at least had time for a warm-up before her under 14 race, where she put in her usual strong performance.

We had an excellent turnout of 13 women for the ladies race, including a cross-country debut for Katherine Bell. Rose Hawkswood is running well at the moment and she showed her form in being first Claremont Road Runner home. As ever, Sarah Kerr moved through the field from the fast pack to be our second counter, with Nina Jensen and Cate Walker-Johnson completing the ‘A’ team on the day.

It was also a much improved turnout for the Claremont men, with 8 runners meaning that we had a bit of leeway as opposed to the 4 who just about made a team at Thornley Hall Farm. Delaying ourselves slightly to take a team photo, we found ourselves grouped near the back of the bunch as we waited for the start – note for next time: this is not a good tactic on this course!

Then we were off and I was about to get my first taste of the brutal Eltringham Farm. In truth, I was about to experience a course that had a bit of everything – a field recently vacated by a herd of diarrhetic cows; a short muddy stretch followed by rutted, uneven ground; narrow woodland paths; gravelly trails; gates; a one-person-at-a-time bridge; steps; a tunnel; tree trunks to jump over; hills; stiles and more hills to finish the lap. Then repeat and repeat again before stumbling over the line, completely knackered! So all in all, an interesting and challenging course!

I had planned to start steadily as I wasn’t sure how I would last the distance, but in fact I had no choice. The field hadn’t thinned out before, stepping carefully through the rutted section, we reached the narrow path where at times we were running slowly in single file, and I was even slowed to a walk for a few metres, Then came the bridge! It was a surprisingly patient and well-behaved group of runners who waited their turn to clip-clop over the bridge (the lack of a troll was a bit disappointing!). I actually gained a few spaces by approaching on the left of the crowd, and overtook Phil World (making his debut in a Claremont vest), though he passed me again shortly after. This is where starting near the front would have been a great help. First lap over, I knew what to expect – so I should have taken more care through the aforementioned rutted section, instead of catching my foot in one of them which brought me crashing to the ground. Of course my dodgy knee bore the brunt of it, but I soon got going again and it was only at the end that I realised the extent of my cuts and grazes (nothing serious, I hasten to add, and thanks for all the concern shown by my team mates.)

It was a good race for the honour of first Claremonter home, with Laurie Johnson powering past Till Weber on the final bend. Dave Nolan and Mark Anderson made up the quartet of counters.

Then it was cake time, with the usual extravagant spread being most welcome. And we didn’t even have to take the tent down. Roll on Lambton in a couple of weeks.

Under 14 Boys
Position	Runner	Time
76	Christopher Bell	21:26

Under 14 Girls
Position	Runner	Time
17	Charlotte Kerr	15:42

Women
Position	Runner	Time
78	Rose Hawkswood	35:07
138	Sarah Kerr	36:40 (Fast pack, actual time 31:40)
172	Nina Jensen	37:42
182	Cate Walker-Johnson	38:05
202	Anna Round	38:52
218	Lucy Keating	39:52
228	Lauren McQuillan	40:18
282	Gill Milne	44:07
286	Jenny Roberts	44:21
297	Katherine Bell	46:11
314	Ann Smith	48:50
320	Maria Oranges	51:00
328	Silvia Velastegui-Cortez	56:45

Men
Position	Runner	Time
155	Laurie Johnson	45:15
160	Till Weber	45:23
191	Dave Nolan	46:21
206	Mark Anderson	47:01 (Medium pack, actual time 44:32)
283	Philip World	51:06
303	Tom Tinsley	52:10
356	Mark Flynn	56:22
357	David Lydall	56:36