So the track and field season has finally begun, marking the end of another cross country season and happy news for our washing machine! Both our boys take part in both, although track and field is their favourite type of running. This season it's all about times and seeing if they can beat their personal best times.
We had a great day out at Clairville Stadium, Middlesbrough on Sunday as they took part in the last ever Cyril Elliott Open Track and Field Meeting. Sadly after 50 years, Clairville Stadium has been marked for closure by the council due to budget cuts and is to be replaced by planned new facilities nearby.
The weather certainly wasn't kind to us on the afternoon, which is when both boys races were scheduled for. Although I'm thrilled to say both boys gained a PB time and our eldest won his under 17's 1500m race with a time of 4 minutes 31 seconds, our youngest ran his under 15's 200m race and gained his PB time of 28.49 secs.
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| Oldest son taking his second lap in the 1500m |
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| Youngest son in the 200m nearing the finish line |
This is the fourth outing for the boys on the track this season the 1st was at Shildon for the Anne Read Memorial meeting in April, where our eldest son won a bronze medal in the 800m. The other two meetings were part of the North Yorkshire South Durham league with 4 meetings to go. Our youngest son has recently competed for his school at Clairville Stadium and ran a 300m PB of 45.1 secs.
Hopes are high to continue with their improved times and our eldest son is hoping to achieve National Standard times in order to compete in the English Schools National championships and in order to do this he has entered the North Eastern Track competition.
Wearing suitable sportswear is key to results and can also be expensive, from training wear to running kits and that's not before you start to consider running shoes for both Cross Country and Track and Field. The boy's have been testing out the latest editions to their kit -
Nike Filament Running Tights,
Nike Miller Dri-Fit UV Long Sleeve Running Top,
Nike Filament Running Shorts and
Nike Dri-Fit No Show Running Socks, all of which are reduced between 10-20% off at
SportsShoes.com.
First response from both boys were that they were 'cool' which I think translates into extremely stylish. Not only are they comfortable to wear they felt that it made them feel and look more professional too. Due to the fit of the shorts and tights both boys commented on how it made them feel warmer yet the material did not make either of them sweat or itch while running which can be a problem with some clothing. As you can see from the picture above the reflective parts of the clothing works really well even against a camera flash. The running top also got the thumbs up with it being lightweight, loose and comfortable. The socks were much better than the normal running socks they wear, much more cushioning and very comfortable to wear although they did feel that they slipped down while they were running so maybe next time we will try the quarter length.
All the new kit can be found over at SportsShoes.com they sell all the leading brands and you can easily manage to find what you need there. At the moment there are some fantastic 50% off finds!!
Both sons also enjoy representing their running club, Billingham Marsh House Harriers, the competition from the other club members really help them progress. Of course there is also the social side of being part of a club with different events being held and how they all support each other in their relative races.
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| Training in the new kit |
History of The Cyril Elliott Open Track & Field Meeting
Cyril was a popular figure amongst the younger members of the club who he coached and benefited from his expertise, he was the only member of the club then called Mandale Harriers to be awarded life membership, and passed away in 1986 at the age of 63.
The new training kit was sponsored by
SportsShoes.com in exchange for our thoughts and honest review
Sharon x
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As always, we arrived early and was blessed by a beautiful sunny day, although not ideal weather for athletes. I was especially looking forward to some of the field events like the Javelin, Pole Vault and Long Jump.
