Morpeth Harrier triumphs on Teesside

Posted by Graeme Whitfield on Sep 22, 08 05:24 PM in Sport

Ian Hudspith warmed up in style for the BUPA Great North Run with a win in yesterday's fourth running of the Tees Pride 10k in Middlesbrough.

The Morpeth Harrier, who celebrates his 38th birthday tomorrow, led throughout to win by 34 seconds from fellow internationals Steve Hepples and Mark Hood.

Ian Hudspith

Close to 3,000 competitors, including Steve Cram, back home after a long stint in Beijing and running for fun, lined up, with Hudspith immediately setting out his stall to lead the field from the gun.

Through the first kilometre, reached in 3min 7secs, there was a leading group of seven, but a kilometre later it was down to four with Hudspith being shadowed by two-time winner Hepples, Hood and Scotsman John Newsom.

Despite some good recent results by Hepples, Hudspith wasn't messing and in the next kilometre first Newsom, who will be back in the region in two weeks to made his half-marathon debut in the GNR, and Hood began to find the pace too hot.

Hepples managed to stay in touch until the 4k point, but another surge by the Newcastle schoolteacher eventually broke his main rival and, when the half-way point was reached in 14:40, Hudspith had opened up a significant gap of around 40 metres.

For the second half of the race, Hudspith cut a lone furrow and, though he slowed slightly in the final two kilometres, he came home to rousing cheers and was only seven seconds outside the course record set by Morpeth team-mate Martin Scaife.

Hudspith, who picked up a check for £300 for his efforts, said he was pleased with his performance so close to the GNR.

"It was a good confidence boost going into the GNR even though I tired a bit on the run to the finish," he confessed.

"It's the first time I've ran here and wasn't quite sure of what the course was like so to beat Steve who has won the race twice, is pretty good."

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