Looking Back on 2024

2024 has been a fantastic year for the Club.

With the track at Trafford closed we hosted a number of their open meetings and for the first time in the club’s history, we welcomed the British Milers Club to Bury seeing some unbelievable racing. This included Italian Olympian Ossama Meslek setting a track record over 800m of 1.46.94 – and in that race Scot Jamie Phillips set a new Scottish U20s record of 1.47.46 over the distance. We saw USA star Cooper Teare set a new BMC record of 3.33.95 over 1500m at a meeting that saw over 30 overseas athletes competing in Bury. We also saw a World Best for a 15 year old when Salford’s Evan Grime ran the mile in 4.05.48. It goes to show we are blessed with a really fast track! The BMC have already confirmed they will be back in Bury for 2025.

We also hosted the Greater Manchester championships and held our series of Bury AC Mini League meetings for young athletes.

We have seen for members pick up international vests in 2024. Anna Gisbourne made her England debut in Belgium running 800m indoors. Sadly her season has been blighted with injury and we wish Anna a full recovery. Jay Cook made the England team for an U20 representative match in Eton competing in the shot. Craig Sykes was selected for England Masters in the Manchester Half Marathon and Luke Harreld represented Great Britain over 800m in the World Masters championships in Sweden.

2024 has seen some fantastic performances from our combined events athletes. Jay Cook, Jemima Miles and Oliver Cooper are competing at the very top level in their events.

We have also see some great performances from our hurdlers. Peter Gardner had a great season over 400 hurdles making the English Schools and Evie Elliott and Jemima Miles continue to perform brilliantly at sprint hurdles.

In middle distance running we are seeing real strength in depth developing athletes. Ethan Statham who has had another superb year over the track and cross country. Lucy Dent made the Greater Manchester Team for the England Schools and our seniors are going from strength to strength, we have Martin Clark, Ben Coop, Christian Peters, Sinead Taylor and Alia Braithwaite all performing well. Both senior teams qualified for the National Road Relays and we have another brilliant season at the Red Rose Cross Country League with team victories for the under 11 girls and the senior women.

 It has also been a superb year for our field eventers. Ben Clarke ranks 4^th in the UK in the javelin for Under 15 and Oliver Cooper is also 4^th in the pole vault for the same age group. Lucy Hill has made great progression with the hammer, winning the Greater Manchester Schools senior girls competition.

Our membership has grown steadily over the year and we have over 420 members. It’s great to see our development group growing in numbers.

It was also great to see our volunteers celebrated at the England Athletics NW Regional Awards – with Byron Edwards club leader of the year, Clare Devine New Volunteer of the Year and Fiona Healy runner up in the Coach of the Year.

Let’s see what 2025 will bring!