Club Ethos & History

Gateshead Harriers and Athletics Club promote a safe and enjoyable environment for the provision of athletic activities for eight year old children through to adults of all ages, we even have a mini athletics club for ages 5-7. The club is evolving a progressive coaching structure which supports the principles of the UKA model for athlete development. The model highlights the requirement for athletes to possess the range of skills and attributes appropriate to their current stage of development. Athletes who enter the sport at an advanced age are encouraged to be trained to address key deficiencies in order to reach their full potential. Based at Gateshead International Stadium, the club provides opportunities for Road Running, Cross Country and Track and Field, most training is on Tuesday and Thursday evenings. Although we are happy to train athletes who simply enjoy the pleasure of participation, we are actively involved in local and national competition programmes enabling opportunities to compete at various levels Our club works hard to ensure that we are representative of all members of the local community and that members are able to access our services within a framework of equal opportunity for all.

From Dirt Track – To Glory … A Story of Gateshead Harriers

From Dirt Track to Glory was published in 1976 and written by Stan Long and Andrew Merrill.
Stan Long was an exceptionally talented coach dedicating decades of his life to coaching Gateshead Harriers endurance athletes among others.
When Stan passed away, Gateshead Harriers Annual Tartan Games hosted the inaugural ‘Stan Long Mile’ which continues annually as part of the North East Track League.
The book follows the club from it’s early beginnings in 1904 up to the beginning of the club making a huge impact on the National Endurance scene in the 70′s and has biographies on many of the club’s big personalities and International superstars of the time.… look out for our then 18year old very young and long haired former Chair making several appearances!

If you have any information that we will be able to use to keep expanding on the club history section then please get in touch!

Click on the picture to download and open a fantastic book written in 1976 about the History of Gateshead Harriers up to that date… you may recognise some familiar faces:

Extract from the Gateshead Harriers Handbook:

A Tonic

If you think you are beaten, you are;
If you think you dare not, you won’t;
If you like to win, but don’t think you can,
It’s almost a cinch you won’t.

If you think you’ll lose, you’re lost;
For out in the world you’ll find
Success begins with a fellow’s will
It’s all in a state of mind.

For many a game is lost
Ere even a play is run,
And many a coward fails
Ere even his work is begun.

Think big and your deeds will grow,
Think small and you’ll fall behind;
Think that you can and you will;
It’s all in a state of mind.

If you think you are out classed, you are;
You’ve got to think high to rise;
You’ve got to be sure of your self before
You can ever win a prize.

Life’s battles don’t always go
To the stronger or faster man,
But sooner or later, the man who wins
Is the fellow who thinks he can.