Congratulations to Rafferty who won the English Schools 800m for Intermediate Boys (year 10 and 11) on Saturday 13 July in a time of 1:55.93.
(thanks to David Wild for permission to use the photo)
Rafferty is a member of Skyrac A C but was a member of Valley Striders for just under 18 months in 2018/19.
2023 and 2024 have been a great couple of years for him
- May 2023 Yorkshire U17 800m champion 1:59.59
- June 2023 West Yorkshire Schools U17 800m champion 1:55.16
- July 2023 English Schools U17 800m 8th
- January 2024 Northern Indoor U17 400m bronze 51.91
- May 2024 Yorkshire U17 800m champion 1:59.86
- May 2024 BMC 800m at Trafford 1:53.04 (PB)
- June 2024 West Yorkshire Schools U17 800m champion 1:58.35
- July 2024 English Schools U17 800m champion 1:55.93 (also 1:54.66 in heats)
- July 2024 representing English Schools v Ireland v Scotland v Wales U17 800m runner-up 1:52.15 (PB)
Rafferty joined Valley Striders in late summer 2018, that year competing in 2 track and field meetings at York, all 4 West Yorkshire XC League and all 5 Peco XC League.
In 2019 he probably did more competitive events than any other V S junior – 2 indoor track & field at Sheffield, the National XC at Harewood, 9 track & field meetings at Cleckheaton, Wakefield and York (generally doing 200m and 800m but also trying long jump, high jump and discus), a member of the winning older boys team at the Golden Acre Relay and 3 more West Yorkshire XC.
At the end of 2019 we were sad to see him leave to join Skyrac but we knew he would get better coaching there particularly for track, and so it proved!
Below is a picture from March 2019 receiving his award for best age-graded % at parkrun or junior parkrun in autumn/winter 2018/19 – 7:26 at Bodington junior parkrun aged 10 for 77.7%.
The other runner in the picture, Abigail Kingston, was competing in the shot put in the ESAA championships. At the Yorkshire Championships she had been runner up in the U15 shot and also won the javelin. She now competes for Leeds City A C.
