Ilkley Harriers news archive 2024
Leeds Evensplits 5k – Wed 27 Mar
Wed 27 Mar 2024
The Evensplits 5k series started again last month and offers 10 monthly races over the year (February to November) on the Brownlee cycle circuit at the Bodington Playing Fields. Just three Harriers toed the starting line this month on a very cold and breezy night. With the temperature down to 2 degrees there was a black ice warning! I had entered the day before feeling ‘on form’ by my standards and hoped I might be able to have a good run. Whilst the legs felt good going round I was disappointed to be nowhere near my PB which I ran on the same course exactly a year ago. Still, I ‘enjoyed’ racing short and fast on the road as a change from my more usual ultra running. Nice to catch up with Britt and Harry who both had good runs.
(1 16:07 George Ravenhall, Airecentre Pacers)
39 20:13 Brittany Watson
46 20:49 Harry Sime 2nd M60
76 24:30 Petra Bijsterveld 1st F60
104 ran
Ilkley Gazette report w/c 25 Mar
Mon 25 Mar 2024
From Jill Ezard…
A jam packed race weekend with podium and age category success on road and trail!
This weekend saw a mix of nine road and trail races, and a rogue set of wheels, with some impressive results across the board. On the trails, five Harriers took on the We Need To Talk About Chevin race in Otley. As described by the organiser, this is “simply the worst possible scenario when touring the Chevin”, with the first climb of the 14km course straight up to Surprise View, down and up to the Danefield climb with a final ascent, after a couple of small ones in between, up Miller Lane. Dave Robson had a fantastic run taking second place and first in his age category in 1:14:43. Nick Helliwell was next over the line in 1:22:16. Despite a painful detour through some brambles Rachel Carter took first place in an impressive time of 1:23:21. John Jackson and Meredith Bailey also had good runs finishing in 1:28:14 and 2:07:12 respectively.
Sunday saw three trail races of gradually increasing distance. First up was The Pendulum, an aptly named 11 mile race taking on two challenging ascents in the Cheviot Hills. Competitors must take on the first climb, returning the same way, and then the second returning again the same way they went up. Petra Bijsterveld took on the challenge and completed the race in a fantastic 3:19:32.5. With 15.4 miles and nearly 1000 metres of climb, the Heptonstall Fell Race offered a great challenge for three Harriers. The route is over varied terrain including steep-sided wooded valleys, upland pasture and pathless moorland, affording great views across the remote South Pennines. Matthew Kennedy was the first Harrier home in 2:26:44 taking second place in his age category. Kate Archer was next in, taking fifth place and second in her age category in 2:39:34. Alison Weston also had a great run out coming over the line in 3:17:07. And stepping up one final distance gear on Sunday, John Hayes took on the ever popular Blubberhouses Moor 24 mile event by the North Yorkshire Long Distance Walkers Association. The event starts and finishes at Bland Hill taking the Swinsty, Fewston and Thruscross reservoirs, Rocking Hall, Bolton Abbey with a local section over Beamsley Beacon, Round Hill and Ellarcarr Pike and back again. John had a fantastic race finishing in 3:54 in sixth place and displayed true Harriers’ sportsmanship in stopping two runners going the wrong way…twice! Well done John.
And so now to the road. Saturday saw Dick and Helen Waddington venture into the Lakes to take on the Coniston 14 race. Starting and finishing in the centre of Coniston the route does a complete tour of Coniston Water, with some challenging hills but affording some stunning views across the fells. Attracting a large field of over 1500 participants this is a popular race. Dick finished the race in 1:47:23 and Helen came in fifth place in her age category in 1:57:37.
On Sunday, Michael Odell was the only Harrier to take the trip south to the Wakefield Hospice 10k. A popular race now in its 28th year it’s known for being a great race for seasoned and new runners alike. Michael had a great race dipping under the 40 minute mark in 39:04, taking fifth place in his age category. Next up was the Wilmslow half marathon. In its 40th year, the anniversary race was as popular as ever with two Harriers taking to the start line. Run on closed roads with some interesting inclines in the second half, this is a well-supported event and both Ed Hobbs and Emma Sheppard had great runs. Ed came over the line in a staggering time of 1:09:20 taking 12th place overall, with Emma finishing in 1:39:46, and with those times, both clearly managing to resist the beer available on the route! And finally, in her first race stepping up from half marathon distance, Sally Armitage took on the Spen 20, a challenging hilly 20 mile two loop race in and around Cleckheaton. Despite ignoring her own race plan, and suffering with chronic calf cramps half way through the race, Sally still managed to come in under her target time of 2:20 in 2.18.06, taking second place on the podium. A great result!
And so to the wheels. Whilst we don’t normally allow those into our reports, Harrier Christos Tzelis was taking part in the British Duathlon Championships at Oulton Park this weekend. With an 8.6k and 4.3k run bookending the 38k bike section, Christos used his superb running form at the moment to come twelfth overall, becoming British National Champion in his age category as a result!
And finally, the inclement weather didn’t put off the hardy parkrunners with 35 taking to the weekly events across the country. There were some superb top ten finishes for Nathalie Gravett-Foyn, Alex Foyn (in a PB time), Jaysson Sawyer, Jane McCarthy, James Horrex, Sally Malir, Adam Gerrish and Samesh Chotai. The 80% age grading was broken by four Harriers this week: Jane McCarthy, Sally Malir, Diane Kitchen (in a PB time) and, clearly winding down for the London Marathon, Geoff Howard! And yet more PBs were achieved by Clare Boyle and Harry Stead. Some wonderful achievements this week!
YVAA XC Championship- Sun 24 Mar
Sun 24 Mar 2024
From Dan McKeown…
Photo credit William Overton
Last Sunday saw the 2024 edition of the Yorkshire Veterans AA Cross Country Championships at Penistone Showground.
In the leadup to the race, I set myself the ambitious target of motivating enough Harriers to enter that we’d need to take a second car. Despite my best efforts – and perhaps my best-ever recruitment slogan (“Let’s bring some more mutton to this BBQ”) – it was, again, a single carload. And I didn’t even have to take out the child seat to make extra room.
Joining me on the expedition were crocked cyclist Steve Gott and poorly triathlete Danny T, both of whom had been too banged up to complete the PECO season. Nonetheless, with only 130-odd runners on the start line – and a good number of them genuinely old enough to be my dad – we were optimistic about our prospects of a team medal, provided we could all make it round the four-lap 10k course.
A word on the course: it set off up a gravelly track with concrete crossing that made me regret bringing long spikes, before sweeping downhill into a left-hand U-turn in a soggy bog. Heading back uphill, we turned round again to do a long section into a headwind before doing another detour through the bog, then heading back to the start field for the end of the lap. Wave to adoring fans. Go round again.
The previous two editions of the race had followed a set pattern of one guy steaming off at 34-minute pace, and several foolhardy people trying to give chase and blowing themselves up. This time was a much more tactical affair, although it was last year’s winner and runner-up to the fore, eyeing each other up like a pair of cats in a sack. I was a distant third place at the end of lap one and lost a few places before the end to come in sixth, which was enough for third in the M45 category.
(For keen followers of local veterans’ athletics, I can report that Mike Burrett of Leeds City dethroned two-time champion Scott Hinchcliffe of Barnsley AC. Apparently, the decisive break came on the second lap, but I was already too far behind to verify this.)
Neither of the last two winning teams had made the trip to Penistone, so I was beginning to hope we might even scoop the team gold for the first time since 2020. I divided what little breath I had remaining between cheering home Steve (12th) and Danny (21st), and shouting at runners from other teams that they still had one more lap to go (doesn’t hurt to try).
After a brief and painful warmdown, we were cheek by jowl in the bowling club bar with a pint of mild and the rest of the oldies to hear the results. Sure enough, we were confirmed winners of the M40 team category, a golden end to Steve’s first season as XC captain. Sadly, we don’t appear on the individual medals table, as our solitary bronze was mistakenly credited to Totley.
That about wraps it up for the 23/24 cross country season, other than the postponed National Championship, which I believe is scheduled to take place in September, as if late March XC wasn’t bad enough. Let’s hope it’s a wet summer.
Results:
(1 Mike Burrett, Leeds City 36:32)
6 Dan McKeown 39:39 (3rd M45)
12 Steve Gott 41:13 (5th M45)
21 Danny Thompson 43:04 (7th M45)
Spen 20 (incorporating Yorkshire 20 mile championships) – Sun 24 Mar
Sun 24 Mar 2024
From Sally Armitage…
A hilly, 2 lap, 20 mile road race starting and finishing in Princess Mary Athletics Stadium in Cleckheaton. This race is marketed as, and predominately used as, ‘marathon prep’. I was perhaps the only person running who doesn’t have a marathon this spring.
This was my first race at this distance, and I classed it as a disaster. It was quite a step up from the 13 miles that had been my previous longest race distance, I hadn’t really appreciated this until afterwards.
I was disappointed with myself for the way I paced it, I let my desire to win override my plan for the race and my common sense. As soon as we set off I attached myself to the heels of the leading lady, despite knowing who she was, and that she was a faster runner than I am.
We set off with a lap of the track and then began the first of many climbs. I knew the pace was far quicker than I’d anticipated, I’d planned for a finish time of around 2 hours 20, we were running around 2 hours 10 pace, but I couldn’t bring myself to let her go. Then when we reached mile 10, in around 1 hour 5, my calves started cramping, this happens often to me in races longer than 10 miles. Sharp painful spasms, starting intermittently and increasing in frequency, I couldn’t run up the hills anymore, I was having to stop and walk for 10 seconds, stretch them and then try and continue. I managed to finish the race, and in the time I’d originally planned, just with a lot of discomfort and a much slower second half.
I finished feeling disappointed with myself and frustrated, the cramps would’ve probably kicked in anyway, but not that early in the race or been quite as debilitating if I’d not pushed so hard in the first half.
I’ve spent all evening researching how to prevent calf cramps from happening, I discovered a new tactic, vinegar! I’d never heard of this, apparently the acetic acid acts directly on neurological pathways and works immediately, stopping the signals from the brain that cause the cramps. Anything’s worth a go!
1st male Jed Bartlett, Hallamshire Harriers 1:50:48
1st female Laura Hesketh, Clayton-le-Moors Harriers 2:14:13
25th Sally Armitage 2:18:06 (2nd lady)
130 ran
Wilmslow Half Marathon – Sun 24 Mar
Sun 24 Mar 2024
From Emma Sheppard…
Tour of Wilmslow (Wilmslow half marathon)
Having succumbed to the annual kamikaze entry into a road half, I was starting to regret it with a traffic jam, questionable parking, a toilet stop in a holly bush and huge queue to collect numbers which led to a very brisk trot to get to the start on time (and inadvertent setting of watch to lap times!). Relieved to get going, it was a lovely sunny day – lots of plane spotting and crowds to keep you going along the route with choirs, primary schools and a few house parties with some techno tunes (and beer…at 10am!). The first half whizzed by but I’d conveniently forgotten how brutal the second half is – it’s a really undulating course and whilst the uphills and downhills cancel themselves out, somebody forgot to tell the legs and brain that!
Anyway, I was delighted to pick up my huge medal to celebrate 40 years of the Wilmslow running festival (just nipping under 1:40). And a huge well done to Ed Hobbs -the only other Harrier who did the race – who completed it in an absolutely eye watering 1:09:20 and was 12th.
Heptonstall Fell Race – Sun 24 Mar
Sun 24 Mar 2024
From Alison Weston…
Three Harriers took part in the 15 mile Heptonstall fell race yesterday with 3100ft of climbing.
Registering in the church and setting off on the cobbles with a blessing from the vicar, the race criss-crosses the local moors and woods and has a sting in the tail in the last mile to get back up to the top of the village. Thai curry in the pub included in entry too!
Matthew had a great race and Kate too (5th lady and prize for 1st V40!)
Results not available yet but approximately:
Matthew Kennedy 2:25?
Kate Archer 2:39
Alison Weston 3.17
Oulton Park British Standard Distance Duathlon Championship – Sun 24 Mar
Sun 24 Mar 2024
From Neil Chapman…
Christos Tzelis was over at Oulton Park on Sunday competing with almost 200 others in the British Duathlon Championship. All you motor racing fans will know that Oulton Park is well known for its heavily undulating course, which probably played to Christos’s strengths.
He started with a two lap run of 8.6k which he finished in 2nd place overall, before getting on the bike for a 38k section. He was on a bike that was new to him and struggled to get into the rhythm he would have liked, which cost him quite a few places. So he had a bit of work to do on the final 4.3k run, but had a strong run, pushing the pace on the hills, getting past a number of runners to finish in 12th place overall in 1:44:23. More importantly he did win his age category and is now the British National Champion at age 17/18. Well done Christos.
Blubberhouses Moor – Sun 24 Mar
Sun 24 Mar 2024
From John Hayes...
24 mile loop with 2,900 feet of climbing, starting / finishing at Bland Hill and taking in Swinsty, Fewston, & Thruscross reservoirs, Rocking Hall, Bolton Abbey, Beamsley Beacon, Round Hill, lots of man-eating bogs, Ellarcarr Pike and Timble (and random other locations if you go the wrong way – see below).
Three times in this event I wrestled with the same dilemma. More of this in a moment. Before then, I want to pay tribute to the volunteers who help to make it such a success. They cheerfully take your number at various checkpoints, dish out drinks, cakes and pork pies from little tents and, at the finish, they present you with a certificate, a woven badge and they serve up a hot meal. All for the bargain price of £8. Yes, you’ve read that right! Only £8!
Perhaps I need to learn something from these wonderful volunteers when I return to my “dilemma”. I suspect that, for most of you, this isn’t a dilemma at all. But here it is anyway: What do you do when the fitter, faster runners in front of you take a turn in the wrong direction? On the one hand is the response of the orienteer, or anyone who is a fan of the tortoise and hare story. That person says to themself something on these lines: “It’s not just about who can run the fastest. It’s a navigation event too. Stay quiet and you go the right way… Perhaps you’ll even beat them…” But there is an alternative school of thought which goes like this: “One of the great things about fell running is the friendly camaraderie amongst the runners. Give them a shout and get them back on track!” I confess I tend to be in the first camp. But not today. Each time (once near Thruscross Reservoir, twice about a mile from the finish) I called out “Not that way, follow me!” And they did. And then they overtook me and they beat me. So I suppose I can feel good about this…. But what about them? Do they have any qualms about ruthlessly beating me? Probably not.
I came 7th in a time of 3hrs 54. I was chuffed about this. It’s possible I could have come higher but …. NO! STOP! Keep to the moral high ground John!
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The Pendulum – Sun 24 Mar
Sun 24 Mar 2024
From Petra Bijsterveld…
Photo credit Jon Heaney
The Pendulum is a race in the Cheviots, starting and finishing at Langleeford in the Harthope Valley, south of Wooler. It was last held in 2017 and has been resurrected this year. Organised by Northern Fell Running and Cheviot Trail Events, and supported by the North of Tyne Mountain Rescue Team (who supply all the marshals) it is a low key affair with a maximum of 150 entries (in fact only 114 ran). One of the main reasons to keep it small is to avoid overwhelming the valley (with a single track pot-holed road, a ford, and limited parking) with too many cars.
The race is 11 miles with 3900 feet of ascent and consists of two out and backs, the first one up to the summit of the Cheviot (815m). After touching the trig and receiving a wrist band from the MRT marshal as evidence you retrace your steps down to the start/finish in the valley and start the second climb, up Hedgehope Hill (714m), another trig to touch, a second wrist band to collect, and back down to the finish for your medal. The course was partially marked and follows fairly obvious trods through the ever present bogs so navigation was easy, there were also plenty of runners to follow. Though I had climbed both these hills on the Cheviot Goat you approach them from a different direction in the Pendulum so it was all new (and not covered in snow). Turned out the ascent up Hedgehope is much steeper this way!
We were treated to a lovely sunny day without a drop of rain, though there was a strong icy breeze. I had started out without my jacket thinking I would warm up on the climb (dress for the second mile and all that) but I found I was actually getting colder as time went on despite the effort of the ascent, so I briefly stopped to put my jacket on before we got to the plateau and the flagstones of the Cheviot. I even saw some ice in the puddles up there! The right decision as I kept it on for the rest of the race.
I knew when I entered this race that it doesn’t really play to my strengths. I am not fast, and not very agile on uneven terrain especially not on the descents. I need an ultra distance before I might start overtaking people, about 25 miles in or so. Still, through recceing and running the Cheviot Goat last year I have become quite enchanted with this area, and having met Graeme and Lee from Northern Fell Running on the Goat I was keen to return for this bit of Pendulum fun. And it was a fab morning out in the sunshine with amazing views from the tops, and relatively runnable terrain, even for me, apart from the ascents which are pretty steep and had to be walked. My 3 hours 19 minutes placed me as 88th (out of 114) and 18th out of 28 women, whilst the men’s winner (Courtney Ryan, Dark Peak Runners) made short work of it in 1:51 and the first woman (Lauren Boucher) 2:18. There were no age categories listed but I am pretty sure I saw no woman of my sort of vintage!
We Need to Talk about Chevin – Sat 23 Mar
Sat 23 Mar 2024
From Rachel Carter…
I entered this race on an early bird offer in October then spent Nov-March nursing an injury and only decided I would probably be ok to take part couple of weeks before. Having recced the course with Jonathan Turner (thank you) I knew exactly what I was letting myself in for – 3 climbs up (and down) the Chevin and a seriously muddy course in parts. Apart from nearly missing the start (only saved by my car being parked meters from it) by thinking it set off at 11:30 instead of 11AM all felt better than the recce though I did pick up a nasty bramble scratch early on which made for some concerned marshals. Nick H and I ran more or less together for about 2/3rds of the race but he had more energy in reserve up the last hill and I couldn’t catch him back up after that! Not deterred by last year, Dave Robson was back for a second attempt and claimed a brilliant 2nd place to Julian Hood of Skipton. John Jackson and Meredith Bailey also had great races for Ilkley.
Coniston 14 – Sat 23 Mar
Sat 23 Mar 2024
From Dick Waddington…
Coniston 14 provides a very satisfying course – a lap of Coniston Water. It’s all on road and hilly (1000ft of climbing) with beautiful views of the surrounding fells and the lake of course. There’s a cake stall for post race refueling and a slate drinks mat for your efforts – perfect.
(1 Kieran Walker, North East Project 1:15:09)
238 Dick Waddington 1:47:23
435 Helen Waddington 1:57:37
1102 ran
Ilkley Gazette report w/c 18 Mar
Mon 18 Mar 2024
From Will Worboys…
Photo credit: Paul Chapman
Ilkley runners pick up prizes on contrasting terrain
Two Ilkley Harriers made the trip to Todmorden on Saturday for the Flower Scar fell race. This was the first English fell championship race of the year and as such attracted a large and high quality field. Taking place in the Upper Calder Valley, the landscape is characterised by death defying steep valley sides near the river level and vast swathes of open moorland higher up, also featuring the Havoc downhill mountain biking course which is in a scenic hillside pine forest; there is over 2,000 ft of climbing overall. As is the case almost everywhere at the moment this race also offered the bonus of almost wall to wall deep mud. All this made for a challenging eight and a half miles. Hill specialist Jane McCarthy managed the conditions brilliantly to finish 1st in the W50 category in a time of 1:24:40. Fellow Harrier Kate Archer also put her extensive off-road experience to good use to finish 2nd W45 in a time of 1:30:55. The overall race was won by Tim Lamont of Helm Hill in a time of just over an hour while Eve Pannone of Ambleside took the women’s prize in 1:08:10.
On very different terrain there were two more fine performances from Ilkley athletes at the Thirsk 10 mile road race which took part on Sunday. A fast flat road race based at Thirsk racecourse, this event also includes a wheelchair category and is a good opportunity for competitors to register a quick 10 mile time. Young Harrier Ed Hobbs capitalised and put in a storming performance to finish in 4th place with a PB and a time of 52:47. This was only a minute behind winner, the aptly named Graham Rush of Leeds AC. Fellow Harrier Jaysson Sawyer also took part in the event organised by Thirsk and Sowerby Harriers, registering another excellent time of 1:04:37 and finishing 56th of the 531 total finishers.
Not too far away on the same day another pair of Ilkley runners tackled the Vale of York 10 mile race. Similar to Thirsk, this was a flat route starting at Rufforth Air Field to the west of York. Speedy times were posted in wet conditions by Forrest Hamilton who was 11th overall in a time of 1:02:04; he was followed by Harry Brook-Dobson who finished in 1:04:16 and was 16th of the 333 total finishers.
A little further south but also in the flatter eastern part of the country was the North Lincolnshire Half Marathon. With almost 1,500 finishers and based in Scunthorpe this is a popular event in the area in it’s own right and also with many competitors using it as a warm up for one of the upcoming spring marathons. This included the sole Ilkley Harrier taking part Tony Pye, who smashed his previous half marathon PB by 5 minutes, raising hopes for a strong performance in Manchester next month. With a time of 1:30:47, Pye was the 257th finisher and came 28th in the M45 category.
Once again Ilkley Harriers where well represented at the nation’s 5K parkruns with nine attending Roberts park alone. Some impressive performances were had at this particular event with PB’s from Harry Sime, Vince Gibbons and Peter Roll. While Nigel Illingworth and Alex Hyde reaped the rewards of some dedicated training to post their best times since returning from injury.
Elsewhere James Horrex finished 2nd in a time of 18:12 which was presumably an exciting finish at Chevin Forest as this was the exact same time as the first finisher. The prolific Paula Reynier was the 20th female finisher among 352 participants at Lister Park. Meanwhile Robert Cunningham was 8th of 392 at Fountains Abbey and Stephen Coy finished 5th from 227 at Skipton. Finally Geoff Howard topped the age grading with a superb 85.87% for a time of 24:29, also at Skipton.
Vale of York 10M – Sun 17 Mar
Sun 17 Mar 2024
From Harry Brook-Dobson…
The Vale of York 10M is one of the fast and popular races organised by EvenSplits. Forrest Hamilton and I were the only Ilkley Harriers there and we had a similar target time for this race. Starting with an out and back on the runway at Rufforth airfield gave a good opportunity to settle into your desired pace before moving onto the (slightly) more interesting lanes in the Vale of York. A relaxed attitude to getting your feet wet was important in order to try to run as close to 10 miles as possible rather than avoiding every puddle. Forrest and I ran together for the first 4 or 5 miles before he pressed on while I tried not to slow down in the second half. Forrest finished 11th in 62:04 and I came 16th in 64:16.
Flower Scar Fell Race – Sat 16 Mar
Sat 16 Mar 2024
From Jane McCarthy…
Kate Archer and I were the only Harriers racing in Todmorden today. Ben and Abbie Rothery were there cheering folks on (thank you!) – Ben saving himself for the next English Champs race after a recent chest infection.
Only one word comes to mind for the race – mudfest. Mixed terrain included boggy fields, boggy moors and muddy tracks. But the sun was shining on the start line and vest and shorts were order of the day. A varied route, including a fab run through a plantation with some hardcore MTB trails running through it. The final descent to the finish line was not the faint hearted and with the first three men finishing within 10 seconds must have been exciting (and terrifying) to watch.
1. Tim Lamont 1:00:41
181. Jane McCarthy 1:24:40 1st Fv50
222. Kate Archer 1:30:55 2nd Fv45
Ilkley Gazette report w/c 11 Mar
Mon 11 Mar 2024
From Jean Sullivan…
Photo credit Woodentops
A race win this weekend for the Ilkley Harriers at the Keighley 10km!
Harrier Jack Cummings stormed to success to win the popular Keighley 10km this weekend. This race, staged on Mother’s Day, to raise money for the Sue Ryder Manorlands Hospice, sees runners start at Victoria Hall and follow a circular route through the paths and parks of Keighley, as well as taking in a section of the Leeds Liverpool canal towpath and the stunning East Riddlesden Hall.
Jack had a superb run, crossing the line in 35:11, in a nail-biting finish with Jack managing to secure first place with just a four second gap between him and the second finisher. Andrew Overend was the second Harrier home, with Thomas Mountain the third Harrier to cross the line, fresh from his PB at the Fountains Abbey parkrun the previous day. Jane McCarthy led the Ilkley ladies home in a speedy time of 42:58, with Jane finishing first in her age category. Junior Harrier Lucy Hayes was next to finish, with Mum Sarah the third Ilkley lady to complete the course. Bernie Gibbons also had a superb run also, taking first prize in her age category. Carole Cunningham completed the 5km option, and was also highly placed in her age category
Also on the roads, this weekend also saw the staging of the Dentdale 14, celebrating its 40th anniversary this year. This undulating road race is a circular route around the lanes of scenic Dentdale in the Yorkshire Dales. Harry Brook-Dobson completed the course in a superb time of 1:35:05, with Harry finishing in thirteenth place overall. There was also a Dentdale 7.5-mile race option on the same day, with Ilkley Harrier Sally Malir completing this in an impressive 1:03:02, with Sally taking first prize in her age category.
Off road, The Howarth Hobble was a popular choice for Ilkley Harriers this week, with ten hardy Harriers taking part in this challenging 32-mile ultra race, organised by Keighley and Craven Athletics Club. The route traverses gritstone moors around Haworth, Todmorden and Hebden Bridge and involves 4400ft of ascent. Ben Sheppard led the Harriers home, finishing in 28th place, with Ben completing the course in a superb time of 5:02:22. Hot on his heels was clubmate Gavin Lamb, with Gavin finishing the race just under a minute later. Dave Robson was the third Harrier home, with Dave running the route in 5:16:34. Kate Archer maintained her fine form and was the third lady over the line at this event in 5:18:52. Alison Weston was the second Ilkley lady to finish, with Jacqui Foster the third. Harriers Martin Hartley, Peter Shelley and Derek Oliver also had great runs at this event, as did Ritchie Williamson, back racing having completed the Spine Winter race.
Continuing her love of ultra running Petra Bijsterveld took part in The Welcome Way Ultra, organised by Punk Panther Endurance Events Ltd.. The Welcome Way is an existing waymarked circular long distance walking route connecting Otley, Burley and Baildon and this event largely follows this route. There were options to run 50 miles (6000 ft), 34 miles (4300 ft), 20 miles (2200 ft) or a half marathon, with Petra opting for the 50-mile option. Conditions were cool and dry, but with low visibility, and lots of mud to contend with. Petra finished in an impressive tenth place overall, taking first prize in her age category.
It takes dedication to race on a Friday evening, but it paid off for Harrier Daniel Fazackerley, who took park in the Evensplits York 5km. This race, billed as the ‘flattest, fastest’ 5km in Yorkshire, is held at the University of York Sport Village cycle circuit, with Daniel finishing in an impressive eighth place overall, in a super quick time of 15:56.
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This weekend saw the staging of the UKCAU Inter Counties cross country championships at Wollaton Park in Nottingham, with Ed Hobbs and Christos Tzelis representing Yorkshire in the U20 race. Unfortunately Ed was ill during the race and had to withdraw, but Christos went on to finish 29th out of 155 runners in a highly competitive field. Christos was the third Yorkshire counter in the race and helped them to win a silver medal at this event. In the U17 race, Harriers Sam Bentham and Archie Budding were running in an even more competitive field than the U20 race, with almost 300 runners battling it out to win. Their excellent running meant they helped their U17 Yorkshire team finish in second place overall.
Continuing with cross country, three Ilkley Harriers took part in the PECO Cross Country League end of season relay race, which gives participants a chance to race cross country as part of a team with fellow clubmates. This race, which took part in Bramley Fall Park in Leeds saw Harriers, Steven Gott, Matthew Snow and David Singleton compete as a team, (team name ‘Old Menstonians’), and they finished in an impressive nineteenth place out of the 45 teams that took part, not quite deserving of the word ‘old’ in their team name!
The allure of the interclub parkrun championships between Ilkley Harriers, Bingley Harriers and Saltaire Striders has continued to encourage lots of Harriers to add a parkrun to their weekly schedule. This week saw the grand total of 38 Harriers give these timed 5km runs a go, with some incredible results. It was a PB for Thomas Mountain at the Fountain’s Abbey parkrun with Thomas completing the course in 20:01. Mark Hall, David Foyston and Nathan Coy all managed to finish in the top five at various parkruns, with Will Worboys clocking an impressive 225 parkruns by completing the Robert’s Park parkrun this week.
Keighley 10k – Sun 10 Mar
Sun 10 Mar 2024
From Will Worboys…
The Keighley 10K road shoe debacle
Although many will think this 10K race was a standard nondescript local event, for me there were several reasons why it was a bit more than that. It was my first completed (non-parkrun) event for almost exactly 4 years. My last was the ‘Hot Toddy’ 10K which took place a week before the first lockdown in March 2020. So to complete this it was quite a big deal and effort for me and hopefully the first of plenty more! In the end I got a very similar time to the Hot Toddy, however unlike in Tod today’s race did not have a monumental 600ft climb as it’s main feature.
So to today (it was raining by the way). I have done the old hilly Keighley 10K several times but not the new course which debuted last year. Advertised as a ‘road race’ there was some debate about which shoes to wear due to a short stretch near East Riddlesden Hall on ‘a bit of grass’. The consensus seemed to be that road shoes would be fine, what with it being mainly on tarmac… The consensus was wrong.
Fresh from my first deafening from some very well meaning drummers in a tunnel; within the first mile we seemed to be running down a lane that had turned into energy sapping bog; and it got worse! By the time we were on mile 2 and running up through the golf course in torrential rain Gaenor Coy who I had been just behind, was already disappearing into the distance, warming up for her mudslide (shown in pic), as my legs weren’t playing ball. Then the very long canal stretch it was hard to differentiate between canal and towpath with the ubiquitous never-ending puddle. All this was actually good for me as it had taken my focus away from any other anxieties I had about the race to just being present in the general exhausted soakingness of the day.
As we left the canal I was relieved to have the mistaken belief that we were getting towards the home stretch. Until we entered the previously mentioned ‘bit of grass’. Road shoes or trails had been mentioned. Mud claws would have been much better for this, or actually probably wellington boots. In my road shoes I slipped and slided and stumbled and skidded as people in better footwear overtook me comfortably. Kate Williams glided past me towards the end of this tough mudder section and along with the 55 minute pacers they were gone into the distance. Finally we were back on the road for the run in and I managed to gain a little bit of pace through the tunnel under the road for my second deafening from the drummers in the underpass and then back into a final bit of bog for the stumble to the finish.
Anyway despite how it sounds it was all great and there was an excellent turn out of 23 Harriers among the 775 finishers. Jack Cummings won it in a ridiculous time of 35:11 in those conditions. Jane McCarthy was first in her category and Marie Watson somehow got round dressed as a star!
1/775 Jack Cummings 35:11
24/775 Andrew Overend 41:08
36/775 Thomas Mountain 42:24
37/775 John Hayes 42:26
43/775 Jane McCarthy 42:58
152/775 Lucy Hayes 49:21
214/775 Alan Travis 52:03
251/775 Sarah Hayes 53:39
314/775 Kate Williams 56:26
321/775 Hannah Osieku 56:47
322/775 Gaenor Coy 56:50
331/775 Will Worboys 57:00
419/775 Nick Bailey 1:00:27
491/775 Nigel Illingworth 1:03:30
526/775 Sarah Lambert 1:04:47
541/775 Bernadette Gibbons 1:05:33
542/775 Vincent Gibbons 1:05:34
553/775 Aleksandra Atman 1:06:00
571/775 Jo Henderson 1:06:36
584/775 Marie Watson 1:06:54
604/775 Susan Williamson 1:08:11
605/775 Kate Lofthouse 1:08:12
5K
119/175 Carole Cunningham 40:15
UKCAU Inter Counties XC Championships Wollaton Park – Sat 9 Mar
Sat 9 Mar 2024
From Neil Chapman…
Ed Hobbs and Christos Tzelis were representing Yorkshire in the Inter Counties Cross Country Championships at the weekend. Ed had been there before, but Christos was proudly wearing his Yorkshire vest for the first time in the U20 race. Unfortunately Ed was ill during the race and had to withdraw, but Christos went on to finish 29th out of 155 runners; he was third Yorkshire counter and helped them to go one better than last year and win the silver medal. The standard is incredibly high in these races, evidenced by the fact only six seconds separated seven runners at the point Christos finished. Well done Christos, but hard luck to Ed who went all that way and had to pull out of the race.
In the U17 race Sam Bentham and Archie Budding were running in a race which is even more competitive than the U20 race as they were up against almost 300 runners. Unfortunately they did not make the first four team counters, but still played their part in pushing back other teams runners to help their U17 Yorkshire team finish in silver medal place. The racing was so close that just a few seconds could separate 20 finishers and four runners finished with the same time as Archie. Well done to both of them and the team as a whole.
Welcome Way – Sat 9 Mar
Sat 9 Mar 2024
From Petra Bijsterveld…
Photo credit Ryk Downes – Punk Panther Endurance Events
It becomes quite hard to say something new about a race you are taking part in for the third year running. On the upside it allows for quite a bit of time saving cutting and pasting from previous reports!
The Welcome Way is an existing waymarked circular long distance walking route connecting Otley, Burley and Baildon, with an optional loop around Shipley Glen and Bingley. Local ultra-race organiser Punk Panther stages a running event along this route, in fact it was their first ever race in 2017. In 2022 I completed the 42 mile version of the course, and in 2023 I did the then newly created 50 mile route, created by adding a loop (not part of the official Welcome Way) out to Bramhope, Arthington and Pool Bank before finishing in Otley.
Yesterday there were options to run 50 miles (6000 ft), 34 miles (4300 ft), 20 miles (2200 ft) or a half marathon, and a total of around 160 runners made the start line in two waves.
In 2023 we were running in beautiful fresh snow, in addition the bogs on Burley Moor had been so deep to be deemed dangerous (as the RD flagging the course the day before had gone in waist deep) and the route was diverted along the Moor Road and Bingley Road, which was tedious but a little shorter and no doubt faster. Thankfully this year we could run the full course as it was not too soggy on the moor, despite all the recent rain. The countless fields however were definitely as muddy as always, especially where they had been churned up by livestock. We were lucky, the predicted rain held off and it stayed dry all day, a cool, grey and cloudy day without sunshine or great views. Still, having had quite a few rain-soaked outings in recent weeks this was a definite improvement.
I had company for most of the day, initially running with two other PP regulars whom I know well, later I ran with four different people (one at a time) whom I had not met before. Nice to make new friends and share some miles. My friend Gill popped up at various points along the course with snacks and support.
I started near the back as is usual for me in an ultra, and slowly worked my way up the field. I had the upper hand as far as navigation is concerned over some runners who had come from other parts of the country as I know the course very well by now. However, I did try and help out some others, especially during the final miles when we were in the dark. Still, I didn’t abandon my competitive nature altogether. Last year by some fluke I had won this race (small field!) with a sprint finish in the final mile. I knew that would not be on the cards this year as there were three women running who are substantially faster than I am. But I definitely tried to beat the women who should be beatable. It was an effort, as two of them were either with me or ahead of me for much of the race. I managed to pass one in Arthington, and the other one less than two miles from the finish, somewhere in a field between Pool Bank and Otley. I crossed the line in 12 hours 26 minutes, together with a nice runner called Paul who I had been with since Arthington. I was joint 10th out of 22 finishers in total in the 50-mile race, and fourth woman (out of seven) as well as 1st F60. There had been some F50 entries so RD Ryk had printed the award, but none of them had turned up so I was given the F50 certificate as well 🙂
I had been dreaming of the famous Punk Panther post-race food for quite a number of the final miles, and enjoyed my two cups of tea, veggie pasta as well as a cheese toastie whilst chatting with friends.
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(1 8:57 Kirk Hardwick)
(4 10:25 Alice Kershaw/Sophie Clarke 1st F)
22 finished
Dentdale Run – Sat 9 Mar
Sat 9 Mar 2024
From Harry Brook-Dobson…
Photo credit Philip Bland
It was the 40th anniversary of the Dentdale run on Saturday 9th March. Dent Primary School organise a 14 and 8 mile road race: down, then back up the valley. While the route sticks relatively close to the river it still clocks up a decent amount of elevation for a road race and this year we had a vicious wind to contend with (and reap the benefits of) as well. Sally Malir ran the 8 mile race and came 22nd overall and 2nd in the F55 category in 63:02. I ran the 14 mile race and finished 13th in 1:35:05. I’ll definitely be coming back again.
Brian Sweet Predictor – Tue 5 Mar
Tue 5 Mar 2024
From Vince Gibbons…
The Brian Sweet Predictor 10k drew a record turnout on Tuesday 5 March, making it the second successful event organised by Ilkley Harriers in three days! Several new faces were amongst the the 41 finishers.
Geoffrey White won the prize for the most accurate prediction, his race time being just nine seconds away from his finish time. Runners up were Martin Campbell, 15 seconds; Steph Fox, 17 seconds; and Rob Cunningham, 21 seconds. Special thanks to Neil Chapman, Jonathan Turner for help with the organisation; sweepers Dawn Turner and Jayne Norman; race marshals Alison Weston, Jane Guillard, Sue Verspyck, Hilda Coulsey and Alex Foyn.
Brian Sweet was a long-standing member of Ilkley Harriers. He led club runs for new members every week for over two decades, introducing hundreds of runners to the sport. He continued running until reaching the age of 80. He died in 2017.
Finish Position/Name/Time Predicted/Difference
23 Geoffrey White 54.25 54.16 0.09
22 Martin Campbell 53.15 53.30 0.15
37 Steph Fox 59.42 59.59 0.17
3 Rob Cunningham 40.04 40.25 0.21
19 Natalie Gravett 51.33 52.00 0.27
28 Will Worboys 57.16 57.45 0.29
7 Iain Young 44.10 43.37 0.33
33 Sarah Hayes 57.46 57.12 0.38
6 Oscar Smythe 43.59 44.44 0.45
1 Samesh Chotai 39.20 38.30 0.50
4 Andrew Overend 41.28 42.20 0.52
24 Sacha Jones 54.34 53.35 0.59
10 Matthew Lambe 45.47 46.50 1.03
31 Charlotte Smithson 57.35 56.30 1.05
12 Jane McCarthy 46.31 47.40 1.09
27 Tom Lally 57.14 56.00 1.14
34 Petra Bijsterveld 58.10 56.56 1.14
15 Simon Jenkins 51.10 52.25 1.15
11 Jonathan Turner 46.14 47.30 1.16
2 Nick Kealey 39.33 40.50 1.17
32 Lynn Donohue 57.39 59.00 1.21
41 Sarah Lambert 69.59 68.36 1.23
21 Paul Stephens 52.53 54.22 1.29
9 John Hayes 45.07 46.45 1.38
16 Martin Stubbs 51.14 53.00 1.46
38 Nigel Illingworth 61.48 60.00 1.48
25 David Lewis 57.05 55.00 2.05
26 Peter Ferguson 57.13 55.00 2.13
40 Alex Atman 68.37 70.00 2.23
39 Jo Henderson 67.22 70.00 2.38
13 Stephen Liversedge 47.42 50.25 2.43
18 Lucy Hayes 51.29 55.00 3.31
17 Keith Wood 51.19 55.00 3.41
20 Alan Travis 52.08 55.55 3.47
36 Emma O’Looney 59.04 62.59 3.55
35 Vince Gibbons 58.17 64.05 5.48
5 Martin Peace 43.52 50.00 6.08
8 Tom Mountain 44.41 50.50 6.09
14 Luke Watkeys 47.44 55.00 7.16
29 Sheena Pickersgill 57.20 65.00 7.40
30 Peter Tapper 57.20 65.25 8.05
Ilkley Gazette report w/c 4 Mar
Mon 4 Mar 2024
From Jill Ezard…
Photo credit: Woodentops
Podium and age category success on road and fell with a smattering of “je ne sais quoi!”
It was the first Harriers’ organised race in the 2024 calendar on Sunday with the 32nd staging of the Ilkley Moor Fell race. As last year, this iconic race was also chosen as the 2024 Yorkshire Senior & U23 Fell Running Championships so attracted a very talented field. The race is short but steep taking in some of the toughest ascents and descents of the moor resulting in a total of over 400m of climb in just 8km. A fantastic turnout of 33 Harriers took to the start line with some outstanding performances. It was an Ilkley first and second in the men’s race with Ben Rothery taking the win and the Yorkshire Championship title in a time of 37.05. In a close second in 38:42 was Sam Bentham, also taking first place in his age category. Oli Murphy taking 11th place in 40:31, the Harriers managed to secure the men’s team prize. Jane McCarthy was the first Ilkley woman home in a superb time of 52:40 taking first place in her age category. Other top three age category places were secured by Alexander Wolfenden in 44:26, Kelly Wilby in 1:02:02 and Alison Bennett in 1:04:35. Thanks must go to organiser Peter Roll and all the volunteers from the club who made the day a huge success.
The rest of the weekend’s Harriers took to the roads for their races. Hilda Coulsey was the sole representative of the club at the Leicester 10k, aiming to get a great time under her belt early in the season. And the race didn’t disappoint. Starting in Jubilee Square in the city centre, the race takes participants through Victoria Park, out to the University and back to the finish line at Jubilee Square. Hilda had a fantastic run in a tough course and completed in 53:47, yet another age category club record!
With an equally impressive performance, Christos Tzelis travelled to Manchester for the Trafford 10k. A fast race known for its PB potential, the race attracts a high quality field from all over Europe, with nearly 30 of the finishers completing the race in under 30 minutes. The race heads out to Dunham Massey on quiet country roads before heading back to the start at Partington just outside Manchester. Christos had a fantastic run and finished in 31:08, in 74th place out of over 1500 finishers and taking third place in his age category. Another great performance from Christos!
Taking on their annual overseas half marathon challenge, four intrepid Harriers travelled to Paris to take part in the Harmonie Mutuelle Semi de Paris. Starting south of the Seine on Boulevard Saint Germain, the route takes participants out to the Bois de Vincennes, returning via the banks of the river to the iconic Place de La Bastille. Jane Bryant was the first Harrier over the line in 2:04:47, followed by Helen Horton in 2:05:23, Anna Nolan in 2:07:27 and Jacqui Weston in 2:14:56. Bravo!
And finally, the ongoing parkrun challenge with other local clubs lead to another fantastic turnout at the local events with over 40 Harriers turning out. Roberts Park was the most popular with ten Harriers taking part. Nicky Liptrot had a great run and was sixth finisher, with Diane Kitchen clocking an age grade over 80% and a PB. Other PBs across the country included Harry Brooks-Dobson, Martin Campbell, Vince Gibbons, Dave Reynier and Tom Lambe. Driving the age grade up again for the club were Geoff Howard and Alison Bennett, both with gradings over 87%. Keep up the good work team!
New Longton 10k – Sun 3 Mar
Sun 3 Mar 2024
From Mark Hall…
Another trip to the Preston area for this race. I have not run in this event before so gave the organiser a call to ask about the circuit he informed me that the circuit was flat which it was, unfortunately, he didn’t mention there was a 1 mile (at least) section of farm track with lots of water filled pot holes and lots of mud, not ideal for race shoes. I finished in 10th place (1st V60) from a field of 250 in 36.50. The winner was Ian Agular from Chorley Athletic in 33.12,
Trafford 10k – Sun 3 Mar
Sun 3 Mar 2024
From Neil Chapman…
Christos Tzelis was the only Harrier who joined over 1500 other runners at the Trafford 10k at the weekend. This is a big race that attracts many of the top runners, which is highlighted by the 28:57 winning time of the Swede Victor Urquhart Smångs and the fact that 28 runners finished sub 30 minutes.
As you might expect with so many top runners around you, as always, Christos went out hard and gave it his best, finishing 74 overall in a great time of 31:08, which placed him an impressive 3rd in the U20 race. Well done Christos.
Leicester 10k – Sun 3 Mar
Sun 3 Mar 2024
From Hilda Coulsey…
I headed to Leicester, missing the Fell Race volunteer duty, to road race aiming to lodge a good time. 10k is a hard distance to race, as I definitely reminded myself again today. Also whereas I expected it to be fairly flat the over 80m elevation didn’t help. The route though is pleasant through town into Victoria park and the University, snaking through both, before heading back to the start location in Jubilee square. Although it was cold the torrential rain from yesterday was gone.
I felt I did my best on the day, after a month of a heavy lingering cold, but was completely trounced by top of the UK rankings Dorothy Kesterton.
1. 32:37 Anthony Woodward Notts AC
19. 34:40 Gemma Steel
220. 46:36 Dorothy Kesterton Sheffield Steel City 1st FV70
431. 53:47 Hilda Coulsey
991 finished
Ilkley Moor Fell Race – Sun 3 Mar
Sun 3 Mar 2024
From Peter Roll and Vince Gibbons…
Photo credit Woodentops
Ben Rothery of Ilkley Harriers AC won the 32nd Ilkley Moor Fell Race on Sunday 3 March in a time of 37 mins 05 sec. Eve Whitaker of Leeds University AC was first home in the female race in a time of 43 mins 12 sec.
The men’s team prize was won by Ilkley Harriers (Ben Rothery 37 mins 05, sec; Samuel Bentham 38 mins 42 sec; Oli Murphy 40 mins 31 sec and Alexander Wolfenden 44 mins 26 sec ). Ambleside AC scooped the women’s team prize (Sarah McCormack 44 mins 29 sec, Lex Whitaker 45 mins 13 sec and Katrina Hemingway 58 mins 00 sec)
The short but tough course on scenic Ilkley Moor with steep ascents and descents included 401 metres of climbing over 8 km and was very muddy on the day. Once again, the iconic race was chosen as the Yorkshire Fell Race Championship. The best in the county were joined by a strong local field to battle it out with runners from as far away as York, Blackburn and the Lake District.
In the junior races Clara McKee (Under 15 girls) and Otis Brooks (Under 19 boys) achieved new course records. A total of 125 juniors raced, ranging in age from six to 16 years. There were treats for all juniors who took part and Easter eggs for the winners.
Race organiser Peter Roll said: “Spectators turned out in force to cheer on the runners, especially at Darwin Gardens and the Cow and Calf Rocks. It was a family occasion: Junior Fell Races were also staged, making it a grand day out. Pete Bland Sports had a stall at the event. Coffee and cakes were on sale. Ilkley’s Real Food market on The Grove that day proved an added attraction for runners and supporters.”
Organised by local running club Ilkley Harriers, more than 40 volunteers manned the route as marshals.
Ilkley Moor Fell Race has been staged annually since 1990. Pete Bland Sports and Big Bobble Hats sponsored this year’s event.