Ilkley Harriers news archive 2023
Melmerby 10k – Sun 30 Apr
Sat 29 Apr 2023
From Sally Malir…
On Sunday morning I headed over to Melmerby in North Yorkshire.
Having been injured and not racing at all this year it was time to get going again!
I noticed this race, Melmerby 10k, and was attracted by the small field and also the late start time.
Typical… 11.30 race start time, it started to rain. It was a nice cooling rain and a fast downhill start. Small numbers allowed you to run at your own pace and not be hindered or drawn in to a too fast a start. The lanes we ran on were quiet country lanes often with the odd cowpat to add to the countryside feel.
The race was described as flat, I wouldn’t say it was flat, more undulating with a sting in the tail of an uphill finish.
I had to work hard in the last 2k as I overtook a lady who I knew was in my age category. My efforts paid off I was awarded 1st FV55 in a time of 44:50.
I didn’t see any other Harriers, apologies if I’ve missed you.
I would definitely recommend this race to all, lovely teas available after and well organised with a fun run prior to the 10k. Something for everyone.
Hartlepool Marina 5 Mile – Sun 30 Apr
Sat 29 Apr 2023
From Helen Waddington…
The backdrop for this race is Hartlepool’s beautiful quayside which houses the Trincomalee, Britain’s oldest warship still afloat, built in India after the Napoleonic wars. It’s a beautiful 3 mast tall ship which serves as a great visual goal when you make the halfway turn on this out and back course along the sea front. This was the second time for me at this race, which is superbly organised by Burn Road Harriers and has all the essential elements that make for a good road race – loads of convenient and free parking, huge race headquarters (Mecca Bingo!), indoor toilets and it’s flat and fast.
(1 25.24 Max Creasey, Middlesbrough AC)
67 36.11 Helen Waddington 1st LV55
192 ran
Edit: With this race Helen has broken her own F55 5M club record, which previously stood at 36:43.
The 59th Fellsman – Sat 29 Apr
Fri 28 Apr 2023
From Andrew Merrick…
I considered race retirement after UTMB last year, but had finally concluded I should complete the big 6 set in Tokyo, and therefore, if I was in some kind of running shape, I should treat myself to a few more ultras this year.
I had never done the Fellsman before and given how local it is and its reputation, it seemed like it had to be done. In a strange way, in the lead up to the race, I was looking forward to it more than Tokyo, despite my preparation (post Japan) being a week’s ski touring and a few recces, the longest being a 5 hour outing from Buckden.
It was simplest to register on Friday evening, at the race end, in Threshfield, so I took a big bag of kit (5 tops, two bottoms, foil poncho, bivvy bag, first aid kit, and more emergency (not to be touched) food than I ate on the entire journey…. etc etc) all of which was carefully reviewed by the willing and cheerful band of volunteers that awaited us at Threshfield school. Parking a couple of miles away and being shuttled to the school was a bit of a pain but worked reasonably well, and registering the night before gave me a later bus the next morning plus knowledge that I could do the journey in 30 mins.
So a 5am alarm call on Saturday morning got me to the car park and onto the 6:15 bus on time, for what was about an hour’s bus ride to Ingleton arriving in plenty of time for the 8:30 start. This gave an opportunity for some pre-race faffing and time to catch-up with Brian Melia, having sat with Dick on the bus.
The race starts with visits to Ingleborough and Whernside, getting them both out the way before the 3 peakers come through. It was lovely to see Jane and Jean at Hill Inn who had very kindly set out early on their 3 peak supporting outing, by which time Dick and I had become slightly separated, although I saw both him and Brian on the out and back loop to the top of Whernside. I hadn’t felt the need to recce these peaks so the next section off Whernside and down to the road crossing at Kingsdale (CP4) was new to me. Not untypical of the route, it was pathless and boggy in places so concentration required at all times.
The race has 25 Checkpoints along the way – quite a lot for a 60 mile race (!) all staffed by very cheerful volunteers who were chatty even if they were at the top of a blustery hill and just there to stamp the iconic circular race tally and make sure you were checking in with the watch you were given at the start.
I was now into an area I had recced and I welcomed the familiarity if not the steepness of the climb up to Gragareth including, once the ridge had been reached, another out and back section at the top (I really had had enough of out and backs in Tokyo) to reach the peak before a relatively long wall side jog along the ridge to Great Coum and the still largely pathless drop down to the outskirts of Dent (CP8).
At this point (almost 20 miles in) after attending to the tally and the watch, our presence was requested at a kit check area where substantially all our kit was reviewed, which meant a reasonably complete unpacking of my bag and a material faffing opportunity. I took the opportunity of the re-pack to find a chair and grab a pot of baked beans as well as bottle refill, so I felt in reasonably good shape as I headed up and out to Blea (it seems to have lost its “k” over the years) other than worrying whether I had done a good enough job of repacking my bag/hadn’t left anything behind/something might now drop out. I had my excuses ready in case there was another kit check but concluded, as a heavy shower descended, that one check was likely to be it.
On the way up through more (or moor) bog I caught up and attached myself to a gang of four on this climb who clearly knew each other and looked like they knew where they were going…. I found out that this was the 5th time* for one of them on the way down to CP10 at Stonehouse (still not yet halfway), who told me that this was his favourite CP with pasta and coffee…. I went for both and happily saw Dick arrive as I was forcing both down (did I mention mug and spork on the kit list?).
[*I did reflect that I have done two ultras on multiple occasions]
We made a largely unspoken plan to travel on together from there and it was lovely to have both the company and the additional (and more experienced) navigational skills (on the bus we had reached the same view as to how we were going to tackle the nav on the route to the new CP 17 for which we didn’t have the GPX safety net)
I knew once we had dealt with the interestingly named Great Knoutberry Hill (which was largely on path as I recall – although did have the longest out and back section of the race – I am still not a fan of them) we’d then be heading up to Dodd Fell. For me this meant that not only would we be over half way but we would also be into the area I had largely recce’d with the only gap being between Cray and Great Whernside. Familiarity is always helpful. On the way up to Dodd Fell we were into the low cloud and mist which meant slightly challenging navigation on any pathless sections, but we had a reasonable length of track before the final ascent. From here it was a relatively short hop to Fleet Moss, with us doing a collectively good job of the corner cutting to arrive across the road from the CP15 marquee and a cup of tea.
We were both in good enough shape to run/jog down the road until we met the Dales way with a mile along the road alongside the Wharfe (it was nice to be back in Wharfedale) before crossing over for our next tally appointment in Deepdale. At this point we remained hopeful of arriving at Yockenthwaite and our one piece of tricky nav in daylight so we continued in march mode, arriving in time to be able to see the compass if not any helpful landmark. At this point we collected a couple of other runners who were clearly more confident in our navigation than their own. Dick has a very impressive ability to walk on the line of a bearing, across a sloping tussock strewn hillside, allowing me to stay behind him, compass in hand, to mark his homework. His homework had also included remembering the escarpment and the wall between which we were aiming. We were pretty much dead on when we saw the red flashing light marking the gate and our next CP. From there in the increasing gloom, we knew that nav was pretty straightforward to the final new CP, once we had remembered to go through the gate handily also marked with a red flashing light.
It was only a mile to the next CP which we just about managed to do without our headtorches. It was also pretty chilly at this point so a useful place to put hat buff gloves and torch on before the down hill track to Cray. For some reason I tried to put the buff on last …….
At the next CP, we both went for the soup option, whilst we were checked on by one of the support crew whose role seemed to be to ensure we were warm and sane enough to continue. (50% appeared to be the pass mark for this test).
15 miles to go, it’s now properly dark and misty and this is the march it out part of the race. Knowing we only had two hills to go helped, even if there were some steep sections up both Buckden Pike and, having dropped down via 2 CPs 6 miles, with some careful cross moor navigation, finally up again to Great Whernside.
The final 8 miles in from there remained hard work until we finally hit the road and our penultimate CP. Our quads weren’t too keen on a jog down into Grassington and Threshfield so a final march got us back to the cheerful reception at school sometime before 3am. Dick made the wise option to get the shuttle straight away back to the car park and his van after we had handed in our watches, our more serious trackers and our tallies. I went for the jacket potato and cheese option, washed down with the traditional end of ultra Saltaire Blonde, before then having to wait some time for the shuttle back to my car.
As I got into bed about 5am after a drive home and shower, my alarm clock reminded me I had been up 24 hours.
A challenging route with significant concentration on both navigation and foot placement, coming with a greater sense of achievement than a wander round Tokyo, I was very grateful for Dick’s cheerful company. 18 hours for 60 miles hopefully gives some sense of the underfoot conditions! A fantastic very caring and professional organisation team who cheerfully manned all 25 check points and couldn’t do enough to make sure it was a positive experience for all of us.
Sadly, I found out a week or so before the race, that an ex colleague of mine, who embodied the cheerful professional spirit of the Fellsman gang, had passed away earlier this month. It was evident that Kate will be sadly missed by the team and I am sure it was not just me who she provided inspiration to.
Three Peaks – Sat 29 Apr
Fri 28 Apr 2023
From Peter Roll…
Photo credit Abbie Rothery
You may be wondering why there’s been a radio silence from those who ran the 3 Peaks last weekend. It’s because we found the experience so brutal we all wanted to forget it, the idea of re-living it through writing a race report filled us with dread. Now with a bit of time to reflect and the aching limbs starting to recover it’s possibly less of a burden.
For such a seemingly benign day weather wise, the relative warmth & humidity took its toll. In most races you’re thankful for the collective heat from your fellow runners at the start but, last Saturday week it was not welcome. Sacha Jones, Ann-Kristin Marsham and I all starting in line with the 5 hour pace marker but soon lost each other though I could see Ann in the far distance. It wasn’t long before many runners were stripping off layers, though as we ascended and the pack started to spread out the air became cooler and more comfortable. The first surprise we had was seeing Ben & Abbie Rothery cheering us on the approach to Pen-y-gent. Ben was down on the entry list so worries about Ben being injured crossed the mind. Shouldn’t have worried though as the following day, in typical Ben fashion, he won the Great Hameldon Hill Race.
A highlight for us back markers in the race is that as you near the final kick up P-y-G the front runners start descending in the opposite direction. I spent too much time checking out who was where in the lead pack instead of concentrating on my own run but, it was fascinating and great to see Ruaridh Mon-Williams and Tom Adams in the mix. After the first summit there’s the long slog to Ribblehead & the first cut-off point. Usually this is the most tedious section of the race, especially as it’s been lengthened by an extra kilometre now. Fortunately for us Harriers, Jonathan & Dawn Turner et al, were on hand to spur us onwards, then a few miles on were Jacqui & Steve Weston as official race Marshalls in their hi-vis to do the same.
Getting to Ribblehead a kind Marshall had spotted my number and seeing my drained gaunt and haggard look, no doubt (i.e. usual expression) found my drink & food. I had made a major school boy error though. Instead of dropping my 2 packs of water & food in the 2 separate batches for Ribblehead & Old Hill Inn put it all together for Ribblehead, so I wouldn’t have anything at Old Hill doh! I took all the food & water as best I could, drinking & gobbling down the remainder, spurred on by Jane McCarthy & Jean Sullivan I started the run up Whernside.
Well when I say run I mean mostly walk, those who’ve done the race before will tell you, the ascent up Whernside is a gruelling walk through steep bog, at the end of which you are doing a full on scramble on all fours. The visibility was reasonably clear so you could see a ribbon of hundreds of runners plodding up the hill in single file. There was little if any overtaking on this section, you top out directly at the summit, near the trig point, then the legs have to be woken up to the idea of running again. This is the trickiest descent as it follows the official 3 Peaks Path on stone slabs that are treacherous when wet. Luckily they were dry on the day but, I still found this section tough and wasn’t my usual bouncy self, it was all very laboured. Lovely to see Jane & Jean again on the approach to Old Hill. I dibbed my dibber then, saw a 20+ queue for the water bowser and decided I’ll march on with the water I was carrying.
Not only was it warm and humid but, very still as well. When you’ve finally crossed the beautiful limestone escarpments and top out on the final climb up the Ingleborough path you are usually greeted with a full on gale force wind but, on the day hardly a whisper. The final dib at the most inhospitable Marshall checkpoint on the summit, then the long steady drop into Horton, which never seems to end. It was on this stretch that I made a mental note that after running the race 3 years consecutively I’ll to give the race a rest next year, total respect to Alison Weston!
I’m sure we all found it a hard day and for those that didn’t quite make the cut-offs you’ve got this.
Many thanks to Ben, Abbie, Dawn, Jonathan, Jacqui, Steve, Jane, Jean and all for making the 2 hour ‘round trip, then the walking, then the hours of waiting. Your cheering and encouragement made all the difference.
Respect to: Ruaridh, Tom, Simon, James, Ann, Alison, Sacha, Becky & Jacqui.
1st Thomas Roach (Lewes AC) 02:53:28
9th Ruaridh Mon-Williams 03:11:08
10th Tom Adams (Inov8) 03:12:10
53rd Simon Bell 03:43:42
213th James Batterley 04:28:38
371st Ann-Kristin Marsham 04:57:27
399th Peter Roll 05:03:48
415th Alison Weston 05:07:13
426th Sacha Jones 05:08:30
Mid-Cheshire 5k – Fri 28 Apr
Thu 27 Apr 2023
From Dave Foyston…
On Friday I headed over to Cheshire to take part in the Mid-Cheshire 5k.
The current course records are 13.45 and 15.28.
The race is held on quiet countryside roads which are closed to the public, the race is chip timed and this course hosts the England Athletics 5k Road Racing Championships.
The weather was perfect – sunny with zero wind.
This was one of my target races for the year. I had been training since the start of 2023 to try and drop my 5k time to sub 16:30 – a big challenge but I felt that I was ready to give it a go.
So I lined up with 707 other runners, representing Ilkley in a stacked field and off we went. I got carried along by the group and cleared the first mile in under 5 minutes, we then turned and had a mile of steady uphill. At this point the race got very congested with me having to weave my way through the runners ahead to keep myself in with a chance of my goal.
The reward for tackling the hill was the final mile was all slightly downhill, heading into the final kilometre the pace got very quick glancing at my watch I was running the last kilometre in about 3 minutes.
I crossed the line in 16 minutes and 25 seconds.
I would definitely recommend anyone wanting a fast course to make the trip but I feel York University 5K course and the Barrowford course is slightly quicker.
The winner was Jack Grey, representing Cambridge & Coleridge in a time of 13:58
London Marathon – Sun 23 Apr
Sun 23 Apr 2023
From Rumana Chowdhury…
I’ve been a right moaning Minnie through my training for the London Marathon – I’m too slow, still too injured, too unfit, it’s too cold, too snowy, blah blah blah. I seemed to have lost all my confidence after sustaining an injury in my last marathon training a few months earlier. My husband says I’m a pessimist, I like to think I’m more of a realist, and so it was I turned up on the start line feeling undertrained and very much glass half empty.
Well, that feeling rapidly evaporated. Despite the pouring rain, and fairly bland first couple of miles, it turned into the most glorious experience of my life. The support from the crowd was unreal, so strong and loud and willing you on with such force. I was smiling so much my face ached more than my legs. I hit my first low point at mile 14 with cramp in my calf, but rather than the usual drama I go through in my head, I accepted it, slowed down, smiled and carried on. And it was fine! A hug from my husband and friends at that point helped too. The rain cleared, the sun came out and the crowd kept on shouting. Running alongside Batman and a rhino was also pretty fun!
I had been thinking beforehand what my mantra would be when things got tough – I can do this? This is my race? Keep going? Hmm, I wasn’t sure, I’m not really a mantra kind of gal. But as is often the way on long runs, it came to me whilst running – run with your heart. And from mile 21 to the end that’s all I had running through my brain. And my god I did.
A big thank you to the club for giving me the chance to do this and all the encouragement from fellow Harriers. Some great results for the club too. I keep saying never again when it comes to marathons, but I would do that again in a heartbeat. Looks like the London Marathon turned me into an optimist.
From Hilda Coulsey…
London on marathon day is so inspirational: the vast numbers raising millions for charities, the volunteers, free transport, multitudes of excited cheering supporters, world-class runners and runners of all abilities challenging themselves.
Of any other marathon I’ve run it is inclusive – the ballot is much oversubscribed but open to all plus there are other ways via, like me, a good-for-age place, a very good time championship place, the ballot for a club place and of course via the very many charities. Also many marathons have strict cut-off times so no medal: in Boston 6 days ago it was a, quite randomly and not well publicised, 5.5 hrs for the slow runners, similar for Tokyo. Not so for London, fast and slow are equally included and supported. The support, in the rain, was fantastic along the route and 3 or 4 deep in places.
I subscribe to Cancer Research UK and proudly wear the vest. It all helps, makes you smile when passed by the disabled and their supporters, all those in costumes helping to raise funds and the vast numbers of runners like me in their charity vests.
It’s an inspirational route too, lots to see and points of interest to look forward to. Over Tower Bridge at halfway and of course none more so than running along the river towards the Houses of Parliament, Buckingham Palace and turning down The Mall to the finish.
My race went well, I didn’t tail off too much until the last few miles when my hamstrings and calves started to cramp up. I’m very happy with my time 4:23:31, 7th v70 in a world-class field, the best of the 4 I’ve run these last 6 months. I’ll be giving road marathons a rest for a while…
And a poem from Jill Ezard…
Another “not this time” top
And my London dreams met a full stop
Til the club ballot results
Saw a spike in my pulse
Got my training plan off the laptop
This was not my first rodeo
Yet changed my plan with just 9 weeks to go
Introducing new training
Led to injury sustaining
“No running” said the brave physio
When you’re injured at 7weeks out
And riddled with boatloads of doubt
For your marathon place
And a half decent pace
I debated whether I should drop out
But I’m known as a feisty wee thing
And a positive mindset I bring
So a change to the plan
And Jeff was my man
To the marathon dream I would cling
At the start line I met some old friends
For a hug then t’was off to the pens
Just a visit or two
To the short toilet queue
And a stretch and some half hearted bends!
It was peeing it down to begin
I was totally soaked to the skin
But the joy of the race
put a smile on my face
Within minutes my rhythm was in
I stuck to my run/walking plan
Covered 23 miles with elan
Thank god for the cheers
Which rang round my ears
As I thought to myself “yes I can!”
So the moral of this epic tale
If you don’t want your dream to derail
Avoid any new fad
Just in case it turns bad
And in my case, stick with the trail!
Newlands Memorial Fell Race – Sat 22 Apr
Fri 21 Apr 2023
From Alison Weston…
This is a great fell race in the Newlands Valley encompassing Robinson, Hindsgarth, Dalehead, High Spy and Cat Bells. It’s 11.5 miles with 3,609 ft climbing. Highly recommended with half pint beer and bowl of chilli included in £13 entry fee!
Just Jen Roberts and myself from the Harriers this year with Jen having another great race.
(1 Finlay Wild, Lochaber AC, 1:30:50)
107 Jenny Roberts 2:18:58
155 Alison Weston 2:30:46
285 finished
Madeira Island Ultra Trail 115km – Sat 22 Apr
Fri 21 Apr 2023
From Matthew Kennedy…
With 23,200 ft of climbing over 71 miles – frontloaded so that more than 21,000 ft comes in the first 50 – the Madeira Island Ultra Trail (MIUT) has earned a reputation for being a steep but very scenic long-distance trail race.
Starting at midnight at Porto Moniz on the northwest coast, I had already climbed 12,000 ft and covered 30 miles by sunrise (7:30am), mostly on long, forested switchbacks, connected by occasional flat sections along Madeira’s famous network of levadas (small drainage / irrigation channels, which now double as hiking paths).
The cool nighttime conditions had made for pleasant running, but life became more difficult from mid-morning, as the sun came out in force for the final long climb of 4,800 ft, from the halfway drop bag at Curral das Freiras to the island’s high point of Pico Ruivo.
After a tricky but spectacular traverse along a jagged ridge to the 50-mile mark at Pico do Areeiro, I found myself overheating, but fortunately the 5,900 ft descent to sea level dropped back into some clouds on the island’s northeastern flank, so I was able to cool down, regroup and then jeff the final 9 miles around an undulating cliff path and some more levadas to the finish line in the southeastern town of Machico.
Thanks to the mostly cooperative weather, my time of 18h48 was better than expected and saw me finish 54th= and 3rd MV50. Although this was only about 35 mins behind the MV50 winner, it was a whopping 3h40 behind evergreen 1st MV55 Patrick Bohard, who not only came in a very impressive 8th=, but also finished 40 mins ahead of his daughter Manon, the women’s winner.
Results
(1 Lambert Santelli 14h01)
54= Matthew Kennedy 18h48, 3rd MV50
890 runners, 652 finishers
Boston 10k – Sun 16 Apr
Sun 16 Apr 2023
From Jaysson Sawyer…
May 31st 2021, a sunny if somewhat windy day in the flat landscape of Boston Lincolnshire. Little did I know this would be the day of my last race for nearly two years. The Boston Mayflower half marathon, postponed due to Covid and run under restrictions with a staggered start. 78 minutes, not a bad day at the office (77 if we go with Strava!).
Fast forward, 28th June 2021, blue light ride to the hospital with a suspected stroke. Several MRI scans, CT scan, so many blood tests I am surprised I have any left, physiotherapy, trips and falls, a dislocated shoulder, five parkruns and we find ourselves at Sunday 16th April 2023. It’s race day again, my first in a long long time, It’s Boston again but this time only for the 10k. (You will never know flat running like it whilst running in Yorkshire!) I’m not sure I was nervous, I’ve been on so many start lines and run so many races, I’m not even sure I was excited. I was happy to be back running, but sad to know I would not be competing. I guess you don’t lose that runner’s competitive edge even when the body and mind know it is a thing of the past. Perfect running conditions of flat roads, mild conditions and the merest of spring breezes. I chose to wear my Marie Curie vest to minimise the pressure of running in club colours (all be it only a pressure I put on myself. I am saving that for when I feel I can do it justice and myself proud).
A nice start going out the first 400 metres at a brisk 6:30 pace, a far cry from the 5:15 I started at last time. It felt comfortable but as is always currently the case within half a mile after that the breathing became more laboured, the muscles became heavy, the pins and needles started down both legs. A strange feeling that your legs do not belong to you is quite an interesting feel when the same legs are carrying you in a race!
At 3 miles I am still running and approaching a water station, I turn to the lad next to me and advise him to catch the pair 10 yards in front and bid him farewell as I am about to walk. ‘No, I’ll stick with you, it’s my first 10k’ he replies. ‘I’m only 16 and doing this for my Duke of Edinburgh. It’s nice running with someone – I usually run with my Dad.’ So for the next mile I was surrogate Dad. At 4 miles I had to stop for a walk, he went on to catch and overtake the pair in front.
I got jogging again, knowing I would not be able to run to the finish. I had another walk not long after 5 miles. I wanted to make sure when I started again I would be able to run it to the end and not walk past the crowds. I’m not sure if it is pride, stubbornness or just another way to find motivation but I wanted to finish strongly. The finish is a long straight bit of road followed by a final bend into a school. The straight is funnelled with cones a couple of hundred metres out. With 150 metres to go the racing instinct kicked in, I shouted at another young lad to sprint to the end and to his credit he took 20 metres on me in that space, but I finished strongly and fully deserved my banana and water at the end. The medal now housed in a tin, but it will always bring back the memories of my first race back.
To top off an exciting day as I was waiting for friends to finish the half marathon I assisted a young man to the finish after his legs turned to rubber 200 yards from the end. Think back to London Marathon a few years back, I am sure most of you have seen the clip. The poor guy was not in good shape. Saying he was aiming for 1:20 but I am going to get 1:21. We were well past two hours at this point. I supported, nudged and almost carried him to the line. You could say it was the wobbly leading the wobbly as without my walking stick my walking is still somewhat suspect and I am prone to falls! Still we made it. I can tell you I certainly enjoyed my beer, wine and whisky that night!
Manchester Marathon – Sun 16 Apr
Sun 16 Apr 2023
From Marie Watson…
I started my running journey two years ago in March 2021 after being inspired by all those that took part in the 2019 Ilkley Half Marathon. It was a fantastic family event filled with happy faces cheering on their loved ones which inspired me to start running.
Unfortunately, Covid hit so the next race wasn’t until July 2021 but I bought my trainers in March of that year and began training.
After doing that race, I got the bug. Next on my bucket list was a marathon. After doing a handful of half marathons and a couple of 10k races, it was my next target.
I tried to get into the London Marathon by way of the ballot but wasn’t lucky enough to get a place. After doing the Manchester half marathon in October 2022, the fantastic crowd support inspired me to do the full 26.2miles.
And Manchester didn’t disappoint.
Claimed to be one of the flattest marathon courses, I would say that’s about right. Strava calculated it to be 420ft elevation in total. There was a slight hill at Mile 5 and another at Mile 16 in Altrincham.
It was a busy start line and I couldn’t see any pacers. I believe there was a pacer for every 15 minutes.
Each wave had a different start time. There were five Harriers running, myself included. I saw Matt Cox pass as I was about to start. He was looking very strong and super speedy at around what I think would have been the 5-mile mark. The next opportunity to see the faster guys was at Mile 10. At that point, I saw Michael Odell blasting his way through what would have been his mile 23.
The water stations were well set out. I knew I had to keep well hydrated. I don’t like wearing hydration vests so I decided to slowly sip the bottles given out at the stations. There were opportunities to pick up SIS gels at some of the stations as well but I had brought my own. I had trained taking a gel every 4 miles. I alternated between caffeinated and non caffeinated gels. This was something I had not done in training runs but I did not regret this last-minute decision as I managed to avoid having stomach cramp, so it seemed to work. However, I had not tried the orange gels before and I wasn’t keen on the taste which was unfortunate as I had three in my pocket to get through!
The crowds in Altrincham were nothing short of fantastic. They really helped pull me through what was deemed to be one of the “trickiest” parts of the course. However, I felt the hills helped break up the race and in fact, it was one of my fastest miles and I felt good at this point.
Mile 18 onwards, I started to get cramp in both my calves. Something I had never experienced before. I knew I had to be careful not to push it otherwise it would be game over before I knew it. I tried to keep to pace, sensibly, but started to slow up come mile 20 onwards.
My family were at Mile 21 which made me smile at a time where I most needed that lift. I kept going. I saw lots of people walking and stretching out their injuries and I could feel their pain. I knew if I stopped, there was a chance I might not be able to pick it back up. I looked at my hand where I had written “you can” and remembered personal reasons why I was running this race. I kept going.
I saw my brother at mile 25 and could feel his voice behind me for another half mile as he ran alongside saying, “keep going, you’ve got this”. One mile left, just one mile. I could see the finish line, I waited to have about 100m left in sight and stepped up the pace. The roars from the crowd were unbelievable. I will never forget it.
Crossing the finish line felt amazing. I smiled and cried and saw another runner do the same. We congratulated each other.
Outstanding and eye watering results from my fellow team mates. See below. I completed the course in 3hr 53min 12 secs. My bucket list of having a sub 4hr marathon was under my belt.
Would I do it again? Of course. I have signed up for next year!
(1 Ignas Brasevicius 2:16:26)
113 Michael Odell 2:39:20
203 Matt Cox 2:44:09 (a new club record for M45)
2,021 Pete De Sanctis 3:12:13
3,031 Dave Reynier 3:22:17
7,428 Marie Watson 3:53:12
18,579 finished
Vale of York 10M and 5M – Sun 16 Apr
Sat 15 Apr 2023
From Petra Bijsterveld…
Photo credit: Jonathan Hobbs
The Vale of York races, organised by Evensplits, have been based at Rufforth Airfield in the past. After three disrupted years they were at a new and slightly different venue, Woolley Edge Farm, still at Rufforth though. The same and yet completely different! Parking again was on one of the runways, but not the same one as previously, and this one was in a considerable state of disrepair. You certainly wouldn’t want to land a plane on it! Driving was tricky enough due to giant potholes. There was then a walk through the farm to race HQ which was situated on a, thankfully dry, grassy field. The farm yard did provide an added attraction of lots of super cute small calves with their mums, they all seemed very content munching their hay and more or less ignored us, as if the sight of hundreds of runners was an every day occurrence. The start and finish of the course consisted of about half a mile of unmade though compacted farm track (looked like it was awaiting concreting), which then changed to concrete and finally to road just before the end of the first mile. The less than perfect surface at the start and finish was a bit of a shock when we surveyed the course, at least to those of us who would be gunning for a fast time, but in practice it did not make a huge amount of difference perhaps. The roads were closed to traffic which made for safe running, and the weather was perfect, if perhaps a bit warm in the sun.
The 10 mile option of this race was most popular with more than 500 runners including 8 Harriers taking part. Ed Hobbs had a convincing win, having run the second half of his race entirely solo and he was a whole minute clear of the second finisher. Dan McKeown was 2nd M40 but felt somewhat frustrated to just be a few seconds over the 1 hour mark. Considering he had had a rather extended warm-up due to not being able to locate the start (so many runways to choose from….) and only arrived with seconds to spare before the (delayed) start I would say he did pretty well! Beth Massey and Helen Waddington ran fast runs and came 4th in their respective age categories. Tracey Watson ran with daughter Aphra Hicks, the latter had not run more than 10k previously so well done Aphra! Nice to see relatively new members Alan Travis and Sarah Lambert in the 10 mile race too.
The 5 mile option was new for this year and Leo Graham, Hilda Coulsey and myself tackled this with about 170 others. I had only entered a few days ago, having never run a 5 mile race I was keen to get a time for the distance and to simultaneously have a crack at the F60 club record held by Hilda. Along the same lines Hilda wanted to set the F70 club record for the distance. We succeeded in our respective quests, and also won the age category prizes (F55 and F65 – confused, you will be!). In addition Hilda had the highest age grading out of all the Harriers at 83.4%. The F60 record had been set by Hilda when aged 68, so I am still full of admiration for her as I am only just 60. Anyway, I am sure Alison Bennett will be along shortly to take several minutes off, so I don’t expect to be holding on to this for long!
10 M
1 54:41 Edward Hobbs
20 1:00:07 Dan McKeown 2nd M40
82 1:08:47 Beth Massey
148 1:15:53 Helen Waddington
284 1:27:35 Tracey Watson
286 1:27:35 Aphra Hicks
298 1:28:38 Alan Travis
466 1:52:27 Sarah Lambert
518 ran
5M
(1 25:25 Jordan Howe, York Postal Harriers)
23 33:11 Leo Graham
57 39:38 Petra Bijsterveld 1st F55
70 41:29 Hilda Coulsey 1st F65
172 ran
Frauen Fun Run – Wed 12 Apr
Tue 11 Apr 2023
From Sally Armitage…
A ladies only 5k ‘fun run’ up and down the Hauptallee in The Prater, Vienna. Part of the very same route Kipchoge ran his well-publicised ‘sub 2 hour marathon distance’ in 2019. I had spotted this fun run at around lunchtime the day before, after just finishing an 8-mile tempo run around Zell am See, and realising I was exhausted and in need of a rest. So I entered it of course! I had to. It was to be my first event abroad and on such a prestigious course, how could I not? I hadn’t taken a vest or shorts so once I arrived in Vienna, the following day, a quick trip to the shops was required.
I had a peek at previous finish times to gauge where I should position myself in the line up and saw that 1st and 2nd ladies finished in just over 15 minutes a few years ago!! Then 3rd was around 17 minutes then another jump to 18 minutes for 4th, so suspected I’d finish somewhere in the first 10. The girls that would be 1st and 2nd clearly already knew each other and positioned themselves side by side just in front of everyone else. We settled into our ‘comfortable paces’ after the first km, the first 2 girls had run off into the distance by then and I was in 3rd position from then onwards. It was a pancake flat course, with a straight 2km run along the Hauptallee, a turnaround, then just prior to 3km a slight, short, deviation followed by another turnaround then a return to the Hauptallee for a truly horrific 1.5km dead straight run to the finish.
I didn’t expect a fast time, I was so tired, but I gave it my all anyway, and despite my struggle it was definitely worth it and I was grateful to remain injury free. I even got my own cyclist! The first 3 runners had their own cyclist to follow!! Likely as we were fairly spread apart. At the 2km turnaround point there were a lot of runners passing me making their way there on the other side, every one of them was clapping and shouting encouragement, which was lovely.
As I got closer to the finish line I could hear my name being announced over the tannoy as representing Grossbritannien, this made me feel like an actual international athlete rather than a club runner with plenty of ‘ultra blondes’ and ever increasing ‘laughter lines’. The biggest surprise was the podium presentation, I didn’t expect any prize with it being a ‘fun run’, so was super excited to be presented with a lavender plant & a small silver cup. I’d like to say I’ll do it again, I’d love to get the opportunity.
(1 Sophie Grabner 17:25)
3 Sally Armitage 19:05
308 ran
Manx Mountain Marathon – Sat 8 Apr
Fri 7 Apr 2023
From Matthew Kennedy…
Having never been to the Isle of Man and wanting to get some hills under my belt, the Manx Mountain Marathon seemed to fit the bill, with over 9,000 feet of climbing on a 30-mile traverse of the island. Organised by Manx Fell Runners and coming back for its 51st edition, the logistics also turned out to be straightforward enough – train to Heysham and ferry to Douglas, followed by an early shuttle bus to the start in Ramsay on the north east coast.
It was cool and breezy when we set off at 8am and climbed into the mist shrouding North Barrule, the first summit. After following a ridge along and down to the TT course, we climbed back up to Snaefell – the high point of the island – then descended into bright sunshine. The wind had dropped as well, so from then on it was great weather and terrific views all the way to Port Erin in the south west.
Besides plenty of hills, the route had a little bit of everything – mostly on moorland paths but with a few roads and trackless sections, mostly over rolling terrain but with a few steep ups and downs. There were also a couple of stream crossings and one very scratchy gorse descent thrown in, to make sure runners didn’t make it to the finish completely unscathed.
The summits of the north gave way to lower hills in the south and finally to the coastal path, then a dash along the cliffs to the finish at the Bradda Cafe, I managed to catch Wharfedale’s Adam Stirk at the line to come in 18th=. However, we finished just behind a local runner who, as I found out later, pipped me to 1st MV50 by only two seconds.
The sprint finish had taken a toll after several hours of running in the sun, so I retreated to the cafe bar for a while to cool down and rehydrate. When I re-emerged, it turned out a runner called Jack Wood had just won the half marathon (starting at St Johns in the middle of the island and following the same route to Port Erin). Sure enough, a quick check showed I was not the only Harrier to have made the trip over.
Since I couldn’t find Jack to offer my congratulations, there was nothing left to do but shuffle slowly into the centre of town and catch the last steam train of the day back to Douglas. All in all, a very friendly and well-organised race, and one that was also a great excuse for a weekend away.
Results:
Half:
1 Jack Wood 1h45
122 finishers
Full:
(1 Ellis Bland 4h34)
18= Matthew Kennedy 6h11, 2nd MV50
116 finishers
Salford 10k – Fri 7 Apr
Thu 6 Apr 2023
From Helen Waddington…
Glorious weather for this fast and flat course of two 5k laps. Great organisation from Salford Harriers – no fuss or frills but a great atmosphere and lots of friendly (mainly) club runners. Just two Ilkley vests present – myself and Beth Massey who had a strong run finishing in the top 20 women overall.
Results:
(1 Adam Barber Harborough AC 30:46)
(55 Sarah Potter Leeds AC 35:08)
167 Beth Massey 40:32 (4th V50)
272 Helen Waddington 45:42 (1st V55)
501 ran
23 Before Tea Challenge – Mon 3 Apr
Sun 2 Apr 2023
From Jann Smith…
New female course record by over 3 hours.
29 miles / 10,000 ft – 8hrs 43 mins.
The Challenge: Run to any 23 Wainwright Mountains as quick as you can starting and finishing at Elterwater Hostel in the Lake District.
Myself and Paul Carman decided to take on this challenge and had reccied most of the route we wanted to take. The route has evolved over the last year as people have experimented with different peaks and different routes, however rounds will not be ratified unless you hit the exact summitts so careful navigation is key.
After a frosty night in the campervan we were then rewarded with a beautiful day on a beautiful route from a great location.
Ilkley Gazette report – w/c 24/04
Sat 1 Apr 2023
[Photo: Rumana Chowdhury after a great experience at the the London Marathon]
From Jean Sullivan…
Harriers shine at the London Marathon!
Nine Ilkley Harriers travelled to London to take part in this year’s London marathon, with very impressive results all round. Cameron Reilly was the first Harrier over the line, completing the 26.2-mile race in a superb 2:46. He was followed by Chris Welford who managed another sub-3-hour finish, with Chris finishing in 2:57:02. Hot on their heels was Jane McCarthy, the first female Harrier over the line, with Jane completing the course in 3:12:36. Derek Oliver managed another sub 3:30 finish, running the course in 3:26:32, particularly impressive being in the MV60 category.
Hilda Coulsey continued to impress, completing the marathon course in 4:23:31, finishing in an incredible seventh in her age category in this world-class field. Hilda also set a new club LV70 record for the Ilkley Harriers, beating her own previous record for a marathon time by over six minutes.
Harrier Colin Williams managed a sub-4-hour finish, Colin completing the course in 3:56:22. Jill Ezard also impressed, achieving a PB for a marathon, over 16 minutes faster than her previous time, with Jill crossing the line in 4:11:10. Rumana Chowdhury and Linda Wilson also had fantastic runs at this iconic event.
Half the distance, but still a challenge, this weekend also saw the staging of the Burnsall Trail half marathon, a trail race, organised by Due North Events. This race starts and finishes in the beautiful riverside location of Burnsall, and takes in several sections of the Dales Way footpath, with around 500m of ascent, rewarded with beautiful views of the Yorkshire Dales.
Tom Razazan was the first Harrier over the line in an impressive 1:52:18, finishing in a great 19th place overall. He was followed by Matthew Snow in 2:07:56, with Catherine Crawley the third Harrier over the line in 2:08:40.
Also off road, this week saw the staging of the third race in the Bunny Run series. These three-mile races with 300ft of ascent are organised by Wharfedale Harriers, with the added incentive of a crème egg for all finishers. These races involve a small ‘Egg Stage’ loop, followed by a second longer loop on Penistone Hill.
Archie Budding continued his fine form and came in second place at this race, Archie running the course in a speedy 16:07. Not only did he have another high placing this week, Archie was the overall winner of this year’s Bunny Run series.
Alex Wolfenden was the second Harrier home at this race in 17:32, followed by clubmate Oscar Shinn in 17:36. Rachel Carter was the first Ilkley lady home in 20:26.
Also on the fells, the Newlands Memorial fell race was on this weekend in Cumbria. This race, previously known as the Anniversary Waltz, involves 1100m of ascent over a distance of 18.5km and takes place near Keswick. There are five checkpoints including one at Dale Head and Catbells. Harriers Jenny Roberts and Alison Weston took part in this race, with Jenny completed this challenging course in 2:18:58, and Alison in 2:30:46.
The weekly timed 5km parkrun series remained as popular as ever with the Ilkley Harriers this week with 25 Harriers taking part in various parkruns around the country. Tom Adams was the first to finish at the Blackpool parkrun, in a speedy time of 15:53. A first place finish also for Edward Hobbs at the Chevin Forest parkrun, with Ed completing this hilly course in an impressive 17:44.
Ilkley ladies also impressed at this week’s parkruns, with Fay Walsh the first lady to finish at the Middleton Woods parkrun, Beth Massey who was the second lady over the line at the Bradford parkrun and Ruth Kitchen also the second lady to finish at the Roberts Park parkrun.
Other great results included; Dave Foyston who was the second finisher at Roberts Park, Mike Abrams-Cohen and Junior Harrier Jake Norris, who were the second finishers at the Wetherby and Roberts Park parkruns respectively and Forrest Hamilton who was the fourth to finish at Bramley.
Great running also from Jacqui Forster who was the fourth lady to finish at the Morecambe Prom parkrun and Sarah Haines who was the fourth lady to finish at the Bowling Park parkrun.
Ilkley Gazette report – w/c 17/04
Sat 1 Apr 2023
[Photo credit: Dave Woodhead / Woodentops]
From Jean Sullivan…
Race wins and club records broken for the Harriers this week!
Tom Adams stormed to the finish to win the Llongollen fell race this weekend, crossing the line almost twenty minutes ahead of the second-place finisher. Tom completed the 17-mile course in an impressive 1:53:24. This race involves 3,000ft of climbing and takes in beautiful views across Trevor Rocks, Eglwyseg Mountain and Rhuabon Mountain, before running back down Offas Dyke and along the beautiful Worlds End Trail back towards the finish. This race raises vital funds for the local mountain rescue, North East Wales Search and Rescue.
Win number two of the week for the Harriers saw Ed Hobbs stealing the show at the Vale of York 10-mile race. This road race, organised by Evensplits, takes place in Rufforth, running south along fast, flat closed roads in the villages west of York and east of Leeds. Ed had a superb run, finishing almost a minute ahead of the second finisher. Dan McKeown was the second Harrier home and took second prize in his age category, with Dan in 20th place overall out of a field of over 500 runners. Beth Massey was the third Harrier over the line, in a great time of 1:08:47.
There was also a five-mile option at this race with three Ilkley Harriers opting to run this course. Leo Graham led the Ilkley Harriers home in a speedy time of 33:11. He was followed by Petra Bijsterveld who took first place in her age category and also managed to set a new 5-mile FV60 club record. Hilda Coulsey also had a great run and matched Petra with first place in her age category and also setting a new club FV70 club record for the distance.
Five Ilkley Harriers travelled over to Manchester to take part in this year’s Manchester marathon, billed as the UK’s flattest major marathon and the fourth-largest marathon in Europe.
Michael Odell led the Harriers home to finish in an incredible time of 2:39:20, with Michael finishing in 113th place overall. A superb sub-three-hour finish also for Matt Cox, in 2:44:09, with Matt also setting a new club M45 record for a marathon time. Peter De Sanctis also had a great run, completing the course in an impressive 3:12:13. Dave Reynier had another impressive race, finishing in 3:22:17. Marie Watson, new to the marathon scene, completed her first marathon finishing more than comfortably under the four-hour mark in an impressive 3:53:12.
Also on the road, Adam Gerrish took part in the City of Lincoln 10km race, with Adam completing the route in sub-40 minutes in an impressive time of 38:57. This popular Lincolnshire race takes in many of Lincoln’s iconic sights including the Roman walls, Lincoln Cathedral and Lincoln Castle.
Also in Lincolnshire, the Boston 10km was held this weekend, with Harrier Jaysson Sawyer on the comeback trail and taking part in this race. Jaysson completed the course in a great time of 47:36.
Race number two of the popular Bunny Run series took place on a very wet Tuesday evening. These three-mile races with 300ft of ascent are organised by Wharfedale Harriers, with the added incentive of a crème egg for all finishers. These races involve a small ‘Egg Stage’ loop, followed by a second longer loop on Penistone Hill. Archie Budding led the Ilkley Harriers home, finishing in a superb second place overall in a time of 17:12. Alex Wolfenden was the second Harrier, in 12th place overall, with Oscar Shinn hot on his heels to finish in 13th. Rachel Carter led the Ilkley ladies home, followed by Sarah Hayes and Lizzie Reilly.
Race number three of the York Evensplits series took place this week. These 5km races are held at the University of York Sport Village Cycle Circuit, with this flat and fast course offering great potential for a personal best time. Five Ilkley Harriers took part, with Archie Budding again leading the Harriers home to finish in a superb sixth place overall in a time of 15:47. Great performances from the other Harriers too, with Archie’s dad Rob finishing in first place in his age category, Steven Gott and Mark Iley taking second place in their respective age categories and Brit Tate taking third place in her age category.
Overseas, Sally Armitage took part in the Frauen Fun Run in Vienna. This race is a ladies-only 5km run up and down the Hauptallee in the Prater. Sally finished in an impressive third place in a time of 19:05, out of a field of 305 runners. She even had her own cyclist to follow, a privilege bestowed to the first three runners. Sally’s third-place finish meant she made it to the podium for the prize-giving ceremony.
The weekly timed 5km parkrun series remained as popular as ever this week with 31 Harriers taking part in various events around the country. Notable performances included: Jack Wood who was the first to finish at the Chevin Forest parkrun, David Foyston who was the first finisher at the Roberts Park parkrun and Ruth Kitchen was the first lady to finish at the same venue. Lots of other Harriers managed top ten finishing places including Oscar Shinn who was the third finisher at the Roberts Park parkrun, with Mike Abrams-Cohen in fourth. John Hayes and Adam Gerrish were fifth finishers at the Skipton and Yarborough Leisure Centre parkruns respectively, with Mark Mon-Williams the seventh across the line at the Chevin Forest parkrun. Alison Bennet completed the Bradford parkrun in a superb time of 21:43, giving her a very impressive age grading of 89.33%.
Ilkley Gazette report – w/c 10/04
Sat 1 Apr 2023
Dom Coy and Ruth Kitchen at the Guiseley Gallop [Photo credit: Dave Woodhead / Woodentops]
From Jill Ezard…
Wins and records in bumper Easter haul for the Harriers
Jann Smith had a barnstorming start to April when she took on the ‘23 before Tea’ challenge in the Lake District on Monday with Paul Carman. The challenge requires runners to summit any 23 Wainwrights as quickly as possible, starting and finishing at the Elterwater Hostel. Jann and Paul had great conditions for their attempt and completed their round of 29 miles and 10,000ft of climb in eight hours and 43 minutes. This is the fastest known time for a female runner giving Jann the course record by a staggering three hours. Superb effort from both.
Friday by contrast saw two Harriers take to the road for the fast and flat two-lap Salford 10k course at the Salford Sports Village. Beth Massey and Helen Waddington both had great races: Beth was in the top 20 female finishers in a time of 40:32; and Helen took first place in her age category finishing in 45:42.
It was back to the hills and even further afield for another two Harriers on Saturday. Matthew Kennedy and Jack Wood travelled to the Isle of Man to take part in the Manx Mountain Marathon and Half Marathon respectively. The marathon route is a point-to-point fell race from Ramsey in the north of the island to Port Erin in the south, with the half marathon race following the second half of the route. At nearly 50km with 2600m of ascent, taking in the island’s highest peak, Snaefell, it’s actually an ultra-marathon but retains its original title from its inception. The half marathon is just under 22km with 1100m of ascent. Matthew had a great race finishing in the top 20 in 6:11:25, also taking second place in his age category. Jack had a fantastic run in the half marathon winning the race in a staggering 1:45:32.
Closer to home there was a superb turnout and some stand-out performances at the Guiseley Gallop 10km event on Sunday. Perhaps tempted by the bottle of beer for all finishers, 19 Harriers took on the route which follows two laps of Spring Woods in Esholt and surrounding paths and road, starting and finishing in Guiseley. There was podium success in both the men’s and women’s races: Dominic Coy took a commanding first place in 34:22, nearly four minutes clear of the second finisher; and Ruth Kitchen took a fantastic third place in 44:08. There were other great performances from the team: Both Christos Tzelis and Nathan Coy finished in the top 10, finishing first and second respectively in their age categories; Catherine Crawley and Adela Reperecki were first in their age categories finishing in 50:59 and 1:01:14 respectively; Danny Thompson was second in his in 40:35; and Tony Pye and John Hayes were both third in their age cats in 45:57 and 46:21 respectively.
The good weather brought the Parkrunners out in force on Saturday, with some great performances from the 21 Harriers who took part in the timed 5k events: Ed Hobbs and Mike Abrams-Cohen were the first finishers in their races in Exeter and Wetherby respectively. There were top ten finishes for Adam Gerrish at Bradford in 18:38, Dave Foyston at Fountains Abbey in 17:05, Robert and Yasmin Cunningham at Bedgebury Pinetum in 19:46 and 24:29 and Jacqui Foster at Morecambe Prom in 23:37. There were also a clutch of parkrun PBs with Sarah Hayes and Jaysson Sawyer at Roberts Park, Andrew Smith at Woodhouse Moor and Mel Edwards at the Richmond event all posting their best times. Congratulations to all!
Ilkley Gazette report w/c 03/04
Sat 1 Apr 2023
From Jean Sullivan…
Jack and Jenny to the fore
Jack Cummings stole the show again this weekend, winning the 28th Baildon Boundary Way, Jack’s first time doing this race.
This multi-terrain and challenging half marathon, organised by Baildon Runners, starts and finishes at Baildon Rugby & Cricket Sports Club. It involves running through Esholt Woods, along the canal and then a challenging climb up Shipley Glen, across to ‘the Gallops’ before the return home.
Twenty Harriers took part in this race. Weather conditions were good, still and sunny but the main challenge was the very muddy conditions underfoot which had to be contended with. Jack stormed to the finish to win the race in a superb time of 1:21:03, over five minutes ahead of the second finisher.
Jenny Roberts was the second Harrier home and the second lady to finish with Jenny completing the race in a very impressive time of 1:46:07. Rob Cunningham was the third Harrier across the line, in a speedy time of 1:47:36.
Other notable performances included Tracey Watson, who took first prize in her age category, Emma Shepherd and Alison Bennett, who took second place, and Colin Williams and Liz Price, who took third place in their respective age categories.
On the fells, this weekend saw the staging of the Pendle Fell Race organised by Clayton- Le-Moors Harriers. This 4.5-mile race involves 1500ft of climbing up to the trig point on Pendle ‘the Hill of the Lancashire Witches’, which is the most prominent landmark in north east Lancashire. The current race, which sets off from the village of Barley, has been staged since 1974. This year’s race incorporated the 2023 Lancashire Fell Championships.
Nathan Edmondson finished in a superb second place in the race, with Nathan running the course in an impressive time of 31:49 and just over 20 seconds behind the first-place finisher. Alison Weston also ran this race in 48:07, taking second prize in her age category.
Also on the fells, Dave Robson took part in the interestingly named race ‘We Need to Talk About Chevin Fell Race. This nine mile event, with 650m of climbing over the course, is described as ‘the worst possible scenario when touring the Chevin’, the course consisting of many steep climbs and ascents. Dave had a great race, finishing in seventh place overall in a great time of 1:14:02 and taking second prize in his age category.
The weekly timed 5km parkrun series remained popular with Ilkley Harrier members this week, with 15 Harriers taking part in various parkruns around the country. Lots of top 10 finishes including for Steve Gott who was the second finisher at the Chevin parkrun, Michael Abrams-Cohen who finished in seventh place at the Heslington parkrun and Tony Pye who also finished in seventh place at the Robert’s Park parkrun.
Pendle Fell Race – Sat 1 Apr
Sat 1 Apr 2023
From Alison Weston…
A lovely 4.5-mile fell race up Pendle Hill with a bit of a dip down below the summit, losing well-earned height, to face a really steep ascent directly to the trig.
Nathan Edmondson was second place in 31:49 mins, only 20 seconds behind the winner Grant Cuncliffe from Rossendale Harriers. I finished in 48:07 and 2nd FV50. Antonio finished in 1:39 and 8th MV70 (a very competitive age group!)
I would certainly encourage more Harriers to have a go next year as it’s a great race for £5 entry fee and lots of tea, cake and soup at the end.