Ilkley Harriers news archive 2025
Ilkley Gazette Report – w/c 28 April 2025
Mon 28 Apr 2025
[Photo courtesy of Suzanne Carter – Ilkley’s Kate Archer (left) with her Fellsman Dart prize]
From Will Worboys & Nicola Budding…
Ilkley Athletes dominate the fells and shine in the big road marathons
A bumper weekend of running was had by Ilkley athletes who excelled to an almost unprecedented level with several huge wins for the green and red vests as well as countless superb performances.
Kate Archer played a part in history on Saturday at the Fellsman races. Both the 60-mile long version and the shorter but still extremely challenging 30-mile ‘Fellsman Dart’ should maybe consider changing the name of the event because they were won by women! Archer had a brilliant run in the Dart to finish in 5:10:51 and join Anna Llewellyn, the winner of the full-length race, in taking the glory and finishing ahead of all their male counterparts for the first time in the race’s history.
The full Fellsman started at Ingleton and snaked its way over some of the highest peaks in the Yorkshire Dales before finishing at Threshfield. The first Harrier to finish in this race was Michael Odell who did very well indeed to come 4th overall and cover the 60 miles in a time of 12:02:22. Next Harrier to come in was Martin Hartley who was 27th of the 261 total finishers in a time of 14:21:33. Then came Peter Shelley who was 74th in 16:54:17 and second claim Harrier Martin Peace was one second behind him.
The Dart followed the same route as the second half of the Fellsman, starting at Redshaw. Kate Archer showed her class throughout, finishing 1st of the 91 finishers comfortably in an amazing time of 5:10:51.
Meanwhile another Ilkley lady was flying the flag too, but this time on the road. Sally Armitage won the trophy for first female at the Blackpool marathon with a brilliant run, often into a difficult coastal headwind, to head off the field and finish in 3:13:25. Sally was the only Ilkley runner at this event which is a two-lap route based at North Promenade and part of the Blackpool Festival of Running.
Back in the Yorkshire Dales, Ilkley’s own national fell champion was showing his class against some very big names at the 70th annual Three Peaks race. Ben Rothery stormed to victory in the classic race in three hours dead, nearly eight minutes ahead of 2nd place Clovis Chaverot and multiple Olympic gold medallist Alistair Brownlee who was 3rd. The race which takes in the peaks of Ingleborough, Pen Y Gent and Whernside is 24 miles long with around 5,000 feet of total ascent and not for the faint hearted; but attracted several hardy Harriers. Rothery was close to the front from the start and stayed tucked in with the leaders before making his move coming down Whernside and then pulling away to create a big lead well away from the chasing pack.
Fellow Harriers to finish included Sacha Jones who was 54th lady and 15th in the W40 category. Alison Weston ran well to finish 13th W50. Charles Wain, Harry Brook-Dobson and Jon McDonald all had superb runs to finish inside the 5 hour mark. Luke Watkeys and Chris Grose also made it to the end in great time.
Still at the Three Peaks, Ilkley’s put out a strong relay team of Ash Winter, Alistair Nash, James Batterley, Charlie Kay, Colm McCann and Paul Disney. Named ‘No Hatters’ the team came 20th of the 48 finishing. The relay was won by Wharfedale Harriers’ team.
Onto Sunday’s London Marathon and some more unbelievable performances in the world-famous event. They was headed by Nathan Edmondson who ran out of his skin to knock a huge four minutes off the all-time club marathon record and finish the race in 2:21:14. Edmondson was 16th overall of the masses which saw a world record number of finishers – over 56,000! Amongst other superb runs were Matthew Thackwray who finished in 2:33:46, Dave Foyston in 3:09:05, Jonathan Turner with a big PB of 3:20:31 and Rachel Streets in 3:47:19. Hilda Coulsey had a great run to finish in 23rd position of her 70-74 age category in a time of 5:04:20. While Derek Oliver came 82nd in his 60-64 category with a brilliant time of 3:20:19. Honourable mentions for other Ilkley finishers include; Sarah Lambert and Colin Williams, as well as members of the Harriers ‘Jeffing’ group Emma Haggas and Jill Roberts, who all overcame the hot weather to perform very well.
Meanwhile, back in the north-west, the Manchester Marathon was also taking place, with plenty of Harrier interest among the 30,000 plus participants. With the hot sunshine creating challenging conditions, Tony Pye was not deterred and led the Ilkley pack, achieving a huge PB of 3:10:37. He was followed by Owen Parker who finished in 3:18:44. Next was Sara McLean who came home in an excellent 3:21:56. Mark Gill was next in 3:26:48, followed by Phil Joyner in 3:32:49. Great endurance and will power were also shown by finishers Iain Young, Jonathan Nelson and Nigel Illingworth.
On to the juniors and another week of sunny running for the young Harriers began on Tuesday evening with the fast and furious Bunny Relays around the quarries of Penistone Hill, where teams of three were competing using the long lap from the Bunny Runs. George Whittlestone, Ollie Holder and Oscar Shinn (collectively known by their team name “Scrambled Legs”) finished in a fantastic 5th place. A great result to end the Bunny Runs for this year.
The first race in the 2025 FRA Junior Championships series, the Duddon Dash, took place on Sunday. Starting from Seathwaite in Borrowdale the various routes took in the local area of Donny Shaw and, depending on the age category, the summits of White Pike and Caw. Robert Brooks was our only Junior in the 5K U15 race and finished in 28th place in 35:58. In the 6.3K U17 race Joseph Bentham finished in an excellent 3rd place in 38:25. Four Juniors representing JIH took part in the 9.4K U19 race with Alexander Wolfenden leading them home in 10th place (56:50), followed by Oscar Shinn in 12th place (58:38) and George Whittlestone in 15th place (1:03:48). Matilda Irvine was 9th FU19, finishing in 1:18:07. Senior Harrier Rachel Carter 2nd lady in the senior race. A great start to the series.
Michael and Isobel Moore took on the demanding Chevin Forest Parkrun on Saturday with both finishing first in their age categories; Michael finishing in 8th position overall (first JM11-14) in 21:59 and Isobel finishing as 5th female overall (first JW10) in 26:29.
Ilkley Harriers is a friendly welcoming club, open to all. If you would like to try us out, please register first on the training page at www.ilkleyharriers.org.uk and then come along to our main club night at 6.45pm on Tuesdays, meet upstairs at Ilkley tennis and squash club.
Blackpool Marathon – Sun 27 Apr 2025
Sat 26 Apr 2025
From Sally Armitage…
Yesterday I took a deep breath and drove back over for my second attempt at the Blackpool Marathon. This was a free entry as it was my prize for third place last year, in reality I don’t think I would’ve entered it again otherwise. I find this distance quite challenging, and not much fun! Does anyone? I’d ummed and ahhed about doing it up until probably a few days before, though I’d trained and tapered so put on my big girl pants and my vaporflys and lined up on the start line.
It was no more fun that it was last year, this year there was the additional challenge of a headwind in one direction, last year there was miraculously zero wind, almost unheard of for Blackpool! The race begins on the promenade, bang in the middle of the two laps up and down. There’s not much to say about the route, it’s dull and once the half marathon runners finish it becomes a bit of a solo effort as by then the marathon runners are so spread apart you are pretty much running alone.
I set off aiming for the same time as last year, 3hrs 7, which I think I may have managed had the headwind not given me a beasting. I actually felt better in the final 6 miles than I’d felt all race, or maybe that was because I knew I was nearly finished! The fast females didn’t come which was great as it meant my finish time of 3hr 13 was good enough for first place, although sadly this gives me free entry to next year’s event again, hoping I’ll have a good excuse not to run next year!
Results:
1st male Martin Brown (Kilmarnock Harriers & AC) 2:29:14
1st female Sally Armitage (Ilkley Harriers) 3:13:25
The Duddon Dash – Sun 27 Apr 2025
Sat 26 Apr 2025
From Rachel Carter…
The Duddon Dash was the first of the FRA Junior Championship races with a senior race that uses the U19 course albeit setting off 5 mins later to give the youngsters a head start. Given my eldest is now in the U19 category, having driven the two hours plus to the scenic Duddon Valley, it seemed silly not to at least have a go. The race starts on an incline in a boggy field (almost pay-back for the dry cross country season), climbs to White Pike before a very steep and long grassy descent. It then traverses back up to Caw Trig with a few false summits thrown in, The descent off Caw was flagged and a little more technical than the first from White Pike but not as bad as I feared from the race briefing. Needless to say I have very sore quads and arms (I think from flailing them about for balance) today. 30 seniors (and 30 juniors) took part and I finished 2nd lady.
The Three Peaks Race – Sat 26 Apr 2025
Fri 25 Apr 2025
From Alison Weston…
It was a great event on Saturday with Ben Rothery claiming first place in the prestigious Three Peaks race.
It’s a gruelling 24.2 miles with 5,336 ft climbing and a mix of stone paths, bridleways, road and also particularly steep grassy terrain on Whernside (the majority climbing on all fours!) The other major obstacle is the number of Three Peaks walkers to negotiate around, particularly off Whernside.
But nothing got in Ben’s way as he stormed round the route, breaking away from Alistair Brownlee from the top of Whernside to finish in exactly three hours, which was seven minutes ahead of second place Clovis Chaverot, with Alistair taking third.
Charles was second home from Ilkley closely followed by Harry. Sacha had a really great run to come in under five hours as did Jon, then it was Luke, myself and Charles.
For me now it’s a bit of a race against the cut-off times so I was delighted to complete another.
The support as always was fantastic and much appreciated from the Harriers, marshalls and other spectators.
The Fellsman – Sat 26 Apr 2025
Thu 24 Apr 2025
From Peter Shelley..
The Fellsman took place on Saturday, and for some of us part of Sunday too. A bucket list event for ultra runners, it is organised by Keighley Scouts and an army of volunteers distributed across the 98km route through the Yorkshire Dales. They ensure all runners are accounted for, fed and watered at 20 checkpoints and food stations. While not quite free route choice, the event has an element of navigation among its many challenges.
Joining me on this adventure were Michael Odell, Martin Hartley and Martin Peace. Our personal preparation for the event varied, but one common element was gathering the long and quite specific kit list which included goggles (in case the bogs were particularly deep?), a rear red light in addition to a head torch (in case we should have to reverse?), emergency rations and a mug (in addition to the one who entered).
Thankfully we all passed muster and by 8.30am were released in the direction of Ingleborough with 334 other runners and hikers. Care is needed not to go off too fast as the biggest climbs occur in the first third of the route and energy must be conserved for later. I proceeded accordingly, or at least I thought I did.
The Whernside summit is visited on an out and back route which allows for some spectating of front runners already descending and even some of those running the Three Peaks.
The next section enters more remote territory with a big climb out of Kingsdale to visit Gragareth, a summit which somehow conspires to be in Lancashire. There follows the first of many peat bog sections which on the day were relatively dry but can be horrendous. A long descent into our third county of the day (Cumbria) led to what I had identified as the lunch stop at Dent (and another kit check). The organisers kindly supply a menu for the food stations which I had marked up in advance to have something to look forward to in what was already feeling like a long day. Salty savoury food served to combat the onset of cramp.
Conversations with people whose faces began to become familiar as we encountered each other on the route or in the checkpoints helped the time pass agreeably and provided a distraction from the running effort.
I briefly left my poles behind at the Stone House food station. Lesson clearly not learned and brain no longer functioning, I made the same mistake at Cray and Park Rash.
Despite various recces, I was concerned about navigation particularly over featureless stretches like Blea Moor and the final section run at night. My first nav confusion occurred on the descent of Dodd Fell, although there were other runners to confer with and little time was lost.
Feeling ok and sticking to my pace plan, I made progress through the field including along the road section in Langstrothdale. By 75km, it was 9pm, dark and my quads had seized. It started to rain on Buckden Pike, my head torch stopped working and with Great Whernside still to do, I decided I didn’t like this event anymore. Even the promise of a gimlet could not revive me.
Teaming up with Martin Peace at this point was a welcome development. His sense of direction and route knowledge saved me much of the navigational challenge, and we had a nice chat to the finish. Aside from running briefly when I tripped over a rock, we were hiking by this point.
Finishing in 16hr 55m at 1.30am, we placed 75/261. By this time Michael Odell was already at home on his chaise longue after finishing a brilliant fourth! With Martin Hartley surpassing his own expectations in an excellent 27th place, this was a good set of results for four Fellsman novices. It was a day of lady winners with the Fellsman’s first female winner in Anna Llewellyn who achieved a spectacular 10hr 18m and a brilliant victory in the inaugural Fellsman Dart for our own Kate Archer.
Fellsman Dart – Sat 26 Apr 2025
Wed 23 Apr 2025
From Kate Archer…
This weekend saw the inaugural running of the Fellsman Dart. The course follows the second half of the Fellsman route, the slightly easier half but still 30 miles with over 4,000ft of climb.
The full Fellsman had started at about 8:30am and we were starting at 1pm. The day began with a bit of time spent on coaches (from the finish to Ingleton where we were registered, and then to the start at Redshaw) and a bit of waiting around (I think the organisers were worried about getting us there on time with all the other events on at the weekend). On the start line we were informed that the leader of the Fellsman, a woman, was only one checkpoint behind, so the challenge was not to be overtaken.
Aside from a minor navigation error early on where I found myself on the wrong side of a wall and so lost a handful of places, the race went well. I caught up with the leading group before the climb up to Buckden Pike (though I didn’t realise we were in the lead at this point), and we ran together for a while. I pulled ahead on the descent and when I reached the checkpoint at the bottom of Great Whernside I was told I was in first place. Surely some mistake! I looked back and couldn’t see anyone behind. There were still 10 miles or so to go, but with the thought that I could actually win a race, I just ran as fast as my depleting energy would allow. I stopped at the remaining checkpoints only to have my tally punched, so missed out on all the fabulous catering the Fellsman has to offer. I finished in 5:11, and what a feeling to cross a finish line first!
I think only three or four of us made it back before the first runner in the Fellsman, Anna Llewellyn. She had run the second half quicker than all of us running the Dart. It was the first time that a woman has won the race, and in a record time of 10:18, so very exciting to be there to cheer her in!
Ilkley Gazette Report – w/c 21 April 2025
Mon 21 Apr 2025
[Photo courtesy of Ultra Trails – Lynn Donohue excelling at her latest ultra]
From Jill Ezard & Nicola Budding…
Easter spring in the step brings age category successes galore!
Easter started early with the third race in the Bunny Run series on Tuesday evening. Starting at the Old Sun Inn in Haworth, the race sees participants take on a three-mile course split into a small loop – the Egg Stage – and a longer loop. Oscar Shinn was the winner of the Egg Stage and came tenth overall in 17:18 behind Samesh Chotai in fourth place in 16:45. Junior Harrier Ollie Holder was first in his age category in 18:45 with Rachel Carter the first female Harrier over the line in 20:43. Oscar Shinn and Harry Brook-Dobson are currently sitting in the top ten of the results overall for the men’s series with Rachel Holder in the top five for her age category.
It was a busy Easter weekend with races across the country attracting Harriers looking to burn off the chocolate! Taking advantage of the Bank Holiday racing started on Friday. Alison Bennett decided that sitting and relaxing on holiday was not for her and signed up for the Good Friday Caldervale 10-mile race in the Forest of Bowland, 19 years after her first attempt. It turns out the hills in this beautiful countryside undulating but tough race had not flattened out in that time but this did not deter Alison who had a great race finishing in 1:23:19, taking second place in her age category.
Whilst Alison was tackling the hills, four Harriers ventured to Salford for the fast and flat two lap 10k race starting and finishing at the Salford Sports Village. Mark Hall had a superb run taking first place in his age category in an impressive 36:45. He was followed by Harry Sime, taking third place in his age category in 41:50. Helen and Dick Waddington were next to finish with Helen crossing the line a second ahead of Dick in 47:12.
Choosing to play on the trails, on Saturday Lynn Donohue headed to the Yorkshire Wolds to take part in the 50km Wold Rangers Ultra trail largely following the Wold Rangers Way. An undulating route with 894m of elevation, and stunning views from start to finish, participants worked their way through the picturesque villages of Huggate, Fridaythorpe, Thixendale, Fimber and Wetwang. It was a great event for Lynn, fast becoming a long distance regular, who completed the race in 6:25:51, taking second place in her age category and 19th female overall.
Sunday was busy! Martin Stubbs was the only Harrier to head to Brighouse for the 10k race, a counter in this year’s Club Race League. Earning valuable points on this undulating road race, Martin flew the flag for the club with a great finish in 45:60, taking second place in his age category. Of course the lure of a free bottle of beer and chocolate bar for every finisher, with a short travel time to the start, may explain why eight Harriers chose to do the Guiseley Gallop instead. This fantastic local race sees participants follow a two-lap undulating route on the trails through Esholt Woods. There were a hat-trick of age category placings: first over the line for the club was Tony Pye in 43:24, securing third place in his age category; Robert Budding was next in 47:21 taking second place in his category; and Adela Reperecki was the first female Harrier home in 1:02:55 taking third place in her age category. David Singleton, Matthew Snow and Will Worboys all finished within the hour with John Marshall and Sue Williamson also having great races.
Over in North Yorkshire, Jaysson Sawyer, continuing his run of form, headed to Helmsley for the 10k multi-terrain challenge. Starting on the sports ground in the town, this stunning hilly race takes competitors on roads, forest tracks, trails and footpaths through fields affording great views throughout. Jaysson had a great run out completing the race in 39:00 and taking third place in his age category.
In the final race of the weekend, Monday saw Harrier Kirsty Hicks travel to the US to take part in the iconic Boston Marathon, one of the World Marathon Majors. A point to point race, participants start in Hopkinton, Massachusetts and take a scenic journey through the outskirts of the city to the famous finish line at Boylston Street in the centre. Kirsty ran a fantastic race coming over the line in 3:20:24, a personal best time for a marathon!
And it was a busy parkrun week with over 50 Harriers taking part leading to some top ten finishers, a fantastic PB and seven Harriers hitting the 80+% age grading! Finishing in the top ten: Robert Budding seventh at Bedgebury Pinetum; Junior Harrier James Lee at Chevin Forest; Samesh Chotai first at the Cliff Castle event; Tom Adams first, Harry Brook-Dobson eighth and Jaysson Sawyer ninth at Fountains Abbey; James Horrex ninth at Gunnersby; Nathan, Dominic and Stephen Coy third, fourth and sixth respectively at Heslington; and Andrew Overend ninth at Lister Park. Age grading results were driven in part by the Saturday morning efforts group testing their progress at the Fountains Abbey event. Hitting the heady heights were: Tom Adams 87.57%; Jaysson Sawyer 80.65%; Jonathan Turner 81.09%; Hilda Coulsey 82.25%; Steve Coy 80.99%; Geoff Howard 85.74%; and Alison Bennett 85.21%. And completing the great results, Hattie O’Looney had a great run at Sewerby posting a Personal Best time and first finisher in her age category. Well done everyone that took part in an event.
Ilkley Harriers is a friendly welcoming club, open to all. If you would like to try us out, please register first on the training page
Guiseley Gallop – Sun 20 Apr 2025
Sun 20 Apr 2025
[Photo courtesy of Jonathan Moon]
From Will Worboys…
Before the start when chatting to other Harriers there was an unofficial competition to find out who had gone longest since last running the gallop. I think I was winning with 10 years last I heard!
In between these discussions before the race, I changed my road shoes to trail and then back to road… twice (nervous energy). Then put an extra layer on as it seemed colder than expected. After the 10 minute walk into the woods to the start, the sun suddenly made an appearance and we were in glorious warmth for the rest of the morning. The woods were looking stunning with the bluebells out as we set off on the 6 mile undulating woodland race.
The route is slightly different from last time I did it, with 2 laps of the woods rather than the longer loop of olden times.
The first lap was fairly pleasant as I was taking it quite steady with my lack of running and a persistent hip injury. Plenty of downhill and flat in the first mile, lulling into a false sense of security. Then came the uphill sections, tough in places.
On the second lap, my legs were shot after the first round of hills and it was really hard work. I was glad to see reach the downhill on the second lap with just the sting in the tail to come. The last section is a nasty climb to the finish and I had pretty much ground to a standstill. I managed to crawl to the top and stumble over the line just inside the hour, which I was happy with in my present state.
Some great runs from other Harriers, not least Tony Pye who smashed out a brilliant time and was first Harrier home and was 3rd M50.
Results:
(1 Andrew Humphries, Aire Centre Pacers, 35:24)
17th Tony Pye 43:24
25th Rob Budding 47:21
32nd David Singleton 48:21
49th Matthew Snow 51:25
107th Will Worboys 59:38
126th John Marshall 1:02:09
133rd Adela Reperecki 1:02:55
167th Sue Williamson 1:10:27
Ultra Trails Wold Rangers Way Ultra – Sat 19 Apr 2025
Sat 19 Apr 2025
From Lynn Donohue…
I lined up early Saturday morning for this 50km ultra in the Yorkshire Wolds following much of the Yorkshire Wolds way. There were four checkpoints visiting the picturesque villages of Huggate, Fridaythorpe, Thixendale, Fimber and Wetwang. Good running weather with a chilly breeze at times but quite welcome. It was very hard underfoot with all this dry weather and the route follows many field margins and through fields of Oil seed rape – pretty to look at but not so easy to run through when you are short! A very well organised event with friendly volunteers and marshalls; good signposting so really no need to navigate and to top it off excellent free cakes and tea at the end at Field house camping and coffee barn. I was really pleased with my run and time and would recommend this race and Ultra Trails especially if you are thinking about your first ultra – generous cut off times and sufficient checkpoints to keep you fuelled and watered.
1. Runar Saethar 3:47
61. Lynn Donohue 6:25 [2nd FV60 19/67 females]
165 finished
Good Friday Caldervale 10 Mile – Fri 18 Apr 2025
Fri 18 Apr 2025
From Alison Bennett…
The last time I was on the start line for this race was 19 years ago. I entered again as I was staying in the area, and after a phase of only short runs, decided I needed to stretch myself and rebuild confidence to race over an increased distance. I had a vague memory that the course was hilly, and sure enough the hills hadn’t gone away. The race was on quiet lanes which started with 2 miles of gentle descent followed by 4 miles of steady climbing designed to test the legs. Mile 7 had a lovely swooping descent before an uphill slog at mile 8. Despite not doing this distance for a while, I managed to pace it reasonably well. All finishers received an attractive glass coaster and post-race refreshments were available in the village hall.
Results:
(1 Michael Osinski-Gra – 0:56:44)
(2 Emily Simm – 1:01:48)
60 Alison Bennett – 1:23:19
154 ran
Ilkley Gazette Report – w/c 14 April 2025
Mon 14 Apr 2025
[Photo courtesy of Abbie Rothery – Ben Rothery storming to victory at Newlands Memorial Fell Race]
From Will Worboys & Nicola Budding…
Harriers’ Endurance Achievements and Rothery Wins Again
There have been some brilliant performances from Ilkley runners over the past week. Though none can be more impressive than the stunning feats of two Harriers completing the epic ‘Northern Traverse’ race. The multi-terrain 300km route, yes you heard correct, that’s over 186 miles, was completed by both Ritchie Williamson and Petra Bijsterveld. Starting from St Bees in Cumbria, on the west coast, the route takes in 6,500 metres of ascent while heading through the Lake District, the Yorkshire Dales and the North York Moors before finishing on the east coast at Robin Hood’s Bay. The race was won this year by legendary ultramarathoner Damian Hall, with Ilkley’s Ritchie Williamson finishing in 32nd place and 6th in the VM50 category in a stunning time of 66 hours and 43 minutes which was a full 7 hours ahead of his target time. Meanwhile Petra was also running to plan and put the ghosts of a difficult previous attempt to rest, after finishing in 92 hours and 33 minutes in 107th place and a superb 2nd FV60. While this was going on another Harrier, Andrew Merrick was taking part in ‘the Dales Traverse’. Taking in the Yorkshire Dales section of the above event only; from Kirkby Stephen to Richmond. Still a very tough 55KM to complete, Andrew finished in 7:53:12 and was 3rd in the MV60 category.
Meanwhile in Cumbria, the Newlands Memorial race took place at the weekend. The 2nd counter in this year’s English Fell Championships attracted some top fell contenders including 12 Harriers. The race formerly known as ‘the Anniversary Waltz’ is a tough 11.5 mile with 3,600 feet of climbing in the Lakes. It was won in fine style by Ilkley’s Ben Rothery to make it two out of two in this year’s English fell counters. The Harrier had been in behind rival Finlay Grant all the way round before taking the lead near the finish and winning by nine seconds in a time of 1:30:52. The next Harrier home was Sam Bentham who had a great run to finish in 6th place in 1:35:50. Following on in 10th was Oli Murphy in 1:36:36. Next came Kate Archer who had an excellent run to finish in 4th in the FV45 category. Other Harriers to finish the race were James Bentham, Duncan Cooper, Kelly Wilby, Jann Smith, Dick Waddington, Shaunna Burke and Alison Weston, who all had very good runs.
Elsewhere on the fells, the second Bunny Run of the series took place on Tuesday evening with dry and sunny weather for all those competing. Jack Cummings just two days after his epic battle at Baildon Boundary Way, won the race in a time of 15:22. Junior, Oscar Shinn had a great race finishing in 16:44 giving him 6th place overall with Ollie Holder following in 18:34 – 25th place overall and 2nd BU17.
On to much flatter surroundings and there was a remarkable run by Jaysson Sawyer to smash his PB and finish the Boston marathon (the one in Lincolnshire) in a time of 2:55:07. Jaysson was 49th of 863 total finishers as well as coming 8th in his age category of V45. The Harrier has been going from strength to strength of late and is now targeting even quicker times and a ‘good for age’ place at the London marathon.
For the juniors, the West Yorkshire Track and Field League began on Sunday at Thornes Park, Wakefield where a full range of disciplines was on offer. Rosa Crolla took part in the U13 Girls 70m Hurdles, High Jump and Discus (0.75 kg) where she achieved a fantastic distance of 15.46m earning her 2nd place. Meanwhile her sister Heather Crolla chose the U15 Girls 200m, 75m Hurdles and Discus (1 kg) where her throw of 20.85m rewarded her with 1st place. Ethan Pickwoad took part in the U13 Boys 200m, Long Jump and 75m Hurdles which he ran in 16:99 to give him 6th place.
In the weekly 5K parkruns on Saturday, there were some good efforts from Ilkley runners. At a competitive Skipton event, Samesh Chotai was 3rd in a fantastic PB of 17:11 in what was also his 100th parkrun! Fellow junior Megan Snow ran a parkrun PB at North Yorkshire Water Park on Saturday finishing as 25th female in 27:46. Meanwhile at Bramley parkrun in Leeds, Forest Hamilton was 4th finisher in a time of 18:51. While down in the West Country Oscar Stapleton had a cracking run to finish 2nd at Exeter Riverside in 16:47. Last but not least, Kate Williams proudly reached her landmark 100th parkrun event which she completed at Penrith.
Ilkley Harriers is a friendly welcoming club, open to all. If you would like to try us out, please register first on the training page at www.ilkleyharriers.org.uk and then come along to our main club night at 6.45pm on Tuesdays, meet upstairs at Ilkley tennis and squash club.
Cueva Negra Trail Fest – Sat 12 Apr 2025
Sat 12 Apr 2025
From Diane Kitchen…
So…I am going on a climbing holiday to Asturias and wonder if there might be a little race I could do while I am there.
Some friends send me a link to the local races and the nearest is cancelled but there is another one … a new event, ‘Cueva Negra Trail Fest’. There is a short course of 13K with some 600m of climbing! It is advertised as a trail race so I imagine it’s a bit like a PECO and pack my trail shoes. I am nervous about getting lost though, so when we get to Santander we drive to the village where the event is taking place and see a poster in a bar. The landlady gives me the phone number of one of the organisers, so I give him a call. ‘Ánimo’ says Juan. ‘No you won’t get lost and you will get free beer and paella at the end, but there are only 5 places left so if you want to enter do it now!’ We order another coffee and enter – me in the short course and Andy in the walk. Perfect!
What a fantastic event. There was something for everyone; a long course, a short course, a walk, a children’s race and a ‘race for all’.
I am no fell runner and ran in a long-sleeved T shirt (unheard of for me as you all know). I carried a full change of kit (as per the last minute instructions that came the night before) because storms were forecast. However, when I looked around at the runners on the start line I soon realised that I had far too much stuff in my bum bag. What I didn’t have were poles though! Hummmm would they really be necessary? I was really nervous and terrified of getting lost despite Juan’s assurances. The route took us over three huge peaks with spectacular views of the Picos de Europa and the sea below. It was so tough though! I thought I would never get to the drink station at 4.7k but finally it came into view. Wow! What a healthy feeding station – water, chocolate, sliced oranges, apples, strawberries and nuts! Amazing.
Next up was another peak followed by a steep downhill and another peak with a steadier descent and finally an oak forest and a wonderful riverside path which took us through four or maybe five river crossings! I lost count. I was delirious. Andy’s walking route coincided with the short course on two occasions and he had managed to explain in his best Spanish that his wife was running so that when I went by there was a huge cheer. ‘Ánimo, campeóna, brava!’ It felt a bit like the Chevin Chase all over again with cow bells ringing out and plenty of applause. The finishing funnel was just as good as the first drink station with fruit and nuts, as well as tortilla, empanada, kikos and nutella sandwiches. Maravilloso! Maravilloso! I finished in 2 hours 13 minutes. The race was won in 1 hour 8 minutes. Obviously he had poles! 300 entered and 272 finished.
Back to race HQ where I collected my goody-bag – socks with the race name on them! Hurray what an ingenious momento. There was also a bottle of the local cider, cake and a jar of honey. Muchas gracias!
While we waited for the beer and paella, we watched the prize giving. Suddenly I heard my name! I had come 2nd FV55. How did that happen? Más sidra, un sombrero, chorizo y, queso. Muchísimas gracias.
A fantastic event. Paella y cerveza deliciosas. It was really friendly with a terrific post-race atmosphere and I would definitely recommend it. Maybe we should have a club trip next year? Full details here.
Newlands Memorial – Sat 12 Apr 2025
Sat 12 Apr 2025
From Alison Weston…
Ilkley Harriers had a fantastic turnout at the Newlands Memorial race on Saturday with a team running for both men and women. The route starts from Stair and ascends Robinson, Hindsgarth, Dale Head, Highs Spy and Catbells before a steep descent back to the start -12.50 miles and 3,609ft climbing .
Another outstanding win for Ben in 1:30:52, and amazing 6th place for Sam (and 2nd under 23) and 9th for Oli.
Kate had a storming run too to claim 2nd V45 prize and a big well done to Shaunna too on her first fell race …talk about jumping in at the deep end!!
Ilkley men:
1st Ben Rothery 1:30:52
6th Sam Bentham 1:35:50
10th Oli Murphy 1:36:36
348th Jamie Bentham 2:30:57
391st Duncan Cooper 2:37:11
442nd Dick Waddington 2:43:41
Ilkley women:
201st Kate Archer 2:08:42
408th Kelly Wilby 2:39:13
415th Jann Smith 2:40:20
457th Shaunna Burke 2:46:50
467th Alison Weston 2:48:101
Ilkley Gazette Report – w/c 7 April 2025
Mon 7 Apr 2025
[Photo courtesy of Tony Pye – Jack Cummings and Tom Adams were locked together the Baildon Boundary Way]
From Peter Shelley & Nicola Budding…
Offroad victories for the Harriers and an epic inter-club battle in perfect springtime conditions
Tuesday evening saw the start of the annual Bunny Runs Series on the hills and around the quarries of Penistone Hill outside Haworth. Tom Adams came in 2nd for Ilkley Harriers behind Calder Valley fell runner Martin Howard. Oscar Shinn was 13th, Harry Brook-Dobson 19th, George Whittlestone 23rd, Richard Joel 65th, Rob Budding 88th. 184 ran.
On Saturday Oscar and George were racing again in the Pendle Fell Race along with a number of Ilkley Harrier juniors targeting points in the junior race league. Starting in Barley and scaling the steep western reaches of Pendle Hill to climb 440m in under 7km, the race incorporated the Lancashire Fell Race Championship. An in-form Oli Murphy took a decisive win and with it the champion’s trophy. Ollie Holder finished 34th, George Whittlestone 38th and Rachel Holder 150th of 216.
Prior to the senior race, a full set of Junior Races were held with Archie Hallworth competing in the U9 Race and finishing in a fantastic 1st place.
Baildon Boundary half-marathon took place on Sunday. Organised by Baildon Runners, this is a popular race among Ilkley Harriers and a regular fixture in the club’s annual race league. The course is highly varied, passing through woods, fields, moorland, along the Leeds-Liverpool canal and through Saltaire World Heritage Site. The current dry sunny but cool weather eliminated any risk of the mud which can be a feature of the course, setting the stage for some fast times. Among the club’s entries were two previous winners, Tom Adams having taken the honours in 2010, 2012 and 2016 and Jack Cummings the winner in 2023 and 2024 respectively. The form suggested that this year’s race would be hotly contested between these two, but who would prevail?
Relishing the battle, Jack and Tom quickly dropped the rest of the field and ran cheek by jowl for most of the route, each pushing the other on and keeping spectators in suspense. Despite taking a full five minutes off his previous best winning time Jack couldn’t quite hold onto Tom in the final stages and slipped 15 seconds behind him. Tom won in 1:16:43, a remarkable time for a multi-terrain half marathon. It was a stellar display by both athletes and a great race for Ilkley Harriers!
Harry Brook-Dobson underlined his current form with a commendable 7th place followed by Justin Phillips in 28th, Paul Carman 50th, Daniel Fazackerly 63th, Ash Winter 68th, Kate Prior 85th (2nd lady vet 40), Colm McCann 90th, Peter Roll 91st, Emma Shepherd 106th, Steve Clarkson 115th, Adam Gerrish 121st, Richard Robinson 124th, Paul Disney 157th, Geoffrey White 195th, Lucy Lowe 242nd, Clare Boyle 251st, Paul Atkinson 264th and Nigel Illingworth 322nd.
Further north, in the Lake District, Samesh Chotai took on the second hardest parkrun in the UK on Saturday – Whinlatter Forest. The hilly route follows trails through the forest and offers views of Derwentwater and the Lakeland Fells. Samesh finished in 2nd place with a fantastic time of 19:30. Sub-20 parkruns were also achieved by Stephen Coy in Halifax, Steve Gott in Halifax, Rhys Jones in Helsington, Mark Hall in Lister Park, Andrew Overend in Roberts Park, Rob Cunningham in York and Jonathan Turner in Tyne Green. Paula and Dave Rayner went the furthest, running in Albert Park parkrun Melbourne.
Further southern hemisphere action took place in the Two Oceans Marathon. Bex Young ran the ultra-distance event (56km) on a route around South Africa’s spectacular Cape Peninsula where the Indian Ocean meets the Atlantic finishing in 6:07:47 to place 5068/10767.
Ilkley Harriers is a friendly welcoming club, open to all. If you would like to try us out, please register first on the training page at www.ilkleyharriers.org.uk and then come along to our main club night at 6.45pm on Tuesdays, meet upstairs at Ilkley tennis and squash club.
Dales Traverse – Sun 6 Apr 2025
Sun 6 Apr 2025
From Andrew Merrick…
After the exploits of Ritchie and Petra, I feel rather unworthy writing about a run that used less than a fifth of their route…..
As a result of a number of circumstances, I found myself signed up for the Dales Traverse in early April, and running it with my daughter Sophie which was rather a change to the original programme.
Neither of us had managed much training, but we both decided we were up for the adventure so headed off early on a sunny Sunday morning to the start at Kirkby Stephen courtesy of a kind friend.
My experience of Ourea is that they are well organised and care about runner safety so it was no great surprise that they were very focused on whether we had sufficient warm layers when we got to the head of the registration queue, our kit as many runners’ in a bag for life for ease of access…. We had arrived just after the coaches ferrying participants from the finish at Richmond so a bit of a wait in the chilly school playground before we got to discuss layers.
Whilst waiting, Ritchie wandered across to say hi, looking as if he had also travelled by coach to get to Kirkby Stephen from St Bees ….. Petra also very kindly had found a mid-race moment to wish us luck.
Our chauffeur had to endure some high quality pre race faffing before Soph and I were ready for our adventure – 2 long sleeve layers a hat and buff in my case, Soph had gone early with the waterproof.
It did warm up a bit as we set off on the longest climb of the race up to Nine Standards at which point we were 25 mins or so inside the notional cut-off and still hadn’t felt the need to de-layer.
Our route across the next section was made slightly easier by a number of newly arrived flags, although it was boggy enough in parts for one runner to be separated from his trail shoe at one point and had to go back into the bog to dig it out…
As we descended gradually towards the centre of England or at least the crossing point of the Pennine Way and the Coast to Coast just outside Keld, I had decided I was warm enough in a reasonably fresh easterly to remove my hat and buff – my two long-sleeved layers remained on for the rest of the race.
It is a lovely section of the Northern Traverse route, made even more beautiful by the glorious weather, the slight challenge being that the only check point is 2/3 of the way into the race (ca. 22 miles) at Reeth, with no obvious refuelling point en route prior to then. Soph had played safe with a bladder, but given the chilly weather I found a litre of Tailwind was plenty.
After Keld, there are two more decent climbs, in and out of the lead mines, prior to which we bade the Yorkshire Shepherdess good morning (the level of make-up was a clue) as we jogged past. Both climbs required some effort and the descent in between required a level of concentration (only one fall for the record). We stuck with the no stopping on the hills plan and overtook a few people en route to Reeth, where suddenly I seemed to be leading about 10 of us towards the Dales Bike Centre – a highly recommended cafe. We adopted the Petra plan here and just had some soup and a loo stop and a quick call with Soph’s sister who was happy that we would be in Richmond before it was dark – I suggested 6:30 but Chloe seemed to think 6pm was a better plan….
We cracked on, passing the almost aptly named village of Marrick before we started our final climb (most of the climbing is done by the time you get to Reeth) and the last 10 miles of our adventure. We continued to make progress and overtook a few more people including some full NTers using a combination of marching and jogging on the flats and downhills, until we could see the welcome sight of Richmond in the distance. The final mile or so is all gradually downhill on road, we could see a gang of 4 in the distance ahead of us which encouraged us to jog to keep them in sight; I was also conscious it was quite close to 6pm so we had a further incentive. Happily, the finish at the football ground (unlike the previously used rugby ground) is very central and involved limited navigation (again unlike the previous route) so we were able to meet the 6pm challenge and I almost immediately literally bumped into a runner who Petra and I had run for a while last year before I bravely bailed at Shap. She was due to do the full NT again this year, but a calf injury meant she had kindly volunteered to marshall instead.
We were looked after at the finish before having a family meal and compulsory beer in Richmond.
It was lovely to do a race with Soph, and we were both happy to finish in just under 8 hours despite the lack of training, aided by a scenic route and beautiful weather. A lovely day out, the positioning of the checkpoint being the only (unavoidable) imperfection.
Northern Traverse – Sat 5 Apr 2025
Sat 5 Apr 2025
From Ritchie Williamson…
A 300 Km route across the North of England from St Bees on the West coast to Robin Hood’s Bay on the East coast. The route can be broadly broken into 4 sections, the mountains of the Lake District, the Yorkshire Dales Nation Park, the Vale of York, the North York Moors and a final jaunt along the coastal path. Also known as Wainwright’s coast to coast route there is an estimated 6500m of ascent although my watch measured 8400 (I know which one my legs think it is). There is a mixture of terrain road (20%), track (24%), trail (54%), and pathless sections (2%). Along the route there are a number of support points, 4 of which you can get access to your drop bag and also sleep in tents provided. There are also cafés and pubs along the route where you can refresh and refuel should you arrive during opening hours. This was my second attempt at the Northern Traverse having tried in 2023 and retiring at Shap (94 Km).
So, with a new plan (everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth), I set off with 188 other runners (including Petra Bijsterveld, also making a second attempt) from St Bees at 08:30 am on Saturday the 5th April. I had planned for a 74hr total time. The first section takes you over the Lake District and there are a few less fun sections on this part, the path along Ennerdale Water, the descent from Kidsty Pike and the path along Haweswater are fairly unpleasant/difficult to move at pace for different reasons, although it was a treat to see the sunset from the climb up to Kidsty Pike. I was ahead of schedule by about 2 hrs when I made it to Shap. The section from Shap to Kirkby Stephen is less interesting and so it was a good section to run through the night (mostly farm tracks and fields). The clear skies and sunny weather of the day had turned into a very cold night and it was a reminder to keep moving. I arrived at Kirkby Stephen (130km) at 07:00 am (still 90 mins ahead of schedule), I refuelled and manged a 20 min nap followed by more fuel. My original plan was to make it through to Richmond (185km before sleeping). I then hooked up with a runner I’d ran with before on other events and we took a more relaxed pace (or at least it felt that way) to Richmond with a good 45 minutes cafe stop at Dales bike centre. This section which takes you over Nine Standards Rigg has a reputation for being boggy and slow, but the sunny dry weather and recently laid paving slabs meant it was less challenging than expected. We eventually arrived in Richmond 14 minutes behind schedule and just after the sun had set. I opted to have a good sleep here and avoid another cold night as I planned to not sleep again until finish. I slept for 6 hours and left Richmond before sunrise and took a quick march with the runner I’d hooked up with at Kirkby Stephen, unfortunately his knee problems flared up just before lunch and so I decided to push on. Just as you start your descent to the support point in Lordstones you get your first glimpse of the North Sea, the end is almost in sight. I arrived at Lordstones (234km) 1 hr ahead of schedule, had a big meal and headed out for the final 66km to the finish. I stopped for 45 mins in Glaisdale for a cup of tea and a cheese and mango chutney sandwich then headed out at around 10pm. I phoned home for a bit of company, put on some music and ran as hard as the body would allow for the final 31km. There is still a large amount of climbing in this last section (600m) and the path through Falling Foss is newly laid and rough underfoot. I’m also convinced those woods are haunted, but that may be the auditory hallucinations that were beginning to make themselves known. 2km from the finish I get an encouraging message off Petra, she is also making good progress and as far as I could tell was also running to plan.
I eventually finished at 03:13 am Tuesday morning in Robin Hood’s Bay after 66 hrs and 43 mins. 7 hours ahead of planned schedule and in 32nd place. The event itself is organised by Ourea events. The Support points are brilliantly staffed by a mixture of volunteers and event staff, all the food is vegetarian and there is plenty of it. In between support points I fuelled with a gel every 40 mins. You can volunteer on the events and gain credits for entering the following year, it is also a good way to gain insight into the logistics of the event, I did this last year and found it invaluable.
I was delighted to finish after running some amazing trails and seeing a number of sunrises and sunsets out on the route. Sometimes that punch in the mouth never comes!
From Petra Bijsterveld…
As Ritchie has written above, for both of us it was a second crack at the Northern Traverse following a DNF. I attempted the race in 2024 and got as far as Richmond (200km) when increasing back ache and the ultra-runners’ lean thwarted my progress until I ground to a painful halt and had to be picked up from the roadside. Since then I have had two more episodes of back problems and/or leaning sideways on multi-day races so I went into the event mentally prepared for potentially not making it to the other side. However, I had also done a lot of work to try and improve my chances of success, including much more strength training focusing on my back and core and lifting heavier, quite a few visits to the osteopath, and a new (slower) race plan which involved resting (i.e. lying down and not carrying that pack) as much as possible.
I had written a roughly 90 hour schedule which involved sleeping at every one of the four main checkpoints (Patterdale, Kirkby Stephen, Richmond and Lordstones). I made myself stick to it regardless of whether I particularly wanted to sleep, as lying down on my back would always be beneficial. At the support points that were not sleeping places I ensured I had a quick lie down to do my back mobility exercises, I even did them on the floor of the A19 services in the middle of the night! All this worked very well for me and to my delight I had no back ache whatsoever during the event.
What did hurt were my feet and I also got some painful blisters, which I normally do not suffer with. After the prolonged period without rain the ground was rock hard (or frozen at night), hardly a square inch of mud or bog to provide relief. Added to that there is a lot of work being done on the path now that the Coast-to-Coast is a National Trail, this involves laying slabs across moorland and also quite a few stretches are now ‘paved’ with hardcore and rubble. This is good for erosion control but was torture on the feet. As Ritchie mentions above, the path through Falling Foss was a particular low-light. I had only been there about 3 weeks ago when it was still a nice woodland path and now it was like running on concrete.
Having had to deal with Storm Kathleen last year we had a total contrast this time around. Daytimes were sunny though the wind was often chilly, and the nights were very cold indeed with temperatures below freezing. Coming off Nine Standards, normally a total bogfest, the ground was frozen which did make for good going. Later that night the water in the tops of my soft flasks had even frozen. As the race went on we all had to wear more and more clothes at night, because the increasing fatigue and calorie deficit (despite eating really well) messes with your thermoregulation. And I never moved very fast of course: start slow, get slower. The huge swings in temperatures required good planning ahead, as you could leave a checkpoint (and thus your drop bag) in warm sunshine but you needed to carry basically full winter kit for the night ahead. I think a few runners did come a bit unstuck here, despite warnings from the event organisers.
There were a number of amazing sunsets and sunrises to enjoy along the way and we also had a nice waxing moon to look at every night. I had to cover the last 19 mile stretch from Glaisdale in the dark which did make that fourth night feel very long, but I was lucky to reach the finish in Robin Hood’s Bay at 5 am when the first streaks of orange light were just appearing over the sea, which was beautiful. I received my medal, then threw my little pebble which I had carried all the way from St Bees into the North Sea. I wish I could say it felt like a fantastic spiritual experience, but it didn’t really, I was mainly just very tired in that moment. I actually think the two portions of pasta bake I ate in the Fylingdales Village Hall were more of a high!
I finished at 5:03 am on Wednesday, in 92 hours and 33 minutes. I was 107th out of 138 finishers. 49 participants had retired, including one of my friends who fell victim to the lean between the Lion Inn and Glaisdale i.e. only about 25 miles from the end. She too had to be ‘rescued’ from the roadside. I felt very sad for her, and very grateful that I managed to avoid it on this occasion.
I will be writing a much longer blog post in due course for those who are interested in reading more.
Ilkley Harriers 0-5k beginners course
Tue 1 Apr 2025
Ilkley Harriers’ latest 0-5k course starts on Tuesday 6th May, where complete beginners to running will be taught the basics and work up to a distance of 5km.
The programme takes place over six weeks and will take anyone who would like to go from 0 to 5km using a mixture of walking, jogging and then running – it is completely free, everyone very welcome.
It will be led by England Athletics registered coach Jane Bryant, who will be assisted by other coaches and leaders in running fitness as well as plenty of experienced club members, some of whom started their own running journey by doing this same 0-5k course.
So if it’s something you’ve always wanted to try then please sign up via the link here and we’ll be in touch with more details.
Once you have signed up please also complete this form so we have your contact details.
Jane says: “Running can be a daunting prospect at first. We want to give you the confidence to run and enjoy it, with our support.”
Deadline for signing up is 22nd April so that we can send you a pre 0-5km plan.