Ilkley Harriers news archive 2025

Golden Ball 20 – Sun 31 Aug 2025

Sun 31 Aug 2025

From Sally Armitage…

This weekend I was back over in Lancashire for the Golden Ball 20 ‘marathon prep’ race. Starting and finishing on a cycle track in Morecambe and following the River Lune, this race is fast and flat. Which was a good test for my dodgy knees ahead of entering an autumn marathon.

Having made the mistake at Trimpell 20, which follows the same course, of starting too far back, this time I started near the front. Which would have been great had I not dropped a gel twice in the first kilometre and had to battle back through the stampede to retrieve them! This also threw my carefully calculated pacing strategy out of the window, around the half way point I gave up on trying to follow a specific pace and just ran to feel, which turned out quite a bit faster than I’d planned anyway!

I had a great run, felt strong and comfortable throughout, and my knees only had a few complaints, so I guess I’ll be deciding which marathon to enter this autumn!

Results:

1st male Tom Charles Corlton Runners 1:50:31

1st female Rachael Rozhdestven Sale Harriers 2:14:35

35th (2nd female) Sally Armitage Ilkley Harriers 2:20:03

115 ran

Whittle Pike Fell Race – Sat 30 Aug 2025

Sat 30 Aug 2025

From Alison Weston…

Whittle Pike was the last English Championship race – 9.8K and 550m ascent.

Ben was already unbeatable in the championships after his performance at Borrowdale but Finlay Grant had a great race to come just ahead at Whittle Pike to share the 1st position in the championships.

Sam has had a fantastic championships – his 13th position at Whittle Pike securing him a top 10 championship position and 2nd under 23 years.

Oli has also had a great year coming 9th overall in the championships, making it three Harriers in the top 10. Maybe a first for Ilkley?

Jane was first female Harrier home at Whittle in 11th position making her 2nd FV50 in the championships despite only running 3 races (when up to 4 can count).

Ilkley ladies put in a great team at Whittle as we were in 4th V40 team position after Borrowdale. We came joint 1st FV40 team and 2nd FV50 team at Whittle Pike thanks to great performances from everyone. Unfortunately in a very competitive field Helm Hill appear to have pipped us to 3rd place in FV40 team category. Despite only having a FV50 team in 3 races, we have come 2nd position in the overall FV50 championships. So a good year for Ilkley Harriers.

Results

Men:

Ben Rothery 2nd position in 37.25

Sam Bentham 13th in 37.25

Oli Murphy 22nd in 41.12

Gawain Moore 53rd in 46.51

Women:

Jane McCarthy 11th in 51.43 1st V50

Kate Archer 17th in 52.37

Rachel Carter 35th in 56.50

Sacha Jones 46th in 59.14

Alison Weston 49th in 1.00:26 3rd V60

Kelly Wilby 52nd in 1.00:57

Jann Smith 53rd in 1:01:12

Ilkley Gazette Report – w/c 25 August 2025

Mon 25 Aug 2025

[Katie Poulter finishes in third place at the Burnsall Feast Fell Race, photo courtesy of Woodentops]

From Caroline Howe & Nicola Budding…

Historic fell races and prominent parkrun performances

As peak summer holiday season continues, it was a quiet week for racing, but still with some standout performances.

At the Burnsall Feast, Katie Poulter took on the classic Fell Race. This 1.5 mile race is one of the oldest fell races around, with a history stretching back over a century. Katie put in a fantastic performance to finish as third lady in a time of 22:34. Daniel Fazackerley was also in action, finishing in ninth place in 17:58.

Malham Show has been taking place for nearly 100 years, and Gawain Moore took on the rugged terrain of the Malham Fell Race. The 2.5 mile course is known for its steep climbs and technical descents. Moore finished seventh overall and second in his age category, in a time of 20:30. Three Junior Harriers also took part in the junior races, with fabulous running by all. In the U14 race Robert Brooks was second U14 boy. Both Michael Moore and Isobel Moore were competing in the U12 race with Michael finishing as second U12 boy and Isobel finishing as second U12 girl.

Many Harriers took part in parkruns up and down the country, with no less than three first place finishes. These were: Nathan Edmondson at Whitby’s Cinder Track in 15:47; Oli Murphy at Finsbury Park in 16:31; and Alex Foyn at the interestingly-named Tetbury Goods Shed in 18:34. There was also a second place finish for Michael Odell at Penrose in 18:03.

The new East Holmes Field parkrun once again had a fantastic turnout, and several Harriers finished in the top ten in their gender categories – Nick Kealey (fifth in 18:33); Steve Coy (sixth in 18:44); Martin Hartley (eighth in 19:13) and Jann Smith (ninth in 24:00). There were also top ten finishes for Steve Gott at Otley Chevin (eighth – 20:29) and Sally Malir at Lister Park (seventh in 25:06).

With summer drawing to a close and attention turning to the autumn race calendar, why not kick it off with the Ilkley Incline on 3 September? Entry here: Ilkley Incline 2025 – RaceBest

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.

Ilkley Gazette Report – w/c 18 August 2025

Mon 18 Aug 2025

[Jack Wood and Katie Poulter in action at the Gargrave Show, photo courtesy of Woodentops]

From Peter Shelley & Nicola Budding…

Harriers’ mountain expertise crosses borders

The 119th running of the Gargrave Show fell races took place on Sat 16th August with events for seniors and juniors. The routes took runners on a variety of terrains including a splash through Eshton Beck and a climb through the rhododendron tunnels of Lord’s Wood en route to the moorland of Sharp Haw. Jack Wood took victory in the senior race with Gawain Moore putting in a competitive run in the V40 category. Katie Poulter was 3rd lady.

On Thurs, 14th August, Wharfedale Harriers staged the King’s Challenge, which climbs 350m up Rombalds Moor from Silsden on a 9.8km out-and-back off-road route. Official results are yet to be confirmed but Oscar Shinn, Gawain Moore and Steve Gott are placed within the provisional top 12.

The Punk Panther Six Dales race saw Ritchie Williamson back in action just two weeks after his Bob Graham Round. Competitors choose from a variety of distances along the Six Dales hiking route which starts in Otley and heads north. Ritchie opted characteristically for the longest distance which covered 83 km and 1,620m of elevation on its way to the remote Nidderdale village of Lofthouse. Finishing in 8 hrs 22 mins, Ritchie was not only the fastest V50 but took the win outright, underlining his tremendous ongoing form.

Jack Cummings was pleased to secure 11th in exalted company in the GB Mountain Trials held at Whinlatter near Keswick on Sunday. He finished in spite of a tumble that required some medical intervention post-race but failed to remove the smile from his face.

Taking place further east in the Howgills was the Sedbergh Hills Fell Race. At 22.5 km long and with 1,830m of climb, the event is categorized AL by the Fell Running Association, meaning both steep and long. The route takes runners on a clockwise circuit from Sedbergh over several of the Howgills’ distinctive bare summits including Arant Haw at 605m and the Calf at 676m before the long fast descent back to town.

Evidently not tired of mountains despite spending most of his time in Switzerland, Jack Wood was back in action the day after his Gargrave success to secure a creditable 11th place. Paul Carman was 45th and Dan McKeown 59th. The race was won by Sam Stead of Keswick AC. 90 finished.

Trading nations with Jack, mother and daughter team Alison and Nea Weston headed to Switzerland for the International Mountain Marathon taking place in the Alps above Klosters. Combining running with orienteering and mountain craft, competitors must find the fastest route between controls placed in different locations across a wide expanse of alpine terrain. Controls can be visited in any order, but time is limited. The event takes place over two days with an overnight self-supported camp in alpine pasture over 2,000m which featured wandering cattle and a Swiss Alphorn welcome. Running five hours each day, Alison and Nea navigated the controls to great effect finishing without penalties and just within the time limits to claim third female team in their class.

Back in the UK, the Birchwood 10k saw Sally Armitage notch up another podium. A fast flat road route played to Sally’s strengths, and she ran 39:28 to finish 2nd lady.

The Settle Loop Challenge pits mountain bikers against fell runners (with further categories for e bikers and walkers) on a hilly and technical route through the Dales east of Settle. Nathan Coy was first runner home in 1:13:56 with his Dad Steve third in 1:18:11. Fastest time was set by mountain biker Marc Sennett in 1:04:56.

Roberts Park Parkrun saw Nick Kealey post 17:59 and David Ibbotson a personal best of 27:07 respectively. Rachel Carter also ran a personal best 22:29 at the Chevin parkrun and Daniel Paterson a 21:19 at Vermuyden Way. Junior Milena Morgan travelled the furthest this week taking part in the Reeuwijkse Hout Parkrun (NL). Milena finished first in the 11-14 category in a fantastic time of 22:50.

Punk Panther 6 Dales Trail Ultra – Sat/Sun 16-17 Aug 2025

Sun 17 Aug 2025

From Ritchie Williamson…

Very much a last-minute decision, last Wednesday I signed up for the Punk Panther 6 Dales Trail Ultra, an out and back from Otley to Lofthouse taking in the Swinsty, Fewston, Thruscross and Gouthwaite reservoirs. Punk Panther offers a number of distances in their race format (half marathon, 20 miles, 32 mile and 50 mile). I opted for the 50-mile course (which ended up being 51.6 miles) reasoning that I could do with getting some volume on the legs with the 13 Valleys ultra approaching at the end of September. Both the 50 mile and 32-mile race started together at Garnets Field at 07:30 am. Three runners made a fast start, and I knew one of them was in the 50-mile race and they were out of sight before we left Garnets Field. As we moved up and through Otley, I quickly fell into pace with a MV50 on the 50-mile race, this I thought, would be the person I would be racing for the MV50 cat. We ran together through the outskirt of Otley and then through the fields to Clifton, after a steep down-hill track (noting I’d be coming back up this) we reached the Dob Park Packhorse Bridge and a mile later through a wood to Timble Beck Gill. We had picked up another runner (who would go onto finish 3rd in the 32-mile course) and we checked routes with each other as it was easy to go off route through the woods.

As we climbed up from the beck, I put some distance between myself and the other 2 runners and made a small break. Down through the woods to Swinsty Hall and along the track to Swinsty car park. After a quick toilet stop it was back onto the track alongside Fewston reservoir, I had dropped behind the MV50 and 32-mile runner. While I had them in my sights, I didn’t catch them again until CP1 (11 miles, St Andrews church at Blubberhouses). Petra was on support at the checkpoint, so it was good to have a brief hello, refill flasks and head out. All 3 of us left together and started the next section, past what must be one of the most idyllic cricket clubs (Blubberhouses CC) and keeping the Washburn River to our left, we then crossed Thruscross Dam and took the road up Thruscross. As it was a hill, I again decided to try and make a break for it and leave the 2 runners behind. Once at the top of the hill there was more crossing of fields and moors, I was a bit ahead but also struggling to keep on route as the trace was difficult to follow as times. I met the 2 leaders of the 32-mile race as they were heading back from their turning point (CP2) so I reasoned that the next CP could not be that far away. Once out the fields it was another uphill effort to CP2 (Heyshaw, 16 miles). Again, it was a very quick refill of flasks and onto the next section, Heyshaw to Lofthouse. As I left CP2 I could see the MV50 runner coming into the CP.

The next section takes you from Heyshaw to Lofthouse vis Pateley Bridge (about 10/11 miles). The distance I put between myself and the runner behind was lost as soon as I made a nav error had had to retrace my steps for about 100 meters. We then ran together, crossing more fields and farmland and hitting the 600 m trail down through Guisecliff Wood. This was a bit of a gnarly path which eventually bought me onto a track and down to Glasshouses bridge. From here it was flattish all the way to Pateley Bridge following the path alongside the river Nidd. While at Pateley Bridge, there was a brief thought of stopping at the Pancake House for lunch, but instead pressed on to Gouthwaite reservoir over undulating paths. I had been running with the other MV50 runner since the nav error shortly after CP2, we alternated the lead and kept close for many miles. About 2 miles past Pateley Bridge the MV50 runner stopped for a toilet break. I kept moving and tried to put some distance between us by upping the pace a notch. But to no avail, I could usually see him behind me when the terrain allowed. Just shy of the CP3 Lofthouse, I met the lead runner on his return leg. He was about half a mile from CP3 and so we exchanged a few words, and I covered the remaining distance into CP3, arriving after 4hrs and 5 mins. I had up to this point been fuelling with High 5 gels every 30 mins. I picked up my drop bag, replaced the gels I had consumed on the way out, drank a bottle of Lucozade and munched a bag of salt and vinegar squares. As I left the checkpoint the MV50 runner behind came in.

The return route is the route out but obviously in reverse, knowing what was coming made it more manageable to break down into chunks, I had also got a few lines wrong on the way out, so it was an opportunity to get these correct on the way back and hopefully shave a bit of time off. Again, I wanted to put more distance and reasoned that the MV50 runner would also be accessing his drop bag and replenishing, so I put an effort into running the flattish section back to Guisecliffe Wood. It was then the 600m climb back up through the woods and back on to open moor and track. As I climbed out of the wood and reached the high ground I spied the silhouette of the lead runner, but my focus was on putting distance between myself and the MV50 runner. A quick refill at CP4 (Heyshaw return) and a quicker look over my shoulder saw that the MV50 was not far behind. The return to CP5 (Blubberhouses) was a mix of road and trail with most of the road sections being downhill so it was a good opportunity to stretch the legs and hopefully maintain the distance between myself and the MV50. As I came off the moor and started the road section down to Thruscross Dam, I could see the lead runner on the road. By the time I had reached the dam he was at the other end of the dam and starting his descent towards Blubberhouses. I managed to pass the lead runner as we approached Blubberhouses CC and arrived at CP5 ahead for the first time in the race.

It was now a flat-out race for the last 11 miles, I left CP5 ahead of the second place runner (after exchanging a fist bump and a few words) and hoping it would be the last I saw of him. The first section was along Fewston and Swinsty reservoirs, followed by the trail to Timble Gill. Just prior to Timble Gill I saw the 2nd place runner was catching me. I made a quick descent towards the Gill, taking the wrong line and having to cut back across at the bottom to get back on course. I then arrived at Dob Park Packhorse bridge and started the long climb up to the final checkpoint of the race (CP 6, Dob Park Road). I made good time on the ascent and by the time I was leaving CP6, I could see no one behind. It was now just 4 and half miles downhill back into Otley. Never knowing how close the chasing runners were, I pushed onto the finish at Bridge Street Church in Otley moving as fast as I could at that stage of the race. My official finish time was 8hr 21m 40s, a new course record by over 20 minutes and in first place. I was only 90 seconds ahead of the second-place finisher. Close enough to make this feel like a race from start to finish. After that, it was a short hop to the Otley Tap House for a pint and a bite to eat.

Sedbergh Hills Fell Race – Sun 17 Aug 2025

Sun 17 Aug 2025

From Dan McKeown…

We had a gleesome threesome of Harriers at the Sedbergh Hills fell race on Sunday: Paul Carman had roped me into doing it because the race was short of numbers and in danger of cancellation, and we also had some bloke called Jack Wood in the car who was last year’s champion or something.

It was the 46th edition of the race, which takes runners out into the hills north of Sedbergh on a 14(ish) mile circuit with 6000ft of climbing and just about every kind of surface underfoot you can think of.

We’d had a few emails from the organiser in the lead-up to the race: variations on the subject line of “You’re Going to Be Very Warm and Thirsty” and advising us that we make our peace with drinking out of streams if we hoped to stay the course, but we were undaunted. Jack thought he had to go in any case, in order to return the trophy from last year. Upon arrival, it turned out they give out a new trophy each year.

To ensure his trip was not wasted, Jack then splashed quite a bit of money on some new waterproof trousers from the Pete Bland van in order to meet kit regs. Shortly afterwards, he found out that waterproof trousers were not required for the race.

Not a great start for the big man: he was probably going to have to win and set a new course record in order to break even.

We set off on steep but fairly runnable paths up to Arant Haw and Jack was to the fore, dibbing first at checkpoint one. The course then breaks northwest, descending to a stream crossing and up to CP2 on a smaller hill, before contouring northward along the fells, with runnable vehicle track giving way to ankle-twisting cambered tightrope trod. CP3 is a nondescript stream crossing, after which you pick your way east through three cols to another stream checkpoint before heading south to the finish via The Calf and Winder tops.

Sadly for Jack’s finances, he hit difficulties after The Calf and fell out of podium contention, still managing to amble home in a very respectable 11th place out of 90 finishers on the day. Paul strolled past me on the ascent after the first stream checkpoint and disappeared over the cols to finish 45th.

After blowing my knee out at the Stanbury Splash and a consequent DNF at the Three Peaks, I was expecting a tough day and, in that respect at least, I wasn’t disappointed: I blundered home almost an hour after Jack in 59th place. I did have the marginal satisfaction of having bested him on the section from the final checkpoint to the finish, but it came at a cost: in sliding down the hill on my bum, I’d burnt a hole in my best shorts.

(Happy to report that Jack didn’t go home empty-handed: in the most pyrrhic of victories, he won a bottle of air fryer cleaner in the spot prizes.)

I shall end this report with an earnest plea to everyone who’s read this far to get out and support races like this. It was within a hair’s breadth of cancellation at one point for want of entrants, and it would be a crying shame to lose established races out in the beautiful fells. Plus, stream water doesn’t taste that bad.

Sedbergh Hills Fell Race results (90 finishers)

11 Jack Wood 2:38:34 (* will now be able to clean his parents’ air fryer)

45 Paul Carman 3:21:25

59 Dan McKeown 3:37:37

Birchwood 10k – Sun 17 Aug 2025

Sun 17 Aug 2025

From Sally Armitage…

I found this race on my hunt for a fast flat mid-August 10k to give my race legs a warm up before Golden Ball 20 at the end of the month. I’d never heard of it before, but a quick look at previous year’s results showed me that it’s popular with fast runners and a look at the elevation profile confirmed it was a fast course. Chip timed, single lap, 100% road with the only hills being over motorway bridges. I didn’t go with any expectations, previous year’s female winners had finished in around 35 minutes, and last year an F45 finished in 37 minutes so I went just aiming for a sub 40 finish time. However, the faster runners didn’t come this year and after passing a Bury Harrier just after the half way point I went into 2nd place, I never look over my shoulder when I’m racing as I’d rather not know if there’s someone right on my tail, and it’s a good job I didn’t because afterwards I realised she’d stayed only seconds behind me right until the finish! The prize was a generous £50 cash, which is fairly rare and will go straight towards fixing my washing machine!

Results:

1st male John Joe Doherty Liverpool Harriers & AC 31:54

1st female Alyssa Davey Sale Harriers 37:28

2nd female Sally Armitage 39:28

Swiss international mountain marathon – Sat/Sun 16/17 Aug 2025

Sat 16 Aug 2025

From Alison Weston…

Nea and I took part in the Swiss version of the OMM this weekend, starting from Klosters. We entered the score class with 5 hours running each day.

It was a nice idea for all runners to get a cable car to the start but a storm came before everyone was up, and the cable car stopped running. We took shelter under a ski lift to wait, adding increasing number of layers, until the cable car re-started and the remainder of runners arrived.

Most of day one was above 2,200m on mainly rocky terrain with the controls in easy to spot places. We dithered a bit with route choice, as is usual with Nea and I, but overall were pretty happy with our day one score. Overnight camp was at the top of the cable car, shared with lots of cows (and lots of bells) and we were treated to some Alphorn music!

Day two started misty but soon cleared and the terrain was a mix of small paths, rough trods, no trods, dense forests (with very well hidden controls) and gorgeous alpine meadows. We stuck to our initial route plan and tried hard to navigate on the go – less dithering! Both days we had less than 15 minutes to spare but no penalty points.

We didn’t understand a word of the prize giving (in German) but heard our names called out which was a nice surprise – 3rd female team in our class!

Definitely recommend this event to runners, orienteers and walkers of any age, families with young children included.

Ilkley Gazette Report – w/c 11 August 2025

Mon 11 Aug 2025

[Jack Wood and Jack Cummings leading the pack at the Littondale Fete Four Mile road race, photo courtesy of Woodentops]

From Jill Ezard & Nicola Budding…

Podium finishes, club records and age category successes galore!

Successes started early this week with one Harrier heading to Gateshead to take part in the Quayside 5k on Wednesday. The course takes in the famous landmarks of the Newcastle Quayside passing the Swing Bridge and going under High Level Bridge, Queen Elizabeth II Bridge, King Edward VII Bridge & Redheugh Bridge, before returning the same way. This is a flat, fast course boasting real PB potential and it certainly worked for Matthew Thackwray who ran a fantastic race finishing in a stunning 14:55 taking 11th place overall and the club record for his age category over this distance. A superb result!

And the successes continued with two races in Littondale on Saturday with some Harriers taking on both. First was the Littondale Fete four mile road race, a beautiful run around the quiet lanes of the Yorkshire Dales. It was a popular outing for the Harriers, it being one of the 24 races in the Harriers Race League 2025, with 16 lining up for the start. And it was a battle for first and second place from the start for two Ilkley Jacks, with Jack Wood just taking the win in 19:51 only 15 seconds ahead of Jack Cummings in second. There were numerous age category successes in the race too: George Whittlestone took first place in his category; Jaysson Sawyer, Rachel Carter, Derek Oliver and Mike Williams all took second place in their categories; and Peter Roll, Jann Smith and Sally Malir all took third place in their age brackets. Well done to all that took part.

Not content with one race some of the club also took on the second event of the day, the Arncliffe Gala Fell race, a popular race in the BOFRA calendar. With races for all ages the seemingly innocuous Senior race is just 1.6 miles long. But with 120 metres of climb this is not an easy run! Again, it was Jack Cummings and Jack Wood at the front for the Harriers again. This time it was Jack Cummings who was the first Harrier to finish taking second place in 11:04. Jack Wood finished in fourth place in 11:10. Gawain Moore was second in his age category finishing the race in 12:48, followed by Iain Gibbons in 13:36 and third in his age category. Rachel Carter was the first female Harrier to finish taking third place in her age category in 17:01.

There was a good turnout for the Junior Arncliffe Gala races too: Michael Moore was third in the U12s race with Isobel Moore placing sixth; Robert Brooks was fourth in the U14 race; and Oscar Shinn was fourth in the U17 race. Well done to our Juniors!

Sticking with the Juniors and Round Six of the West Yorkshire Track and Field League took place in Wakefield on Wednesday evening. Ethan Pickwoad was our only Junior competing at the meet this week finishing the U13B 200 m in 32:76 and jumping 3:93 m in the U13B Long Jump.

Thursday evening saw the annual Eshton Moor Fell Race take place near Gargrave. Archie Hallworth had a great race finishing in 2nd Place in the U9 race. Likewise, George Whittlestone also had a good race finishing as 2nd U21 in the Senior Race.

In contrast to the short but steep fell races, Petra Bijsterveld tackled the North Downs Way 100 mile race over the weekend. The race begins in Farnham at the western end of the North Downs. The course works its way through some of the best of the English countryside towards Ashford in Kent and the finish at the Julie Rose Stadium.

With over 3,300 metres of climb, this is a deceptively hilly race which saw 30% of those starting the race dropping out. An accomplished ultra runner, Petra had a successful race and came over the line in 28:44:44, the 20th female finisher and first in her age category. A fantastic result from Petra!

Finally, 38 parkrunners took to the parks and trails to take part in the weekly timed events. Suitable for all capabilities the events are a great opportunity to build up your running and with a new event now taking place at East Holmes Field (EHF) in Ilkley, you don’t even have to leave town. Across the UK there were several top ten finishers this week: Michael Odell, Jaysson Sawyer, Jane McCarthy and Diane Kitchen. And a long list of personal bests, with many happening at the second official EHF event: Rachel Corrigan, Jane McCarthy, Jaysson Sawyer, Junior Harrier Megan Snow, Tim Ashelford, Kyle Bethell, Geoff Howard and Vince Gibbons. And four Harriers had impressive age grading statistics this week: Tim Ashelford 80.85%, Jaysson Sawyer 81.55%, Alison Bennett 84.15% and a whopping 86.84% for Geoff Howard. Well done to all that took part.

North Downs Way 100 – Sat 9 Aug 2025

Sat 9 Aug 2025

From Petra Bijsterveld…

A change is as good as a rest they say, even when it comes to ultra running. Having spent a lot of time in the last two years on the Pennine Way, the Coast to Coast, and the Cleveland Way, I decided to try my hand at some more runnable races in the south of England to see how I get on. Centurion Running led by James Elson has a reputation for excellence when it comes to race organizing, their objective as stated on the website is ‘to put on the best supported, most professionally and safely organised, runner orientated ultra distance trail races – anywhere’. Having done two of their races now (I ran their Hundred Hills 50k in March) I dare say that they are more than succeeding at this. From the website, the pre-race information and live webinar briefing, registration, course marking, checkpoints (10 of them) and finish line, everything runs like clockwork. Moreover, the checkpoint volunteers are the best, looking after your every need with a huge smile, and there are plenty of them, so you are almost provided with personal waiter service.

Anyway, enough gushing for now. I opted to enter the North Downs Way 100 (which actually is 103 miles) mainly because the date suited me. The race route is the North Downs Way National Trail from Farnham (Surrey) to Ashford (Kent). The National Trail actually continues to Dover. At the time I didn’t grasp that this is the hardest out of Centurion’s four 100 milers (Thames Path, South Downs Way and Autumn 100 are the others) as borne out by the finishing times, which are slower across the board from elite to back-of-the pack. With 11,000 feet of elevation it is by no means flat, though pretty sedate when you are used to the hills here in the North. However, the hills are steep and punchy, often with energy sapping steps either up or down. They are short, but there are a lot of them. The race is fully marked with both the permanent North Downs Way finger posts and Centurion race arrows and flags, making navigation super easy.

Runners are allowed to be crewed on this race, and many do so. There are designated crew points (away from the checkpoints) where crew can park up and await their runner. Runners are also allowed to have a pacer from the halfway point onwards. I opted to have neither, as I quite enjoy being self-reliant, but it was nice to receive cheering and encouragement from crew teams as I ran past.

I had recced the entire route in June, fast-packing it over three and a half days, in temperatures of around 28 degrees. So I was grateful that the weather this weekend was marginally cooler, around 25, still warm for running, but to me it felt manageable, especially as there was the occasional light breeze. The night remained warm and humid however, which I found harder in a way, until the temperature suddenly dropped a little bit just before sunrise. But by 9 am on Sunday it was already very warm again. Many of the checkpoints had ice, which I didn’t feel I needed, but some runners were using ice-bandanas. They also had buckets of water to dunk your cap in.

You may feel relieved that I will save the step-by-step account of the race for my blog, which will appear in the fullness of time for those who love to read my ramblings. So here is the ‘short’ version for now. Not having tackled this type of more runnable 100 miler before I was unsure what time I could realistically aim for, unhampered by mountains, big hills, technical terrain, or man-eating bogs. The cut-off is a strictly enforced 30 hours (with intermediate cut-offs at the checkpoints) and I was hoping for somewhere around 26. I had written a rough schedule and had that and the cut-offs on my laminated card, but I mainly ran by feel, keeping level of exertion and heart rate low. This involved quite a bit of jeffing, where I run to a count of 45 and walk to a count of 30, with variations depending on ascent and descent. My intention was to only have two proper sit-down stops, at the half-way checkpoint at Knockholt Pound and at 82 miles at Detling. At both these checkpoints you could have a drop bag. I reached 50 miles in exactly 12 hours feeling very good and ate some pasta at the checkpoint, brushed my teeth, changed my top as well as socks and shoes, restocked my race vest with some nutrition from my drop bag, and did my back exercises. I had to put my headtorch on at mile 55, and we were treated to a beautiful clear night with a full moon, initially orange and huge as it rose in the sky, later turning whitish yellow high in the sky, at times it just felt like I had a ceiling light overhead, so it never felt properly dark. I seem to have lots of full moons on my ultras, or maybe I just remember them more. Despite the night being relatively light I did slow down more than I had anticipated. Whilst the trails are quite runnable during the day I found the combination of increasing fatigue and endless tree roots and bits of flint sticking up on many of the paths slowed me down a lot. But whilst I was falling behind schedule I did not trip or stumble once which is a win. As the night wore on I started to feel somewhat nauseous. My stomach had perhaps seen plenty of gels and chews by now. I tried to mix it up with some real food from the checkpoints like banana and salted potatoes and started to already look forward to the chocolate milk in my Detling checkpoint dropbag at mile 82. At the 71 mile checkpoint I sat down, contrary to my earlier plans, as I felt dizzy. I had some coke and sadly I vomited almost immediately. I tried half a cup of tea and some cherry tomatoes which looked appealing, but sadly only 5 minutes later I was looking at those again lying in the grass at my feet. Anyway, ‘puke and rally’ as they say in the ultra world. I took away half a banana and some salted potatoes and hoped for the best. I actually enjoyed the crossing over the river Medway at Rochester which followed immediately after that checkpoint, much as I had on my recce (and I also crossed it by train two weeks ago!). You are on a footpath and cycle way next to the M2 motorway and the Eurostar tracks. It’s almost a mile and I ran all of it without even any jeffing. Not much of a breeze though, which I had been hoping for. The night was very humid. I was probably low on fluids, salt and carbs by now after not taking enough in over the last few hours. That combination caused me a challenge on nasty steep hill (steps again) at mile 78. I started to feel hot and dizzy, sat down briefly, tried to carry on but the whole world started to spin around me and I only just managed to avoid fainting by lying down beside the trail. I really didn’t feel good. After a while some other runners came past and I asked them to just phone race HQ to tell them I was OK and just resting a while here (as my tracker would have shown me as stopped). I could have got my own phone out to do so but these guys were so helpful I thought I might as well make use of their kindness. (I made sure to thank them again profusely later as I overtook them all in the final miles!) I was there for maybe quarter of an hour, vomited some more, but eventually got up and slowly got going again. It was getting light now, and suddenly it was a little cooler, both those things made me feel better.

When I reached the Detling checkpoint at mile 82 I asked if there was a medic there who might be able to give me ondansetron (an anti-sickness drug) as I was struggling to keep things down. The medic was lovely but said they only give it intravenously and would need to do an ECG before and then monitor me for a bit afterwards, which basically means they only do it if you end your race there. No way I said, I have to get to the finish! I just had to crack on steadily, more stepped hills coming up. I took my chocolate milk with me as I reckoned I could just sip it intermittently.

There were only two of us in my age category and I was very much hoping to win, but I had not looked at the tracker at all during the race, as I can only run my own race anyway. But with 21 miles to go I could not resist having a look. If my competitor were just behind or in front of me that might be useful to know. Instead it turned out she had dropped out in the first half. Sad for her, but now I knew I only needed to make it to the finish to get my hands on that trophy.

Onwards towards the Detling hills, which were steep and tedious, I took it slowly, and managed to drink my chocolate milk. At the Lenham checkpoint at mile 90 I asked for milk in my cup which was a good idea (I am not normally a milk drinker but it was exactly what my stomach needed) and managed some more banana, and repeated that combo at the final checkpoint, Dunn Street, just 4.5 miles from the finish. It was only here that I started to dare to believe that I would make it to the finish. I was feeling a lot better by now. After Dunn Street you cross a couple of big fields and then it is road all the way to the finish on the track in Ashford. I managed to run most of that, with just a few walk breaks in between, overtaking quite a few runners on the way. Arriving at the stadium you have to run three quarters of a lap of the track, there was lots of cheering from spectators and Centurion staff and volunteers. I felt super emotional, more so than at most of my other big races, and I actually cried as I went round. I had been to this track at the end of my recce, to return there now for the real thing, with the bonus of an age category trophy, meant a lot. I tried to sprint though it undoubtedly looked like an ultra-shuffle, but I believe I reached a lightning fast 10 minute/mile pace before crossing under the finish arch. My time of 28:44:44 was perhaps not quite what I had hoped for when composing my schedule, but in the later stages I had amended my aim to be ahead of the ‘golden hour’ (29 to 30 hours) and I managed that. As I sat down cherishing my buckle and trophy I was totally happy with life.

The finish line volunteers were absolutely amazing, personal service again. I was brought water and then food (and yes, I could eat again, it tasted good and stayed down), my drop bags were gathered for me and put at my feet, an absolutely sterling service. Everyone is treated like a winner. I had a shower at the track before travelling back north on the train later in the day. I managed to get a cheap first-class upgrade on the London to Leeds leg which really rounded off the weekend pretty well.

Results are here. The women’s course record was broken by Alice Robinson in 18:13:58 and the men’s race was won by Ryan Whelan in 16:25:06. 208 runners started and 140 finished, I was the 108^th finisher.

Edit: since writing the above I have discovered that my time, even though I was a little disappointed with it, lowered the F60 course record by 13 minutes. Moreover, it turns out I am only the third F60 to complete the NDW100 in 15 editions of the event. Proud to fly the flag for older women!

Ilkley Gazette Report – w/c 04 August 2025

Mon 4 Aug 2025

[Photo courtesy of Philip Bland]

From Jonathan Turner & Nicola Budding…

Harriers success on road and trail – and a new Ilkley parkrun

It’s been an incredible week for Ilkley Harriers – and the town itself – with the first edition of the East Holmes Field parkrun.

The parkrun ethos is to encourage everyone to get outdoors and run, jog, walk – or volunteer – in the weekly 5km event.

The benefits are huge and there’s much more about that elsewhere in this week’s Gazette.

But kudos to Hattie, Paul and Emma O’Looney – and their core team – for making it all a reality last weekend.

And all the hard work to get an Ilkley parkrun up and running was rewarded on Saturday when 181 people took part in ideal conditions – running or walking their way round four flat laps next to the picturesque River Wharfe.

A big team of volunteers, many of them Harriers, helped it all go incredibly smoothly and Hattie – in her first welcome message as race director – encouraged anyone else who would like adding to the volunteer team to get in touch.

Back to racing and Jack Cummings had a starring role on ‘Look North’ on Sunday evening as he added another big-race victory to his CV in the York 10k.

More than 5,000 people took part and Jack crossed the line first in a super-impressive 31:18, nearly a full minute ahead of the second-placed finisher.

Sam Angus was the next Harrier home, in not much more than 40 minutes. And also running, no doubt celebrating the Ilkley parkrun getting going, was Hattie O’Looney (48:30).

Switching from road to the fells and fifth English Championships race was Borrowdale – an epic 17-mile 6,500-feet from Rosthwaite in Borrowdale making its way to Esk Hause contouring around Glaramara and Allen Crags, then on to Scafell Pike, down the wicked scree to the corridor route then up Great Gable and along to Honister Pass for the final pull up Dalehead before the final descent back to the valley.

The weather was a tad warm but there was a breeze on the tops and no problem this year with visibility.

The race was won by Finlay Wild in 2:49:26 with Ilkley’s reigning English champion Ben Rothery second in 2:55:03 and Finlay Grant close on his heels in 2:55:16.

Ben’s fellow Harrier Oli Murphy had a great race to finish 11th in 3:15:36 and Jack Gribbin was 99th in 04:11:03.

Jane McCarthy had a fabulous race and was 1st FV50 in 04:26:04, followed by Paul Carman in 04:46:44. Alison Weston was just over five hours in 5:02:12 (2nd FV60), and Jann Smith was 05:30:56 (3rd FV55).

Given those results the ladies managed to get a team result of 3rd FV40 and 1st FV50.

Closer to home and the Round Hill Fell Race took place on Sunday, just under 14km in distance and around 350m in ascent.

Five intrepid Harriers took part this year – Rachel Carter, Fraser Arnott, Geoffrey White, Colm McCann and Peter Roll.

Fraser was a superb fourth overall while Rachel was the first lady home – in the race as a whole, not just for the Harriers – in 1:14:23. And she also collected the V45 prize.

On the juniors front there were two races to choose from in the BOFRA Championships this week – and two Harriers took part in both!

The Annual Ambleside Sports Fell Races took place on Thursday. Described as “a deceptively unrelenting climb”, the fell races start from the showground before climbing to the rocky outcrop followed by a rapid descent. The Senior, U23 and U17 races all covered the same distance with the U14 race a slightly shorter route. Robert Brooks had a good run finishing 4th in the BU14 race, Oscar Shinn also finished 4th in the BU17 race and George Whittlestone finished 7th MU23.

The second BOFRA race counter this week was held on Sunday at Farleton Knott. Both George Whittlestone and Robert Brooks were once again running with George finishing in 4th place in the MU23 race and Robert finishing in 5th place in the BU14 race. Michael and Isobel Moore were both competing in the U12 race with Michael finishing in a fabulous 2nd place and Isobel as 7th GU12.

Lily and Pippa Singleton travelled the furthest for a parkrun this week with Minehead in Cornwall their destination! Lily finished 24th female with a time of 28:27 followed by Pippa as 42nd female in 30:29. Closer to home, Oscar Shinn had a good run at Chevin Forest parkrun finishing in 5th place with a time of 20:21. Finally, it was the inaugural East Holmes Field Parkrun on Saturday. Ethan Pickwoad finished in 25th position with a time of 23:36 and two of our older Juniors Helena Coy and Lucy Hayes had good runs finishing as 5th and 6th females respectively in 25:10 and 25:12.

On the seniors front at parkruns, at least three stand out.

Matthew Thackwray will always be the first finisher at that inaugural East Holmes Field parkrun – and his time of 17:19 was seriously impressive on what is mixed terrain.

Meanwhile Petra Bijsterveld was the first lady at Horton Park near Bradford and Luke Watkeys has the aim of going under 20 minutes for the 5k and moved a significant step closer with 20:09 at the Cinder Track parkrun, Whitby.

Round Hill Fell Race – Sun 3 Aug 2025

Sun 3 Aug 2025

From Peter Roll…

You’ll no doubt read lots of reports about Harriers doing bonkers things in the Lake District this past weekend, like self-supported Bob Graham’s & 17-mile 6500-feet English Championship Borrowdale Fell Races that take in Scafell Pike.

Well not all Fell racing is like that. Take the Round Hill Fell Race for instance, only a 20 min drive from home, less than 14km in distance & no more than 350m in ascent. It starts at 11:00 so enough time for a well-earned Sunday lie-in, then decide if you want to enter on the day & can be back home for Sunday lunch.

Five intrepid Harriers took part this year – Rachel Carter, Fraser Arnott, Geoffrey White, Colm McCann and Peter Roll.

Rachel was the first lady home, though we suspect this was driven by anxiety of thoughts of mislaying car keys – that were soon found.

Fraser banished his demons from previous races with a fantastic fourth place.

The whole event is very low key, an ideal entry level fell race, with only 55 competitors this year & good bunnage afterwards. So as a counter to the Harriers league what’s not to like?

Results

Ritchie & Michael’s Bob Graham Round – Sat 2 Aug 2025

Sat 2 Aug 2025

Ritchie’s version

The Bob Graham Round is an iconic fell running route through the Lake District, taking in 42 of the highest peaks, 27,000ft of climb and covering 66 miles, starting and finishing at the Moot Hall in Keswick. To join the Bob Graham 24 hour club you need to successfully complete the round in 24 hrs as the name suggests.

According to the BGR website, each summer around 100 people attempt the round with one in three completing within the 24-hr time. The round is divided into 5 legs with each leg starting and finishing at a road crossing which allows for changeover of support runners and to refresh supplies (2 support runners are suggested for each leg).

Attempting the BGR has long been on the radar and I had my first exposure to the round in July 2022 when Andrew Merrick allowed me to tag along with him and his support runner (Ben Sheppard) on Legs 1 and 2 of his successful attempt. This was an eye opener and a very quick lesson that general fitness was not the same as hill strength. The following year I recced all five legs with fellow harriers with the intention of having a go myself in 2023. The logistics of arranging support runners in advance, more recce’s, and an overall lack of hill strength meant that I could not fit in an attempt in 2023 but was able to support fellow Harrier Peter Shelley on his successful 2023 round (Michael Odell was also a support runner for Peter’s round). Race commitments in 2024 left little room for a BG attempt and so I made do with supporting 2 other runners on their attempts (one successful and one not successful). Roll on 2025 and my race calendar already had large events booked for April and September, leaving little room for a BG attempt. That is, until I received a message from Michael Odell, on Monday morning. Morning, do you have any appetite or availability for a BG attempt this weekend? I confirmed that I had both and enquired if he had a plan. No, not much of a plan was the answer. As we know from Mike Tyson, everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face. Michael was clearly mitigating against any potential punch. This came as somewhat of a relief as previous races planned by Michael had involved dressing as a horse. After a brief discussion on Wednesday morning, we decided we would attempt a self-supported round, starting at 03:00 am on Saturday morning.

We based our schedule on a 23 hr round, and would need to carry all our fuel, hydration and kit as there were no options on route for us to purchase additional supplies and water on route would be limited as it had been very dry. We dropped a resupply bag with water and additional food/gels at Dunmail (end of Leg 2) on our drive through to Keswick.

At 02:40 am on Saturday we left our overnight accommodation and made the short walk to the Moot Hall in Keswick to start the round at exactly 03:00 am. Leg 1 Keswick to Threlkeld takes you out of Keswick and straight up Skiddaw, followed by descents and climbs to Great Calva and Blencathra. The weather was perfect and we were treated to a wonderful sunrise as we came up Mungrisdale Common just prior to summiting Blencathra. Taking the Hall’s fell path off Blencathra we arrived at Threlkeld at 06:42 am, 14 minutes ahead of our 23 hr schedule. Leg two Threlkeld to Dunmail takes in an additional 12 peaks and starts things off with a rather steep pull up to Clough Head, once up on the ridge its good running terrain and easy paths to follow all the way along to Helvellyn and Dollywaggon Pike, a steep grassy descent off Dollywagon brings you to Grisdale Tarn. It’s then an out and back climb to Fairfield before climbing Seat Sandal and descending to Dunmail arriving about 50 mins ahead of our schedule. We refilled out water from our drop bag. We were moving well, but it was already apparent what an effort this would be, we had covered 27 miles in with 3 more legs to go. Leg 3 Dunmail to Wasdale is a beast and the leg I was least looking forward to, taking in a further 15 peaks including Scafell Pike. The leg starts with another steep climb out of Dunmail up to Steal Fell, from there it’s good paths to the next tops, some boggy sections but overall easy to navigate and pick off some of the Langdale Pikes through to Rossett Pike. After Rossett Pike, there is a small descent and the climbing begins again with a tough pull up to Bowfell. Once up Bowfell it’s a case of picking off more of the tops, Esk pike, Great End, Ill Crag, and Broad Crag, always with Scafell Pike in view and seemingly towering above you. This is by far my least favourite section of the round, the terrain is difficult to move quickly across (at least for me), rocky boulder fields and endless coming off paths to summit rocky outcrops. In my head Scafell Pike is Mount Doom and I usually have a sense of impending dread when I get to this section, think Bilbo Goggins, with me making up the Bilbo part of our challenge. This section proved no such challenge for Michael as he moved well and kept the pace. Once we topped Scafell Pike, we descended to Mickledore and took the hands on climb up Lords Rake to get to Scafell. This was followed by a long scree covered descent to Wasdale Head. We arrived in Wasdale 20 minutes behind schedule. We topped up our water from Lingmell Gill and headed straight into Leg 4 Wasdale to Honister. Leg 4 takes in 9 peaks starting with what can only be described as a horrendous climb up Yewbarrow, this went on for ever and we had made up some time on the climb and much like the elevation our mood also lifted. More than any other leg, this feels to have more dramatic descents and climbs, large parts runnable with a few rocky sections (mostly on the climbs), after summiting Red Pike, Steeple, Pillar, and Kirk Fell we made our ascent on Great Gable as the sun set and darkness descended. This was an effort of a climb, over large rocks which again seemed to be endless. Once we summited Great Gable there was a sense that the hard work has been done. A short scramble off Great Gable and three tops in succession took us down to Honister, the paths were tricky in the dark and slowed progress, but we arrived at Honister and the start of Leg 5 after 20hrs and 45 min. We were 1hr 5 mins behind our 23 hr schedule, putting us 5 minutes over the 24 hr mark.

This gave us 3hrs and 15 mins to cover leg 5 (Honister to Keswick), the remaining 3 peaks (Dale Head, Hindscarth and Robinson) and 11 miles. At times during the round, we felt that we would make it in under 24hrs, at other times it seemed unlikely, this was one of those times as we took a few minutes longer than scheduled to peak Dale Head. Michael was setting a good pace, but my legs (and mind) were moving slow. I took on some remaining fuel and fluids on the climb and by the time we had arrived at Dale Head the fuel was beginning to have an effect, we ticked off the remaining 2 peaks in scheduled time. We topped the final peak at 01:18 am, giving us 1hr and 42 min to complete the last 7 miles. Belief was returning and after a few miles of rocky descent we hit the path that took us to the final road section into Keswick. We had an hour to cover 5.5 miles. It was time to strip off some of the layers, take a final gel, finish what remaining fluids I was carrying and stash my packed under a bench in order to run for the finish line.

Michael true to form kept his pack on and we set what seemed a tough 6min/km pace back to Keswick. We covered the last section in under 50 minutes and arrived back at the Moot Hall after 23hrs and 48 mins. As a challenge, it is up there with the best, there were highs and there were lows, but it definitely ranks up there with one of the hardest.

Michael’s version

As a relative newcomer to Fell Running, the Bob Graham Round hasn’t been a lifelong holy grail of mine. In fact, I recall moving to Ilkley and thinking for several months that Bob was a chap that I should meet in Ilkley that maybe I could become friend with!

I only started to appreciate what this 105km / 8500m vertical / 24hr Lakeland challenge was really all about when I joined Peter Shelley’s round summer in 2023. I supported Peter on his Leg 3, camping at Dunmail Raise with, then total stranger, Martin Hartley. We started the leg a little before dawn and enjoyed a beautiful run over to Wasdale. I was hooked and I knew that one day wanted to give BG a go.

I did a little research and discovered that Bob Graham had included 42 peaks into the Round was reflective of the fact that he was 42 years old. It seemed somewhat like fate that I would turn 42 in June 2024. My aim became to complete my Round during my 42nd year. Unfortunately, house renovations prevented sufficient preparation, recces or an attempt in 2024 and so I pinned my hopes on 2025. My first step was to get fit, which I achieved by entering and completing the Fellsman in late April. Unfortunately that was a serious undertaking in its own right which didn’t leave any time for BG recces beforehand or much motivation afterwards.

I was impressed by the organization and camaraderie of traditional BG attempts but equally by others who have completed the challenge with less or no support. I felt at ease with the prospect of completing the Round solo and without witnesses and therefore not being able to claim an official Round. I tentatively noticed that we had a family camping trip in the Lake District starting on Sunday 3rd August. The Saturday was free.

Work was busy and with Ilkley Half Marathon commitments on top it meant I had no brain capacity to think further about BG. The week before I thought about it again. The weather was forecast good for the Saturday although mixed either side. If I was to give it a go then first I’d need to lift to the Lakes. I wondered if anyone might actually be up for a giving it a crack as well?

On Monday 28th (5 days out), I text Ritchie Williamson:

“Morning, do you have any appetite or availability to give BG a try with me this weekend?”

He replied:

“Afternoon, currently I have both. Are you planning for sub-24?”

Unbelievable and amazing. A loose plan quickly unfolded. We would drive up Friday evening, leaving a bag of spare water and food at Dunmail Raise. We booked accommodation in Keswick to allow a few hours sleep on the Friday night and somewhere to return to after our attempt. We agreed to start at 3AM which seemed the only way to fit it in properly. We registered a 23-hour schedule with BG club without much thought about what was realistic.

I managed a few hours sleep on Friday night in Keswick. Ritchie wished he hadn’t taken caffeine-based flu relief before bedtime which meant he rested but slept little. Nonetheless, we stood alone in the quiet darkness outside Moot Hall as planned at 3AM. Before setting off we discovered 2 things: firstly, that Ritchie’s fully charged main head torch wasn’t working and secondly that I’d left my charging cable in the hostel. With 3 remaining headtorches between us and our electronics on low power modes we decided that we could start. So we did.

It was great to be underway. Skiddaw was shrouded in mist but the path was clear and I was soon down to T-shirt and shorts. We’d agreed to take it easy on the ascents and both knew the importance of not going too quickly too soon. It was going to be a very long day. We felt comfortable though and we started to make small advantages into our scheduled peak times with each peak that we passed. Darkness faded quickly and the sun rose as we stood on Blencathra with the Lake District and our long adventure ahead unfolded beneath us. Ritchie knew the full route well but much of it was unknown to me – Hall’s Fell Ridge in the early morning light was an awesome surprise; I loved it.

Through leg 1 and with no customary refuel or transition at Threlkeld, we felt strong and in good spirits heading up Clough Head and onto the wonderful Leg 2 ridge which took us directly south. One of the advantages of a 3AM start and an anticlockwise route was that we would never face directly into the sun during our Round. By the end of the ridge at Dollywaggon Pike we were almost 50 minutes inside our 23hr plan.

We were relying on gels for nutrition and Ritchie set an alarm forcing us to eat one per hour which we complimented with a little other food, but not much: cereal bars, nuts, sweets, and a sandwich. Overall, this worked well but we both had low points. Mine came towards the end of leg 2 and into leg 3. The out and back of Fairfield was demoralizing, the decent down into Dunmail Rise tough and with a full stomach full of food the ascent of Steel Feel was slow and tiring. At this point our advantage over our schedule started to reduce and that continued over the tricky ground of leg 3 including the ascent of Sca Fell via Lord’s Rake and the steep decent into Wasdale thereafter.

We refilled water as we approached Wasdale and looked longingly through the window of the National Trust office at their coffee machine. But it was approaching 6PM and no one was going to make us coffee. By now we had lost the time advantage that we had at the beginning of leg 3. This was demoralizing but there wasn’t much we could do about it except to continue to eat and continue to move forward. The kilometers passed but excruciatingly slowly.

The BG map describes this part of the route, the start of leg 4, very accurately: “there is no easy way out of Wasdale”. The ascent of Yewbarrow was relentless, and the view over the leg 4 peaks, including the massive Kirk Fell and Great Gable behind, was very daunting. The sun was getting lower in the sky, the light more golden and even in our ambivalent states we both appreciated the beauty all around us.

The accents of Kirk Fell and Great Gable were tricky and slow and by the time we reached Kirk Fell summit it was dark, foggy and windy. Navigation became tricky and in a couple of places we opted to stick by fences versus following GPX traces over featureless ground which were hard to stick to. By this point I’d stopped checking the summit times versus the schedule, we were already loosing time, our bodies were only getting more tired and now in the darkness I had little hope of returning to Keswick within 24 hours. But with no support, we had no option but to continue and for several hours I played through in my mind that completing the Round in more than 24 hours would be a sufficient personal accomplishment and I would NEVER attempt BG again. My body was getting broken.

Ritchie’s low point was the descent off Great Gable and then up Dalehead. We were moving slowly. But despite many hours in our legs and the darkness, the route between the Dalehead, Hindscarth and Robinson was relatively simple and at Robinson, the 42nd and final peak, we checked our watches. We had 1hour 42 mins to get to Keswick which was about 13km away including a long final road section. Normally that seems very achievable, but we’d averaged ~14min kms during the preceding hours of the Round until now. Success certainly wasn’t guaranteed but we were both determined to give it a shot.

We descended the Robinson carefully and found ourselves on the level track which becomes the road just before 2AM. We had 1 hour to cover just under 10 km. The road seemed to be filled only with up-hills but we ran side by side filling with confidence that our very loose plan was increasingly likely to be accomplished. Keswick was dark and empty, just as we had left it as we touched the Moot Hall steps at 14:48.

We completed the Round in 23hr 48mins, self-supported and with 5 days preparation. This was one of the hardest challenges that I’ve attempted and I’m proud that we pulled it off.

Thank you for saying yes Ritchie. We did it!

Stats

Distance 66.56 miles

Elevation 27,677 Ft

Time 23:48:52

East Holmes Field parkrun #1 – Sat 2 Aug 2025

Sat 2 Aug 2025

From Jonathan Turner…

A massive well done to Hattie, Paul and Emma O’Looney – and their core team – for making the East Holmes Field parkrun a reality this weekend.

All the hard work to get an Ilkley parkrun up and running was rewarded when 181 people took part in ideal conditions – running or walking their way round four flat laps next to the picturesque River Wharfe.

And thanks to Philip Bland for all the day one photos.

Borrowdale Fell Race – English champs AL – Sat 2 Aug 2025

Sat 2 Aug 2025

From Alison Weston…

The 5th English champs race was Borrowdale – an epic 17-mile 6500-feet from Rosthwaite in Borrowdale making its way to Esk Hause contouring around Glaramara and Allen Crags, then on to Scafell Pike, down the wicked scree to the corridor route then up Great Gable and along to Honister Pass for the final pull up Dalehead before the final descent back to the valley.

The weather was a tad warm but there was a breeze on the tops and no problem this year with visibility.

The race was won by Finlay Wild in 2:49:26 with Ben Rothery 2nd in 2:55:03 and Finlay Grant close on his heels in 2:55:16. Oli Murphy had a great race to finish 11th in 3:15:36 and Jack Gribbin 99th in 04:11:03.

Jane McCarthy had a fabulous race and was 1st FV50 in 04:26:04 followed by Paul Carman in 04:46:44. Alison Weston was just over 5 hours in 5:02:12 (2nd FV60) and Jann Smith 05:30:56 (3rd FV55).

The ladies managed to get a team result of 3rd FV40 and 1st FV50.

Results

Ilkley Harriers AC invites you to the annual Fell Runners Association Presentation Dinner

Fri 1 Aug 2025

Time: 7:00pm til late

Venue: The Craiglands Hotel, Cowpasture Road, Ilkley, LS29 8RQ

Presentations: FRA English Fell Running Championships, Lakeland Classic Awards and British Athletics Fell & Hill Running Championship Awards.

Band: the Dinner and Awards Presentation will be followed by live music from party band Here’s to Us and the hotel has a resident DJ for late night dancing.

Click here to book – Price: £33 per head (individual category winners will receive a complimentary ticket – you will receive an email invitation from SiEntries).

All ticket entries before 30th September will be entered into a Prize Draw (the draw will take place on 1 October) and the winner will get a free double (or twin) room at The Craiglands on the night of the Dinner. **No Ilkley Harrier members will be eligible for the Prize Draw**

Table reservations: To reserve a table for your club or group please email 2025frado@gmail.com

Accommodation: The Craiglands Hotel are offering a 20% discount to anyone attending the event. Contact reservations directly on 01943 430001 to make a booking. Rooms are also available at The Cow & Calf pub, The Black Hat pub, The Wheatley (Ben Rhydding) plus AirBnB options.

Campervans: campervans are permitted at the Cow and Calf carpark (about half a mile from The Craiglands). There is hardstanding along the Moor Road (what3words: usages.acclaim.cosmic) beyond the Cow and Calf pub at the top of Cowpasture Rd and also at Darwin Gardens car park (what3words: clubbing.scrap.engulfing). There is a big car park at The Craiglands hotel but there is no overnight camping allowed please.

Racing: the classic Tour of Pendle takes place on Saturday 15th November for those wanting a longer race before the dinner. Alternatively, the shorter and more local Harriers vs Cyclists Race is also planned for Saturday 15th in Bingley (TBC).