Ilkley Harriers news archive 2022
Annual report ahead of AGM on Tue 27 Sept
Thu 1 Sep 2022
Annual Report of the Committee 2021-2022 Ilkley Harriers AGM 2022
Post COVID the club currently has over 400 members registered, as far as we are aware, the highest number since the club began.
This is in no doubt down to the fact that new members have been welcomed and encouraged by existing Harriers over the last 12 months and importantly the leaders and coaches who generously give up their valuable time each week. Thank you to everyone.
Membership
• We currently (end August) have 315 senior, 27 students and concessions, 94 joint membership, 9 second claim and 2 joint second claim (447).
However it should be noted that this includes quite a few members who are trying us out, including the new ‘Jeffing’ (run / walk) group.
• We have continued our registration to EA – please note the basic affiliation has risen from £15 to £16 (see treasurer’s report).
Racing and the races we host
• Normality resumed on the racing front this year and it was welcomed by all. 2020 seems a long time ago and it’s allowed us to host no fewer than four events:
1/ The Ilkley Moor Fell Race – huge thanks to Steve Weston who bows out after a decade of taking this event from strength to strength (including two renewals in the last 12 months – October last year and March this). He has an excellent successor in Peter Roll and Steve will be Peter’s deputy in 2023 to ensure a seamless transition.
2/ The Ilkley Trail Race – a change this year in that Neil Chapman (and the Harriers) have taken over the running from Lawrence Basham. A huge undertaking, especially in the first year, but it proved to be a very successful event and £1000 will be donated to the orphanage in Uganda as a result.
3/ The HDSRL returned “in person” rather than 2021’s virtual format and we hosted a race for the first time since COVID, again enormous thanks go to Neil Chapman for organising this. There were plenty of challenges getting it going again but he overcame them all and the night was rounded off with nearly 400 runners being fed at the rugby club, appreciated by all.
4/ Great to see the Ilkley Incline open to all again this year, huge thanks to Caroline Howe for organising. Nearly 100 runners took part and two young Ilkley Harriers – Ed Hobbs and Christos Tzelis – came home first and second.
Looking ahead to 2023, one very important addition is a 10k closed-roads race in memory of Harriers legend Pete Shields. We have a route and date (Sun 25th June) planned but there are still plenty of hurdles to get past before we can open it up for entries.
• Thanks to Paul Stephens for co-ordinating the HDSRL races for us and also to Dan McKeown for again looking after the Harriers’ Race League.
As races have got back to normal there have been an incredible array of performances. So much so that even a brief highlights would take up a huge chunk of this report. It’s been fantastic to see all standards prosper – a special mention for Ben Rothery who became Yorkshire Fell Race champion but has also been more than happy to take out a Tuesday night club run whenever asked.
• And on that subject it makes a huge difference the more people who offer to help out. All seven Tuesday evening groups (six from Ilkley, one in Burley) continue to attract good numbers each week and are a welcome part of the running routine. In addition we have Jo-Ann Pattinson’s “Jeffing” group which has been over-subscribed early on, with the additional bonus of hopefully attracting new members.
None of the above would be possible without our run leaders (on Tuesdays and Saturdays) and coaches and we thank them all for their diligence in planning, delivering and attending sessions and thanks to members for using the SignUp system to help everything run smoothly.
We really do need more coaches though so we don’t rely solely on Neil Chapman and Jane Bryant, who between them look after no fewer than four sessions a week between Monday and Thursday. Please do talk to any of us on the committee if you’d like to get involved – the club pays for all leader / coaching courses.
Communication
• We have continued to use different channels alongside the website updates and emails, with regular use of the WhatsApp group (186 now signed up) alongside Facebook.
• And traditional comms via the Gazette news and articles have continued to be a great way to provide greater visibility of club activities. Many thanks to Jean Sullivan and Jill Ezard for looking after this – and also to Petra for keeping the website and Twitter updated in addition to her roles as Membership Secretary and XC captain!
• The club now has partnerships with local businesses such as the Commute Cafe, where Harriers receive a discount, while we’re also forging stronger links with nearby clubs, such as the track share with Saltaire Striders.
Committee and other roles
• We’d like to increase the number of people involved with helping to run the club – it is not an exclusive group so please do get in touch if you can help. It would be great if we could share the roles rather than having a few people doing a lot of the work.
In particular:
1/ Roles on the committee are always open at the AGM – if oversubscribed then we can vote on the applicants. Please let us know if you are interested in coming on board.
2/ Social secretary – we would love someone to step forward and get this off the ground. All ideas are up for debate. Hiring a bus to get to a race / a day trip / monthly member gatherings etc. If you think you can help please do.
3/ Diversity champion – this is a new role but an invaluable one. We are looking for someone to help with any member or potential new members that have a special need – the parameters are wide. It could be helping them join / integrate or just a bit of support generally, to underline that running with the Harriers is for everyone. If you feel you can offer that skill or would like to know a bit more about the role please contact the Committee.
4/ Sustainability champion – again a new role but one we feel strongly about. Someone to look at everything from car sharing at races / training sessions to our impact on our local surroundings and ways that we as a club can help our local community.
5/ The one captain’s role that is currently vacant is XC men, while Petra would like someone to take over XC women.
I look forward to seeing as many of you as possible on Tuesday evening – please do make the effort if you can.
On behalf of the Committee
Jonathan Turner
Chair Ilkley Harriers
Tissington Trail Half Marathon – Sun 25 Sept
Thu 1 Sep 2022
From Adam Gerrish…
This weekend I ventured to Derbyshire to join my parents who were running their first half marathon. It was a nice flat route along the Tissington Trail, an old railway line converted into a traffic-free line for cyclists and walkers. The race is a point-to-point route along the line from Parsley Hay to Ashbourne. There’s a 1% negative gradient overall so it’s definitely a PB course, and it makes a change from those Yorkshire hills!
(1. Nathan Porter, Goyt Valley Striders, 1:14:46)
6. Adam Gerrish 1:25:11
303 Ran
Nice Côte d’Azur 20k – Sun 25 Sept
Thu 1 Sep 2022
From Dick Waddington…
One of a set of the new races by UTMB this has got to be the easiest (2,300ft). A short (by UTMB standards) and beautiful roller coaster route up and down rocky cliffs and narrow stone paths with sea views and a glorious run into Nice through the old town.
(1 Adrien Chouchou, Alès Cévennes Athlétisme, 1:15:52)
214 Dick Waddington 1:58:41
415 Helen Waddington 2:15:24
873 ran
Epilepsy Action Bradford 10k – Sun 18 Sept
Thu 1 Sep 2022
[Thanks to Andrew Bennett for the photo]
From Alison Bennett…
Jack Cummings was a clear winner in the Bradford 10k. He established the lead early on in the race and widened the gap between him and other runners as the race progressed, finishing almost a minute ahead of Bingley’s Joseph Carnelly in second place. This was Jack’s first time winning a road 10k.
The weather was perfect and the event, held on closed roads, was well organized and supported. The out-and-back route with a little undulation provided a course suitable for experienced and novice runners.
1 Jack Cummings 31:29
31 Danny Thompson 36:42
110 Tom Lambe 42:32
168 Alison Bennett 45:01 (1st LV60)
484 Nigel Illingworth 53:57
Cotswold Way Century – Sat/Sun 17/18 Sept
Thu 1 Sep 2022
From Matthew Kennedy…
I signed up for the Cotswold Way Century on the strength of an enthusiastic recommendation from a runner I met earlier this year at the Dales High Way Ultra. He said it was another small, friendly race and, sure enough, only about 50 runners assembled in Chipping Campden on Saturday at noon to attempt the 102 miles & about 14,600 feet of climbing down to Bath (actually 101 miles this year, since we stopped short of Bath Abbey due to the events of the weekend).
Although the headline numbers are very similar to the Dales High Way (which is 90 miles & also about 14,600 feet of climbing), the Cotswold Way has a completely different feel. Instead of crossing wide open moors and making a few big ascents, the Cotswold Way makes a seemingly endless number of small climbs up & down the Cotswold escarpment, as it snakes through fields, woods & parkland to a succession of picturesque villages & viewpoints (not to mention a surprising number of golf courses).
Whether it was all the unfamiliar twists & turns, or something else, I couldn’t quite find my stride on a hot, sunny afternoon, but I still managed to make steady progress until not long after sundown, when I was lucky enough to be caught just before Painswick (roughly 10 hours & 48 miles) by a local runner attempting his first 100-miler. It was a cool, pleasant night anyway, but the hours began to pass more easily as his running clubmates, family & friends came out in force to support him at all the checkpoints, culminating in an enthusiastic 4am welcome to his home village of Wotton-under-Edge (roughly 16 hours & 71 miles).
By then, we had caught a third runner, and he & I ended up taking turns to pace each other for the final 30 miles, through the sunrise and over Lansdown Hill towards the finish in Royal Victoria Park, just before noon on Sunday. While I may not follow in the footsteps of my recommender and return four more times (!), the event definitely lived up to its billing – for which many thanks to the race directors & volunteers – and is certainly worth a look for anyone interested in trying ultras in other parts of the country.
Results
(1 Martin Indge 21h12)
4 Matthew Kennedy 23h43
26 finishers
Three Shires Fell Race – Sat 17 Sept
Thu 1 Sep 2022
From Alison Weston…
A lovely sunny day for this stunning fell race. Starting from Little Langdale the route goes over Wetherlam, Swirl How, Pike O’Blisco and – the sting in the tail – Brown How.
There were about 250 starters in the race with a few timed out at Three Shires stone. The winner was Jack Wright, who shook hands with the legendary runner Joss Naylor who was there to see him finish (particularly special as he is the son of Selwyn Wright the race organiser).
(1 Jack Wright, Ambleside AC, 1:56:33)
50 Simon Bell 2:29:02
166 Alison Weston 3:06:27
239 finished
Beacons to the Blacks 12km – Sat 17 Sept
Thu 1 Sep 2022
From Lucy Williamson…
I competed in the Beacons to the Blacks trail race on Saturday, this race was held alongside some other distances ranging from 12km to a 50-mile ultramarathon. It was a beautiful sunny morning to be running on the technical terrain of the black mountains with amazing views all around.
1 Lucy Williamson 1:18:33
14 finished
WYXC 2022 season entries
Thu 1 Sep 2022
Entries for the 4 race WYXC series are now open on Entry Central. You are asked to pay just 50% of the entry fee, £15 instead of £30, the club will pay the rest. What’s not to like?!
Saturday 8th October 2022 Nunroyd Park
Sunday 30th October 2022 Thornes Park Wakefield
Sunday 13th November 2022 Spenborough Cleckheaton
Sunday 11th December 2022 Oulton Rothwell
1.45pm Senior and junior ladies
2.15pm Senior and junior men
Please enter by clicking on the link above, at the latest by Sunday September 18th. The club will forward the entries to West Yorkshire Athletics
Great North Run – Sun 11 Sept
Thu 1 Sep 2022
From Iain Young…
From Newcastle to South Shields, I finished in 1:26:33, another Half Marathon PB achieved – and positioned 722nd with around 60,000 runners taking part. Helped Muscular Dystrophy UK raise over £30,000 at the event in support for fighting muscle-wasting conditions. I would really like to say a massive thank you to everyone who donated to a good cause and for supporting me. A fantastic atmosphere it was on Sunday, loud cheers from spectators during the course was motivating and hearing helicopters flying over with it being shown on the BBC. Also I was very pleased the GNR still went ahead, fearing they would have called it off due to the very sad passing of Her Majesty the Queen. In a mark of respect there was a one-minute silence followed by the British national anthem before the start.
From Michael Abrams-Cohen…
Some great results at this weekend’s Great North Run – a return to the traditional Tyne to Shields course, after a little break due to the pandemic and a less traditional route last year.
There were some fantastic results to highlight with Steve Bysouth getting a big PB finishing in 1:22:23 and showing his New York Marathon training is paying off, Iain PB’d, Tom Lally enjoyed his run and came through in an impressive 1:51 and a special shoutout to Rachel Barnicoat who finished her first half marathon in 2:21 (having not raced over a 10k before, and when she joined the Harriers two years ago struggled to run more than 1km without stopping, so great achievement). Well done to all who raced.
(1 Jacob Kiplimo 59:33)
389 Steven Bysouth 1:22:23
483 Michael Abrams-Cohen 1:23:47
722 Iain Young 1:26:33
5854 Bess Sturman 1:49:20
6652 Tom Lally 1:51:35
21590 Rachel Barnicoat 2:21:13
26625 Alex Stanley-Hyde 2:32:19
27140 Bernie Gibbons 2:33:28
38219 Caroline Iredale 03:17:03
Vale of York Half Marathon/10k – Sun 11 Sept
Thu 1 Sep 2022
From Sally Armitage…
A fast, flat road race along country roads around Wistow, south of York. This was possibly the flattest race, upwards of 5k, that I’ve ever ran. With only two short, gentle inclines, it’s a true PB course. Fortunately the weather played ball too, with no wind and cooler temperatures than of late, the race had everything needed for fast times! I was over the moon with my run, I managed to get fuelling and hydration correct and I think my 10k the weekend before actually prepared me well for this race. Brilliant to be toeing the start line with three fellow Harriers too, plus Claire, who was running the 10k, supporting our first laps from the sidelines. I’ll be signing up for next year!
Half marathon:
(1 Lewis Gamble-Thompson, New Marske Harriers AC, 01:07:26)
13 Edward Hobbs 1:13:12
52 Danny Thompson 1:21:14
71 Sally Armitage 1:23:29
221 Dick Waddington 1:37:42
707 ran
10k:
(1 Adam Dalton, Cleethorpes and District AC, 33:58)
35 Claire McLoughlin 47:16
100 ran
Meanwood Valley Trail Race – Sat 10 Sept
Thu 1 Sep 2022
From Matt Snow…
David Singleton and Matt Snow travelled to Old Leos Cricket club in Alwoodley for the start of the Meanwood Valley Trail Race.
It was a really well organised race by Valley Striders over a pretty challenging 11.5km undulating course through various woods and parkland on both sides (and under…) the Leeds ring road.
Would recommend next year.
Results:
(1 Benjamin Douglas, Leeds City, 45:29)
59 David Singleton 1:01:57
75 Matt Snow 1:03:38
188 ran
Ilkley Incline – Wed 7 Sept
Thu 1 Sep 2022
[Thanks to Will Worboys for the photo]
From Caroline Howe…
Wednesday evening saw the return of the Ilkley Incline in its full race format, following Harriers-only events in 2020 and 2021 during the pandemic. It was the 20th anniversary of the inaugural race, which was introduced by Andy Wolfenden in 2002, so it was fantastic to see a great turnout – around half the field of 80 was made up of Ilkley Harriers, with the other half from local clubs and unattached runners.
True to the forecast, rain began to fall heavily at around 6pm… just as runners were queuing to register, resulting in a clamour to get into the registration tent, as our fabulous volunteer team of Dawn Turner, Jean Sullivan and Sally Malir processed entrants quickly and efficiently!
The race started at 7pm with the rain still falling, and our marshal team of Tracy Watson, Bernie Gibbons, Sally Armitage, Martin Stubbs and Mark Judkowski saw people safely up the route to the finish where a soggy timing team of Neil Chapman, Andy Merrick, Nick Kealey and Danny Thompson were waiting to count the runners home, with sweeper Hilda ensuring everyone made it safely to the top.
The race was won by Edward Hobbs, in what I believe was his first race as a Harrier… Ed finished in a speedy 7 minutes 40 seconds, with fellow youngster Christos Tzelis in second place (after being knocked off his bike a couple of days earlier). Great to see a Harriers 1-2!
The first female home was unattached runner Sarah Gibbs, followed by Valley Strider Samantha Harris, and Beth Rogers of Ilkley in third – another young Harrier.
Thanks go to our sponsors Yorkshire Runner and Saltaire Brewery who provided a fantastic array of prizes for the main winners and the age category winners.
And of course, a huge thanks to the aforementioned volunteers, with whom the race could not have gone ahead without, and also to all those who stayed to help pack up at the end!
Harriers AGM – Tue 27 Sept
Thu 1 Sep 2022
All members should have received an email this evening notifying you of the 2022 AGM in just over three weeks.
Attached to it is a draft agenda and minutes from last year – we’d like as many as possible to attend so please do make a note in your diaries and help us continue to take the club forward.
Many thanks, Jonathan and the committee.
Wrexham Half Marathon – Sun 4 Sept
Thu 1 Sep 2022
From Hilda Coulsey…
I was double booked with this race and the Wetherby 10k, however I chose this as I felt I needed a longer race prior to an October marathon plus I’d joined Helen’s Saturday morning effort session (always helpful and enjoyable).
I had little expectation of a decent result – completion was my goal and under two hours a target! A long journey over to north Wales, parking in an industrial estate out of town – however with a flat closed-road route, good times were indeed promised. It was hot and humid and fairly relentless but nevertheless this is a good, friendly club race.
Most surprisingly I did indeed meet all my targets including topping my age group and hence, as this race was an England masters qualifier, I’ll be looking forward to wearing an England vest in the Chester half marathon next year.
(1 Gavin Tomlinson, Chorlton Runners, 1:08:01)
458 Hilda Coulsey 1:55:50 (1st FV65)
Wetherby 10k – Sun 4 Sept
Thu 1 Sep 2022
From Sally Armitage…
Another year, another cracking race. A ‘flattish’ multi-terrain road race. A strange description, there’s an almost 2km section on a rough farm track around the edge of a field, the rest is road/well made footpaths. ‘Flattish’ because it doesn’t feel flat! You’re always on a slight incline or a slight downhill, bar the field section, that does feel flat.
Normally a hot race I was grateful for the cloud cover this year, I think the only time the sun came out the whole day was when the start gun sounded! Typical. However it didn’t last long before the clouds came over again.
There was a small Ilkley contingent, four of us plus Justin P as chef d’equipe and photographer, including the pic above. This was my 5th time running this race and I’m finally learning the course, always helps to know what to expect. I was pleased with my run, I felt strong and paced it just right throughout leading to a 3rd place finish again, although this year I had to run much faster to get it!!
(1 Scott Hinchcliffe, Barnsley AC, 32:39)
19th Sally Armitage 38:35
39th Tony Pye 41:37
56th Ruth Kitchen 43:35
65th Mike Williams 44:26
British/Irish U20 Mountain Running Champs – Sat 3 Sept
Thu 1 Sep 2022
From Pauline Munro…
Emily Gibbins was third, getting the bronze medal, at the British and Irish Junior Mountain Running champs in the under 20 category and the England under 20s team won.
This followed hot on the heels of her 36:32 in the York 10km – her first road 10km.
And she was the first woman (and sixth overall) at the Hebden sports fell race on Bank Holiday Monday.
Grisedale horseshoe – Sat 3 Sept
Thu 1 Sep 2022
From Alison Weston…
Kelly and I took part in the Grisedale horseshoe on Saturday. 11 miles and almost 5,000ft climbing – Catsye Cam, Helvellyn via Swirral edge, St Sunday Crag and then the steepest climb up Grisedale Brow and back to Glenridding.
Hard climbs and tough descents but fabulous views and lots of food at the end!
(1 Tom Simpson, Ambleside AC, 1:55:57)
93 Alison Weston 3:01:45 (4th FV50)
123 Kelly Wilby 3:29:34 (5th FV40)