Ilkley Harriers news archive 2024
Ilkley Gazette Report – w/c 23 Sep
Mon 23 Sep 2024
From Jill Ezard…
Podium and age category success for Harriers across the UK
It was a busy weekend for the Harriers with some outstanding performances on the trails. Saturday saw Jann Smith take on the challenging Ras Pedol Peris (Snowdon Horseshoe) in impressive style. It’s a challenging classic fell race requiring navigational skills and technical capability to tackle the nine peaks and the treacherous Y LLiwedd exposed ridge to the Snowdon summit. At 18 miles with 8500ft of climb the race would be challenging enough but add in poor visibility for most of the race, her time of 5:52 was outstanding. As the race was also the long race counter for the UK Athletics Fell and Hill Running Championships, Jann also bagged the bronze medal for her age category. Fantastic result!
Meanwhile, safely on home turf, 14 Harriers turned out for the 13km Rombalds Romp. Starting and finishing on Keighley Road, the race takes participants out past the Swastika Stone and up through the challenging terrain of the plantation, coming back over the moor before heading back down to the start. There were some cracking results: Michael Odell was the first Harrier home taking second place overall and first in his age category, completing the race in 55:27; Dan McKeown was next up in 1:02 followed closely by Dave Robson in 1:03:58 taking first place in his age category; Adrian Hall finished in 1:07:30 taking third place in his age category; the first female Harrier over the line was Natalie Curtis, taking first place in her age category in 1:24:57, followed seconds behind by Alison Bennett in 1:25:24, also taking first place in her age category; and Paul Stephens, completing the race in 1:28:26 was also another third place age category winner. A great clutch of results for the red and greens!
Meanwhile, looking for a change of scenery, Melanie Edwards headed to the capital to take part in the Vitality London 10k. Starting on the Mall, the route takes in Nelson’s column, St Paul’s Cathedral, and the Houses of Parliament before ending in front of Buckingham Palace. Melanie had a great run, completing the event in 1:03:51.
Sunday was back to Yorkshire with the multi-terrain Kirkstall Abbey 7, a mostly flat course starting and finishing within the spectacular grounds of Kirkstall Abbey. The route takes in riverside paths and the canal towpath as well as road and the grounds of the Abbey. Two Harriers, David Singleton and Matthew Snow, perhaps attracted by the bottle of beer for every finisher, put in great performances both finishing in the top five of their age categories in 51:34 and 53:57 respectively.
Despite being seen by some Harrier purists as cheating, using as it does two wheels and water to cover some of the ground, kudos must be given to the fantastic performances by lots of Harriers at the Ilkley Triathlon on Sunday with Christos Tzelis taking the outright win in a mind-blowing 54:25, over four minutes ahead of the second finisher! Alex Foyn came fifth, taking second place in his age category with Tim Ashelford also first in his age category. A great turnout!
And finally it was a small but very determined set of parkrunners that turned out on Saturday morning for events at home and abroad. Celebrating Personal Bests were Jonathan Sinclair at the Woodhouse Moor event and Matthew Thackwray at Fountains Abbey who was the first finisher in a blink-and-you-miss-it time of 15:41. Hitting some impressive age gradings were Mark Hall at Lister Park with 86.62% and Sally Armitage at Selby with 84.98% and finishing second female. Rob Cunningham had a great run out at Bedgebury Pinetum being the third finisher and Hilda Coulsey, still on the other side of the world, was the eighth female finisher at the Hamilton Island event. Some fantastic achievements to celebrate. Well done to all that took part.
Ilkley Triathlon – Sun 22 Sep
Sun 22 Sep 2024
From Neil Chapman…
A few Harriers took part in the Ilkley Tri over the weekend with a great result for Christos Tzelis winning the race overall in a total time of 54:25, four and a half minutes ahead of the second place finisher. A short but tough race made more difficult for most of the Harriers who went off later in very wet conditions with a significant wind to contend with. This meant extra care down Curley Hill due to the slippery conditions, affecting some of the race times a little.
Other great podium results for Alex Foyn finishing 5th overall (2nd male over 20) and Tim Ashelford 11th overall (1st male over 60).
A nice touch, it was great to see local celebrity Jonny Brownlee out supporting one of his local races and presenting the prizes.
Well done to all who took part.
Rombalds Romp – Sat 21 Sep
Sat 21 Sep 2024
From Paul Stephens…
Perfect conditions. Cool, dry, a bit of a breeze, soft underfoot, but a hard race. I’d forgotten how hard 8 miles and 1000ft of climbing is. (no comments from ultra runners please).
I ran the inaugural Rombalds Romp in 2009. Back then it was a 7m trail race covering some of the same route as the current race (8m). That year I came in in front of one Ron Hill. He was in a different age category, but so what…. In 2009 I was 7th Harrier home out of 13. Fast forward 15 years, and I was 14th Harrier home out of 14.
In 2011 it became 2 races in 1 – a trail race and a fell race, and for the next 3 years I opted for the fell race. Nobody from the Harriers who ran this year took part in those early races, until 2013 when John Hayes came in 4.5 minutes in front of me. This year he was 18 minutes in front. Hey ho.
It was a last minute decision to compete this year. A choice between Helen Waddington’s 5k efforts (which are definitely helpful) and a gentle race over the moor! But I didn’t regret it. It’s an interesting and varied course, well marked and marshalled. I kept pace with category winners Alison Bennett and Natalie Curtis until about half way, but lost it on the road back up to the top of Keighley Gate. Dave Robson came first in his age category and Michael Odell was second overall and first in his age category. Excellent club results.
Thanks to the support from Jacqui Weston on the way round, and the organisation from the North Leeds Fell Runners Club.
Snowdon Horseshoe – Sat 21 Sep
Sat 21 Sep 2024
From Jann Smith…
18 miles / 8500ft. This race played host to the British long distance Fell and Hill running Championships for 2024. This is a serious fell race and takes in steep and rocky terrain, it involves visiting 9 peaks and scrambling along the Y LLiwedd exposed ridge to Snowdon summit. The clag was down for most of the race so it was navigationally challenging with tight time-out limits at certain checkpoints. I managed to get round in one piece and was really pleased bag the British bronze medal for my age group finishing in 5hr 52mins.
Great Whernside Fell Race – Sat 21 Sep
Sat 21 Sep 2024
From Geoff Howard…
4 miles, 1,558ft
Saturday was a great day to emulate the Grand Old Duke of York, albeit with a breeze in the face on the way up, as did five Harriers. Two miles of mainly very steep ascent; runnable before Hag Dyke but mixed stone and bog thereafter followed by what felt like a precipitous descent. As usual, just pleased to end up with bones still in the right places.
Sam Bentham 1st in 33m , Oscar Shinn 8th in 36m 53, Iain Gibbons 19th (1st v50) in 42m 20s, George Whittleston 47th in 51m 8s and Geoff Howard 56th in 52m 55s (1st v70 & v80). 80 ran
Ilkley Gazette Report – w/c 16 Sep
Mon 16 Sep 2024
From Will Worboys…
Ilkley runner competes in world championship down under
Harriers stalwart and multiple club record holder, Hilda Coulsey, defied the odds to run at the World age group championship which was incorporated into the Sydney Marathon, Australia last weekend. Athletes can only take part in the championship if they have succeeded in making the qualifying time for their age group, which Hilda being in the 70-74 group, comfortably made by over 12 minutes at last year’s London Marathon.
Unfortunately, it looked like Hilda would not make the start line when she tore a calf muscle seven weeks ago and has been unable to train since; making the fact that she managed to run and complete the 26.2 mile race at all an incredible feat. Hilda decided to run/walk the event for as long as possible and hope for the best. A plan which clearly paid off, as she finished the big city marathon which passed landmarks such as the harbour bridge and the opera house in a time of 5hr 41. Hilda has already stated that she plans to use the event as the first long training run for her next marathon!
Back in the northern hemisphere, young Harrier Sam Bentham put in an incredible performance while running for England to win the Under 20 Home International Mountain race in to become the British and Irish champion. The race took place at Glendalough in Ireland and comprised of a 6KM run up Brokagh mountain including almost 1,000 feet of ascent. The win cements Bentham’s position as one of the clubs brightest young talents.
On this side of the Irish sea, the prolific Alison Weston followed up her run last weekend at the Stockholm half marathon by this weekend finishing 3rd in her category of W50 at the ‘Three Shires Fell Race’ in the Lakes. This despite accidentally adding some extra distance to the eleven-mile route because of thick mist on the tops. The race which takes its name from the Three Shires Inn in Little Langdale where it starts and finishes, traverses several peaks including Wetherlam, Swirl How and Pike of Blisco and endures over 4,000 feet of ascent in the process. Clubmate Paul Carman also completed the race, finishing in 74th place overall and a time of 2hr 48.
Another Ilkley runner Forrest Hamilton has been extra busy and managed two races this weekend with excellent results in each. On Friday evening the Harrier managed a brilliant PB of 17.10 at the York Evensplits 5K race. Then on Sunday morning he came 9th overall at the undulating Pudsey 10K in another speedy time of 39.49.
There was an additional PB at the York 5K for Harrier Harry Sime who managed 19.45 and just seems to keep improving at his specialist distance. Robert Hamilton also had a great run to finish 1st V65 in a time of 22.02.
Back at Pudsey, Ilkley’s Rachel Streets put in a superb run to finish as 4th female overall in a time of 51 minutes dead. Not a straightforward road 10K, with some tricky climbs and over 700 feet of uphill, Pudsey’s 9am start only attracted one other Harrier, Nigel Illingworth, who had an excellent run to knock 2 minutes off his course best and finish in a time of 58.16 coming 10th in his age category.
Also on Sunday was the Wetherby 10K which attracted several Harriers who found themselves running in heavy downpours, which created some muddy areas on the mixed terrain course. Tony Pye was the first Ilkley runner home with a strong time of 41.58 and finishing 8th in his category. Mark Gill was a minute further back and came 3rd in his age category. Sally Armitage, Nicole Liptrot and Geoff Howard also snuck under the 50 minute mark at the event; while there were other good runs from Matt Henderson Aleksandra Atman and Jo Henderson.
Meanwhile at the National Cross Country championships Rachel Carter was Ilkley’s only finisher coming home in 71st position out of 266 finishers overall. The event which had been rearranged due to a torrential downpour was set in the grounds of Weston Park near Telford. It took part on an undulating course and was mud free and dry this time!
At the weekly 5K parkrun events there were two Harriers finishing first. James Horrex in a time of 20.17 at the tough Cliffe Castle event and Alex Foyn at Hermanus in South Africa in a time of 19.56, where Natalie Gravett-Foyn was also 2nd female.
Other excellent performances were had by Stephen and Nathan Coy, finishing 4th and 7th respectively at Hastings. Adam Gerrish was 5th at Roberts Park, where John Hayes followed him in 8th and Sarah Hayes was 14th female.
Finally, at Osterley, Melanie Edwards completed her landmark 50th parkrun in a time of 34.33.
TCS Sydney Marathon – Sun 15 Sep
Sun 15 Sep 2024
From Hilda Coulsey…
A super route starting by running over the Harbour bridge to finishing in front of the Opera House via the various Harbours, quays and wharfs, historic and new parts of the city and various cricket, rugby league and NFL stadia.
Sydney hopes to be recognised and included as the seventh Abbott World Marathon Major and this, hosting the world marathon championship alongside its usual race, was the last real test/ trial. There is no doubt about having an inspirational and fun city to draw masses of runners to, and hence sponsors I suppose, the course though whilst scenic has lots of ups and downs and turns hence it will never post fastest times.
I was invited to participate in the world championships, qualifying in London last year with 4:23. There were about 100 F70s qualified across the world however less than 40 ran. I understand that around 1800 runners who qualified across the age bands actually took up their places. Their times are awesome. My decision thought process was it’s a long way on the negative side and why not on the positive – it’s a great city, a privilege to qualify and surely it’ll be a wonderful experience! A harbour cruise at sunset on Friday and a party in the evening after the race were included and various bits of extra stash.
My preparation took a knock though at the part in the training cycle where runs beyond 13,15 miles appear. I tore my calf (going up stairs!) 7 weeks prior to the start. Whilst I continued to cycle and walk (but not steep hills or any activity which might stretch it), running 30 mins on a treadmill before boredom set in and a few 25 mins jog intervals were the extent of my specific training. Also whilst the tear appeared to have healed my calf and ankle were still swollen and of course I was looking forward (not) to sitting in airplanes for a very long time.
I therefore had the cut off time to beat to get the attendance tick and the medal. I planned run/ walk Jeffing and hoped the leg would behave. Reading Matthew Kennedy’s recent L2L canal race where he ran for 25 mins and walked for 5 enabling food and other admin in relative calm I aimed to follow suit. Of course this worked more or less for the half distance and probably anything would, it was the second half where the lack of training would lead into the unknown. It was particularly hard, the course undulations didn’t help, run times shortened but walking times did too.
The day temperature was ideal for running. Start time is 6am, sunrise, and was very cold for waiting. Rain was forecast but didn’t arrive however there was a bitterly cold, blustery, strong wind whipping across exposed headlands and road junctions. Public transport in the city was efficient and free for runners.
The calf held, quads seemed to suffer more and I made it, I presume on reasonable general fitness. The lesson is that incorporating long runs in training is important to achieve the times you are capable of and to significantly improve the race experience! I suppose my next challenge is to use this as my first long run in training for my next marathon!
I’d definitely recommend the Sydney marathon, it was a super experience and well managed, combined with a holiday which I can now relax into.
1. 2:06:19 Brimin Kipkorire Misoi, Kenya
1F 2:21:41 Workenesh Edesi Gurmisa, Ethiopia
1 F70 3:43:57 Grace Wasielewski, USA
5:41:32 Hilda Coulsey
National XC Championships Telford – Sat 14 Sep
Sat 14 Sep 2024
From Rachel Carter…
The rearranged National Cross country races took place on Saturday near Telford (2 1/2h drive away!) . The course was set in the grounds of Weston Park, a country house with rolling parkland – a perfect cross country setting shown in all it’s glory on a warm September day. Organisation was spot on – pre-booked parking, only a couple of 100 metres from the club tents, stalls and toilets, with the course start just beyond. The testing undulating course was dry (mud free!) and grassy but quite rutted in places. I was the only Ilkley Harrier finisher with Archie Budding suffering with hamstring cramp part way through his race and 2 other new to the senior club from juniors entered but not starting due to illness. I finished 71st of 266 senior women over a 5 mile 2 lap course. Results Results – Nationals ’24 | English Cross Country Association.
Any club runner can take part and these events have a great vibe of a long-standing sport. Next year’s Nationals are on Feb 22nd at Parliament Hill, Hampstead Heath with the London Skyline as the back-drop and an expected 8000 athletes taking part – so definitely one for the diary! In the meantime look out for information about the West Yorkshire and Peco Cross country leagues to get some practice in!
Three Shires Fell Race – Sat 14 Sep
Sat 14 Sep 2024
From Alison Weston…
The Three Shires Fell race is one of the long classic lakeland races – 12.5 miles with about 4000ft climbing starting from Little Langdale and including Wetherlam, Swirl How, Pike of Blisco and Lingmoor.
My luck ran out on the Three Shires race this weekend though – I have done it lots of times before and it has always been good weather but this year it was very wet, windy and misty (until near the end) and lots of runners, including myself, did a bit of wandering off route at the top of Wetherlam. I ended up visiting the summit twice and adding in some extra unwelcome climbing!
161 runners finished with 25 retiring or being timed out at Three Shires stone.
The winner, Finley Grant did not appear to have any navigational problems though and finished in a brilliant time of 1hr 55.
Paul Carman had a good race to finish in 74th position in 2 hrs 48 and I finished in 104th in 3hr 23 (3rd LV50).
A lovely race and highly recommended, with a really nice pub at the end!
Ilkley Gazette Report – w/c 9 Sep
Mon 9 Sep 2024
From Jean Sullivan…
Photo credit Dave Woodhead.
A win at the Ilkley Incline for Ilkley Harriers!
Wednesday evening saw the staging of the 22nd Ilkley Incline race. This unique one-mile uphill only race, with 560ft of ascent, starts at the bottom of the Keighley Gate Road in Ilkley. The route starts on tarmac road, before runners have a stony track to contend with.
Conditions on the night were mild, but very damp. Over 100 runners turned up to battle it out on this tough course, with 30 of those racing being Ilkley Harriers.
A huge well done to Ilkley Harrier Christos Tzelis who stormed to the finish to win the race outright. Not only did Christos win, he also managed to set a new course record, completing the course in an impressive 6:52, beating the previous record by 9 seconds.
Sam Bentham was the second Harrier home in a great time of 7:23, with clubmate Tom Adams hot on his heels, finishing in 7:26, both taking first place in their respective age categories.
Great results for Ilkley ladies too. Matilda Irvine was the first over the line, completing the course in a great time of 10:51, which meant she also took first prize in her age category. Emma Moore was the next home, her speedy time of 12:20 meaning that she also received an age category prize. Rumana Chowdhury was the third Ilkley lady to finish, her sub-thirteen-minute finishing time meaning she took third place in her age category.
There were lots of other age category prizes for Ilkley Harriers too, including for; Gawain Moore, Jeff Green, Ian Davis and Bob Hamilton.
This year’s event was made extra special by the race founder Andy Wolfenden presenting the prizes to the winners. Runners also enjoyed a special Ilkley Incline biscuit, cleverly designed by Jen Roberts, displaying the Ilkley Incline race profile. Thanks to Jen, Alison Weston and Jann Smith for their baking efforts!
Huge thanks to all those who kindly gave up their time to volunteer at the race, as well as to the Yorkshire Runner in Otley and Saltaire Brewery who generously sponsored the event.
Further afield in Newcastle, the iconic AJ Bell Great North Run took place, the biggest half marathon in the world, with 60,000 participants running the 13.1mile route form Newcastle to South Shields. The race attracted eight Harriers with great results all round. Matthew Thackwray led the Harriers home to finish in an incredible 49th position overall, in a speedy time of 1:10:09. Joanne Williamson was the second Harrier home, also with a sub-two-hour finish, Joanne completing the course in a very impressive time of 1:47:20, with Lucy Lowe the third Harrier home in 2:00:23. Victoria Coppack, Charlotte Smithson, Alex Stanley-Hyde, Peter Evans and Luke Watkeys also had great runs at this event.
Closer to home another popular half marathon was taking place in Yorkshire; The Yorkshireman, offering half marathon and marathon distance options. Organised by Keighley & Craven Athletics club, this popular sell-out event, now in its 31st year, sees runners deal with challenging terrain as well as ascents, the marathon involving 3065ft of ascent and the half-marathon (which is actually 14.7 miles) having 1750ft of ascent. The races start in Haworth and go into the hilly terrain in the surrounding area. The course showcases the natural beauty of the area, with runners rewarded by scenic vistas throughout the race, when the weather allowed!
Harrier Kate Archer had a great run and was the third lady to finish in the marathon distance. Kate crossed the line in a superb time of 4:22:31. Success also for Martin Hartley, improving his time on the course from last year by 25 minutes, with Martin completing the race in 4:10:30. Charles Wain was the third Harrier over the line, in another impressive time of 4:49:33. Colm McCann opted for the half marathon option and had a great run, finishing in a time of 2:41:22.
In the other extreme of distance, Harrier Ritchie Williamson completed the 2024 Montane Dragon’s Back Race. This legendary 380km 6-day event, with 16,400m of ascent, sees runners follow the mountainous spine of Wales from Conwy Castle in the north to Cardiff in the south. This race is considered to be one of the toughest mountain races in the world. Ritchie, with true grit, completed the race in 75:58:53, with Ritchie finishing highly placed in the field of athetes.
Petra Bijsterveld also continued her love of ultra running by taking part in the SwissPeaks 100. This 100 km race with 6230m of ascent starts at Finhaut, high in the mountains of the Vallée du Trient and finishes at Le Bouveret on the shores of Lake Geneva. The course has a lot of technical terrain to contend with, made more difficult by recent heavy rainfall leaving the tracks muddy and slippery, Petra had a great run, taking first prize in her age category, with Petra completing the course in 33:30, an incredible achievement.
Continuing the theme of overseas runs, Harrier Alison Weston, took part in the Stockholm half marathon, which unlike most races of this distance which start in the morning, this race started well into the afternoon. The race starts and finishes at the Royal Palace, with the race tracking through different districts of the city. Alison had a great run, completing the course in a time of 2:01:24.
Always popular, there was a great turnout of Harriers at this week’s 5km parkrun events. Rachel Carter was not only the first lady to finish at the Robert’s Park parkrun, but it was also a PB for her on this course, running it in a speedy time of 20:29. Andrew Overend completed his 25th parkrun by running at the same event. A top ten finishing place for Paul Carman who finished in fourth place at the Pendle parkrun, with Jann Smith being the second lady to cross the line at the same event. A fourth-place finish also for Patrick Wardle at the Conwy parkrun, with Mark Hall continuing his fine form to finish in fifth place at the Barnsley parkrun.
Yorkshireman – Sun 8 Sep
Sun 8 Sep 2024
From Kate Archer…
A few Harriers ran the Yorkshireman off-road marathon or half marathon (which is actually 14.7 miles) this weekend. A challenging course, but great fun and well organised with well-stocked checkpoints and pizza at the finish. Conditions were wet this year, but a good temperature for running. In the marathon event, Martin improved his time from last year by 25 minutes and I finished third female.
Marathon
(1. Julian Hood 3:27:30 Skipton AC)
17. Martin Hartley 4:10:30
27. Kate Archer 4:22:31
65. Charles Wain 4:49:33
Half
(1. Ashley Wright 1:43:05 Todmorden Harriers)
101. Colm McCann 2:41:22
SwissPeaks 100 – 6/7 Sep
Sat 7 Sep 2024
From Petra Bijsterveld…
On Friday I took part in the SwissPeaks 100. This is a 100 km race with 6230m of ascent and a quad bursting 7093m of descent, the discrepancy is due to the event being a point to point race from Finhaut, high up in the mountains of the Vallée du Trient, to Le Bouveret on the shores of Lake Geneva. Almost identical with regards to distance and elevation to the CCC (by UTMB) which I ran last September without too many difficulties, so surely this wouldn’t be much harder? And hopefully quieter with considerably fewer runners. Well, it was definitely quieter, which I really appreciated, but it was a lot harder as the terrain proved much more technical in many places than on the CCC. I had sort of been told this by a couple of people, but only half believed it or shrugged it off. Now I know! Interestingly I just read a post by Kim Collison, who won the SwissPeaks 360 this week, and he says exactly the same thing. Though he would have had more than adequate skills to deal with it. I don’t know what was worse: various rocky descents where you needed three points of contact at all times (or at least I did, and sometimes had to add my backside in as a fourth) and where often fixed chains or ropes were supplied, or what I came to call ‘narrow woodland path hell’ in my head, endless stretches of small paths over rocks and tree roots (much narrower paths than in the Chamonix valley) and after the torrential rain of the previous day these were often now muddy and slippery to boot. With a big drop off to the side more often than not. Nothing a true trail runner cannot cope with, but I found it very challenging, particularly as time went on and the legs were no longer really functioning.
We were incredibly lucky with the weather, on the Thursday there had been torrential and unceasing rain, and now (Sunday) it is wet and miserable again. But Friday and Saturday were sunny, warm but not unbearably so, and we had a clear and starry night. Not a drop of rain. One result of the previous rain was that the race route was diverted to avoid a particular col where I believe there had been a landslide. This added about 15 km (you could call it value for money). Kudos to the organisers for reflagging this entirely new section, I presume overnight, and reorganizing a check point elsewhere. It did cause some confusion, a few runners seemed aware of the diversion but I must have missed this bit of info somehow. In these well marked continental races the flags always take priority over your gpx so we just followed the flags. It did mean my projected timings were out, added to which I was moving more slowly than I had hoped, so my support was waiting much longer for me than expected. I had based my timings roughly on the CCC, well that proved to be a sizeable mistake for sure! And what a brilliant support I had: Andrew Merrick, recovered from having run the CCC last Friday, together with my Châtel based friend Nick Taylor made a fantastic team, despite never having met before, and looked after me so well. From Nick taking me down the mountain from Châtel at 5 am to catch the train(s) to the start at Finhaut, to both meeting me at the (over) halfway point at Morgins at 02:30 am, to Andrew meeting me at the remote checkpoint at Châlet de Blancsex (which required leaving the van at the road head and a long walk uphill) where I arrived around 9 am, to both being at the finish and looking after me. Whilst Nick supplied me with beer I asked Andrew if he could find out where I had come in my ‘Master 3 Femmes’ category (women over 60), as I knew there were 3 entrants in it, and the tracker was completely unclear as to the outcome. I had also read that prizes could only be claimed at the event and would not be posted out, so it seemed wise to at least check. Andrew did a thorough job and eventually tracked down the RD who came down very apologetically with my prize: a litre (!) bottle of beer, a t-shirt, and amazingly, a pair of Raidlight carbon running poles. These retail at €120, so well worth having, on top of the joy of being the category winner (as well as the oldest woman in the race!). The other two women in the category had sadly, for them, DNF’d, though both of them had been ahead of me. Well, slow and steady wins the race on this occasion. I should add that in overall terms I was right at the back, 255th out of 260 finishers and the last woman to finish. There were however 128 DNFs (32%). It had taken me 33 hours and 30 minutes, the winner Ian Dargaud did it in 15:18. The female winner was Pirjo Saukku, a member of the Finnish Salomon team, who ran an amazing 16 hours and came 4th overall, more than 3 hours ahead of the next woman. I was surprised to see this as I recognized her as the woman who I had set next to on the train, and also on a bench later as we were waiting for the race start. We had a halting conversation via Google Translate about the drop bag logistics, and she was so quiet and totally unassuming. I had no idea she was quite a star runner. Talk about stars, I saw Courtney Dauwalter who was running the 70k race (won, and came second overall) as she flew in and out of the last checkpoint. There were huge cheers from everyone as she grabbed some water and sped on to the finish.
I will write a blog post about this race in due course as there is just so much I would like to say and describe. It is a truly beautiful course and the landscape is stunning especially in the sunshine we were lucky to have. Amongst the highlights I would list: I found the area around the Lac de Salanfe the most beautiful and the climb away from it over de Col de Susanfe (see photo), the highest point on the course at 2494m, was awe-inspiring (as well as very tough!) The mountains here are bare and stark, there are no trees, even though it is relatively not that high. I was reminded of the Dolomites though I have never been there. I had various fleeting but nice chats with runners I kept meeting, great to meet people from so many countries and swap languages about. The volunteers at the checkpoints were all incredibly helpful and friendly, there was lots of food and drink on offer. Top experience food-wise were Nutella pancakes at about 5 am or so. I loved the night running, as I invariably do. The peace and quiet, the stars high above me, animals asleep or dozing. Suddenly spotting the first glimpse of orange light appearing above the mountains and a new day breaking, that always feels so special when you have been running all night. Then all the cow bells start up again gradually as everything comes to life again. The top highlight has to be getting to the finish: reaching the shore of Lake Geneva, boats bobbing about (there is a marina), children jumping into the water to swim, even before you enter the race event village you run past some lake side cafes where people sit outside enjoying the sunshine, everybody cheering me on even though I am running like snail and my form has totally gone, entering the event village, more cheers, and finally seeing the finishing arch and Nick and Andrew there. It felt so good!
Amongst the lows were the technical parts when they felt beyond my skill set. The marathon taking place at the same time as the late stages of the 100k (and other long races) so towards the end of my race I spent all my time looking behind me to let fast runners on fresh legs go past, this became very tedious to say the least. Also, thinking I had reached the Blancsex checkpoint early in the morning (where I would meet Andrew) after a fairly endless slog already, and being told this was a private house and the checkpoint was ‘in the next valley, behind that mountain just there’. I suffered a temporary sense of humour failure at that point. Another runner taking my poles accidentally (despite being labelled with my name and Dutch flag stickers!) at the Barme checkpoint, not a good moment either. In truth I briefly despaired about the rest of my race, but the volunteers found one spare pole to give which was at least something. Thankfully the first runner I came across on my next ascent had them, he was sitting next to the track having a rest, so I wrestled them off him! No, he had his own in his quiver but didn’t realize it, and had picked up mine in addition by mistake. I had met him earlier and knew he wasn’t feeling well, after the race I was delighted to see he finished too, 35 hours and the last runner to come in.
Would I do this race again? No, too hard for me, even though I managed to get it done. Am I glad I did it, Yes, delighted. Would I recommend SwissPeaks to other runners? Definitely! They offer distances from a half-marathon all the way to 660 (yes really) km.
Stockholm Half Marathon – Sat 7 Sep
Sat 7 Sep 2024
From Alison Weston…
A nice course in a truly beautiful city, with streets of colourful buildings and by the Baltic sea. Very hot and sunny too! (Bit too hot for me!)
Another Harrier spotted by my daughter in the race but I don’t know who?!
My time 2:01:24
The Ilkley Incline – Wed 4 Sep
Wed 4 Sep 2024
[The founder of the Ilkley Incline race, Andy Wolfenden, presenting Christos Tzelis with his prize after his win and breaking of the race record, photo courtesy of Alex Hyde]
From Jean Sullivan…
Wednesday evening saw the staging of the 22nd Ilkley Incline race. This unique one-mile uphill only race, with 560ft of ascent, starts at the bottom of the Keighley Gate Road in Ilkley. The route begins on tarmac road, before runners have a stony track to contend with.
Conditions on the night were mild, but very damp. Over 100 runners turned up to battle it out on this tough course, with 30 of those racing being Ilkley Harriers.
A huge well done to Harrier Christos Tzelis who stormed to the finish to win the race outright. Not only did Christos win, he also managed to set a new course record, completing the course in an impressive 6:52, beating the previous best by nine seconds.
Sam Bentham was the next Harrier home in third in a great time of 7:23, with clubmate Tom Adams hot on his heels in fourth, finishing in 7:26, both taking first place in their respective age categories.
Great results for Ilkley ladies too. Matilda Irvine was the first Ilkley lady over the line, completing the course in a great time of 10:51, which meant she also took first prize in her age category. Emma Moore was the next home, her speedy time of 12:20 meaning that she also received an age category prize. Rumana Chowdhury was the third Ilkley lady to finish, her sub-13-minute finishing time meaning she took third place in her age category.
There were lots of other age category prizes for Ilkley Harriers too, including for; Gawain Moore, Jeff Green, Ian Davis and Bob Hamilton, all of whom finished first in their respective categories.
This year’s event was made extra special by the race founder Andy Wolfenden presenting the prizes to the winners, along with some interesting information on the early years of this race.
Runners also enjoyed a special Ilkley Incline biscuit, cleverly designed by Jen Roberts, displaying the Ilkley Incline race profile. Thanks to Jen, Alison Weston and Jann Smith for their baking efforts!
And huge thanks to all those who kindly gave up their time to volunteer at the race, as well as to Yorkshire Runner in Otley and Saltaire Brewery who generously sponsored the event.
Ilkley Gazette Report – w/c 2 Sep
Mon 2 Sep 2024
From Jill Ezard…
Photo credit: Nuno César de Sá
Success for Harriers at home and abroad
It was a week of steep ascents, technical ascents, all out sprints and batons this week for the Harriers with some impressive performances at home and abroad. Tuesday saw two Harriers tackling challenging climbs 1000miles apart. English Fell Champion Ben Rothery was in action again in the fast and furious Kilnsey Crag Fell race, a feature in the Kilnsey Show calendar since 1897. Ben was joined by Gawain Moore in the race which covers a whopping 124m climb in its short 2km distance. Ben won the race in eight minutes with Gawain just behind in 10:13, coming 15th overall and third in his age category. Meanwhile in Courmayeur, Petra Bijsterveld was taking part in the Experience Trail Courmayeur (ETC), which at ‘only’15km with 1267 meters of elevation may be the shortest race in the Ultra Tour de Mont Blanc (UTMB) week, but with steep single track ascents and very technical descents, is certainly in no way easy! Petra had a great race, a warm up for an event later in the week, finishing the race in 3:39:21 and sixth in her age category.
Speed rather than technical ability was the key to success on Wednesday though as three Harriers took to the track for the next race in the Evensplits 5k series at the Brownlee centre in Leeds. With a sneaky incline in the track, the race is not as easy as it sounds, but Matthew Thackwray gave the rest of a field a masterclass, coming first in a blistering time of 15:24 with an age rating of 86.6%. Geoff Howard was also pushing the age ratings achieving 84.6% for his time of 24:25. Alison Weston was just pipped to the post by Geoff coming over the line in 25:09 and taking third place in her age category. A fabulous outing for the club.
From fast and furious on the track to a feat of Endurance back in the Alps, where Andrew Merrick was in action on Friday in the UTMB CCC race – Courmayeur/Champex/Chamonix – billed as “little sister” of the UTMB. Not only is the race 100km long, but it packs a punch at over 6000m of climb. Although a popular race with over 2250 participants toeing the start line, only just over 1600 of those completed the race…and Andrew did it in spectacular fashion. He came over the line in 22:18:56, taking seventh place in his age category – Chapeau!
Back on the fells, three Harriers took part in The Derek Price Memorial Grisedale Horseshoe fell race on Saturday. A tough circular route from Glenridding, the ten mile race takes participants over Catstye Cam, Helvellyn and St. Sunday Crag, packing in an impressive 1500m of climb. Iain Gibbons was the first Harrier home in 2:34:42 finishing in the top fifty. Katie Poulter was the next home in 3:07:53 taking fourth place in her age category. Kelly Wilby also had a top ten age category finish completing the race in 3:25:54.
On Sunday, it was time for a team outing with 12 Harriers taking part in the mixed event in the Leeds County Way relay event. A six leg race of 64 miles, participants must run in pairs ensuring they meet the cut off times at each changeover point. With legs ranging from 9.7miles to 11.75 miles, this is a tough race and the Ilkley mixed team had a great day out finishing in 08:16:21 and in tenth place overall: Tony Pye and Tom Mountain took the first leg taking the team into 22nd position; next up were Gavin Lamb and Justin Phillips, who moved the team up to 17th position; taking the third leg, Tom Adams and Nathan Edmondson took first place in the leg, taking the team into tenth place overall, a position which was maintained by the final three pairs of John Jackson and Emma Sheppard, Jonathan Turner and Nuno César de Sá and Kate Archer and Peter Shelley, who were also the fastest mixed team on the last leg. Well done to everyone who took part!
Despite the still stormy conditions on Saturday 26 parkrunners joined events across the country on Saturday. There were three PBs with Harry Sime getting an age grading over 80.51% for his, and Sarah and John Hayes taking a trip to Haverfordwest for theirs. And it was a good week for top ten finishers: James Horrex was third at Cliffe Castle; Steve Gott, Samesh Chotai, Jaysson Sawyer and John Hayes all finished fifth in their events; Geoff Howard continued his successful week with a ninth place finish and an age grading of 85.32% at Horton Park; and Mark Hall hit an age grading of 88.15% with his ninth place finish at Lister Park. And finally, our very own roving reporter Will Worboys completed his 250th park run at the Roberts Park event! Well done to all that took part.
TCS Lidingoloppet – Sat 28 Sept
Sun 1 Sep 2024
From Lynn Donohue…
On Saturday 28 September six intrepid Harriers ran the TCS Lidingoloppet – known as the world’s largest cross-country race held on the island of Lidingo just outside Stockholm. It caters for runners of all ages and with races from 1.7 km to 30 km held over the entire weekend. It is part of the Swedish “En Svensk Klassiker” series of prestigious endurance events. It was very well organised and professional with an expo and efficient public transport links from Stockholm to the island. The locals are very enthusiastic with lots of support and well stocked refreshment points including cinnamon buns and pickled gherkins!
On a cold but sunny morning Peter and Sheena ran the 15km race a challenging course through the beautiful scenery which is very reminiscent of a children’s fairy tale with a wonderful variety of trees, huge toadstools and amazing fungi, open meadows, coasts and wooden houses set in woodland glades. The organisers’ description was: “Here flat meadows and dirt roads alternate with sloping paths and steep hills.”
They both ran a very creditable time of 1hr 42 mins, particularly notable as they had only very recently finished the Camino trail in Portugal and are preparing for the Half Marathon des Sables in Jordan in just a few weeks.
In bright afternoon sunshine four Harriers – Nigel Tapper, Keith Wood, Alex Lewis and Lynn Donohue, tackled the 30km route described by the organisers as a tough and beautiful course…one of Sweden’s greatest running challenges since 1965. A true test of strength for all participants over a hilly 30km course! We were worried but needn’t have been as our training over the local moors paid off! Unfortunately we finished in pouring rain but we had the fantastic support crew of Helen Horton, who ran last year, and her family and fellow Harrier Scott Armitage.
We also did the home town of Ilkley proud with our rendition of ‘On Ilkla Moor Baht At’ at a traditional Swedish restaurant in Stockholm on Sunday night. The locals were a bit stunned!
We would highly recommend this event for the scenery and organisation and Stockholm is such a lovely city.
From Peter Tapper…
On a coolish but damp autumn morning, Peter and Sheena lined up at the starting point of one of Sweden’s most famous running events—the TCS Lidingöloppet.
Known as the world’s largest cross-country race, the Lidingöloppet challenges runners with a 30 or a 15km course that winds through the scenic and hilly terrain of Lidingö, an island just outside Stockholm.
If you’re looking for the longer and tougher version then you can opt for the 30km race, this is an extension of the 15 km and takes in the same breathtaking scenery.
This is no mean event and is enjoyed by up to 60,000 other fools, sorry runners, during the weekend, it’s interspersed with great entertainment and food including a very professional exhibition for runners. We both finished in a very satisfying 1hr 42mins, Sheena nursing an injury and both of us trying to save ourselves from injury for our imminent MDS desert ultra – coming up in November.
The TCS Lidingöloppet is a part of the Swedish “En Svensk Klassiker” series, a collection of prestigious endurance events. The 15 km category
attracts thousands of participants every year. The race is known for its demanding course, with a mix of rolling hills, forest trails, and stunning views of the Swedish archipelago. The 2024 edition did not disappoint, offering ideal running conditions with dull skies to start off the race but finishing in crisp temperatures and blue skies.
This is a race we can both highly recommend, the TCS organisation is second to none as were the locals who welcomed all of us with opened arms.
Ilkley Harriers were proudly represented by Nigel Tapper, (30k) Sheena Pickersgill (15k), Peter Tapper (15k), Lynn Donohue, (30k) Alex Lewis (30k), and last but not least Keith Wood (30k). Walking wounded were Scott Armitage who proved to be excellent with foil blankets and general encouragement and CBA was Helen Horton (did the 30 km last year, so we’ll let her off).
During the trip we visited The Abba Museum, toured part of the Archipelago islands by local boat and visited the amazing Vasa Museum (a real highlight for me).
The ‘away run’ was finished off at a fine traditional Swedish restaurant Pelikan in Stockholm on the Sunday night where we dined on such Swedish delicacies as herring, meat balls, and mashed potatoes (the creamy type) all washed down with Aquavit which is a grain or potato-
based spirit. As is the tradition, we surprised – some say shocked the other diners – with our own rendition of ‘On Ilkla Moor Baht At’ during the toast, in great gusto I might add.
A huge thanks to all those involved in the organisation of this event, in particular Nigel Tapper for press ganging etc – a bloooooomin brilliant weekend.
Results:
15km
1. Women Sara Kristensen 54:17
1. Men Jonas Glans 45:58
1129 women Sheena Pickersgill 1:42:19
1385 men Peter Tapper 1:42:19
2080 finishers
30km
1. Women Carolina Wikstrom 1:51:35
1. Men Ebba Tula Chala 1:38:18
Women 1856 Lynn Donohue 3:27:36
Women 1859 Alex Lewis 3:27:40
Men 5484 Nigel Tapper 3:14:37
Men 5488 Keith Wood 3:14:37
8338 Finishers
Leeds Country Way Relay – Sun 1 Sep
Sun 1 Sep 2024
From Emma Sheppard…
On Sunday, 12 intrepid Harriers made their way to different parts of West Yorkshire for the annual Leeds Country Way Relay. It’s a circular route over 6 legs of between 9-11.75 miles (it felt longer to me!) involving variable terrain (think Baildon Boundary Way on steroids) and 62 other teams.
Tony and Thomas kicked off proceedings in style with a storming 1st leg from Garforth to Stanley, covering just under 12 miles in 1 hour 25 mins.
Gav and Justin took over the baton on leg 2 -11.15 miles dispatched in a very speed 1 hour 27…perhaps hoping to get to the pub in time for first orders?!
Nathan and Tom were late additions to the mixed team line up -with the gauntlet set down by Nuno of trying to beat the 30 year old leg record of 58 minutes (for 9.8 miles). They only missed it by a few seconds -and would have demolished it but for a couple of wrong turns having had no time to do a reccie. They were still the leg winners by a long way!
Next up was me and John on leg 4- a lovely route from Thornbury to Golden Acre taking us through loads of places I’ve never been before (and in some cases probably don’t want to see again for at least for another 12 months!). After an unpromising start, involving leaving one of our race numbers at home and practically wrestling the sharpie off the Marshall so I could draw my number on before Tom and Nathan materialised for the handover, then taking the first 3 miles to recover from the trauma, we got into our groove and the miles sped by. Thankfully we only sustained a few nettle stings and scrapes before finding ourselves safely back at golden acre, partly due to the life saving properties of lucozade tablets (3.5 mins quicker than our predicted time and about 25 mins quicker than our reccie). Thanks John for getting me round!
Jonathan and Nuno were up next on leg 5 and also had a storming run -getting the baton through its 10 mile journey to Thorner road in 1 hour 26 and that was despite a brutal final hill (and traffic to contend with).
Kate and Peter had an amazing final leg back to Garforth -speeding round the 9.7 miles to Garforth in 1 hour 16 (6 mins quicker than predicted and a lot faster than most of the other teams).
Very happy with our 10th place overall -lots of fun and a fantastic team effort. Also a huge thank you to Nuno for doing a great job organising us.