Ilkley Harriers news archive 2025
Ilkley Gazette Report w/c 27 Oct 2025
Mon 27 Oct 2025
From Peter Shelley and Nicola Budding…
Photo credits: Fabio Vedovatti, Dan Patterson, Tony Pye.
Jack Cummings’ international mountain running debut and European successes for Ilkley Harriers
With Trofeo Vanoni in Italy and the European marathon season in full swing, Harriers were in action in six different countries across the continent over the weekend.
Jack Cummings stepped onto the international stage on Sunday running for one of two England teams in the Trofeo Vanoni. Staged in Morbegno, a town in Valtellina in the Italian Alps, the event has staged mountain relays for over 70 years. Having prepared extensively for the race over recent months, Jack ran leg one of three on a route that took him from Morbegno’s cobbled streets onto the steep trails and woods of Arzo climbing and descending 466m including technical sections and a wall jump in just 7km. Completing in 34 mins to handover for leg two, Jack set his team up for an excellent 1:39:39 and 14th place of 109 teams. England’s other team did even better finishing 5th whilst victory went to Wales amidst strong competition from Italy and France.
Marathon Eryri took place on Saturday on a spectacular road route starting in Llanberis and circumnavigating Wales’s tallest mountain in a clockwise circuit with 838m of climb. If this were not enough of a challenge over the 42km distance, runners’ endurance was further tested by rain, hail and wind. Ultra specialist Petra Bijsterveld rose to the occasion to finish in 4:42:31, placing 1092nd of 2,208 and ninth F60 of 50 followed by Sarah Hayes in 4:56:19, placing 1271st and 25th F55 of 95.
2,000km south of Eryri conditions were altogether better for the Lisbon Marathon. Running the flat scenic route along the coast between the Portuguese capital and Cascais, Lucy Lowe ran 4:37:25 to place 6,634th of 9,190 finishers.
On the other side of the Iberian peninsula Valencia staged its half marathon with a field of 26,077 athletes. The Coys added to their extensive family sporting record, Stephen Coy finishing in 1:26:08 and 2,116th place and Gaenor Coy in 2:04:37 and 18,550th place.
Conditions were favourable further east for the Venice Marathon on Sunday. Sun, low wind and a flat course combined with the aesthetic inspiration of Italy’s historic lagoon city to speed Dan Paterson to the finish in a personal best 3:32:12. Sarah Marsden followed in 3:44:15, her fastest marathon for seven years. Dan placed 669th and Sarah 954th respectively in a field of 2,945 runners.
Sunday also saw the historic streets and green suburbs of Éire’s capital come alive for the Dublin Marathon. Adding to his 2025 marathon successes in Manchester and Leeds, Tony Pye ran an excellent 3:18:00 to finish 2,491/18,695, 170th M50 of 1,311.
An altogether different kind of marathon took place in the Lake District over Saturday and Sunday. The OMM (Original Mountain Marathon) challenges participants to run and navigate in pairs in search of controls which are distributed across the fells and carry points values. Harrier John Hayes and his partner Martyn Pegg covered 47km and over 4,000m of elevation on difficult terrain from race HQ in Shap across the two days, including a night under canvas in very low temperatures. They placed a commendable 16th out of 232 in the Medium Score (and 6th vets pair).
The October edition of the Leeds 5k series took place mid-week. The flat cycle course at the Brownlee Centre produced some rapid running times. The 120 competitors included Edwyn Oliver-Evans who finished 12th in 17:25, Harry Brook-Dobson 15th in 17:49, Kyle Bethell 31st in 18:56, Harry Sime 47th in 19:33 and 1st MV60, Emma Sheppard 66th in 21:06 and 1st FV45, Claire Mcloughlin 77th in 21:47, Ellie Middlemass 87th in 22:30 and Georgina Hamill 94th in 22:57.
It was a busy Saturday at the parkruns. East Holmes Field attracted 17 Harriers including James Horrex who completed the course in first place in 18:50 with Daniel McKeown 3rd in 19:42. Personal bests were posted by Martin Campbell, Hannah Osieku, Phil Chappell, Chris Cunningham and Sue Williamson. Diane Kitchen and Geoff Howard led the Harriers’ age gradings.
Nick Kealey ran a swift 19:53 into second place on the Chevin’s hilly parkrun. Nick topped the age gradings followed by Fiona Schneider. Top of the JM11–14 age category was Michael Moore with an impressive 22:57. At Lister Park Mark Hall ran 19:19 to top the age gradings while Milena Moore crossed the line 5th female in 23:00.
Further afield, Samesh Chotai ran 16:40 to 2nd place in Coventry, an impressive time and achievement among 794 participants. Alex Foyn ran a strong 17:55 to 1st place in Malmö, Sweden.
OMM 2 day mountain marathon Lake District 25-26 Oct 2025
Sun 26 Oct 2025
From John Hayes…
This year’s OMM was held in the Lakes in the little known area between Shap Abbey and Haweswater / the High Street range. It was classic OMM terrain: Bogs, tussocks, crags, steep climbs, treacherous descents, tricky contours etc. The OMM team are an impressive lot. Whatever the weather (and this year it was very cold), they cheer you out on Saturday morning and cheer you back on Sunday afternoon. At the overnight campsite, a bagpiper wakes you at 6am, and the starter marshals wear crazy fancy dress. For the rest of the event, it is entirely down to you to navigate well and pack enough clothing and food to survive the night squashed into a tiny tent with your running partner. I ran with Sarah’s brother Martyn. We usually mess things up at some point, but not this year. We were delighted to come 16th out of 232 in the Medium Score (and 6th vets). We put this down to our use of a trusty bit of string to measure out the optimum route on the map each day (and also to avoid being late back – not a good thing in a score event as you lose points!)
Another tip off: OMM are about to launch a range of fell shoes (with huge lugs!) and trail shoes. The prototypes were on display and they looked good to me.
Marathon Eryri – Sat 25 Oct 2025
Sat 25 Oct 2025
From Sarah Hayes…
Petra Bijsterveld and I entered this years 41st Marathon Eryri. It was Petra’s 7th time at this event but my first. I have done a couple of marathons previously but knew this one would be different and potentially much more challenging given the elevation of the course (2600ft). The route encircles Mount Snowdon on roads in the Eryri National Park. Although billed as a road marathon there were a couple of sections of trail at about mile 6 and mile 25.
We travelled together to Llanberis on the Friday staying in a hotel very near the start/finish.
After collecting our race numbers we carb loaded on pub food at the hotel and had an early night conscious of the grim weather forecast for race day.
Hearing about Petra’s previous experience of the event and her top tips were invaluable. I felt I had a good idea of what was to come.
As always a marathon experience is of two halves. The first was enjoyable despite some heavy downpours and even some hail. I was able to keep my head up enjoying the spectacular scenery. The second half, not surprisingly, was more challenging. The downpours seemed heavier and wind felt even colder. I jeffed along counting down the miles. I was trying to keep up with fueling but feeling more and more nauseous with each passing mile. However the support from the locals was great. Shouts of ‘Da iawn (well done) Sarah’ spurred me on.
The final and interminable climb however was almost too much for me. I had a self indulgent weep once I’d reach the summit at mile 24. A kindly marshall who could see my distress gave me a cup of tea and encouraged me on my way.
My legs would barely work on the final descent but I manage not to slip in the muddy track that took us back to Llanberis.
I crossed the finish line saying to myself never again but after a beer and a pub meal with Petra back at the hotel I was already contemplating returning again for the 2026 event!
From Petra Bijsterveld…
This was my 7th time running this wonderful marathon which has been staged since 1982. Often still called by its previous English name Snowdonia Marathon, Marathon Eryri is a road race which starts and finishes in Llanberis and circumnavigates Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon) via a clockwise circuit, taking in Pen-y-Pass, Beddgelert, Rhyd Ddu and Waunfawr. The 2674 ft of ascent are divided over 3 climbs, from mile 2 to 4.5 up to Pen-y-Pass, mile 13 to 15 out of Beddgelert, and mile 22 to 24 out of Waunfawr. There are just 2 short off-road sections: a rough but very runnable track for about a mile at mile 7, and a downhill mile of slippery mud, grass and slate at mile 25, where many a runner in super slick road shoes has come a cropper.
This year there was meant to be a trio of Harriers on the start line, Rebecca Mon-Williams, Sarah Hayes and I. Unfortunately Rebecca had to pull out due to injury leaving Sarah and myself to represent the club. We stayed for two nights in the lovely and ideally positioned (near the start and finish) Royal Victoria Hotel in Llanberis, which always is completely filled with runners on this weekend. We collected our numbers on Friday afternoon, had a meal in the hotel followed by an early night.
The weather forecast was not great: a temperature of 6 to 7 degrees, intermittent heavy showers and a brisk breeze of 20 mph. I reckoned this could result in a ‘feels like’ temperature around freezing. Coming out of the hotel it didn’t feel too bad. Standing at the start it still didn’t feel too bad either. I have always run this race in just a vest and shorts, with gloves if needed, but this time I had taken what I thought was a pretty cautious approach and was wearing arm sleeves and my windproof (which is also showerproof). After mile one I took off my gloves and windproof, already too warm. However, by the time we reached Pen-y-Pass it started to rain heavily, or was it hail, and it was pretty cold in the wind. The precipitation was coming at us from the mountains sideways. Unbeknownst to me Sarah had wisely put her waterproof back on. I decided to tough it out thinking it would just be a shower, and didn’t cave in until mile 10, by that time I was already totally soaked of course. As an experienced ultra-runner you’d think I would have known better, but my road racing mindset really is quite a different thing and I always verge towards the minimalist side. After all, what is the worst thing that can happen on a road race….well you can get pretty cold as I discovered. It turned out to be the worst weather I have experienced on this route and there were times where I started to genuinely worry about hypothermia. There were some runners who DNF’d around mile 19 because of the cold. My legs were frozen and I think it affected my pace, I felt like the Tin Man during the second half. At least the cold spurred me on to keep running as that was the best way to keep generating a pitiful bit of heat. To compound the misery of the weather there was something decidedly not right with my stomach right from the start, making it very difficult to get any fuel in, and unfortunately what I managed to get down came out again as twice I miserably stopped at the side of the road to vomit into a hedge. The desperate lack of calories didn’t help with my temperature regulation, and it is a miracle really that I didn’t hit the infamous wall somewhere along the rain sodden course.
I was delighted to reach mile 22 at Waunfawr and the final climb and descent, always better than plodding along the flat. I knew that barring an accident (always possible on the slippery off-road section of the descent) my finish was guaranteed. I checked my watch and noted I was well behind my time from last year, which was to be expected but I still felt disappointed. I think the 4:30 pacer must have gone past me around mile 10 as I was throwing up into the vegetation, as I had not seen him come past. As it turns out I was way behind him, reaching the finish line in 4:42:31, almost 15 minutes slower than last year’s PB of 4:28:04. Under the circumstances I shouldn’t be disappointed, but I am a bit.
Sarah had been behind me and caught me up around mile 12 and was running strongly, but I went past again on the climb out of Beddgelert. Having been more sensible by putting her waterproof back on earlier she remained a bit warmer throughout than I was. Nevertheless she had her own fair share of suffering and found the second half a tough gig, but was delighted to achieve her aim of a sub 5 finish on her first time on this course in 4:56:19.
We rejoined at the hotel and celebrated our triumph over the weather and the miles over a meal and a beer. I guess I may well be back at this race, though I have alternative plans for 2026. But once you have collected 7 slate coasters the temptation to get to 10 is there, as the marshal at the finish reminded me!
(1 2:33:56 Michael Kallenberg, Swansea/RAFAthletics)
(24 2:58:47 Ceri Merwood, CDF Runners 1st F)
1092 4:42:31 Petra Bijsterveld
1271 4:56:19 Sarah Hayes
2208 finished
Ilkley Gazette Report w/c 20 Oct 2025
Mon 20 Oct 2025
From Jill Ezard…
Photo credit: Sacha Jones – photo caption: Women’s Vet 40 receiving their third place medals at the British Fell and Hill relays
Fell running podium success for Ilkley Harriers’ Women’s Vets team.
Four teams of Harriers travelled to Wales on Saturday to compete in the 2025 British Fell and Hill Relays. With a maximum of 200 teams across all four nations, split equally between male and female teams, tough competition is guaranteed. Teams consist of six athletes who will compete over four legs: two short , one long and one navigation exercise. The event was hosted at Penantigi Isaf Farm, Dinas Mawddwy in Powys with each leg starting and finishing at the farm. It was tough terrain for all runners: Leg one was a short leg of 4.2km and 513m of elevation for a solo runner; a pair of runners tackled leg two which covered 11.1km and 758m of ascent; leg three saw two runners navigate their way round identified checkpoints across unmarked land covering approximately 11km and 719m of ascent – assuming they didn’t go wrong; and finally the last solo runner covered the same distance and elevation as leg one over a different route. The Women’s vet 40 team of Jane McCarthy, Rachel Carter, Kate Archer, Alison Weston, Jann Smith and Katie Poulter, had a fantastic run tackling the course in a total of 4:30:53 and taking third place. Jane got the team off to a flying start taking second place in leg one, with the team remaining consistent throughout the remaining legs. The mixed team of Ann Marsham, Sacha Jones, David Norris, Nick Helliwell, Simon Richardson and Nea Weston, who stepped in at the last minute to run a fantastic anchor leg, ran consistently completing the course in 4:27:48 taking 7th place. In the men’s open category, solo runners Sam Bentham and Ben Rothery each took second place in their legs with the pairs of Nathan Edmondson, Oli Murphy, John Denniss and Michael Odell completing the team to finish in 16th place overall in 3:22:24. The men’s vet team of Iain Gibbons, Nick Kealey, Ritchie Williamson, Paul Carman, Dan McKeown and Gawain Moore all ran consistently finishing in 13th place in 3:55:27. Well done to all the teams representing the club.
On the fells closer to home, two Harriers took on the Ultra Tour Yorkshire Dales 25km race. Starting and finishing in Grassington the course took participants through lesser known parts of the dales beyond Threshfield, deceptively covering 27km with 585m of elevation. Steve Ladhams was the first Harrier to finish in ninth place overall and fourth in his age category in 2:39:03. Adela Reperecki had a superb run out taking the win in her age category and completing the course in 3:39:23.
On easier terrain there were several Harriers tackling road marathons this weekend. It was another outing in an England vest for Hilda Coulsey at the Abingdon Marathon, having secured her place to represent England at the London Marathon earlier in the year. Despite the terrain being flatter, the course was challenging following the twists and turns of the roads around the area with only about five miles of closed roads. Hilda put in another great effort in a tough field in her age category and, despite a nasty collision with a cyclist near the end, finished the event in 4:44:01.
In York it was a bumper Harriers turnout for the Run For All Yorkshire Marathon. This is a flat and fast course taking participants out through the city, past the Minster and into the countryside towards Sand Hutton and Stamford Bridge before returning to the event village at the University of York. Eleven Harriers took on the challenge with some fantastic results: Matthew Thackwray was first Harrier home in a blistering 2:31:31 finishing eighth overall and second in his age category; Jaysson Sawyer and Mark Bly came in under the three hour mark in 2:53:16 and 2:59:06 respectively; Ash Winter, Andrew Marshall, Charles Wain, Jonny McKenna, Luke Watkeys and Mark Gill all finished comfortably under four hours; and Danny Thompson and Esmaeil Zadeh, one of the Run/Walk group, both finished well under five hours.
Finally, Helena Coy, one of our young adult Harriers, was out in Australia representing Great Britain at the Junior World Triathlon Championships at the weekend. Helena came 22nd in a tough field, battling very windy conditions, and was the first GB runner home in the Junior Women’s sprint distance race in 01:06:46.
It was a bumper turnout at parkrun events across the country this weekend with 39 Harriers donning their trainers to run, walk or run/walk one of the free weekly timed events. There were PBs for several Harriers including Juniors Megan and Ella Snow. Eight Harriers were in the top ten finishers with Samesh Chotai, Junior Harrier James Lee, and Steve Coy all achieving first three finishes. And there were some outstanding age gradings for Geoff Howard 85.12%, Harry Sime 82.27% and Mark Hall a whopping 86.13%. Well done to everyone who took part.
Abingdon Marathon – Sun 19 Oct 2025
Sun 19 Oct 2025
From Hilda Coulsey…
This was the 41st edition of the race, established in 1982, making it one of the oldest in UK. It’s a fairly flat course but run mostly on pavements with many twists and turns, uneven surfaces and only 5 miles of closed roads. Undoubtedly its a club event, I didn’t see any charity runners or fancy dress and, although both main race directors were female, and female only facilities were prominent, only 28% of participants were female which I found unusual and difficult to understand. In addition, older runners were almost entirely England or Wales qualifiers ie from out of the area and whilst the cut off was 6 hours there were not many finishers after me.
I was proud again to be running in an England masters vest, having qualified from London and chalking up the clean sweep of 10k, half and full marathons in England vests this year.
I’d read Forrest Hamilton’s report from last year and viewed a few you-tube clips so I was pretty well prepared for the route. My training had gone well and I was feeling good. I have to say though that I tried hard to enjoy the race with little success. As usual I set off faster than the average pace I was planning but after half way the unevenness of the pavements, the dips forming puddles with the rain, was annoying me and my time began to free fall. I kept going until I was taken out about mile 22 by a cyclist on a path between some trees who fell over in a dip and I fell over the bike. He said he hoped he hadn’t ruined my day! So I walked to steady myself and set off again. I was just happy to finish then and time went out the window.
1. Tom Hollis 2:29:24 Lonely Goat RC (gun time)
51. Louise Flynn 2:46:43 Les Croupiers RC
950. Hilda Coulsey 4:44:01 (chip time)
1014 ran 728 male, 283 female
Yorkshire Marathon – Sun 19 Oct 2025
Sun 19 Oct 2025
From Ash Winter…
Yorkshire Marathon 2024 took place in the aptly named Storm Ashley, everyone was drenched, the last 10km was into a headwind, finishing was a sweet release from a harrowing experience. I’d been awake since 5:30am, as I drove on the day, parking was a nightmare, never mind finding my car afterwards in a sea of silver vehicles. Yorkshire Marathon 2025 couldn’t have been more different, middling temperatures, a bit overcast, a nice hotel room in York allowing for a more civilised time on the alarm clock. Virtually all excuses for not getting a personal best had been shed, so it was time to deliver.
Thankfully, I did deliver. Improving on the 03:30 in 2024 and my previous marathon best mark of 03:18 at Manchester in 2022. Getting faster as I get older apparently. A steady start in and about York Minister, get to goal pace by halfway and see from there. Halfway in 01:39, then home in 01:37, left me basking in the smugness that only a negative split can provide. There was pain along the way, the long, undulating out and back between Dunnington and Stamford Bridge. Plus, that deadly hill in the 42nd kilometre that almost stops you in your tracks. Great support there though, plenty to draw energy from for the gallop down the hill to the finish. 03:16:15 was my chip time, which left a big smile on my face at the finish.
Enough about me though, loads of other Harriers smashed their goals as well.
Matthew Thackwray came 8th overall, 02:31:31, which I believe was his first race as MV40. Another mind-boggling time from an athlete having a fantastic year.
Jaysson Sawyer and Mark Bly went under 3 hours, significantly so in Jaysson’s case, with 02:53 and 02:59 respectively. Sub 3 is always a huge achievement. Jaysson also features in the Yorkshire Marathon magazine, a great story of overcoming adversity to excel as a runner and hopefully qualify for England Masters too.
Andrew Marshall was next home, with an excellent 03:18, in what I believe was his first marathon! What a great performance. We were close for most of the race, but I just managed to get and stay ahead.
Luke Watkeys hit a long-held goal of sub 3:30, expertly paced by Johnny McKenna, crossing the line together with 20 seconds to spare. Good to see Harriers helping each other to hit their goals. Charles Wain was next in 03:32, another big personal best on the day.
Honourable mention as well for Mark Gill, not a personal best on the day due to injury but still a great performance to honour the hard work he’d put into training. I am certain he will be back for another go at improving his marathon best.
Kudos too to Daniel Thompson and Esmaeil Zadeh too, ducking below 04:30 and 05:00 respectively to round off an excellent day!
FRA relays – Sat 18 Oct 2025
Sat 18 Oct 2025
From Jane McCarthy…
The UKA and Fell Runner Association National fell and hill running relay Championships 2025 were held in the beautiful Welsh mountains around Dinas Mawddwy: featuring STEEP climbs, pathless moorland, rocks and challenging underfoot. In the spirit of the event “Rhedeg ym mynyddoedd Cymru – Ile mae’r enaid yn hedfan” OR “Running in the Welsh mountains – where the soul takes flight” (apparently) seems appropriate for the vertiginous ascents and descents tackled in the short but hard legs 1 and 4, and the tussocks, climbs and bogs of Legs 2 and 3. The format of the race is mixing solo, pairs and navigational legs – teams needing endurance, speed, team tactics and navigational abilities. The weather was kind to us and spirits high on a rewarding day out.
Ilkley Harriers were proud to field four teams at this prestigious event – the Men’s Open Team secured a fantastic 16th place with outstanding performances from Sam Bentham (a close 2nd place just 4 seconds behind the winner) on Leg 1 and from English Fell Champion Ben Rothery bringing the team home on Leg 4 with the second fastest time (28:16) of the day. In the Mixed Open team a special mention for Leg 3 runners Simon Richardson and Nick Helliwell who excelled at the Nav leg (where there seemed minimal Nav opportunities they found all of them). There were consistently strong performances from a high placing Men’s Vet 40 Team – brought home by Gawain Moore in a fantastic leg time of 34:45 and many thanks to Nea Weston stepping in to anchor the Mixed Open into a brilliant 7th place. The Ladies Vet 40 Team couldn’t retain their title from 2024 but were delighted to podium in 3rd place with all round strong performances. Next year a more local venue – Todmorden – should be a great event!
Category Position Time Cat. result
Open Men 16th 03:22:24 16th
Vet 40 Men 54th 03:55:27 13th
Mixed Open 105th 04:27:48 7th
Vet 40 Women 112th 04:30:53 3rd
Ilkley Gazette Report w/c 13 Oct 2025
Mon 13 Oct 2025
From Nigel Illingworth…
Photo credit: Woodentops
Harriers excel on the fells and roads.
An excellent week for the Harriers with achievements high on the fells and down on the roads.
Sunday saw many Harriers on the Withins Skyline, a six-mile race passing Top Withens. Jack Cummings was 1st with 41:50, followed by Gawain Moore 3rd MV40 with 48:39, Paul Carman 9th MV40 with 50:48, John Hayes 7th MV50 with 56:00, Katie Poulter 2nd FV40 with 58:29, Jann Smith 5th FV50 with 1:02:59 and Alison Weston 1st FV60 with 1:03:33. Also, Alistair Barlow (1:02:41), Colm McCann (1:04:51) and Katie Hickling (1:13:08).
Saturday’s Wasdale Fell Race is known as one of the toughest races in the BOFRA calendar, with probably the steepest ascent and descent as the race climbs to the summit of Kirk Fell. Gawain Moore was 2nd in the senior race and 1st MV45 with 44.41, followed by Iain Gibbons in 6th with 50:03. Harriers’ juniors also did well with Oscar Shinn 3rd Boy in the U17s with 20:51, Roberts Brooks 2nd Boy in the U14s with 08:05, and in the U12s, Michael Moore was 1st Boy with 04:34, followed by Olly Brooks in 7th with 05:05.
Saturday also saw the Langdale Horseshoe, over a rough, tough course with almost exclusively rocky and slippy ground. Sam Bentham came 3rd with 02:11:48, followed by Michael Burdon with 03:26:02.
On Sunday, Guiseley’s Nunroyd Park hosted the first of four races in the West Yorkshire Cross Country League. Conditions were unusually dry and warm for this 9.5km race. A tight finish saw Edward Hobbs win with 30:27, just 10 seconds ahead of 2nd place and Christos Tzelis in 3rd with 30:39. Stephen Coy was 3rd V50 with 37:53 followed by Adam Gerrish 41:50. There was a separate 5.5km women’s race with Alison Bennett finishing in 38:25. Harriers Juniors also ran well with Rafe Garner 25th and Thomas Bailey 27th in the U11 Boys, Ethan Pickwoad 32nd in the U13 Boys and Joseph Bentham 8th in the U15 Boys.
More Junior Harriers were across the county in Haworth on Sunday for the Penistone Hill Quarry Runs. Michael Moore delivered a brilliant 2nd U13 Boy, and Lerryn O’Neil stormed to 5th in the U11 Girls’ race.
Manchester Half Marathon on Sunday saw Harriers on the road. Steve Newell was 10th M60 with 01:34:16, followed by Michael Ho with 01:49:42 and David Ibbotson with 02:14:37.
Other races this week saw Mark Hall 1st MV65 with 40:32 at Sunday’s Holmfirth 10k.
New for 2025 on Tuesday was the Punk Panther Headtorch Half, a nighttime trail race around Swinsty and Fewston Reservoirs. With the Super Moon hidden by cloud, Darren Hopkinson came 21st with 1:59:05, followed by Petra Bijsterveld, 34th and 1st FV60 with 2:13:10.
Friday’s fast and flat York 5k delivered two fast times from Rhys Jones, 6th M45 with 18:40, followed by Harry Sime, 2nd M60 with 19:44.
In Saturday morning’s weekly parkruns, Harriers dominated the top ten at our home event at Ilkley’s East Holmes Field with Dominic Coy 1st (16:01), James Horrex 3rd (18:26), junior James Lee 6th (19:04), Daniel McKeown 8th (19:21) and Stephen Coy 9th (19:24). Another 1st in Malmö Ribersborg for Alex Foyn (17:51), 2nd for Samesh Chotai at Leamington (16:59), 10th for Harry Brook-Dobson at Keswick (18:47), 9th female for Sally Malir at Lister Park (24:28) and 14th female for junior Isobel Moore at Roberts Park (24:16).
WYXC #1 Nunroyd Park – Sun 12 Oct 2025
Sun 12 Oct 2025
From Alison Bennett…
The first of 4 races in the league and was held locally at Nunroyd Park, Guiseley. The conditions for this 9.5 km race were dry, warm and sunny so quite unusual for an event usually associated with mud and rain.
There were tremendous results for Ilkley with Edward Hobbs winning the race, 10 seconds clear of the 2nd placed runner; and Christos Tzelis taking 3rd, only couple of seconds later. Stephen Coy was 70th and 3rd V50,
Although popular with Harriers in the past this league is now attracting fewer club members. Everyone can take part and it’s still possible to enter for the later races. The cross country is a good event for speed and endurance which can benefit performances in other types of running.
1 Edward Hobbs 30:27
3 Christos Tzelis 30:39
70 Stephen Coy 37:53
105 Adam Gerrish 41:50
The men’s race was preceded by the ladies’ who ran 5.5 km. Although I finished well towards the back of the field, there was some compensation; by virtue of being the only female Ilkley Harrier taking part, I was the first finisher for the club.
48 Alison Bennett 38:25
Punk Panther Head Torch Half – Tue 7 Oct 2025
Tue 7 Oct 2025
From Petra Bijsterveld…
Photo Credit: Ryk Downes
Ryk Downes, aka ‘Mr Punk Panther’, told me he had only added this race, with a 10k and a half marathon option, as a filler in the racing calendar, and had not really expected many entries. However, this midweek night-time trail race around the Swinsty and Fewston Reservoirs proved very popular with local runners, and it sold out. One counter-clockwise lap of both reservoirs for the 10k, two for the half marathon.
Whilst we had a Super Moon on Tuesday, it was barely visible for much of the race, hidden from view by a thick blanket of clouds. Head torches had to be on at the start at 7pm as it was completely dark already. The weather was otherwise kind to us, with pleasant (shorts and t-shirt) running temperatures, no wind to speak off, and only a very slight drizzle from about 8pm, very noticeable in my head torch beam but it did not seem to make me particularly wet. The only piece of mandatory kit was a head torch, and there was water at the start/finish, which was also the half-way point for the half marathon.
I had entered this event more as a training run (as part of my marathon training) than a race. Still, it was difficult to completely let go of my competitive instincts when it comes to age category position. Having checked the entry list I was aware of the presence of one other F60, Ursula McGouran from Otley AC. After some research I worked out we could be fairly well matched in pace. I recognized her early on in the first lap and we did some yo-yoing of positions, but eventually I managed to get ahead and stay ahead. I did not see her again, but never felt relaxed until I reached the finish, where I discovered that she had changed to the 10k race prior to the start! Never mind, whilst I had not been ‘racing’ the desire for another veteran’s trophy had at least kept me moving forward at a reasonable pace.
Darren Hopkinson was the only other Ilkley Harrier there as far as I can see in the results.
A nice low-key race with a friendly and relaxed atmosphere, I imagine it will be back next year and I would very much recommend this one to other Harriers. For those hesitant about off-road running in the dark this could be a particularly good introductory event: the trails are very even underfoot, navigation is easy and there are other runners around, so you feel (and are) very safe.
1 1:20:15 Sam Green, Wharfedale Harriers
21 1:59:05 Darren Hopkinson
34 2:13:10 Petra Bijsterveld 1st F60
45 ran
(42 ran in the 10k)
Chester Marathon – Sun 5 Oct 2025
Sun 5 Oct 2025
From Sally Armitage…
This was my 3rd marathon and my 1st one outside of Blackpool! Having a had a tough, very windy run at Blackpool marathon in spring I decided to run one marginally further inland instead and, despite another very windy run, Chester didn’t disappoint. The race was impeccably organised, the support on course was unreal, and the higher number of runners than there have been in my previous marathons meant I was always running in a pack, Blackpool can be very solitary. This made it a lot more fun, and gave me lots of people to hide behind in the windy sections!
Admittedly, my other reason for entering Chester was that if you have run a marathon in under 3:15 since January 2024 you get an ‘elite runner pass’. Yes that’s a poor reason to select a marathon but it gave me the opportunity to feel extra fancy for a day so I took it! It gave me free parking and access to the ‘elite runners lounge’ close to the start line, which had fancy queue free toilets, comfy seats and water and gels provided. Honestly though, the clean, queue free toilets were the real bonus.
After resting all week and stuffing my face with carbs for the previous 36 hours I was feeling a little too invincible and set off way too fast. Even when my friend, and experienced marathoner, Will Kerr passed me at the 5 mile mark and warned me to ‘just be careful’ with my pacing, I carried on regardless, then after exactly 1hr 48mins of running the calf spasms started in both legs. Sharp painful spasms that come and go. This continued for the rest of the race, it wasn’t debilitating but uncomfortable and took a fair chunk off my pace. Then at 40kms my hamstring joined in and this was actually so sharp it made me stop, after 10-15 seconds of inactivity it relaxed thankfully and I was able to continue to the finish.
My experience at Chester just drives my determination to conquer this distance, the only distance I don’t feel I’ve run my best at yet.
1st male Adam Peers (Wakefield District H & AC) 2:35:52
1st female Sammy Antell (Bideford AAC) 2:44:21
351 (11th F) Sally Armitage 3:06:46
1399 (151st F) Rebecca Brown 3:42:28
1400 (152nd F) Kirsty Wicks 3:42:29
6698 ran
Morley 10k – Sun 5 Oct 2025
Sun 5 Oct 2025
From Will Worboys…
Although I’d entered the Morley 10k several weeks ago, I wasn’t going to do it because of various circumstances. One of which being that I’m currently following a training plan devised by Harrier Mark Gill, stating this Sunday should be an ‘easy run’. However as other circumstances resolved themselves I decided last minute to do it and just run it ‘easy’.
However, after the uphill start wasn’t easy at all and being just behind the 60 minute pacers for much of the race seemingly too much of a challenge, sadly this race felt anything but ‘easy’.
I had read reports from this race in the past and vowed to myself that I would one day find out about the legendary ‘Morley Bottoms’ for myself. Disappointingly that turned out just to be the name of the intersection that we crossed through three times, once after the start and then during two ‘out and backs’ in opposite directions and all involving hills.
The Morley bottoms was however a popular spot to spectate creating a brilliant atmosphere for the race. This was a big event with over a thousand runners and very well spectated despite the strong winds and was brilliantly organised by the friendly local running club.
As the race went on, so did my struggle to keep up with the 60 minute pacers. In my mind I’m 10 years younger with functional lungs and running 45 minutes for 10K, so the pace I’m running ‘should’ be easy. This also being a constant reminder of why I am trying out Marks Gill’s services to improve my form and run like an elastic man, hopefully somewhat diminishing the need for perfect lung function.
With miles 3 and 4 mostly a nice pleasant steady downhill, I knew that meant the last portion of the race would be a steady uphill into the substantial breeze. This was really tough going and the only way it would have felt easy would have been to walk it… slowly. I managed to keep running but my target pacers were disappearing into the distance making me question if running was maybe just not for me.
As I stumbled up the steepest hill of the race, cruelly lying just before the finish, I overtook the Pacers who were walking, having clearly misjudged their pace for the earlier part of the race, meaning I actually finished comfortably under the hour and as first Harrier! Admittedly I was the only Harrier but I’m still taking it. This actually is a great event, much recommended for the atmosphere, but definitely nowhere near easy… Sorry Mark.
1st Adam Stacey (Morley Runners) 35.01
637 Will Worboys 58.54
1059 ran
Run to the Sea Bournemouth – Sat 4 Oct 2025
Sat 4 Oct 2025
From Nigel Illingworth…
I can’t remember exactly where I was when friends Pete and Maxine (experienced ultra runners) said, “Nigel, you should run an ultra, and we recommend Run to the Sea Bournemouth – it’s flat, on good surfaces, has generous cutoffs and it’s only 50km.” Before I knew it, I was entered, and the t-shirt was ordered.
Alarm bells started ringing when Maxine said she was busy running a whole 5km – twice – in Germany on some Parkrun tourism thing, but Pete was there in Bournemouth on Saturday to guide me, support me, and get me to the finish.
The initial worry was which of storms Humberto or Amy would hit first. In the end, the weather was OK apart from a blustery wind on the Bournemouth promenade and some horizontal rain showers coming off Poole Harbour. The south coast escaped the much worse weather in West Yorkshire that weekend. As Pete said, the high winds also blew all the tourists off the promenade, so there were fewer people to run around than in previous years.
It was a really enjoyable day. The first 25km featured a mixture of terrains: woods, trails, and towns, all very clearly signposted, with excellent guidance from marshals. Then about 15km ran alongside Poole Harbour, offering great views across to the posh houses of Sandbanks. We then turned left – with the tailwind – for the last 10km along the promenade to the finish near Christchurch. Aid stations every 10km or so broke things up nicely with some tasty snacks.
I ticked off my first ultra and learnt a lot about fuelling, various race tactics and what I could do over that longer distance. It’s a different mindset for this type of race. I was well within the cutoffs, though still a bit disappointed there was only one person behind me in the results. But then I realised there were only 556 finishers from an entry list of around 700, so I’m claiming the achievement: I did better than all those that couldn’t finish, couldn’t start, or couldn’t enter!
North Coast 110 – Fri 3 Oct 2025
Fri 3 Oct 2025
From Matthew Kennedy…
This North Coast is probably not the first one that comes to mind in Yorkshire, since the race name refers to the final stretch of the South West Coast Path, running from Hartland Quay in Devon to Minehead in Somerset.
It makes for quite an unbalanced course – nearly 25 miles of cliffs to Westward Ho!, about 25 flat miles around the Torridge & Taw estuaries to Saunton Sands, and then back to the cliffs of the Exmoor coast for the final 60 miles or so. With 18,500+ feet of climbing in total, it’s more or less the Three Peaks and the Fellsman, with a regular marathon sandwiched in between.
The other factor that made the race unusual was Storm Amy, although out on the fringes the weather was more peculiar than bad. During the day, it was windy & wet but surprisingly warm – the steady drizzle felt fine without a waterproof – and during the night, the wind and rain mostly dropped away.
However, for maybe 5-10 minutes every hour, the wind would suddenly pick up – gusting strongly enough to blow you up a hill (nice) or off your feet into a gorse bush (not so nice) – and it was often accompanied by short bursts of freezing rain and even hail. But as the lowish dropout rate of around 25% suggests, overall conditions weren’t actually all that terrible (even if the state of my feet afterwards might suggest otherwise…)
Each stage of the race presented its own challenges – the Hartland cliffs were muddy & slippy, the estuary cycle path was monotonous & unforgiving in trail shoes, and the Exmoor cliffs included a long, twisty forest section that felt like it was never going to end. Nevertheless, I was treated to a beautiful sunrise as I climbed the last hill, then shuffled down into Minehead to see one final hailstorm catch the local parkrunners by surprise.
(It’s my second ultra organised by Climb South West and I can highly recommend them for folks looking to venture further afield. They offer smaller, friendly races across a range of distances and seem to have developed a loyal following – the closest local comparison would be Punk Panther)
(1= David Parrott 24h48)
(1= Martin Reynolds 24h48)
3 Matthew Kennedy 25h05
15 starters, 11 finishers
Ilkley Gazette Report w/c Oct 6 2025
Wed 1 Oct 2025
From Luke Watkeys….
Storm forces Hodgson Relay cancellation as Harriers compete across the country
Our racing week starts on Friday, 3 October at the North Coast 110, where club runner Matthew Kennedy delivered a superb performance, claiming third place in 25 hours and 5 minutes on a course that’s as beautiful as it is brutal. Despite the name, this particular “North Coast” takes in the final stretch of the South West Coast Path, from Hartland Quay in Devon to Minehead in Somerset – a punishing 110-mile route with over 18,500 feet of climbing. Runners faced everything from slippery cliff paths and endless estuary flats to relentless Exmoor climbs, all under the unpredictable influence of Storm Amy, which brought bursts of wind, rain, hail, and fleeting sunshine. Matthew held strong through the challenging terrain and conditions, greeted by a stunning sunrise before descending into Minehead to finish in 25:04:34, just minutes behind joint winners David Parrott and Martin Reynolds.
The 2025 Hodgson Brothers Mountain Relay was scheduled to take place on Saturday, with Harriers in contention, but was cancelled due to adverse weather conditions and the advice of mountain rescue teams. The weather forecast with Storm Amy was too dangerous to hold the race due to the forecasted 70mph+ winds on the fell tops.
Back again on the coast, on Saturday, Nigel Illingworth took on his first ultramarathon at Run to the Sea Bournemouth, a 50km point-to-point race from Salisbury to the coast. Despite the threat of the storm, conditions proved manageable, with just a few blustery showers along the seafront. Crossing the line well within the cut-offs, he was delighted to complete his first ultra in 8:50:31 – and, on discovering that only 556 of the 700 entrants finished, justifiably proud to count himself among them.
On Sunday, Sally Armitage, Rebecca Brown and Kirsty Wicks put in a strong performance at the Chester Marathon. Sally finished 11th female overall and 351st out of nearly 7,000 runners in an impressive 3:06:46, setting a new LV45 club record at the marathon distance. Rebecca Brown and Kirsty Wicks also had a great run, finishing together in 3:42:28. Sally reflected on the day; running her third marathon – and her first away from Blackpool – she found Chester a far more enjoyable experience, thanks to the superb organisation, packed field, and fantastic crowd support. After setting off a little too enthusiastically, Sally battled calf spasms from halfway onwards, later joined by a protesting hamstring in the final stretch. Even so, she showed great determination to push through and finish strongly.
Also on Sunday, the Morley 10K took place – a volunteer-led, not-for-profit event raising funds for local good causes. The race follows a closed road course around the historic streets of Morley with two out-and-back sections and, perhaps uniquely, a three-way crossover section at the legendary ‘Morley Bottoms’. Will Worboys held the torch for the Harriers at the event, crossing the line in a time of 58:54.
Turning to parkrun, the ninth Ilkley parkrun took place at East Holmes Field despite the stormy conditions, attracting 184 runners, including 20 Harriers. James Horrex was first home in 18:57, with Dan McKeown finishing fourth in 20:14, Paul Carman ninth with a time of 20:59, and Kyle Bethell and Lucy Lowe tenth in their gender categories with times of 21:11 and 26:41, respectively. Further afield, Samesh Chotai ran at Coventry, finishing second in 17:09.