Ilkley Harriers news archive 2024

Ilkley Gazette report – w/c 25 Nov

Mon 25 Nov 2024

From Jill Ezard…

Storm Bert tried its best to upset the November racing calendar but hardy Harriers were still out over the weekend – ice, snow, ankle deep mud and high winds weren’t going to stop them! First to battle the elements was Jim Ryder who took on the Kendal Mountain Festival 10k trail run. Starting and finishing the centre, the route took participants steeply up out of town to Cunswick Scar via Cunswick Hall, with some steep descents back to the centre. With over 250m of climbing in 10k, and adding in the somewhat treacherous combination of ice underfoot and torrential rain, it was a tough route! Jim battled through the race coming over the line well under the hour in 56:42 and taking second place in his age category. A fantastic result!

Meanwhile, over on the west coast, three young Harriers were taking part in the British Athletics Cross Challenge. All competing in races later in the day, the conditions on the course had deteriorated and were particularly challenging with participants battling two or three laps in horrific mud. Competing in a tough field from across the UK, Archie Budding and Christos Tzelis were out first in the U20 race, with Archie coming over the line in 45^th position in 14:41 and Christos in 113^th in 15:47. Ed Hobbs was the sole representative in the slightly longer and even muddier U23 race, coming 34^th in 18:45. Well done to the team for braving the elements!

Sunday’s warmer temperatures provided three Harriers with better conditions at the Northern Masters Ken Mayor 5k Championships. This is the annual championship for members of the Northern Masters Athletic Club (with an open race for anyone over 35). The race, held at The Brownlee Centre in Leeds saw competitors race over three laps of the circuit, and saw the Harriers’ contingent securing fantastic age category placings: Shaunna Burke had a fantastic run taking first place in her age category in a time of 22:21; Helen Waddington took second place in her age category in 22:57; and Dick Waddington was third in his age category in 21:14. A fantastic one, two, three!

And not content with representing the club on Saturday, Christos Tzelis was in action again on Sunday at the Doncaster City 10k race. Heading out from Doncaster Racecourse, the race sees participants complete a tour of Doncaster before a potentially fast, flat finish back to the racecourse. The challenges of the previous day didn’t seem to adversely impact Christos who put in a great performance to finish in eighth place overall and second in his age category in 32:48. Christos was joined in the race by Dave Foyston who finished in the top ten for his age category in 37:33. Well done to both!

Our juniors were impacted by the cancellation of most of the parkruns. In fact only one brave Harrier took part in one of the weekly parkrun events, and that’s only because he wasn’t in the UK! Dan Hayes took part in the Kralingse Bos event in Rotterdam, completing the course in 29:32. Well done to Dan!

Doncaster 10k – Sun 24 Nov

Sun 24 Nov 2024

From Neil Chapman…

Christos Tzelis went back to run the race that he won last year, which was again a 3300 entry sell out. In windy conditions, and having completed the Liverpool Cross Challenge the day before it was perhaps not surprising that he couldn’t take the win, but nevertheless he had a great race, which in Christos’s words he took at a steady pace, finishing in eighth place in a time of 32.48.

I am sure that most Harriers would have been more than happy to finish with that steady pace time!! Well done Christos.

Liverpool Cross Challenge – Sat 23 Nov

Sat 23 Nov 2024

From Neil Chapman…

Three of our young Harriers made the trip over to the Liverpool Cross Challenge at the weekend which attracts many of the country’s best cross country runners. The first part of the challenge was getting out of Ilkley’s sudden snowy conditions. Although the conditions were much different for the race with the sudden thaw providing plenty of mud.

In the U20 race Archie Budding picked the right starting spot and had a great race finishing 45th in a large high quality field. Christos Tzelis had to start from the back and struggled to progress through the congested field of combined U17 and U20 runners eventually making his way up to finish 113th in this relatively short 4.5k race. Ed Hobbs elected to do the longer U23 race and had a good run finishing in a highly respectable 34th place. Well done guys.

Kendal Mountain Festival Trail Race – Sat 23 Nov

Sat 23 Nov 2024

From Jim Ryder…

Conditions were rough for this ‘10k’ (nearer 11k) race from the heart of Kendal. Part of the Kendal Mountain Festival the race starts up Beast Banks to circuit around Scout Scar before finishing down fields and steep cobbles into Kendal. Torrential rain throughout with ice on top meant plenty of tumbles. The field was down on the usual 1000 runners due to the snows of Storm Bert. We were up for the Festival – so OK to get to the race. I was 2nd V55 (behind a few V60+). Not sure if the other Harriers entered managed to make it as official results aren’t out yet, and most runners had waterproofs over club vests!

Results

Jim Ryder 128/674 56’42”

Ilkley Gazette Report – w/c 18 Nov

Mon 18 Nov 2024

From Will Worboys…

Photo credit Woodentops

Harriers breaking records up and down the country

Some brilliant performances last weekend from the Harriers with Ilkley runner Jack Cummings leading the way. Cummings enjoyed the ride back from Alton Towers after smashing the course record for the Half Marathon which took place there on Sunday. Cummings was the sole Harrier who made the trip to the theme park in Staffordshire and bettered his time last year when he was 2^nd, finishing with a brilliant time of 1:10:31, which was two minutes quicker than the next finisher. Cummings has recently returned to racing following injury in the summer and is looking forward to more wins in upcoming races.

Also in the Midlands, Mark Hall continued his assault on Ilkley Harriers all time club records, finishing as 1st V60 at the Derby 10 mile race by some considerable margin. Hall lowered his own record for the category by a minute and a half to 59:34 as well as taking the Harriers V55 record in the process. Hall finished 64th overall out of a field of over 1,600 competitors.

Back in Yorkshire at the Tadcaster 10 mile race, more Ilkley runners shone, with Ed Hobbs posting a brilliant time of 52:12 to finish in 4^th place. Hobbs’ outstanding performance can be put in context by the fact that his time was only 23 seconds outside a club record that has stood for 34 years. The second Harrier back was Iain Young who finished 69th overall in a time of 1:03:39, which was his best time at this the distance for over two years. Next Ilkley runner to finish was Phil Joyner who came home in a time of 1:09:24. Finally Geoffrey Howard was first in his V75 category and finishing in an amazing time of 1:21:31.

Meanwhile, Temple Newsam was the venue for the first PECO cross country race of the five race winter series. An undulating course with an uphill finish, with both the men’s and ladies’ races being the same distance of 4.3 miles at this series, the event invited a good turnout from Ilkley Harriers. Some excellent results were had too despite the mud, with Sally Malir and Rachel Carter both finishing 4^th in their respective categories with the latter being 20^th overall of the 388 finishers. Kate Archer also had a fine run to finish 6^th in her category.

In the men’s race Oscar Shinn was first Harrier home coming in 14^th of the 473 runners. Gawain Moore followed in 22^nd and finishing 2^nd in his age category. George Whittlestone also finished in the first 100. There were other superb runs from Peter Shelley who was 3^rd V55 with Jim Ryder 8^th in the same category.

In the Junior 1 Mile Race, Michael Moore had an excellent third place finish coming home in 6:27, with Isobel Moore finishing in 7:17 and Maisie Wilby following on in 10:37. Ollie Holder led the Harriers home in the Junior 2 Mile Race with a great 5th place in a time of 8:55. Amelia Nichols and Lily Singleton both ran well finishing in 11:37 and 13:12 respectively.

On Saturday was the traditional ‘Harriers vs Cyclists’ race which takes place around Baildon and Shipley Glen. It may seem a bit unfair to pit runners v cyclists, but the uneven and hilly terrain is a great leveller in this annual race. Although on this occasion it was actually won by a cyclist albeit by only one minute. Jeff Green of Ilkley could have taken part in either discipline but chose to run and won his category in a time of 42:42; finishing 34^th overall. Kelly Wilby also did very well to finish as 9^th runner. The other Ilkley runners to take part were Duncan Cooper who finished 65^th and Colm McCann who was 67^th.

There were more good performances at the various parkruns around the country and further afield. Alexander Wolfenden continued his parkrun success, this time finishing in 1st place at Lister Park in the fast time of 17:27. John Denniss was first finisher at Chevin Forest in18:20, with Robert Cunningham coming in 6^th of the 152 participants. Nicola Budding came 3^rd at Myrtle in Bingley. A great turnout at Roberts Park with Lucy Hayes finishing 6^th, Adam Gerrish 10^th and John Hayes 12^th. Nigel Illingworth was 4^th Harrier home going under 25 minutes for the first time in a while. Over at Heslington near York David Foyston did well finishing 4^th. At Skipton, junior runner Rafe Garner was first in his age category (JM10) and 42nd overall in 24:14. Finally, a special mention to Andrew Smith who travelled all the way to Rome and finished 12^th at Caffarella parkrun, only to find he wasn’t even the first Harrier over the line! Well done to Harry Brook-Dobson who came 2^nd at the Italian event.

Tadcaster 10M – Sun 17 Nov

Sun 17 Nov 2024

From Iain Young…

I’m pleased for hitting my new 10 mile PB for the first time in 2 years, fingers crossed many more PB’s to come in the not too distant future and avoid injury. Well Done to Phil Joyner, Edward Hobbs and Geoffrey Howard who also ran today.

From Geoff Howard…

I’m sure that like many other members I often have a tune running through my head during road race. Ray Charles’s “Hit the Road Jack” would have been particularly apposite yesterday as five miles into the Tad 10, and feeling pleased to have successfully navigated around a couple running side by side, concentration was lost and a full frontal onto the tarmac ensued. The very kind couple urged staying put until any amount of emergency help arrived but it was very cold and isolated and all thoughts were on not losing time. Amazing upon resurfacing, those in front seemed no further away and I guess that only a few seconds were lost. The wonderful first aiders at the finish sorted out the somewhat bloody legacy of the tumble. Despite all that, it was a satisfying morning at a very well organised event.

Results

Derby 10M – Sun 17 Nov

Sun 17 Nov 2024

From Mark Hall…

This is a flat course with only a few little inclines however, it twists and turns through a couple of parks with sharp turns and finishing on a path at the side of the river. Over 1600 finished. I was 64^th (my age!). I was 1^st V60 in 59.34.

(Editor’s note: with this time Mark breaks his own previous M60 record (1:01:05) as well as the M55 record of 1:00:10 held by Eddie Irving since 2011)

Results

God’s Own Back Yard Ultra – Sat 16 Nov

Sat 16 Nov 2024

From Ash Winter…

On Saturday 16th November I took part in the autumn version of the Gods Own Backyard Ultra in Leeds, managing 15 yards of 4.167 miles, a total of 62.51 miles or 100.6 kilometres. I timed out in the 16th yard, nothing left in the tank, hamstrings, ankles, knees and hips all complaining bitterly! There was a day yard which was mostly trail in Bramley Falls and a night yard which followed the Leeds-Liverpool Canal. The day yard was much more fun, with a lovely downhill in the last mile through the autumn leaves. The furthest I had ever run in a day was a marathon, so I hoped to get to 50 miles. Turns out I also hit my second goal of 100km as well! 100 miles was my third goal but a bit of work to do on endurance to get there. Maybe next time 🙂

Results

Tour of Pendle – Sat 16 Nov

Sat 16 Nov 2024

From Peter Roll…

Warning this report contains comments about running shoes that some might find nerdy:

It might have been so different, with some worrying forecasts but, we were blessed with relatively kind weather and with clear views. Katie Poulter, Charles Wain, Martin Hartley and I seemed to be the only Harriers competing. Katie, Charles and yours truly finishing within a few minutes of each other. Presuming Martin had finished, had his soup, bread, cake, cuppa and off on his way home before we bowled in. The 3 of us seemed to have had good runs, Katie & I improved on our times from last year by possibly 15 minutes of so. The results haven’t been published yet so we’ll wait and see. In Katie’s case this was obviously down to pure talent, as her recent FRA relays performance demonstrates. However, not so sure with me. (Nerdy Fell Shoe comment) Some of it might might be down to me wearing the new Inov8 MudTalons. I’ve never got on with Inov8’s well but, the new Talons have a 6mm heel to toe drop, more cushioning & possibly more support and were very comfortable for the whole route even the last tarmac section into Barley. Last year I wore La Sportiva Mutants which were fine but, Jann Smith showed mudclaws were significantly better for the terrain as she ably demonstrated whizzing past me on the descent.

Either way the race this year was bogtastic and thoroughly enjoyable.

Results

75th – Martin Hartley – 03:08
118th – Peter Roll – 03:33
208th – Charles Wain 03:38
213th – Katie Poulter 03:39

Ilkley Gazette Report – w/c 11 Nov

Mon 11 Nov 2024

From Peter Shelley…

Photo credit: Run Tatton

Ilkley Harriers excel across multiple distances, disciplines and age categories in a busy week of autumn running

Saturday 9^th November saw the Podium 5k race take place at Barrowford. Covering multiple laps of the Steven Burke Sport Hub cycle track, the race is staged in ‘waves’ based on expected completion times. Conducive to fast times, the event attracted 349 competitors from across the UK this year. Two Ilkley Harriers braved this competitive environment. Sally Armitage finished in a highly creditable 18:47 to beat the 5k club record set in 2008 by Alison Bennett. Running in the elite sixth wave, Christos Tzelis managed an outstanding 14:32. His performance took 16 seconds off his previous best and puts him within seven seconds of Dom Coy’s 2023 club record.

A further noteworthy performance at the 5k distance took place on Thursday 7^th November with Daniel Fazackerley running 15:36 to finish 8/178 in the EvenSplits race, a fixture held monthly from February to November at the University of York Sport Village Cycle Circuit.

The third race of the West Yorkshire Cross Country League took place on Sunday 10^th November at Middleton Park in Leeds. Rachel Carter finished 24^th of 64 and fourth vet 45 in the ladies race which was won by Katie Wood from City of York AC. Ed Hobbs’ run of form continued with an excellent third place in the men’s race, nine seconds behind winner Joe Sagar from Leeds City AC. Strong finishes by Christos Tzelis in 18^th (notwithstanding his Podium 5k effort the day before!), Dan McKeown in 36th, Steven Gott in 75th, Stephen Morris in 96th and David Westhead 102^nd of 131 consolidated Ilkley’s position in the team rankings with one race to go.

Harriers enjoyed Sunday’s calm conditions and autumn colours at Sue Ryder Run Bolton Abbey. The event offered a variety of races of different distances on trails across the estate. In the 10km event Joanne Williamson was first Harrier home in 30^th place of 353 finishers with a time of 50:48. Geoffrey Howard’s time of 53:06 placed him 49^th overall and first in the MV75 category by some margin. Geoff was followed by Harriers Sue Williamson and Nic Anness. In the half marathon, which featured a long climb to Barden Fell, Kate Archer finished in 1:52:12, 23^rd of 170 and first lady 45. Jonathan Sinclair was first male 60 home followed by Bob Hamilton first male 65, Lucy Lowe and Caroline Tong.

On the outskirts of North Leeds the Holly Hustle took runners on a challenging 10.5km trail run through woods and green spaces. Tony Pye finished in 53:12 and Sally Malir in 1:02:07, 17^th and 45^th of 92 respectively.

Further afield, Jane McCarthy triumphed at the Tatton Park half marathon finishing 84^th of 1,751 runners and first lady 50 in a rapid 1:29:20.

Kay Pearce enjoyed success in Wales with a time of 5:15:49 placing her 42/140 in the Gower marathon which covers coastal and inlands trails across the peninsular and more than 1,000m of ascent.

Rob Green and Luke Watkeys took on the Cheviots in the Wooler Trail Marathon climbing and descending over 1,837m to finish in 5:14 and 6:37 for 6^th and 36^th places of 133 respectively.

Parkrun highlights included a 2^nd place (of 226) and a new personal best in Skipton for Samesh Chotai with a time of 17:31, Harry Sime 16^th place at Fountains Abbey in a time of 20:11 and Rachel Carter 135^th (of 825) at Woodhouse Moor in a time of 22:39. Harry Brooks-Dobson achieved a new personal best of 20:18 at Lister Park.

West Yorkshire XC – Sun 10 Nov

Sun 10 Nov 2024

From Rachel Carter...

Race 3 in the West Yorkshire Cross Country league was held on the old golf course at Middleton Park. As race hosts Leeds City AC ensured we were treated to a tough hilly course and one which was good for spectators to join in with some hill reps as the laps comprised loops that came off a ‘central sloping spine’. With a lack of recent rain, the cross country season continued to be bereft of mud ensuring some pacey running for those at the sharp end. I was the only Ilkley lady in the Senior Women’s race and finished a few places down on the last race but remained in position against a couple of other Vet.40/45 ladies I know, so was happy with that! The men fielded 6 so enough for a team (8th) with Ed Hobbs taking an amazing 3rd place. Racing on the back of his Podium 5K the day, repeating his form of Race 2 was going to be tough for Christos Tzelis but he finished a credible 16th. Dan McKeown, Steve Gott, Stephen Morris and Dave Westhead completed the team. The last race is in the series is in early December at Rothwell so maybe if it rains before then we will finally see some mud!

Princeton Half Marathon – Sun 10 Nov

Sun 10 Nov 2024

From Rebecca Mon-Williams…

When we found out that the Princeton Half Marathon was taking place during our visit across to see our son, Ruaridh, it felt rude for at least one of us not to take part. In the event it was a mother and son affair, with Mark offering lots of on-course cheer and encouragement.

The route itself was a sightseers’ delight, taking us past the Princeton Battlefield, Einstein’s House, the Institute for Advance Study (think Oppenheimer), Princeton University, Lake Carnegie, and along many of the towns New England streets looking gorgeous in the fall colours.

Although the course was predominantly road, there was a nice bit of trail thrown in for good measure, along with a few hills. On-course support was vocal and enthusiastic, in a way only the Americans can be. I love it.

The race started at 7am on a very chilly, crisp, clear morning. So all done and dusted by breakfast. Perfect.

Results:

1st male: Ruaridh Mon-Williams 1.09.35

1st female: Ingrid Wells 1.23.13

321 Rebecca Mon-Williams 1.43.44

1634 finishers

Tatton Park Half Marathon – Sun 10 Nov

Sun 10 Nov 2024

From Jane McCarthy…

A first trip for me to Cheshire’s National Trust owned Tatton Park on Sunday to run the Half Marathon event (they host a 10K on the Saturday). On entering the park it was a quintessential English country estate scene with rutting stags along a tree-lined avenue in morning sunshine. Almost worth the entry fee already. The route was largely within the estate grounds on tarmac or good paths, undulating and very picturesque. Two laps meant plenty of support along the way and there was generally a very good atmosphere all morning. Lots of portaloos and parking, couldn’t really fault it. The easy 1hr 15min drive there was more of a slog back, circling Manchester on a Sunday afternoon not so good for the soul. But if you’ve never visited Tatton Park I would recommend it.

Results

1. Danny Cliffe 1:07:49

84. Jane McCarthy 1:29:20

1751 finishers

Podium 5k – Sat 9 Nov

Sat 9 Nov 2024

From Neil Chapman…

Christos Tzelis went over to Barrowford to take part in their last Podium 5k of the year. The pressure was on even before the gun as he had a target in mind to reduce his PB by 16 seconds and get under 15 minutes for the first time. Running in the last and fastest of the four races, he ran a smart race with the first four laps run at an identical pace that put him on target to get under 15 minutes.

He clearly had left something in reserve, as he wound it up and had a stunning last lap to finish in 14.32, which was a PB by 43 seconds, a massive amount relative to his time. Whilst others were lying on the grass after the finish trying to get some air back in their lungs, Christos jogged off to meet his mum and dad to find out what was for tea? Well done Christos, a great result.

From Sally Armitage…

The fastest, flattest 5k in the north. I have frequented this race a number of times in the past chasing 5k PBs, albeit not for 4 and half years. After COVID the race started to cater more for elites, with fewer and fewer events for the rest of us. Last night’s race was a ‘10 years of Podium’ celebration event and was open to all, with graded races from sub 14:30 to sub 18:30 plus one ‘open’ race. It was meticulously organised, chip timed and ran like clockwork. Conditions were absolutely perfect, fast times were guaranteed.

I had been over ambitious on the entry form and had been placed in the sub 18:30 race, in hindsight this benefited me, but last night I was petrified. The field was fast, young and certainly looked elite. I positioned myself at the very back, and hoped to hang on. The first km was far quicker than I would’ve liked and I genuinely thought I wasn’t going to be able to keep up and had already planned my drop out point, but I felt better as the kms were ticked off, I finished with 3 runners behind me and was pleased not to be running my final lap alone. Christos was also in attendance, in the fastest race of the night, the sub 14:30. He ran an astounding race in 14:32, which I think is only 7 seconds off the all time club record.

The calibre of this race was evident in the results, 349 athletes ran, 328 of them ran sub 20 minutes. Despite Christos’ mind boggling time of 14:32, he finished in 40th place (I am certain he will be in the top 10 in the coming years). It was a great experience, if rather intimidating!

(Edit:Sally was too modest to say that this is a new F45 club record for the 5k, the previous record of 18:58 by Alison Bennett having stood since 2008).

Results

1st male Robin Hendrix 13:35

1st female Hannah Nuttall 15:18

40th Christos Tzelis 14:32

301st Sally Armitage 18:47

349 ran

Ilkley Gazette Report – w/c 4 November

Mon 4 Nov 2024

[Photo courtesy of Christopher Morris – Ed Hobbs on his way to a record-breaking win at the Guy Fawkes 10]

From Jill Ezard…

Course records broken and age categories dominated!

There were fantastic performances on fell, trail and road this weekend for the Harriers with some outstanding results. Saturday saw two Harriers take part in the It’s Grim Up North Mother Shipton’s Soft Shoe Shuffle. This trail running event sees participants taking on a beautiful 6.5-mile loop, with a choice of various distances. The route starts from the centre of Knaresborough, climbing gently up through parkland onto the old railway track between Knaresborough and Harrogate, surrounded by beautiful countryside, finishing back in the town. Natalie Gravett-Foyn and Alex Foyn both took on the 10k(ish) challenge, with Natalie having a great run to finish in the top ten in 57:35 and Alex storming over the line in 43:44 to take second place!

Slightly further afield Dave Robson continued his quest to try out a new race every month in 2024 with an outing to Todmorden for the Shepherd’s Skyline Fell race. A 10km race with 350m of ascent this is not for the faint-hearted, with some tough climbs and technical, muddy descents around Stoodley Pike. Dave had a fantastic run, finishing in the top 20 and taking first place in his age category in 52:11. He was joined by Jim Ryder who came over the line in 1:01:30 and Duncan Cooper in 1:04:04.

The ever-popular Guy Fawkes 10 took place on Sunday, attracting a 22-strong team of Harriers this year, yet again lured no doubt by the goodie bag of chocolate the event is renowned for! A hilly ten-mile race, the event starts and finishes at Ripley Castle and is run mostly on the road with a couple of sections of bridleway. There were some outstanding results: Ed Hobbs challenged the lead from the start and put in a blistering performance to win the race in a course record of 54:04; next over the line was Jaysson Sawyer continuing his run of form to take third place in his age category in 1:05:24; Iain Young, returning from injury, put a great run in to be the third Harrier home in 1:07:35; battling for age group top five positions were Peter Shelley and John Hayes who took fourth and fifth positions respectively; Rachel Carter and Jane McCarthy were the first female Harriers home both having superb races to take first place in their age categories – Rachel was sixth female in 1:09:55 and Jane seventh, just seconds behind in 1:10:08; and there were other top ten age group positions for Mike Williams, Marc Westerman and Alison Weston. Well done to all members who took part!

Clearly wanting to get in on election fever in the States, Dick and Helen Waddington crossed the Atlantic to take part in the New York City Marathon on Sunday. This iconic marathon takes participants through all five boroughs of New York City, starting on the Verrazzano–Narrows Bridge on Staten Island and passing through Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan, and the Bronx, before finishing in Central Park. Dick was first over the line in 3:48:15 with Helen just behind in 3:52:58 coming an impressive 115th out of 1,364 in her age category! Well done both!

It has been a very quiet weekend of racing for our Juniors, no doubt due to the school holidays! Nonetheless some good parkrun results for those who took part. James Lee once again had a fabulous top ten finish at Lister Park, coming home in seventh place overall (and first in his age category JM 11-14) with a time of 19:15. Over at Roberts Park, Ethan Pickwoad completed the course in 22:25 (second in his age category of JM10 and 47th overall out of a huge field of 526).

And 20 Senior Harriers took part in one of the weekly parkrun events across the UK with some great achievements. Kate Archer joined in the fun at the Bedworth event and was the first female finisher. And Tom Adams had similar success at Cliffe Castle where his time as first finisher gave an impressive age grading of 82.77%. Even more impressive was Mark Hall at the Lister Park event where he achieved an age grading of 88.78%. At the Chevin event, Danny Thompson had a great run and was ninth finisher and Tom Mountain set a new PB! Also setting a PB at the Myrtle event was Nicola Budding who was also the sixth female finisher. Congratulations to all who took part in an event.

Ilkley Harriers is a friendly welcoming club, open to all. If you would like to try us out, please register first on the training page at www.ilkleyharriers.org.uk and then come along to our main club night at 6.45pm on Tuesdays, meet upstairs at Ilkley tennis and squash club.

Guy Fawkes 10 – Sun 3 Nov

Sun 3 Nov 2024

[Photo courtesy of Andrew Smith – Peter Shelley and Iain Young early on in the popular race]

From Iain Young…

First of all, congratulations to Ed Hobbs, not only for finishing first but also breaking the course record in this year’s race.

For me, having made a return from plantar fasciitis that I picked up from doing the Ilkley Half earlier in the year, I am super pleased I got to take part in this year’s Guy Fawkes 10, which may be the last race from Ripley Castle. And for finishing a few minutes sub 70, plus I was only a few seconds over my course best which was two years ago, making this one my second-fastest effort.

Well done to all the other Harriers who also ran and finished strong.

Results

Shepherd’s Skyline Fell Race – Sat 2 Nov

Sat 2 Nov 2024

From Dave Robson…

I continued my attempt to run a new race each month this year, with a trip to Todmorden for the Shepherd’s Skyline fell race. Around 200 turned up to run the 6 mile, 350m route from the Shepherd’s Rest pub HQ to Stoodley Pike and back.

It’s a great, low-key, £5 on-the-day race, with some good technical sections and a fast downhill finish.

It was good to see fellow Ilkley Harriers, Jim Ryder and Duncan Cooper at the start.

Results

Wooler Trail Marathon – Sat 2 Nov

Sat 2 Nov 2024

[Photo – Rob and Luke before the start]

From Luke Watkeys and Rob Green…

On Saturday we tackled the Wooler Trail Marathon, a challenging 46km (28.5-mile) race through Northumbria National Park, complete with 1,800 meters (6,000 feet) of elevation gain and breathtaking views. Rob had booked the race months ahead, making a half-term family trip of it with a week spent in a cosy cottage, exploring the area and mentally preparing for the course. For Luke, it was a more spontaneous affair. Originally set to run the Yorkshire Marathon a few weeks earlier, a foot injury had thrown off those plans, and he wasn’t about to let the training go to waste. Neither of us had raced this distance on trails before, so this was very much an adventure into the unknown.

Rob’s race

This was about training for a longer distance than I had raced before, so setting off with friends Luke and Liam was an excellent way to try and restrain my pace. We took the first 10km (6 miles) nice and easy, and with the gentle gradients and mild weather, it felt like we had a pleasant day out ahead of us.

But then my enthusiasm got the better of me on the long, steep climb up the Cheviot, Northumberland’s highest peak, looming at 800m (2,600 ft). The sense of ascending into the wild as the wind and rain picked up only egged me on faster. Going over the top, a section of slippery flagstones brought some recovery as I slowed to reduce my risk of falling.

Then the clouds parted, the rain eased, and I could enjoy the views as we raced along the Scottish-English border with exhilarating descents, leg-sapping bogs and sharp ramps. By now, with my legs feeling battered and beaten, the second half of the race was about hanging on. Aided by some long, gradual descents and heartwarming cheers from a supporters gang (including my toddlers running along the track towards me), I managed to keep moving. I almost cracked as a short section of road running brought sharp pains and threats of cramp, but with only 10 km to go, I pushed on up the final hill and was relieved to find there were no chasers in sight.

Trundling down the final descents into Wooler, I felt a great personal satisfaction that I’d completed my first marathon and had also had a fantastic adventure across some rugged and beautiful hills that I had never visited before.

Luke’s race

For my race, let’s just say things didn’t exactly go according to plan. For the first hour, Rob, Liam, and I enjoyed the mild autumn weather, meandering along the trails at a comfortable pace. It was a chance to catch up and enjoy being out there. But about 10km in, we hit the first major test: the ascent of the Cheviot; it was here that things started to unravel.

In just shorts and my Harriers top, I felt fine at the base, but as we climbed higher, I slowed down, and the temperature plummeted. Mist descended, chilling everything and reducing visibility, and just before reaching the top, I hit a stretch of loose scree, and a wave of cramp caused me to collapse. Thankfully, some kind-hearted runners came to the rescue, helping with a field massage. I swapped to trousers and a waterproof, but the damage was done; my legs never really recovered, and from there, it was all about finding a way to keep moving forward.

What followed was a real test of mental resilience. There was plenty of jeffing, lots of stretching breaks, and no shortage of mental pep talks to push through each kilometre. The beauty of the landscape was a real morale boost – misty hills, rugged trails, and sweeping views – but even more uplifting was the camaraderie with fellow runners and the encouragement from marshals along the way. Every checkpoint felt like a mini victory.

The final 5km was the highlight. By that point, I knew I’d make it, and a sense of relief set in, making the pain just that bit easier to ignore. The gradient and terrain eased up, and I found a bit of rhythm, eventually crossing the finish. It wasn’t the race I had pictured, but completing it was a triumph in itself. And though my legs are currently in a dubious state, I somehow already know I’ll be back for more of the same.

Results

(1, 4:24, Russel Walsh, Cheviot Trail Runners)

6, 5:14, Robert Green

(9, 5:28, Sara Robson)

Joint 36, 6:37, Luke Watkeys

133 ran

Ilkley Gazette Report – w/c 28 October

Mon 28 Oct 2024

[Photo by Gaenor Coy – Ilkley’s men’s senior team at the West Yorkshire Cross Country]

From Will Worboys…

Cross Country success for Ilkley Harriers

Several athletes from Ilkley attended the second race in the West Yorkshire Cross Country series, in what was otherwise an unseasonably quiet weekend in the local running world. The event took place at Thornes Park, Wakefield on Sunday morning and attracted top-class runners from all age groups to take part in the various categorised races.

Ilkley’s men’s team put in another excellent performance to finish in 4th place overall in their 9.9KM race, one place better than the previous event at Guiseley earlier in the month. This was helped by Christos Tzelis putting in a brilliant run to finish 3rd in a time of 31.05, just six seconds behind Joe Sagar, the winner from Leeds City AC. Following close behind in 4th was clubmate Ed Hobbs repeating his finishing position from last time out. The Ilkley pair were 1st and 2nd in the under 20 age category. There were also impressive performances from Dan McKeown, Steve Gott, Stephen Coy, and Danny Thompson, whose results all contributed to the team score.

In the ladies inexplicably much shorter race of 5.5KM there were also two excellent Ilkley performances. Helena Coy, who has recently moved up to the senior ranks, showed her great potential, finishing as 2nd Under 20 and in 15th place overall. Not far behind was the only other Harrier in this race Rachel Carter, who finished 19th overall and 3rd V45W.

As for the junior races, the Under 17 men’s team were the pick, with Alexander Wolfenden (4th), Oscar Shinn (6th) and Ollie Holder (16th) helping the Harriers to 2nd overall. In the ladies Under 17 race Matilda Irvine finished 13th. While in the Under 11’s Ethan Pickwoad was 11th and Rafe Garner was 24th.

Meanwhile in North Wales, one Harrier made the trip to take part in the Marathon Eryri, which is an annual road race that circles Snowdon, the highest peak in Wales. Petra Bijsterveld had a superb run finishing in a PB time of 4:28:04 in the event. This performance was especially strong as there is a challenging 2,674 feet of climbing in total encompassed within the scenic 26.2 miles. Petra battled issues with cramp to still knock five minutes off her best time for the race, which she had completed five times previously. The Ilkley endurance expert finished as 7th lady in the V60 category in the iconic event.

Happy news at one of this week’s 5K parkruns, where there was an emotional comeback for club stalwart Bernie Gibbons to Roberts Park. In June this year Bernie collapsed at a parkrun in Manchester and spent some time in intensive care. After several months in hospital and having only been discharged several weeks ago, she was having real difficulties mobilising and needed physiotherapy to help with walking; making returning to parkrun her goal. Two weeks ago, Bernie made it along to watch husband Vince and daughter Mary run at the event. Last week she pushed herself to manage a full lap which was half the full 5K. This week she amazingly managed to complete the full course herself, showing real strength, courage and determination by running parts of it. Everyone at the club wishes Bernie well with her continuing recovery.

In other parkrun news; also at Roberts Park, Dave Foyston had a great run to finish first. This was even more impressive due to the fact that he was in a full Halloween costume with scary mask and could see very little of where he was running!

Elsewhere Robert Cunningham finished 6th at Chevin Forest and Sally Malir was 8th female at the same event. At Cliffe Castle in Keighley, Jacqui Foster finished as 10th female. Harry Sime continued his metronomic 5K timekeeping finishing in 20:08 in 20th place, this time at Fountains Abbey. At Lister Park’s event junior member James Lee had an excellent 6th place finish and finally Samesh Chotai did brilliantly to finish 4th at Skipton.

Brontë Way Fell Race – Sun 27 Oct

Sun 27 Oct 2024

From Jo Foster…

We think Jim Ryder was the sole Harrier running the Brontë Way Fell Race on Sunday. It was a stunning day for an 8-mile romp over the moors from Wycoller to Haworth, with the tough finish up the Haworth cobbles. This is a good value, relaxed race with a free drink in the pub and great for spectating. No results as yet but Jim’s time was 1:13:02.

Marathon Eryri – Sat 26 Oct

Sat 26 Oct 2024

From Petra Bijsterveld…

I travelled to Llanberis for my sixth time running Marathon Eryri (the English version of the name, ‘Snowdonia Marathon’ was dropped in 2023). It was the 40^th staging of this iconic race and the Welsh weather obligingly showed its best face, giving us dry sunny conditions with only a light breeze and a perfect running temperature. The favourable conditions may have helped the winners: Andrew Davies (Maldwyn Harriers) set a new course record of 2:28:41 (the first time 2:30 has been broken) and Louise Flynn (Les Croupiers) ran 2:59:27 (only the 3^rd female ever to go under 3 hours).

Having written five previous race reports and a blog I won’t go into all the details of the race here, but I will just remind the reader that there is 2674ft of ascent squeezed into the 26.2 miles! It is generally held that elite runners will run 20 minutes slower here than on a flat course, mid-pack runners 30 minutes.

I have become gradually faster on this course as the years have gone by, last year I ran 4:33:01. This brought the sub 4:30 goal potentially within reach and I made that my aim. I could see two aspects in last year’s race that I could improve on and shave time off with: starting nearer to the front so I would not have to spend the early miles endlessly weaving around steadier runners, and avoiding having to make a toilet stop.

Training had been as good as I could make it, having run the SwissPeaks 100 in early September. I took two weeks to recover and then had five weeks left to focus on road miles. In fact, that is four weeks and a sharp one week taper. Anyone who thinks that my running lots of ultras translates into finding a road marathon a mere breeze would be gravely mistaken. Road running is so much harder!

I had written my 5k splits and my timing point splits from last year on my forearm, with the plan to be just ahead of them, and progressively increase the difference over the race, hopefully without overcooking it. As we lined up for the start I pushed my way forward until I found the 4:30 pacer. I had a brief chat with him, he was really nice and did exude confidence but at the same time I noted that he had a wrist band with a standard pacing chart, and I did wonder how useful this would be on such a hilly course, especially with two out of the three main climbs coming in the second half you cannot split this race anywhere near even. I assumed he had lots of experience on this course but didn’t really want to ask for fear of appearing rude. I decided to stick near him or go marginally ahead, but mainly rely on my own plan, as I know the course well enough. I overtook him in mile 6 and did not see him again until the finish. (He did make it just inside 4:30 but seemed even more broken than I was, which you wouldn’t expect from a pacer!)

I spent some miles yo-yoing with Matt Podd from Otley AC which was nice. Lots of people said ‘hello Croups’ to me as our Ilkley vest is the same as that of Les Croupiers AC in Cardiff. Someone asked if I was Petra and she said she had read my blog. But other than these little exchanges I just worked hard. I managed to occasionally enjoy looking at the views, autumn colours in the sunshine and all that, but this race was largely about digging deep, keeping on top of my fuelling and hydration, and going at the fastest pace I could maintain for four and a half tough hours.

Having had cramp on the finishing straight last year I took two electrolyte capsules with about four miles to go, but I still got a sudden severe cramp in my left hamstring at the top of the last climb, which is particularly steep. It settled down again quickly, but was a warning sign. I hurtled down the two-mile descent (the first mile of this is off road and tricky, but thankfully relatively dry this year). I knew my goal time was in the bag barring a fall or cramp disaster. And I saw at least two runners crumpled at the side of the path, but they where being helped by others so I rushed onwards. With about half a mile to go I felt as if my legs were going to give way but I sped on downwards into Llanberis and the wall of sound on the finishing straight. I could hear people shout my name and ‘Ilkley’. About ten meters from the line my almost Olympic sprint came to an abrupt halt due to the agony of more sudden hamstring cramp. I could hear the roar of the crowd go ‘Oooohhh’ as if they were living it with me. Thankfully I had enough time in hand so I hobbled over the line in 4:28:04 to receive my sixth slate coaster. Absolutely over the moon. I had hoped to be in the top three of my age category (F60) having been fourth last year, but the field was even stronger this year, making me seventh out of 55. I think I can be happy with that!

I do intend to return to this race next year, ballot permitting, but I don’t think I can improve on this time. No more marginal gains available and I couldn’t have gone any faster. Maybe I will jog round and enjoy the scenery a bit more!

Results

(1 2:28:41 Andrew Davies, Maldwyn Harriers)

(26 2:59:23 Louise Flynn, Les Croupiers)

945 4:28:04 Petra Bijsterveld

2342 ran

Ilkley Gazette Report – w/c 21 October

Mon 21 Oct 2024

[Photo by Alison Weston – Men’s Open British Fell and Relay third place team (L to R) Sam Bentham, Ben Rothery, Jack Wood, Tom Adams and Nathan Edmondson (Jack Cummings not shown)]

From Jill Ezard…

Podium and age category success for Harriers across the UK

There were fantastic performances on fell, trail and road this weekend for the Harriers with some outstanding results. Saturday’s glorious weather saw three teams representing the club at the British Fell And Hill Relay Championships on Saturday, providing an opportunity for the best teams from around the country to compete together. The event was being held on home turf this year, with the race starting in Appletreewick and taking in the surrounding fells. There are four legs in the race: the first is a solo leg; the second and third are pairs event with the third also requiring runners to find a number of navigation points; and the fourth is another solo leg. The women’s Vet 40 team, who had got a place through the ballot, had an outstanding run out taking first place. Katie Poulter’s descending skills in the first leg, Kate Archer and Rachel Carter’s ascending prowess on the tough second leg, Alison Weston and Jann Smith’s outstanding navigational work on the third leg and Helen Thurston’s speed on the final leg meant the team finished in a total time of 5:28:34, just over a minute ahead of the second team, guaranteeing them in a place in the event next year.

The men’s open team were also on top form: Sam Bentham led the team out handing over to Jack Cummings and Nathan Edmondson for the second leg; Jack Wood and Tom Adams had a fantastic navigational leg placing third and handed over to Ben Rothery who was the fastest runner in the final leg and brought the team up to a podium third place in a total time of 3:36:01. The men’s Vet 40 team of Daniel McKeown on leg one, Michael Odell and Gawain Moore taking a fantastic second place on leg two, Iain Gibbons and Paul Carman on leg three, and Nick Kealey on the final leg, pushed the team into eighth place overall in 4:41:40. Well done to all the teams!

A little further north, three Harriers travelled to the Lake District to take part in the Lakeland Trails Helvellyn 15km race, a beautiful event taking participants into the foothills of Helvellyn, with elevated panoramic views of Ullswater, and dramatic vistas of the surrounding peaks. It was clearly a day for success as all three achieved personal bests on the route: Peter Roll was the first home in 1:21:04, followed by Steve King in 1:36:51, both taking sixth place in their age categories, and Penny Coulthard had a great run dipping under the two-hour mark in 1:59:12.

In contrast on Sunday it was a day to battle challenging weather conditions on the roads with seven Harriers taking part in the Yorkshire Marathon in York. Starting and finishing at the University campus, the event takes in the sights of the city on a flat and fast course. Steven Bysouth was the first over the line in a cracking time of 3:05:10, a hair’s breadth in front of Jaysson Sawyer in 3:05:11! The remaining four Harriers were separated by less than 15 minutes: Danny Thompson finished in 3:23:03; Dave Reynier in 3:27:57; Ash Winter in 3:30:30; Harry Brook-Dobson in 3:34:41; and Mark Gill in 3:37:20.

Further afield, one intrepid Harrier travelled to The Netherlands to take part in the TCS Amsterdam Marathon. The course starts and finishes in the Olympic Stadium, passes the Rijksmuseum, follows the Amstel for several miles and winds through the Vondelpark. Lucy Lowe had a great run dipping under the four and a half hour mark in 4:29:03.

It was a quieter weekend of racing for our Juniors, but nonetheless a very successful one for those who ran! After last week’s 1st place finish at Chevin Forest Parkrun, Alexander Wolfenden decided to leave the trails behind and run on tarmac this weekend, with another fantastic 1st place finish at Skipton Parkrun in 17:28. On Sunday morning, the wet and windy weather did not deter Ollie Holder from running in the Whixley 5K – a scenic run around Whixley and its surrounds. He was rewarded with 1st place overall, finishing in 19:51.

Taking advantage of the good weather, 19 Harriers took part in parkruns across the country. In a spot of parkrun tourism, Geoff White and Laura Dawes took part in the Girvan Prom event on the west coast of Scotland with Geoff the eighth finisher. At the Lister Park event Mark Hall was yet again topping the age grade ratings with his time of 18:58 securing a rating of 87.61%! And it was a top ten finish and a great age grading of 79.52% for Harry Sime at the Roberts Park event. Skipton saw success for Samesh Chotai, taking a third place finish and Geoff Howard achieving an age grading of 86.49%. Well done to all that took part.

Abingdon Marathon – Sun 20 Oct

Sun 20 Oct 2024

From Forrest Hamilton..

Abingdon-on-Thames is a small town about 15 minutes down the road from Oxford and its fairly flat and fast marathon has been going since 1982, making it one of the oldest in the country. Taking place the same day as the Yorkshire Marathon, I chose to head south mainly because the start/finish is just a mile from my in-laws, offering a logistically easy weekend away.

Although the race only has around 2 miles in total run on closed roads, it attracts a fast selection of runners amongst the 1,000 participants. By the sounds of it, we got much luckier with the weather than everyone running in York, even though there were plenty of grumbles from the people around me about the conditions ruining the chance of a PB. On an entirely unrelated note, I didn’t see another northerner all day.

Having entered this race back in July with the goal of attaining a Boston Qualifier (you needed to have run a 2.53.03 to get a place in the 2025 race) for 2026, I’d promptly got injured and the build up mostly consisted of cycling, easy trails and abandoned long runs. Hardly a recipe for success, considering the marathon is unforgiving to even the most prepared of us. But hey, we were headed down anyway, so I told my wife I’d run at sub-2.50 pace until I couldn’t. That was about as far as the planning went.

After the first 300m on the track (a hell of a way to ensure you go out too fast!) and a couple miles on a fast downhill stretch of road, we headed onto a muddy footpath for a mile. Surrounded by complaints about the weather (apparently Abingdon has something of a reputation for rain) and new Alphafly’s getting muddy, I felt fairly smug (I like running in the rain and my Alphafly’s were already dirty).

The smugness didn’t last long as the pace and lack of training started to pinch with just 6 miles gone. Just don’t think about the 20 miles left…

Once you’re out of the town centre, you start a loop that you do twice, this is mostly on back country roads and a business park, but does also incorporate a roughly three mile stretch (unsure if this is accurate but it felt LONG) where you run along a wonky pavement next to a busy road. This is not the best. Especially on the second go round.

Aside from this, the running was mainly good, with a good group to share the wind blocking duties and long stretches of traffic free road to enjoy the accompanying tailwind.

The benefits of the twice run loop was that spectating for my endlessly patient, excitable, and very cold wife was easy. This is probably the best thing about the race, as she was able to see me at the start, mile 10, 19 and the finish. When you’re as reliant on good vibes and a seamless gel hand off as I was, this is no small thing. Apparently, the leader at mile 10 wasn’t quite so lucky with his gel hand off, as his wife (perhaps not expecting him to be so quick) missed him and had to frantically chase up to him, to the biggest cheer of the day.

Despite having zero expectations of the race going well, the expected bonk never came and I didn’t truly hit the wall until mile 25, dragging myself to a final 7.00 minute mile and a 2.49.20 finish, which all but confirmed a trip to Boston. Running is weird and I’m not sure I’ll try and replicate my build up the next time.

If you’re looking for a new marathon to run and don’t mind travelling, Abingdon is certainly worth looking into. I’m not sure it’s quite as flat or fast as advertised but it’s well supported and organised. You also get free photos from the plentiful volunteers on course which is no small thing when they often cost £25 a pop! Perhaps this is a concession to the miles of dodgy pavement running…

British FRA Relays (all teams) – Sat 19 Oct

Sat 19 Oct 2024

From Rachel Carter…

This year the UKA British Hill and Fell Relays were held at Appletreewick with all the best fell teams coming to compete in this prestigious event of the race calendar. The relays comprise 4 legs – 2 solos and 2 paired – with Leg 3 requiring navigation to find 9 checkpoints after being handed a map at a few hundred metres into the race. There were rumours beforehand that the course wouldn’t be tough, with it being held in a relative backwater of the Dales, but I think many were surprised! Wharfedale Harriers’ hosting was superb with everything (including the weather) organised perfectly and so many people volunteering their time for car-parking, registration, bag checks, marshalling etc.

Our LV40 team won a place through the ballot and amazingly the team managed to stay the same from being arranged in early September with no last-minute changes required due to illness or injury. This meant those of us on the non navigation legs did fit in a couple of recces so we had knowledge of the terrain and most of the route.

Katie’s skills as a strong descender meant she was well placed on Leg 1, which included the punishing Burnsall Fell race route putting our team 7th of 17 in the LV40 category. Kate and I ‘ran’ Leg 2 – the longest leg at 8.7miles and 2600 ft. Kate’s endurance definitely pushed me to my limit for the 2nd half but I held my own on the descents and we moved the team up to 3rd. Alison and Jann did an amazing job on Leg 3, running over rough pathless ground, staying focused and using their skills to successfully find all the navigation checkpoints, enabling us to move into first place! Having been set off in the Leg 4 mass start, Helen had no knowledge that we were in 1st so could run her own race! By her own admission steep slippy descents are not her preference but she must have managed well as she ran a strong leg in a fast time to keep us in first!

I’ve not done these relays before but it was a great day and I Ioved it. The event has a real buzzy atmosphere as all the legs start and finish from the same point allowing opportunity to cheer fellow club mates on and enjoy the general amazing vibe that the fell running camaraderie provides. Winning the category was the icing on the cake and I don’t think any of us could quite believe it! Apparently this means Ilkley has automatic entry in the LV40 category to next year’s relays (3 1/2 hours away in Wales!). Thanks to all those IH members that supported all the teams on the day – marshalling, cheering on, bringing the tent and taking photos – it’s really appreciated.

From Nick Helliwell…

Rachel has already brilliantly summarised the great day out we had, and the wonderful location and organisation by Wharfedale Harriers, so straight into the mens’ summary:

Having home field advantage, and one of the best teams we could put out, we went into the men’s open category quietly confident of a good result. Which was shared by Ted Mason’s charity bookkeeping enterprise ‘BetTed’, who had Ilkley equal second favourites for overall victory, behind only Carnethy. But this race is highly competitive, and everything has to go right on the day. Sam Bentham led the team out, in his last race as an U18, trying to recreate his second place finish in the same leg in this race last year. Things were looking good to start with, Sam leading the pack at the top of the first (very) big climb. However, disaster struck on the first descent, with Sam falling on loose rocks, and injuring himself quite badly. But the adrenaline kicked in, he picked himself up and finished the leg in 7th, a remarkable achievement, considering the first aiders discussed a hospital visit afterwards! Thankfully it seems he’s okay, with just bruising, which a little rest should resolve. Jack Cummings and Nathan Edmondson took over from Sam, and by the top of the first major climb (Simon’s Seat) had first place in their sights. However, this was a highly competitive field, with a blistering pace being set, and they couldn’t quite hold on from there, finishing the leg in 10th overall. In stepped Tom Adams and Jack Wood, who ran a fantastic navigational leg, pulling the team up to 6th place, just 1m30s behind 3rd place, although with some serious competition ahead. But up stepped Ben Rothery, and racing is what he does best. Ben reeled in team after team, and returned to the event field as leg winner, comfortably in 3rd place overall, to jubilant cheers from the home crowd. We think 3rd place is Ilkley’s best ever result in this competition, and it gives us confidence to do even better in Wales next year.

When Ben Mounsey is racing in a ‘supervets’ Calder Valley team, you know your MV40 team is going to be up against it! Dan McKeown did a great job on Leg 1, the ‘Burnsall Classic plus’ route, coming back to the event field in 9th. Michael Odell and Gawain Moore then absolutely stormed Leg 2, putting the team up to 5th, ahead of even Bingley Harriers’ ‘A’ team! The navigational leg 3 was key, as many teams got lost or missed checkpoints, so Paul Carman and Iain Gibbon’s diligent job of hitting every nav point really paid off, while teams all around got themselves disqualified. Nick Kealey finished it off, and the team ended in a creditable 8th place overall.

We have a bunch of fast youngsters coming through, and some of our elite males already having hit 40, so we might very well have our own supervets team in years to come. We were even talking about some of our fast MV40s becoming elite MV50s, so may even be looking to dominate all three categories at some point. Watch this space!

Ilkley Gazette Report – w/c 14 October

Mon 14 Oct 2024

[Photo by Beth Ripper – Sam Bentham pursued by the pack on his way to victory at the Wasdale Show Fell Race]

From Peter Shelley…

Ilkley Harriers’ mettle tested on the fells and on the roads

Saturday saw Harriers tackle rough conditions in the Lakes and Derbyshire. The Langdale Horseshoe Fell Race covered 21km and 1,450m of ascent on rocky terrain scaling the summits of Thunacarr Knott, Bowfell and Pike of Blisco in high winds and rain. Rated AL (long and steep) by the Fell Racing Association, the race restricts entry to those with relevant experience and navigational skills, with mandatory kit requirements in force. Among the 240 finishers who rose to the challenge were Jack Gribbin finishing in 2:47:00, placing 39th, and Gavin Lamb in 3:12:42, placing 99th.

Steve Turland contended with Saturday’s conditions for even longer to run Lakes in a Day, an annual 80km ultra race with 4,000m of ascent. The route crosses the entire Lake District from Caldbeck in the north to Cartmel in the south passing via Blencathra, the Helvellyn range and the shores and hills west of Windermere. Calling on his considerable experience and resilience, Steve made the finish in 14:36:40, 54th of 218.

Extreme weather on the summit of Kirk Fell caused the Wasdale Show Fell Race to be shortened on safety grounds. Undeterred, Sam Bentham won convincingly in 15:51 to build on an already highly successful 2024 season as he moves into the senior category.

Ladybower Reservoir in the Peak District hosted two off-road endurance events at half marathon and ultra distances. Run over scenic but hilly and muddy trails, the 22k route with 520m of ascent saw Rumana Chowdhury finish in 3:03:41 to place 804/1034. The 52km route with 1,164m of ascent saw Martin Hartley finish in 05:30:56, 64th of 758. Crossing the line with Martin was Ritchie Williamson, adding to his successful 2024 roster of ultra and multi-day events. Congratulations are also due to Paul Sullivan who finished in 06:12:32 and Lucy Elliott in 07:17:28.

Five hardy Harriers tackled a similarly muddy Haworth Moor in the Withins Skyline race, Gawain Moore coming in 7th and top male vet 40, Tom Mountain 35th, Adam Gerrish 51st, Rachel Carter 53rd (2nd lady vet 40) and Duncan Cooper 77th of 170 finishers.

Sunday saw 5,598 runners including ten Harriers compete in the Abbey Dash. The largely flat 10k road route between Leeds city centre and Kirkstall Abbey combined with cool calm conditions to produce some fast times, among them Nathan Edmondson’s 29:59 which gained him an excellent 18th place. Jack Cummings bettered his previous times at this event, finishing 44th in 30:54. Ed Hobbs finished in 31:01 and Alex Foyn in 35:59, placing 48th and 253rd respectively. Competitive showings followed by Tony Pye, Richard Robinson, Andrew Smith, Hannah Osieku, James Holdsworth and Nic Anness.

The standout performance came from Geoffrey Howard who won the male vet 80 category. Geoff’s time of 47:13, fast by any measure, put him 24 minutes clear of his nearest age category rival. Our research suggests that Geoff’s run is the fastest 10k for his age group in the UK in 2024 so far!

Sally Armitage took on an altogether hillier road race climbing 205m over 10k in Holmfirth to finish 13/154 and 2nd lady in 41:19.

Matthew Lambe and Harry Sime both went sub-20 minutes in the York 5k.

Further 5k action took place in this week’s parkruns. Jaysson Sawyer was 10th and Rob Cunningham 19th at the Fountains Abbey event. In Skipton Samesh Chotai went one better than his previous week’s result to come home first in an impressive eighteen minutes flat, having moved up to the senior section.

Dave and Paula Reynier both ran personal bests at Heslington.

Amanda Newham went the furthest afield to run along the Danube in the Linz parkrun.

Junior Results Roundup

From Nicola Budding…

Two juniors made the journey north to the Wasdale Show Fell Race, the last in the BOFRA 2024 Fell League. Oscar Shinn and George Whittlestone were both competing in the U17 race finishing in 4th and 6th place respectively.

Several juniors took part in the weekly parkruns with two top five finishes at Chevin Forest: Alexander Wolfenden in 1st place with a time of 17:56 followed by Ollie Holder in 5th place with a time of 20:29. Heather Crolla was the 6th female finisher at Skipton with 24:46.

Sunday saw the Quarry Runs take place on Penistone Hill near Haworth with Michael Moore finishing as 1st U11 Boy and Isobel Moore 4th U11 Girl.

Abbey Dash – Sun 13 Oct

Sun 13 Oct 2024

From Geoff Howard..

Hamstring injury, Covid and a washed away road have all conspired this year to thwart either a big race or a big walk plan. As the X84 crawled, increasingly behind schedule, from Headingley down to the Inner Ring Road on Sunday morning, I was beginning to think “Whoops here we go again”. An early departure from said bus, followed by a walk including a fortuitously found quiet loo stop and I was in my 50 minute start pen with just five minutes to spare, despite an agonisingly long wait at the baggage drop. Perfect conditions and uncongested early running helped to find some sort of rhythm. The upshot, unusual for me, was consistent timing for each of the six miles and a race time that I was more over the solar system with, rather than over the moon, (47m 13s when I’d hoped for sub 49m at best). Great running from nine other Harriers with the Raceahead company’s over-head on-the-line graphics showing James crossing with four others, myself and Andrew each with three others, Nathan and Ed both in one-to-one battles. p.s. if anyone finds a red Ilkley Harriers hat on the front upstairs seat of an X84, it’s mine – left when alighting in haste (panic).

Results:

1st overall – James McMurray – St Albans 29m 00s

1st Lady – Georgie Grec – Herne Hill 31m 37s

18 Nathan Edmondson – 29m 59s

44 Jack Cummings – 30m 56s

48 Edward Hobbs – 30m 58s

253 Alex Foyn – 36m 01s

989 Richard Robinson – 44m 28s

1183 Andrew Smith – 44m 46s

1214 Geoffrey Howard – 47m 13s

2048 Hannah Osieku – 51m 52s

2474 James Holdsworth – 55m 18s

5181 Ni Anness – 75m 04s

5615 finished

[Editor’s note: Geoff, with typical modesty, didn’t mention that his time would appear to be the fastest by a MV80 in Britain this year]

Holmfirth 10k – Sun 13 Oct

Sun 13 Oct 2024

From Sally Armitage…

I’d entered this race last year but missed it due to illness so was pleased to make the start line this year. Another hilly road race starting and finishing in Holmfirth. A long climb up, a loop around a reservoir, followed by the same route back down to the finish. With 205 metres of climb it was the ideal preparation race for my next challenge in three weeks time, Guy Fawkes 10!

It started fast and knowing there was a lady there much faster then me, the goal was second place, and for the first 5k it was a battle against a Halifax Harrier. I think I got away from her around the 6k mark. The finish was a lap of a field, which is horrific at the best of times but when it’s bumpy and slippery, and you’re a road runner with wobbly ankles, it wasn’t enjoyable. Definitely a good hill training race for Guy Fawkes though!

Results:

1st male Alex Whittem Todmorten Harriers 35:11

1st lady (9th overall) Katie Walshaw Holmfirth Harriers 39:05

2nd lady (13th overall) Sally Armitage 41:19

Withins Skyline – Sun 13 Oct

Sun 13 Oct 2024

From Rachel Carter…

It’s a few years since I ran this race and I had forgotten about the bogs. On the way out the route climbs up several plateaus before reaching the Stoop standing stone and then Top Withins (a ruined farmhouse said to have inspired Emily Bronte’s novel Wuthering Heights) via some of the flagged Pennine Way. I managed to overtake a few people on the descent but saw the girl ahead of me pull away on the long drag back to the cricket club at Penistone Hill. This race is one of four over the next four months that start at Penistone Hill above Haworth – they offer good value for money at only £5 entry which includes refreshments before and after!

Five Harriers took part with Gawain coming a great 7th and 1st in his category, winning chocolate beer and a pint pot tankard!

Results

1. Andrew Worster Calder Valley 42:32

7. Gawain Moore 45:06

35. Thomas Mountain 53:46

51. Adam Gerrish 56.19

53. Rachel Carter 56.56

77. Duncan Cooper 60:15

182 finished

Ilkley Gazette Report – w/c 7 October

Mon 7 Oct 2024

[Photo by Alison Weston – Sam Bentham and Oli Murphy at the Hodgson Brothers Mountain relay]

From Will Worboys…

Ilkley send strong teams to Lakes Relay

The Harriers sent two strong teams to take part in one of the highlights of the fell running calendar, the Hodgson Brothers Mountain relay, on Saturday. The annual relay race accepted 70 teams in total who took on a challenging route through the Lake District. Each of the four legs is run in pairs and Ilkley’s men’s team had an excellent run to finish 22nd overall. The first pair of Sam Bentham and Oli Murphy had got the team off to a cracking start finishing the leg in 3rd place. The rest of the men’s team consisted of; Paul Carman and Gavin Lamb on leg 2, Michael Odell and Iain Gibbons on leg 3; with Ben Rothery and Jack Gribbin completing the final leg of the route, which is approximately 22.4 miles in total with 8860ft ascent.

The ladies team also had an excellent run at the event, which is based at Patterdale near Ullswater, to finish in 66th. Their team consisted of Rebecca Mon Williams and Jane McCarthy on leg 1, Jann Smith and Katie Poulter on leg 2, Alison Weston and Kelly Wilby on leg 3 and Rachel Carter and Kate Archer on leg 4.

Meanwhile on Sunday morning was the first race of this year’s West Yorkshire Cross Country league series and there were surprisingly good underfoot conditions. There were several races for juniors at Nunroyd Park in Guiseley, followed by the senior men’s and women’s races run separately. Only Alison Bennett from Ilkley braved the women’s race which, in a throwback to medieval times, is significantly shorter than the men’s, finishing the 5.5KM course in an admirable 51st position and first in her age group.

In the 9.5KM men’s race Ed Hobbs and Christos Tzelis were in the lead group of four right from the gun and had a great battle throughout the race with the lead changing hands on almost every lap. Christos just had the edge in the final couple of hundred metres, but was narrowly beaten in a terrific sprint battle with Abdimajiid Darood of Skyrac by just three seconds, with Ed finishing only seven seconds behind Christos in 4th place.

Ed and Christos, together with good placings from Dan McKeown, Steve Gott, Tim Ashelford and Dave Westhead, who all did well in their age categories, gave Ilkley the 5th team place. Also, out there flying the Harriers flag were Adam Gerrish, Danny Thompson and Stephen Morris, all having great runs.

Away from the mud and uneven terrain there have been a couple of big city half marathons taking place recently, with significant involvement from Ilkley Harriers. Last weekend Tom Adams had won the Humber Bridge Half, in an incredible time of 1:09:35. The performance was so good that it broke the Harriers club record, for both the V35 and V40 male category! Whilst this weekend in Cardiff, Steve Coy posted an excellent time of 1:26:51 to finish in 599th place of over 22,000 participants, which included a strong elite field. Gaenor Coy also did very well to come well inside the top half in a time of 2:04:18.

Staying with road racing, at the Morley 10K Sally Armitage came storming back from a quiet few months to finish as first lady. The popular race which took place on Sunday morning, is described intriguingly as; “a closed road course around the historic streets of Morley with two out and back sections and (possibly uniquely) a 3-way crossover section at the legendary ‘Morley Bottoms’.” Sally expertly navigated the “Morley Bottoms” to finish in a superb time of 39:18. There were two other representatives from Ilkley present. Alex Foyn did brilliantly to finish in 10th place of the 859 total finishers in a time of 37:41, while Natalie Gravett-Foyn was in 286th place in a time of 53:45.

To the weekly parkrun results. There was a large contingent of representatives from the Harriers this week. This was partly down to the event at Lister Park being on the race league calendar, but also no doubt the draw of celebrating this weekend’s 20th anniversary of the birth of parkrun. The phenomenon of parkrun now has over 10 million people signed up worldwide, after starting with just 13 participants who took part in the ‘Bushy Park Time Trial’ in London in October 2004.

At Lister Park the first-place finisher was Ilkley’s Matthew Thackwray, who was followed by Mark Hall in 5th. Jonathan Turner, Owen Parker, John Hayes, Peter Shelley, Adam Gerrish and Sarah Hayes all managed top 20 finishes in a dominant Ilkley showing.

Elsewhere there was a good showing from Samesh Chotai again who was 2nd at Skipton, followed by James Horrex in 5th. At Cliffe Castle Rob Cunningham was 2nd finisher and at Roberts Park Jaysson Sawyer was 8th. Geoffrey Howard, as is often the case, topped the age grading table with a score of 82.96% following his time of 25:20 at Wetherby.

Guiseley WYXC – Sun 6 Oct

Sun 6 Oct 2024

From Neil Chapman…

It was surprisingly good conditions underfoot for the first West Yorkshire race of the year, although Alison Bennett was the only Harrier in the ladies race, it was well worth the trip, having a great race and finishing 1st in her age group.

The men had good representation, with nine of them in the race. Ed Hobbs and Christos Tzelis were in the lead group of four right from the gun and had a great battle throughout the race with the lead changing hands on almost every lap. Christos just had the edge in the final couple of hundred metres, but was narrowly beaten in a terrific sprint battle with Abdimajiid Darood of Skyrac by just three seconds, with Ed finishing only seven seconds behind Christos in 4th place.

Well done everyone, and let’s hope we get a few more ladies out for the next race at Wakefield in three weeks’ time.

Morley 10k – Sun 6 Oct

Sun 6 Oct 2024

From Sally Armitage…

An undulating, chip timed, closed road 10k around the streets of Morley. The weather was perfect, 10 degrees, no wind, no rain.

Prior to this race I wasn’t going to write a report, solely because I’ve been in a funk and feeling old and unfit, having not raced much this year at all compared to last year. But… I was really pleased with my performance! Not knowing how the race would unfold, I decided to stick with the 40-minute pacer initially and see how I felt; I stuck with him for the first 5k and then pushed on. I was grateful to have him, never having run with a pacer before it was nice to not feel the need to look at my watch and just run. The snippets of encouragement were a bonus too! It was a well organised and really well supported event, and it didn’t break the bank! Definitely one for the calendar next year.

Results:

[1st Jordan Eastwood, Slaithwaite Striders RC, 34:16]

10th Alex Foyn 37:41

17th (1st lady) Sally Armitage 39:18

286th Natalie Gravett-Foyn 53:45

859 ran

Hodgson Brothers Relay – Sat 5 Oct

Sat 5 Oct 2024

From Alison Weston…

Ilkley Harriers managed to organise two teams to compete in the annual Hodgson Brothers relay at the weekend. It’s a really popular event with a lot of competition for team places. The race starts from Patterdale and has 4 paired legs covering 40km and 2450m ascent including Angle Tarn, High Street, Caudale Moor, Red Screes, Hart Crag, Fairfield and St Sunday Crag.

The race was won by Keswick AC in an incredible time of 3:32:25.

The Ilkley men’s team came a very creditable 22nd place in a total time of 4:24:12 and the ladies team 66th (and 10th ladies team) in 5:47:17.

Best leg of the day for Ilkley had to be Sam and Oli on leg 1 who got the team off to a great start in 3rd position overall!

Results here and individual legs were:

Men

Leg 1 Sam Bentham and Oli Murphy

Leg 2 Paul Carman and Gavin Lamb

Leg 3 Iain Gibbons and Michael Odell

Leg 4 Ben Rothery and Jack Gribbin

Ladies

Leg 1 Jane McCarthy and Rebecca Mon Williams

Leg 2 Jann Smith and Katie Poulter

Leg 3 Kelly Harrison and Alison Weston

Leg 4 Kate Archer and Rachel Carter

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.

Results

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

Results

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, 255^th 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.

Results

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

Results

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.

Results

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 15^th 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 22^nd position; next up were Gavin Lamb and Justin Phillips, who moved the team up to 17^th 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 250^th 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.

CCC (Courmayeur Champex Chamonix) 30th – 31st Aug

Sat 31 Aug 2024

From Andrew Merrick…

For the 7^th year in the last eight, I came out to the alps in August to either support or take part in the UTMB week of races – the atmosphere in Chamonix remains as special as ever.

Having earned some stones last July, I spent them successfully entering the CCC, which largely follows the route of the last 2/3 of the full UTMB course – 100km and 6000m of ascent.

There were a number of contrasts to last year’s Chamonix experience, during which I did the TDS in the early part of the week. The CCC starts, as UTMB, on the Friday – this time the bus to the start in Courmayeur was painless (my daughter kindly got up early to drive me into Chamonix), and we arrived almost 2 hours before the start of the race, after a very straightforward passage through the Mont Blanc tunnel. I was glad I had booked a later bus, since two hours was more than enough time for pre-race faffing. Despite the gang planning to meet me at the end of the race, I took a drop bag with me so I had access to warm clothes, none of which I needed. The one light, wicking layer I wore to the start was enough for the entire race – I don’t recall it actually being dry at any time after we had started…. [Last year I peaked at 4 layers and two pairs of gloves, a hat and a hood].

I was due to set off at 9:15 am at the front of the second wave, which gave me to meet Ed, the first of four fellow Brits from the Southampton area… I always find it reassuring to compare notes before the start. We had been warned about the bottleneck once we hit single file on the long (1400m ascent) climb out of Courmayeur, and there was a clear sense of people moving pretty quickly from the start to minimise the queue time. I joined in with this which resulted in only a 5 min wait or so, although there were a number of other stationary moments on the way up to the first peak at Tete de la Tronche, with some fabulous views on the way up to one of the two high spots on the course (and actually a higher climb out of Courmayeur than on UTMB) – a solid 6 miles of climb to start the race! This was followed by in places a dusty descent down to the first Check Point at Refuge Bertone, not quite 3 miles further on. I had planned to deploy the Petra technique of faff minimisation at all of the seven CPs so I was quickly on my way after refilling my bottles and grabbing a bit of water melon. There is then a relatively flat/undulating section most of the way to the second CP 16.5 miles in at Arnouvaz. It was on the way down the steepish descent into here that I started to feel some leg cramp developing in both inner quads.

I decided it was just too warm for some salty bouillon so stuck with the quick refuelling plan and back out for the long climb out of Italy to the top of the grand col ferret. The route was still pretty busy at this stage, so I just tried to sit in behind people going at a similar pace and conserve energy as much as possible, chatting when the opportunity arose. I should have taken some more water with me for this climb in the warmth of the afternoon – I was right to recall there was no water at the top, so I took a few minutes to sit down prior to the lengthy 6 mile descent into La Fouly. It was on this descent that my legs were getting pretty cross with the world, and I found the only safe thing to do was to march rather than run, the straighter legged approach reducing the cramp risk, although i did still have to stop a few times on the side of the track to stretch out and swear a bit. Happily there was a water stop a couple of miles down from the summit, which allowed a full bottle refill, before limping my way down to the first Swiss CP. At this point, despite the temperatures – still at least mid 20s – I decided I had to go the bouillon route to help with salt intake plus a little cheese (hard to digest with a dry mouth), which I nibbled at on the way to Champex – a lovely small Swiss town at the end of our third climb marking the half way point. Happily the first half of this section is pretty flat which gave my legs a bit of a break; even more happily, I was passed by Ed who I had been chatting to at the start, we ran together for a little while and in response to my answer as to how it was going “it would be better without the cramp”, he very kindly gave me 3 salt tablets. I took one immediately and he also said his wife would be at Champex and might have some more. The second half of the route to Champex is a climb up through the trees, at which point I bumped into Dick Jones again, who had also been having cramp issues, albeit his were more uphill than downhill. We stuck together for a lot of the climb until he had to stop to sort his uphill cramp and I carried on in reasonable spirits to Champex.

The CP here was very warm and very rammed – the supporter buses had sold out months ago – I forced some soup down, took a second salt tablet washed down with coke, grabbed a small lump of cheese, and got out of there, recognising there was no way I would be able to spot Ed or his wife. In an outbreak of incompetence I had forgotten to get my head torch out of my back pack at Champex so stopped relatively soon afterwards as we hit the trees again.

I had reasonable experience of the remaining three legs, all three of which feature a messy climb and a longer and gnarlier than you think descent, particularly on the first two. I refuelled again at every opportunity on the next section (a lot of French villages have running water points, which are very welcome in these temperatures), and fell into a reasonable rhythm for most of the next (800m) ascent occasionally overtaking slower competitors, and sticking with the plan of never stopping on a climb. Dick and I compared notes again a few times, at various points – he was always quicker than me downhill – and we eventually made it to the top of climb 4 (out of 6). Not long after the top, the route, slightly randomly, takes you through a barn, where they were serving water and coffee. I passed on the coffee but topped up my bottles again, getting close to not liking the taste of my Tailwind anymore! I had remembered that the descent into Trient (or Trent as it is now known after my daughter Sophie’s failed attempts to get there) was more technical than you really need at the bottom and longer than you need it to be. I was struggling to refuel with solids properly at this point having been quite disciplined with my 45 min timer on my watch for most of the race. I put two shotbloks into my mouth at one point on this leg, and at least one was still left when the next 45 min timer went off…… I had a simple plan at Trient – to get out as quickly possible – I knew if I got out of there I would make it to Vallorcine, and I knew if I made it to Vallorcine, I would definitely finish. I couldn’t face any soup, so I just put water in my bottles, took my remaining salt tablet, ignored the “take 1.5 litres with you” advice, and headed out around about midnight for our first French CP, where I knew Petra would be kindly waiting.

After an initial flat mile or so, the track climbs quite steeply (another 800m+ climb) so I settled in behind a woman wearing a blue mountain marathon clinic top (the only thing I knew about her), remembering there would be a fire burning and a couple of marshals most of the way up, although the post brazier climb was longer than I recalled. We eventually topped out, and I continued to largely follow BMMC woman for most of the descent thanking her for her steady pace, as we eventually got down to the wide ski track near Vallorcine. At this point I saw Dick again and we reminded ourselves that this track was short-lived before diving off on a gnarly track through the woods, eventually coming out close to the CP although a detour was required to cross the railway line and circumnavigate at least three sides of the marquee.

As expected, Petra was there with more salt tablets, the requested bottle of smoothie (I drank half) and some frozen sliced banana in a bag. After a further glass of coke, we agreed I had run out of excuses to sit there, and left at about 3:15am, thinking it was about 4 hours to the finish from there.

I set off, feeling like the route to Col des Montets was more uphill than I had remembered. It was as close as I got to cool all day, even by the river in Vallorcine, I still had the joys of a very clammy top…

After a brief stop to change torch battery, I was ready for the final climb (in two parts). I had seen BMMC woman again on the first part but concluded it was time to push on a bit more quickly

Petra had mentioned to me previously that the route from here was different to my UTMB experience, climbing half way to Flegere before dropping down and then resuming a climb. I had consciously reccied it in the week before the race, but on tired legs the descent from the mid peak at Bechar was even more unpleasant than I had remembered it, and there was swearing from a number of us as we battled to stay upright. Finally I emerged from the downhill pain and celebrated with some disintegrating frozen banana, before the final final climb, initially reasonably level, before a series of steep switch backs accessed into a ski slope and a climb up a red run to the final CP at Flegere. I felt I had worked quite hard on this leg and was a little disappointed to see it had taken me over 3 hours to manage the 7 miles (almost 1000m) to Flegere. As is traditional I had some coke (2 ½ cups) although my mouth was still too dry to deal with the equally traditional celebratory chocolate cookie, most of which ended up in the bin.

Sticking with the no faff plan, I set out on the final descent as dawn was breaking, giving a beautiful view of the mountains, although the top half is very rooty and requires full concentration to stay upright. I actually got to the Floria refuge, which signals the start of easier terrain, a little quicker than I expected, so decided to celebrate by running most of the rest of the wide gravelly downhill track to the road on the outskirts of Chamonix, safe in the knowledge that if I cramped up again here, I would find a way….. As planned, Sophie (complete with goat bell – smaller than the cow variety) was waiting for me at the temporary bridge. The runner in front of me decided to dispense with the bridge, so I followed and then had the joy of running in with Soph to the finish around 7:30 on a Saturday morning, marred only by her full length trip – I realised something was amiss when her phone overtook me…. I was searching my conscience when I heard her shout keep going, so I carried on running to the finish, where Petra and my ski friend Em were waiting, with Sophie not far behind with a hole in her knee and jacket.

I was happy to finish and come out the other end of the cramping issues, and to have now finished all three of the longer UTMB solo races. Despite the hydration challenges, I definitely preferred this year’s warmth and dry terrain to last year’s cold and slippery version. Cold beer can taste very good at 8am on a Saturday morning.

[For those interested, I went with my Hoka Mafate 4s and was happy with my choice]

Results

Evensplits Leeds 5k – Wed 28 Aug

Wed 28 Aug 2024

From Alison Weston…

I had my first experience of 5K EvenSplits at the Brownlee Centre last week.

As I warmed up it seemed a very flat course but during the race it seemed to have a climb in it! Matthew was way ahead of the field right from the start and Geoff cruised past me looking strong just before the start of the 3rd lap and had a great finish.

Results

Matthew Thackwray 1st 15:24

Geoff Howard 95th 24:31

Alison Weston 97th 25:09

ETC by UTMB – Tue 27 Aug

Tue 27 Aug 2024

From Petra Bijsterveld…

Having spent UTMB week in the Chamonix Valley last year I was keen to return to this trail running festival. Whatever you think about UTMB (and there are plenty of grounds for criticism), they sure know how to organise a big running event with a brilliant vibe. I decided I would rather be a participant than a pure spectator so I entered the ETC race, which stands for Experience Trail Courmayeur. The shortest race in the UTMB week, it is a 15km circuit with 1267 meters of elevation, starting and finishing in Courmayeur, just over the border from Chamonix, in Italy’s Aosta Valley. It is marketed as a good introduction to trail running in the mountains and at the same time it is a fast and furious race, particularly at the front end. Nothing fast and furious about my running of course, and I had worried a bit in advance about the undoubted congestion on the course, with 1200 runners on 15kms of largely single-track paths it would be busy, which is not really my thing, especially on the downhills where I tend to be significantly slower than the majority.

We were taken to Courmayeur on coaches leaving Chamonix from 10am, it involved quite a long wait in the queue to get to the Mont Blanc Tunnel (though this would pale into insignificance compared to the return journey later) but by 11 I was in Courmayeur with 3 hours to kill before the 2pm race start. Thankfully the weather was very nice and I spent it first drinking coffee outside a cafe and then writing and sending some postcards, seeing I found a shop selling cards as well as postage stamps, and with a handy post box on the shop front. After dropping off my bag at the bag store I passed some time in the inevitable toilet queue which to be fair wasn’t bad at all, and then made my way into my starting wave pen. I must say I wasn’t really feeling ‘it’ whatever ‘it’ is as we were awaiting the countdown. I felt I could just as easily have spent the rest of the afternoon on that cafe terrace. Maybe I was still a bit tired from the journey here at the weekend, a bit undertrained, not acclimated to the altitude yet, feeling the aftermath of a dental abscess and a week of antibiotics which I had not even finished yet. And it was warm, really quite hot. This not being an ultra I knew there would be little chance of taking it particularly easy. Not that I was going to be in any hurry, but when the trails are congested you kind of have to keep up with the general pace once you have found your spot in the train of runners which moves ever upwards. Normally ascents are my relative strong point but it wasn’t to be on this race. I had to step off the path 3 times and sit down as I was near fainting. It’s happened to me before so I know that eventually it passes but it was unpleasant and lost me quite a bit of time, not that that particularly mattered. All I cared about was making it round without the embarrassment of becoming some medical emergency! My nutrition and hydration including electrolytes was all in order so perhaps it was mainly the altitude bothering me. And it was hot! My t-shirt was so wet I thought my soft-flasks must be leaking, until I had to conclude it was all just sweat. Eventually I started to feel better, we reached the top, or thought we had until there was more to climb (isn’t there always!?) and the views of Mont Blanc were absolutely stupendous. Though I should say they had been pretty good from the cafe back down in Courmayeur too! But hey, drinking coffee doesn’t earn you a medal or the satisfaction of having raced. So having finally reached the highest point the other challenge started, descending for miles where I constantly had to let people pass as I am a slow descender. By alpine standards this is not a technical race but there were still plenty of tree roots and rocks to potentially stumble over. Anyway, I made it down in one piece with lots of stops to let other runners fly by. Not having studied the course profile in enough depth (the unwise ‘it’s only 15km, up a mountain and down again’ attitude) I had failed to spot the inevitable upwards sting in the tail in the last mile. I don’t think I was the only one feeling almost outfaced by this final ascent, some runners around me looked like they wanted to cry! A final few bends down a tarmac little road and I was back at the finish after 3 hours and 39 minutes, 911th out of 1183 finishers, and 6th out of 11 in my age category. Nothing to particularly write home about (but I am writing this anyway!) but I was happy enough with the result.

I was surprised how hard I found it and wondered how I had ever run the 100km CCC here last year. I guess like with any race, a lot of it is in one’s head and if you know you are only running 15k that’s what you are focussed on. There was an enormous queue for the post race snacks so I decided to head straight down to the sports centre where we had to catch the coach back to Chamonix, and instead bought some snacks from a small shop on the way. Good thing I did considering I was nowhere near home yet and I had eaten everything I had brought with me. I was on a coach that left Courmayeur at 6:15pm, sadly the queue for the tunnel was so bad that it took until 8pm for us to reach the entrance of the tunnel, it’s probably only about a mile, and we were plain stationary for most of the time! Finally we reached Chamonix well after 8pm where the coach driver, for reasons probably only known to himself, proceeded straight past the car park which had been the morning’s pick-up point and where many of us were parked, and headed down into central Chamonix. Upon which those of us with cars in the car park had to ask him to return us there, especially as it was tipping it down with rain now and no one fancied a 15 minute walk back in that weather. A minor irritation perhaps but not ideal after a rather long day out. Anyway, my medal and a nice post-race glow, as well as a cold beer in the fridge in my apartment back in Vallorcine made up for all that.

Results

Ilkley Gazette Report – w/c 26 August

Mon 26 Aug 2024

[Picture by Dave Woodhead: Gawain Moore at the start of the Burnsall Classic Fell Race]

From Will Worboys…

Harriers shine on road, track and fell

On a quiet weekend in terms of local racing for the Ilkley Harriers, there was no rest for the prolific Gawain Moore. Moore has rarely missed a mention in this weekly summary, featuring in regular fell races since joining the Harriers.

This weekend was the Burnsall Sports Classic Fell Race. A full-blooded mile and a half excursion up to the 1,266-foot peak of Burnsall Fell and back to the village, the race is one of the oldest fell races on record dating back to 1903! Well known for being a killer climb and just as tough the steep rocky technical descent.

Moore put in a typically strong performance to finish the race in 8th position in a time of 17:50, around two and half minutes behind the winner who was Tom Bell of Nidderdale.

Meanwhile in Merseyside on Saturday morning, the ultra-distance specialist Matthew Kennedy was beginning the extreme challenge of running the entire 130 miles of the Leeds-Liverpool canal. This was a race in which 93 athletes started the largely flat route along the iconic towpath; but the fact that just 52 of those finished demonstrated the extreme endurance skills needed for such a distance. Kennedy made the finish inside 24 hours at around 5:15am on Sunday to impressively come 3rd overall.

On the same day Harriers legend and multiple club-record holder Geoff Howard took part in the Leeds Golden Mile time trial, which took place at the running track at Leeds Beckett. Howard was the only Ilkley athlete present and came home in a phenomenal time of 7:38, which as it turned out was the fastest recorded mile time in his age group (V80) in Britain this year so far! Despite this Geoff was still not entirely satisfied, believing himself to be capable of quicker.

Away from northern England, two young Ilkley speed-demons put in excellent performances at the Podium Home Nations 5K in Cardiff. Ed Hobbs and Archie Budding made the trip to South Wales and pitted themselves against some top athletes. Budding finished 5th in his category in an excellent time of 15:18, while Hobbs made a big PB of 15:26, despite the 5K being shorter than his usual specialist distances.

At the other end of the scale in terms of terrain and also in terms of seniority, three Harriers took on their annual challenge of the epic Ilkley Skyline. Mike Williams, Andrew Smith and Nigel Illingworth bettered their time from last year but were still some way off the course record. The epic 22-mile challenge which starts and finishes at the Hermit Pub at Burley Woodhead is a circular route along the top of Rombalds Moor, down through Addingham, then back up to Beamsley Beacon and Round Hill before a daring river crossing at the Burley stepping-stones and back to the Hermit for refreshments.

There were some brilliant performances at the Saturday morning parkruns with a succession of Harriers being first finishers. Alex Foyn defeated the hills of Cliffe Castle to finish first whilst Natalie Gravett-Foyn was 3rd female at the same event. Harriers also dominated at Hockgraben in Germany where Alexander Wolfenden and Rachel Carter both came first in their respective gender categories. Jack Wood continued his fine form whilst being back home finishing first at Roberts Park and Samesh Chotai was also first at Skipton.

Leeds Golden Mile – Sat 24 Aug

Sat 24 Aug 2024

From Geoff Howard…

A couple of weeks earlier in the year than usual, the Leeds Beckett University track at Carnegie hosted the annual Leeds Golden Mile time trial on the afternoon of Saturday 24 August.

Conducted in traditional 1950s Roger Bannister, Iffy Road Oxford, style with starting pistol and three time keepers holding stop watches, ten races were run during the afternoon with an average of about ten competitors in each. The first four were all for under 17 year old runners with runs five to ten for progressively quicker over 16 year old runners. One under 16 girl, Madison Kinder of Brentwood Beagles, ran the ninth fastest time of the day in 5m 3s being the fastest women and outrunning ten of the fastest adults in heats nine and ten – surely a name to look out for!

If I had been in her heat she would easily have lapped me with my disappointing 7m 38s (7m 14s last year and 7m 31s during a 5k park run in March). To my surprise it was the quickest age group time in the country this year but, there again, there are only two other times listed by runbritain. This fact, together with me being the only Harrier at the meet, goes to illustrate that a mile on the track just isn’t (surprisingly to me) a popular race these days despite its iconic status in the athletics world.

Fastest man: Luke Shacklock, Harrogate AC, 4m 39.5s

LLCR 130 – Sat 24 Aug

Sat 24 Aug 2024

From Matthew Kennedy…

If the marriage of UTMB and Ironman brought new levels of hype to the world of trail running – ‘Meet your extraordinary!’ – the message never reached the tiny but well-established canal running community in Britain, whose races began in the 1990s and whose website still proudly suggests, ‘Set your expectation to low, and then halve it!’

Perhaps it was that sense of humour which got me to the start line – on a random pavement in Liverpool at 6am – but it quickly became clear that the 130 miles* to Leeds were no joke. Although there were only 1,100 feet of climbing, that almost felt like a disadvantage, with just the occasional bridge or lock to break up the relentless flat running (almost five marathons back-to-back).

Fortunately, we were to get lucky with the weather. The ‘heat spike’ of a few weeks ago would have been a disaster, and although Storm Lilian had deposited a fair amount of debris on the towpath (which did apparently lead to one runner taking an unexpected dip), conditions were cool and calm all the way, with the exception of half an hour of heavy rain later on.

Then, as a canal running newbie, I had opted for a 25-minute run / 5-minute walk strategy I found on the Internet. Although it felt unnatural at first, it brought some structure to the race, breaking it into manageable blocks that gave me a regular chance to refuel and rest my legs a little. So it was that Liverpool gave way to green fields and villages until we reached Wigan, then this pattern of alternating town and country repeated itself through Chorley, Blackburn, Accrington (halfway), Burnley, Nelson and Barnoldswick, until I reached Skipton at around midnight and 100 miles in.

Shortly afterwards, my secret weapon emerged out of the darkness in the form of ‘buddy runner’ Ritchie Williamson, coming the opposite way along the towpath from Silsden. By this point I was moving pretty slowly, maybe weaving around occasionally, and certainly lacking the spare energy to make conversation, so I can’t thank Ritchie enough for offering to pull an all-nighter and run a marathon to accompany me on the home stretch.

Although it was a great feeling to reach Leeds not long after 5:15am, then enjoy the sunrise with a mug of tea, the pounding of the towpath left both of us thinking we might stick to the hills in the future. That said, we were chatting to volunteers and other finishers who had all run multiple different canals, so never say never I suppose…

(* Aficionados will know that the Leeds and Liverpool Canal is only 127 1/4 miles long – a fact hammered home by each and every white mile post on the towpath – but we did a little bonus distance at the start, plus two quite lengthy detours where the canal passes through tunnels.)

Results

(1 Vin Baker 22h40)

3 Matthew Kennedy 23h18

93 starters, 52 finishers

Ilkley Gazette Report – w/c 19 August

Mon 19 Aug 2024

[Vince Gibbons celebrating his big birthday at the Robert’s Park parkrun]

From Jean Sullivan…

A win on the hills for Ilkley Harriers!

Jack Wood, retaining his fine form, stormed round the course to win the Sedburgh Hills fell race this week. Now in its 44th year, this challenging 14-mile race, features 6000ft of ascent over the Howgill fells. The course features several checkpoints with very good navigation skills required by all runners. Jack, leading from the start, won the race in a great time of 2:22:49. He was followed by fellow Harrier Paul Carman who also had a great run. Jann Smith was the third Harrier home and an impressive seventh lady overall.

Roundhay Park, one of the largest city parks in Europe, was host to the Leeds Running Festival this weekend, with monies raised going to St. Gemma’s Hospice. Race distances of 5km, 10km and a half marathon were available to run, with Harrier Jane McCarthy choosing the 10km route. She had a fantastic run on this two-lap multi-terrain course and was the third lady over the line, taking first prize in her age category. Jane’s speedy time of 43:49 meant that she finished in an impressive 25th place overall out of a field of over 500 runners.

There was a first-place finish for Harrier Tom Adams this weekend at the Old Railway Trail parkrun in Wales, with Tom completing the course in a great time of 16:06, almost two minutes faster than the second-place finisher. Lots of other Harriers managed top ten finishing places at various parkruns this weekend, including; Dave Foyston, Steven Gott, Adam Gerrish, Mark Hall and Harry Stead.

Ilkley Harriers were on tour this weekend, trying various parkrun locations for the first time. These included; Rachel Corrigan at the Bournemouth parkrun, David Singleton & Matthew Snow at the Harrogate parkrun, Adam Gerrish at the Temple Newsam parkrun, Nick Helliwell at Newby Bridge, Natalie Gravett-Foyn at the Tooting Common parkrun, Florence Haines at the Dinton Pastures parkrun and Geoff Howard at the Maryport Prom parkrun.

Vince Gibbons, enjoying his big birthday, had a great run at the Robert’s Park parkrun, to celebrate entering his new racing age categor

Sedbergh Hills Fell race – Sun 18 Aug

Sun 18 Aug 2024

From Jann Smith…

At 14 miles and with 6,000 feet of climbing this is a real toughie with a lot of steep ups and downs and a bit navigationally tricky on pathless tussocks on the Howgill Fells.

A great win for Jack Wood visiting home from Switzerland and leading from the start.

Results

1 Jack Wood 2hr 22

56 Paul Carman 3hr 21

70 Jann Smith 3hr 42 (7th Lady)

Ilkley Gazette Report – w/c 12 August

Mon 12 Aug 2024

[Saturday proved a busy day for Jaysson Sawyer, photo courtesy of Dave Woodhead]

From Jean Sullivan…

More great results for the Harriers on the summer race scene this week!

With the BOFRA (British Open Fell Run Association) calendar of races in full swing, Ilkley Harriers were well represented at two of them this week. Most of the BOFRA races are derived from the traditional ‘guide’ races and tend to be short, steep and challenging, but are easily viewed by spectators as they generally follow a direct course up and down the fell side.

The name ‘guide’ stems from the 18th century when visitors seeking to exercise used the knowledge of the local fellsmen to guide them over the mountainous terrain. In their spare time the guides had competitions among themselves racing to the top of the nearest fell and back!

For those who enjoy a mid-week summer race, the King’s Challenge fell race took place. This six-miler, with 1,175ft of climbing, is organised by Wharfedale Harriers. It starts at the King’s Arms pub in Silsden and goes onto the moor via Silsden Nab End, to the trig point at Long Ridge End and back along the same route, to finish at the bandstand in Silsden.

Despite heavy rain being forecast, the evening was relatively warm and dry, with only those at the tail end of the race having to endure some rain. Ilkley Harrier Steven Gott was the first Harrier over the line in a great time of 50:50, with Steven taking third prize in his age category. Hot on his heels was Dave Robson, in 51:14, this speedy time meaning that Dave finished first in his age category. Samesh Chotai was the third Harrier to complete the course, taking third place in his age category. Ilkley ladies also impressed, with Jane McCarthy continuing her fine form to take an age category win – and also the third lady to finish overall. Harriers George Whittlestone, Tom Mountain, David Singleton, Matthew Snow and Nigel Illingworth also had great runs at this event.

Two Harriers also took part in the second BOFRA race of the week, the Arncliffe Gala fell race. This 1.6-mile course, with 400ft of ascent, saw Harrier Jaysson Sawyer finish in the top third of the race, completing the course in a speedy 16:09, with Katie Poulter just behind with a finishing time of 16:28, meaning she took third place in her age category.

A warm up for some, including Jaysson, a four-mile road race takes place prior to the Arncliffe fell race, the Littondale Fete ‘4’. This race follows a scenic route along the back roads of Littondale. Four Harriers took part, with excellent results all round. Jaysson led the Harriers home, finishing in a superb 17th place in a great time of 25:47. He was followed by David Singleton, with Matthew Snow the third Harrier over the line; impressive considering both had completed the King’s Challenge fell race earlier in the week. Sally Malir also had a great run, taking first prize in her age category.

Continuing on the ‘shorter’ routes theme, lots of Harriers turned out to take part in the nation’s weekly timed 5km parkrun series this weekend. As if two races on one day wasn’t enough, Jaysson Sawyer used the Fountain’s Abbey parkrun as a warm up for the two other races he completed later on Saturday! Jaysson had a great result, finishing in 13th place overall. Harrier David Foyston also impressed on the parkrun scene this weekend, finishing in an impressive third place at the Heslington parkrun.

Ilkley Harriers is a friendly welcoming club, open to all. If you would like to try our training sessions, please come along to our main club night on Tuesdays, by signing up on the training page at www.ilkleyharriers.org.uk

King’s Challenge Fell Race – Thu 8 Aug

Thu 8 Aug 2024

From Jane McCarthy…

Wharfedale Harriers organise this low key mid-week evening fell race, starting from the rugby pitches in Silsden. It’s an out-and-back course up to the trig on Addingham High Moor. The race covers 6 miles and 1175ft of climbing, and the course record is a mind boggling 39:59 from 2016 by local Wharfedale athlete James Hall.

There were nine Ilkley Harriers in attendance – a good showing out of 77 runners. I was lucky to see Nigel Illingworth before the start, warming up he showed me the route approx.. 1 mile out and back from the start/finish which I had heard wasn’t easy to find if on your own. This was absolutely right, and on the return from the trig there were a fair few runners approaching gates and stiles from multiple directions. The lady that had been in front of me appeared at the end a good minute or so behind, having followed a couple of runners the wrong way at a farm.

Given the low key nature of the race, a £5 (yes, a fiver) entry fee and the fact the race is an out and back and the route clearly map marked on the website there shouldn’t be too much complaining though. Plenty of beer and wine for age category winners. Steve Gott was first Harrier home in 50:50. A lovely way to spend a Summer’s early evening – and nice and local – I would recommend this race.

Results

(1. Craig Shearer, 43:01, West Yorkshire Fire Service)

18. Steve Gott 50:50

21. Dave Robson 51:14 (1st MV50_

26. Samesh Chotai 52:13

34. George Whittlestone 54:17

36. Tom Mountain 54:26

38. Jane McCarthy 57:16 (3rd lady 1st LV50)

50. David Singleton 59:37

60. Matthew Snow 69:33

71. Nigel Illingworth 76:43

77 finishers

Ilkley Gazette Report – w/c 5 August

Mon 5 Aug 2024

[Sam Bentham on his way to winning the BOFRA race at the weekend, photo courtesy of Geoff Thompson]

From Will Worboys…

Young gun’s turn to shine on the fells

This week has been very much about the next generation of fell runner for the Ilkley Harriers. With up-and-coming star Sam Bentham taking centre-stage, perhaps inspired by clubmate and English fell champion Ben Rothery’s heroics last week. Bentham showed his class by winning one senior race this weekend and finishing second in another, at the age of just 17.

The win for the young Harrier came on Sunday at Farleton Knott, a BOFRA Championship race in South Cumbria. The short, sharp but tough 2.6-mile race which took place in the hills north west of Kirkby Lonsdale, saw Bentham superbly attack the 750 feet of uphill to finish 10 seconds ahead of the athlete in second place in a time of 19.03. There were 96 finishers in total.

Earlier in the week had been the Eshton Moor race in which Bentham had finished in a strong second place behind Andrew Cairns of Wharfedale Harriers. The Thursday evening race five-mile cross country event, which took place near Gargrave, also attracted two other slightly more experienced Ilkley runners. Prolific on the fells, Gawain Moor put in an excellent shift to finish seventh. While Dave Robson wasn’t much further back in 20th of the 66 finishers and bagging 3rd MV50.

Meanwhile closer to home another Ilkley Harrier Nick Kealey put in a great effort to come home in third place on Sunday’s Round Hill fell race. The 8.5 mile run is a figure of eight route across Blubberhouses Moor, starting and finishing close to the village of Timble. Several other Harriers put in good performances; Jonny McKenny was in fifth place, Dan McKeown was 11th overall and 2nd MV45, Rachel Carter was 2nd LV45, Jane McCarthy was 1st LV50 and Geoffrey White finished 3rd MV40.

On Saturday four Harriers made the trip to the Lakes to take on the 50th anniversary event of the challenging Borrowdale fell race. This year 218 competitors tackled the brutal 27-kilometre route, which took in peaks including Scafell Pike and Great Gable. The first Harrier home was Paul Carman finishing in a time of 4:23 hrs. Next was Martin Hartley in 4:29 hrs. Katie Poulter had a very good run to finish as seventh W40 in 5 hrs and Alison Weston was just behind her in 5:02 hrs for an impressive fourth W50.

On the road Ilkley was represented by Joanne Williamson at the York 10K. Nearly 5,000 runners took part in the race which is part of the Jane Tomlinson series. Williamson put in an excellent run to finish as 94th female in a time of 48:17 which was also personal best.

Finally at the nation’s 5K parkruns on Saturday, the most success was had by Harriers at Myrtle Park Bingley with Nick Kealey warming up for Round Hill by being first finisher. Harry Sime also came fifth at the same event. Elsewhere Geoffrey Howard made a successful return to Skipton after some time off from parkrun and managed well over 80% for his age score. Mark Hall was third at Heslington and Steve Coy finished fourth at Clitheroe Castle.

York 10k – Sun 4 Aug

Sun 4 Aug 2024

From Joanne Williamson…

A stunning day spent in York that started with the York 10K, then I soaked up the atmosphere and cheered other runners on and then headed for lunch in York.

The 10K race started at the racecourse and then went through the city, past the Minster and then back along the river to the racecourse. A very flat, fast course!

I achieved my 10K PB 48:17

Results

Round Hill Fell Race – Sun 4 Aug

Sun 4 Aug 2024

From Nick Kealey…

Photo credit Steve Davey

My first time running this local fell race over Blubberhouse Moor. An 8.7 mile route starting and finishing outside Timble village.

Weather conditions were fine and generally good running under foot, apart from the usual bogs to jump that frequent this part of the moor. First through the finish was Fraser Arnott after a great run. Unfortunately, Fraser missed the 3rd checkpoint along with the second finisher so were both disqualified. The race for what became the top 4 finishers was fiercely fought with just 29 secs between them. I managed to hang on to 3rd place.

A great turn out and results for the Harriers with age category podium finishes for Nick Kealey, Dan McKeown, Rachel Carter, Jane McCarthy and Geoffrey White. Special mention for 5th finisher Jonny McKenny on Harriers debut with a very strong run despite stopping twice for shoelace issues! Fantastic tea and cake on sale at the Timble village hall at the end was well supported with proceeds from this and the race going to Brain Tumour Research and Support and a local leukaemia charity.

(1 – Jonathan Coney – North Leeds FR)

3 – Nick Kealey (1st MV45)

5 – Jonny McKenny

11 – Dan McKeown (2nd MV45)

20 – Charles Wain

22 – Luke Watkeys

25 – Tommy Mountain

27 – Rachel Carter (2nd LV45)

29 – Jane McCarthy (1st LV50)

56 – Geoffrey White (3rd MV40)

Pig on the Hill Backyard Ultra – Sat 3 Aug

Sat 3 Aug 2024

From Petra Bijsterveld…

I had a go at my first ever backyard ultra this weekend. For those unfamiliar with the concept: the backyard ultra is a form of ultra race where competitors must consecutively run laps (called ’yards’) of 4.167 miles in under one hour, starting a new lap on the hour, every hour. If you are not in the starting pen when the hour ticks over you are out. If you don’t get back from your lap in time, you are also out. The somewhat odd-looking distance makes sense when you realise 24 laps make 100 miles. The race is over when only one runner remains to complete a lap.

I entered the Pig on the Hill backyard Ultra Wales, organised by Pen Llyn Ultra on the Llyn Peninsula in North Wales, knowing that it is held on a course with substantial elevation (around 600 ft per lap) and that it is regarded as one of the hardest if not the hardest backyard course in the UK. I had decided to run it as a training run as I am not a peak fitness. The course was actually even harder than I expected so in the end I stopped after 6 laps which is 25 miles, this was plenty for me on the day. I really enjoyed it though, the scenery was great and we had fantastic weather. I have written it up in my blog here if you are interested in reading more and seeing some photos. 70 runners took part and the race was won by backyard ultra legend Iain Bethune who ran 28 laps which was a new course record. I was 57th. I did really like the backyard format and think I could possibly do much better on an easier course so I will definitely try and do another one at some point.

Results

Borrowdale Fell Race – Sat 3 Aug

Sat 3 Aug 2024

From Alison Weston…

Four Harriers took part in the 50th anniversary of the Borrowdale fell race on Saturday which saw 218 runners complete the course.

A brutal 27 km route with 2000 m climbing over Bessy Boot, Scafell Pike, Great Gable and Dalehead with some exciting descents en route and quite a bit of route choice in places (not so successful in my case!)

Paul Carman was first Harrier back in 4:23 hrs (93rd) followed by Martin Hartley in 4:29 (107th).

Katie Poulter had a great race on her first Borrowdale race to finish in 5.00 hrs (165th) followed by Alison Weston in 5:02 hrs (169th).

Ilkley Gazette report – w/c 29 Jul

Sun 28 Jul 2024

From Jill Ezard…

Photo credit Alison Weston

Ben Rothery is the English Fell Running Champion 2024

It was a crucial weekend in the fell running calendar with the final race in the 2024 English Fell Running Championships taking place on Saturday. The Championships are organised by the Fell Runners Association and require runners to participate in at least four of six races of varying lengths and elevations from March to July. For the men’s races, the winner of a Championship race receives 52 points (50 plus two bonus points), the second placed runner 49, then 48, 47 and so on down to the 50th male runner who scores one point. At the end of the season, a runner’s top four results (which must include one short, one medium and one long race) are added together and the final results are ranked. Women’s, Under-23, and Veteran categories are calculated similarly, but with fewer runners scoring points (commensurate with the usual participation levels in each category).

The decider for the Championships was the Blisco Dash, a classic up and down route to the top of the Pike of Blisco from the Langdale valley and back! At only five miles it may seem short but with over 2100ft of climb it is tough! The race route begins on the road which starts flat and fast, then slowly rises towards Blea Tarn. A series of steep switchbacks take onto a rough track the up the side of Redacre Gill, getting steeper as the runners climb. The final part of the route is technical and requires scrambling and some route choice. The summit is exposed and rocky…and then the technical descent starts! With this being the last race in the Championships the competition was stiff!

Four Harriers took on the challenge: Ben Rothery had a fantastic race and took second place in 37:13 gaining two crucial places on the descent; continuing his good run of form, Oli Murphy, was third Harrier home, taking 12^th place overall in a time of 40:58; Jane McCarthy was the first female Harrier over the line in a time of 57:41, taking fourth place in her age category; and Alison Weston also took fourth place in her age category, completing the race in 1:05:15.

And with two outright wins at the Pendle Cloughs and Wasdale races and two other second places at the Lad’s Leap and Buttermere Sailbeck Championship races, Ben Rothery was crowned English Fell Champion on Saturday! A fantastic achievement for Ben and an inspiration for all other members of the club. The Harriers’ winning streak in the Championships did not end there however. Jane McCarthy took third place in her age category in the Championships after a superb win at the Flower Scar event and fantastic placings at Pendle Cloughs, Buttermere Sailbeck and the Blisco Dash. A huge well done to Jane and Ben who will both be invited to the presentation event later in the year.

And as if success at the English Championships wasn’t’ enough, the Blisco Dash was also hosting the British Short Course Championships. As a result, Ben took the silver medal in the men’s open category with his second place finish and Jane McCarthy and Alison Weston both took the bronze medal in their age categories! The collective Harriers’ trophy room is positively bulging after this weekend!

Elsewhere, Tim Ashelford was the sole Harrier taking part in the July Leeds 5k series at the Brownlee Centre on Wednesday. The sixth race in the series, which runs once a month from February through November, Tim had a great run completing the race in 19:47, taking second place in his age category and achieving an 80.1% age rating!

It was clearly a great warm up for Tim as he was one of our 25 parkrunners who joined events across the country on Saturday. Tim was one of the six Harriers on the day hitting top ten placings, finishing tenth in the Chevin Forest event. Elsewhere, Mark Hall was fourth in Lister Park, achieving an age rating of 88.62%; Nick Kealey was third at Cliffe Castle, achieving a PB on the course in the process; Jacqui Foster continued her great parkrun performance with sixth position in the Myrtle event; James Horrex was fourth with a PB at the Penistone event; Adam Gerrish was sixth at the Doddington parkrun; and finally, Nigel Illingworth continued his return to form from injury with a PB at the Roberts Park event! Well done to all that took part.

Pike O’Blisco – Sat 27 Jul

Sat 27 Jul 2024

From Alison Weston…

This was the 6th and last race of the English fell championships and also the stand alone short British Championship race.

Starting from Stool End farm the race went straight up Pike O’ Blisco after about 1 km on the road. The usual walkers way up was taken by the majority of runners but then it was a bit of a free for all on the descent, depending on whether you wanted grass, the path or to forge your way through the bracken!

The men and women had separate races which meant we could relax and enjoy watching the men after ours was over.

Ben was leading the main pack straight from the starting field and was in a good second place when we saw him again after the descent and just before hitting the road. Oli looked really strong in 12th place too.

The race was won by Matthew Knowles from Lancaster University in 37:06 but second place for Ben secured his overall win of the English fell championship series. He also gained silver in the British race too. Quite a feat!

Jane race a great race securing her 3rd overall placing in the LV50 of the English championship and bronze in the British race. I was very surprised when I finished 3rd in the LV55 British race having unknowingly overtaking quite a few on the way down!

A highly recommended race which is usually held on an evening in July time.

Results

38:13 Ben Rothery

40:58 Oli Murphy

57:41 Jane McCarthy

65:15 Alison Weston

Ilkley Gazette report – w/c 22 Jul

Mon 22 Jul 2024

From Jill Ezard…

Photo credit Woodentops

The week of racing kicked off on Wednesday with a successful final event of the Harrogate and District Summer Race League hosted by Otley AC on Wednesday 17^th. This final event is completely different to the rest of the series, being the Norman Smith Handicap race. Runners who have completed at least two of the races in the series are given a starting time based on their performance in those races. If the handicap system works perfectly, everybody will arrive at the finish at exactly the same time, but as a minimum it gives everyone, regardless of speed, the opportunity to win! Twenty Harriers took to the start line for the event. Sarah Lambert was the first Harrier home taking a superb third place overall and first lady in 52:02. Paul Stephens was the second Harrier home in 50:04 taking second place in his age category too. There were category top three placings for Alan Travis and Fiona Schneider too. As it was the end of the series, the series Category winners were also announced. Matthew Thackwray came away with the first prize in the men’s series and Diane Kitchen took the win in her age category! Success all round for the series. Well done team!

The rest of the week’s racing was all about trails and fells. Amanda Newham started off the weekend’s racing at the St Aidan’s 10k on Friday. This popular 10K trail race is a perfect introduction to off-road running being fast and (mostly) flat along public footpaths and bridleways in the idyllic setting of RSPB St Aidan’s Country Park to the east of Leeds. Amanda braved the heat of the evening to complete the race in 1:11:55.

On Saturday it was podium success for the Harriers at the annual Ingleborough Mountain race. This 11km, 600m ascent race does exactly as it says on the tin – participants start in the sports field next to Ingleton Community Centre and run up Ingleborough and back down! Five Harriers took on the race and were led home by race winner Oli Murphy in a superb time of 49:28. Gawain Moore was next over the line in 57:38, taking third place in his age category. Katie Poulter was the first female Harrier home in 1:16:10 also taking third place in her age category. Kelly Wilby was just a couple of minutes behind in 1:18:55 and David Howe completed the race in 1:43:01.

IN a step up in distance, Lynn Donohue took part in the inaugural Boudicca Way 50k on Saturday, following the well-established long distance path from Diss to Norwich. Run on well-marked trails, the Boudicca Way passes through historic South Norfolk Villages where Boudicca, The Queen of Iceni, once ruled resisting the might of the Roman Empire and cementing her place in history. It was a scorcher of a day for Lynn and her brother with temperatures hitting 34^o! Lynn completed the race in seven hrs 29 minutes, taking second place in her age category, finishing in the top 20 females and 84^th overall! A superb result in challenging conditions!

Sunday was also busy on the fells. Three Harriers took part in the Cracoe Senior Fell Race, which this year was also hosting the Under 20 England Trials for the Home International in Ireland later in the year. With only 4.4km to cover, the race starts deceptively gently over fields, but with ditches and tussocks to deal with, the final sharp steep climb to the pinnacle of the fell, gives a total of 274m of climb in a very short space of time. With a treacherous return to the race start, it’s not for the faint hearted! Sam Betham had a superb run taking first place in 20:51, with Ed Hobbs taking eighth place in 22:03. Not content with one challenging fell race in a weekend, Gawain Moore was the final Harrier over the line in 1:04:05.

Staying on the fells but venturing out to the Lake District, Sunday also saw four Harriers taking part in the Kentmere Horseshoe fell race. The route has fantastic ridge running on the grassy Eastern fells and consists of a 12.3 miles, 3300ft elevation, clockwise horseshoe of the Kentmere Valley including Ill Bell, High Street and Kentmere Pike. Gavin Lamb was the first Harrier home in 1:58:48, followed by Dave Robson in 2:02:15, James Batterley in 2:04:46 and Paul Carman in 2:06:10.

And finally, our 25 parkrunners were travelling far and wide hitting top ten placings across the country. At the Hyndburn event in Clayton-le-Moors in Lancashire, Steve and Gaenor Coy finished in third and sixth position in their respective categories. With ten Harriers participating the Lister Park event was the most popular, with Jonathan Turner taking a top ten position. In Skipton, Samesh Chotai continued his run of form and was the third finisher at the Skipton event. At Fountains Abbey, Nick Kealey was the seventh finisher, and James Horrex was the third finisher at the Chevin Forest event. Further afield, Jaysson Sawyer took part in the Løvstien event in Bergen in Norway, doing the Harriers proud by finishing third. Well done to all that took part.

Boudicca Way – Sat 20 Jul

Sat 20 Jul 2024

From Lynn Donohue…

On Saturday 20 July I completed the Boudicca Way 50k ultra with my brother; between Diss and Norwich on the Suffolk Norfolk borders – a very beautiful part of the country although I must admit to not fully appreciating it because it was so hot. With all the awful weather we have been having I do not know how I managed to pick the only really hot day – average temperature of 30 c throughout the run and a max of 34 c !

I ran to raise funds for the Teenage Cancer Trust and I must admit through the tough parts and the heat that is what kept me going.

For the history buffs the Boudicca Way is a long distance footpath following the old Roman Pye road through historic south Norfolk where Queen Boudicca of the Iceni once ruled and led a revolt against Roman rule. The trail runs through ancient settlements including Anglo-Saxon villages, Caistor Roman town and beautiful villages with thatched cottages around village greens and lovely pubs; and past historic and picturesque Norman churches.

This was the first time this race has been run and I could recommend if you want a beautiful run through historic and ancient countryside and golden fields of wheat ( without the heat though). I was 2nd FV60 and 20th female out of 74 finishers and overall 84/176 finishers in 7 hrs 29 minutes.

Ilkley Gazette report – w/c 15 Jul

Mon 15 Jul 2024

From Will Worboys…

Harriers shine at Ilkley Half Marathon

Ilkley welcomed runners from far and wide for last Sunday’s half marathon, with an incredible 2002 runners completing the 13.1 mile race. However the Ilkley Harriers weren’t so generous to visitors in terms of finishing positions, bagging 1^st and 3^rd place for themselves plus the team prize; the Jim Read Trophy.

Participants in the event organised by the Ilkley Round Table, carried out a tour of Ilkley and Ben Rhydding while being cheered on by the large crowds who didn’t seem deterred by the damp conditions. They then headed out to Addingham and Bolton Bridge. The runners then doubled back on the north side of the river through Nesfield and finishing on Denton Road. The annual race raises thousands of pounds for local causes, with many inspiring runners also raising money for their own nominated charities.

Ilkley’s Nathan Edmondson stamped his class on the race, winning in an amazing time and a new course record of 1:06:25; over a minute ahead of second placed Graham Rush of Leeds City AC. Jack Cummings also had a storming run to finish 3^rd in a PB time of 1:08:07. There wasn’t much in it during the first half of the race but Edmonson wore his rival down during the long gruelling home straight from Beamsley.

An impressive total of 80 Harriers completed the race, along with many other local and not so local runners excelling in the rain. Matthew Thackwray managed 7^th place in 1:12:16 with the next two Harriers being Daniel Fazackerley and Samesh Chotai who came home in 32^nd and 34^th place. The first lady was Coralie Bell of Hyde Park Harriers, with Rachel Carter the first Ilkley lady home in 10^th and a time of 1:31:20; Followed by Alicia Howlett in 33^rd and Natalie Gravatt-Foyn in 50^th.

Some of the other stand out performances from Harriers in their categories included; John Hayes and Dave Robson finishing 11^th and 15^th in V50, Tom Lambe was 10^th U23. Derek Oliver, Jonathan Sinclair, Martin Stubbs and Marc Westerman were 6^th, 7^th, 9^th and 12^th V60. Erin Keating was 17^th V40, while Jane Thomas and Alison Weston were 22^nd and 26^th V50. Tony Pye also impressively made a course PB on his 50^th birthday and finished 21^st in his new category!

Away from the bustle of the Half Marathon there was more success for the Harriers with another local race on Thursday evening won by Oli Murphy. The Beamsley Beacon fell race was took place in overcast conditions and attracted plenty of Harriers due to it being part of the club’s race league. Murphy completed the 5.5 mile course from St Peter’s church in Addingham to the top of the Beacon and back in an excellent time of just over 32 minutes. In 2^nd place was young Harrier Sam Bentham with another brilliant run to add to his collection. Michael Odell (8th), Alexander Wolfenden (9th), Ed Hobbs (10^th), Jeff Green (12^th), Gawain Moore (17^th) and Oscar Shinn (18^th) all managed superb top 20 finishes in the field of 114.

Up in the Lake District, three Harriers took on one of the ‘hardest fell races in the UK’ on Saturday (Google agrees with this summation). Ilkley’s Ben Rothery finished in an impressive 2nd place in the Wasdale Horseshoe, with oddly enough, runners named Finlay in 1st and 3^rd. This race is an extremely challenging 21 miles and 9,000 feet of rough off-road terrain. The event includes peaks such as Scafell Pike, Great Gable and Pillar with some particularly wet weather making it even tougher. This year it was a counter in the English fell championships so attracted a strong field of athletes. There were also excellent runs by Kate Archer who finished as 2^nd FV45 and Jann Smith who was 2^nd FV55. There was nobody else called Finlay amongst the other 226 finishers.

A shorter and lower profile fell race took place on Wednesday evening. With one Harrier making the trip to Todmorden for the Beater Clough fell race. Still a tough 7 miles in the Pennine hills taking in around 2,000 feet of ascent saw Thomas Mountain finishing in 12^th position.

Meanwhile there was good news to report from the York Evensplits 5K on Friday night. Ilkley’s Harry Sime finally smashed the 20 minute barrier, finishing in a time of 19:52. Harry has been a regular at various 5K events for some time and has seen his times edge closer to the target but it has eluded him until this week!

Sticking with the 5K distance, this week’s parkrun’s produced several impressive performances. Jacqui Foster was 6^th female at Lydney in the South West. Abigail Swales finished 10^th at Macclesfield. Petra Bijsterveld was 9^th at Myrtle park Bingley. Robert Carter was 5^th and Adam Gerrish 9^th at Chevin Forest. Finally Roberts Park was teeming with Harriers with both the Jeffing group and the new group for people with a learning disability enjoying away days there and posting some superb achievements, particularly Finn Thompson who completed his first 5K run.

Wasdale Horseshoe Fell Race – Sat 13 Jul

Sat 13 Jul 2024

From Jann Smith…

Wasdale Horseshoe Fell Race – English Championships 21 miles / 9000 ft

Widely known as one of the hardest fell races on the calendar this beast takes on most of the highest, roughest boulder strewn terrain in England such as Scafell Pike, Great Gable and Pillar. The weather was drizzly and clagged in on the tops which made the self navigation a touch difficult and there were some serious bogs to contend with. It was a tale of seconds for all the Ilkley Harriers with Ben Rothery coming 2^nd overall in an eyewatering time of 3hrs 48 mins and myself and Kate taking 2^nd in our age categories.

2^nd Ben Rothery 3hrs 48 mins,

53^rd Kate Archer 5hrs 37 mins. ( 2^nd F45 )

198^th Jann Smith 6 hrs 32 mins ( 2^nd F55 )

Ilkley Gazette report – w/c 8 Jul

Mon 8 Jul 2024

From Jean Sullivan…

Success for Ilkley Harriers at home and abroad this week!

Huge success for Harrier Hilda Coulsey who took park in the AJ Bell Great North 10km this weekend. This 10km event started and finished in Newcastle’s Town Moor, a spacious 1,000 acre area of parkland This year’s race was special as it was chosen by England Athletics as a qualifying run for masters runners, who, if they qualify would then be eligible to run in an England vest in a specified international competition.

The route, which has a downhill start out of town, sees runners cross the Tyne Bridge and come back again into the city, with runners weaving their way through the streets, seeing the city sites, through the University area, with an uphill return back into the park. Music and excellent crowd support helped to spur everyone on. Hilda earned her England Age Group Master’s vest! She had a great run, finishing in 55:55 and taking first place in her age category.

Closer to home, this weekend saw the staging of the popular Eccup 10-mile road race, a very popular fixture on the West Yorkshire Road race calendar. The course takes in rural closed roads and a scenic route around Eccup reservoir outside Leeds. Four Harriers took part, with Mark Hall the first over the line, finishing in 20th place overall out of a field of almost 650 runners. Mark’s impressive time of 1:02:31, saw him take first prize in his age category. Thomas Mountain was the second Harrier home, with Dylan Shinn hot on his heels, both managing a sub 1:15 finish. Martin Stubbs also had a great run at this event, completing the course in an impressive 1:17:01.

Meanwhile, in Norway, Alison Weston, no stranger to challenging mountain races, undertook the Lofoten 33km Sky Race on the Lofoten archipelago north of the Artic Circle, in the county of Nordland in Norway. This challenging race with over 5,000ft of ascent saw runners deal with not only challenging terrain, but also wet and cold weather conditions. The route starts from the fishing village of Laukvik on the north coast of the island of Austvalgoya and finishes in Svolvaer on the south coast of the island. Three miles of road running led to the first steep climb onto the spectacular Matmora ridge. A steep descent back to the road followed before runners climbed again, this time to the partly frozen Botnvatnet lake, with lingering snow patches still visible. A rather tortuous descent with very slippery rocks, deep bogs and duck boards led finally to the finish line at Svolvaer, where runners were treated to a sauna, a dip in the sea and whale meat burgers! Alison had a fantastic run, completing the race in 5 hrs 42 mins and she finished in the top 50% of female finishers.

Back to shorter distances, the weekly timed 5km parkrun events remained popular with the Ilkley Harriers this week, with 24 Harriers taking part in various events both at home and abroad, with superb results all round. A first-place finish for Forrest Hamilton at the Bramley parkrun, with Forrest completing the course in a speedy 18:56, well over a minute ahead of the second-place finisher. Amanda Newham completed her 100th parkrun this week when she undertook the Malahide parkrun outside Dublin. Simon Lorimer and Abigail Swales also flew the flag for the Ilkley Harriers overseas, with Simon completing the Tsujido kaihin koen parkrun in Japan and Abigail the Wohrder See parkrun in Austria. Lots of top ten finishing places also including for; Nick Kealey at the Lister Park parkrun, father and son Steve and Nathan Coy at the Burnley parkrun, with Nathan finishing in third place and Dad Steve hot on his heels to finish in fourth place, James Horrex and Adam Gerrish at the Robert’s Park parkrun and Andrew Smith at the Harleston Magpies parkrun in East Anglia. Well done also to Harry Sime for achieving an overall parkrun PB on the Robert’s Park course this week, with an incredible age-grading score of 79.59%.

AJ Bell Great North 10k – Sun 7 Jul

Sun 7 Jul 2024

From Hilda Coulsey…

This is one of the Great Run series. It’s popular and caters well for everyone, including the speedsters and the charity runners, the entry list being full beforehand. The event village and finish were in Newcastle’s Town Moor (400 ha of common land, larger than London’s Hyde Park and New York’s Central Park) which was ideal.

I wasn’t well prepared to ‘Run the Toon’ as I had an awful head cold and barking cough. However this is one of the few races which England Athletics choose where masters runners can qualify to run in an England vest in a specified international competition. So that was my goal. The route starts downhill on the central dual carriageway A167, functional certainly but in no way picturesque, across the Tyne bridge and back again to zig zag through town seeing the sites, through the University, then with the inevitable uphill return and into the park. There was plenty of music and cheering to spur us all on. This isn’t my best time this year for the 10k but sufficient- phew, it was worth the effort!

Staying overnight in Jesmond, watching the football in a packed Sports Bar, made for a super weekend.

Results

1 30:52 John Bell Inverclyde AC

14 34:23 Gemma Steel Charnwood AC

1801 55:55 Hilda Coulsey 1st v70

6000 entries

Lofoten Sky Race – Sat 6 Jul

Sat 6 Jul 2024

From Alison Weston…

Whilst on holiday in this beautiful area within the Arctic Circle I entered the Lofoten 33 km Sky Race with just over 5000 ft ascent. The weather whilst here had been either very sunny and warm, or very wet and cold – not much in between. Unfortunately race day was one of the wet and cold ones. The route starts from the fishing village of Laukvik (amidst racks of cod heads) on the north coast of one of the islands and finishes in Svolvaer on the south coast. Three miles of running on the road along the aptly named Midnight Sun road, there being 24 hours of sunlight currently, led to the first steep climb onto the spectacular Matmora ridge (views a bit limited due to the weather). A steep descent to the road followed before winding back up again towards the partly frozen Botnvatnet lake with snow patches all around. A rather tortuous descent with very slippy rocks, deep bogs and duck boards led finally to Svolvaer where a sauna, a dip in the sea and whale meat burgers were on offer! A great experience and pleasantly surprised to see so many young women taking part. There were 392 men and 321 women completed the event. I completed the race in 5 hrs 42 and was 138th woman.

Your Harriers questions answered…

Mon 1 Jul 2024

Following our recent survey here are answers to some of the most frequently asked questions – please see email address at the end if you’d like to add any more.

Thinking of joining the Harriers?

Try it out for a few weeks free of charge – all you need to do is to register here and then sign up for a club run.

Club runs

Our club night is Tuesday, and the runs usually start from Ilkley Tennis Club (Stourton Rd, LS29 9BG; please park in the overflow car park rather than in front of the gym).

We have a whole range of groups and speeds so there really is something for everyone and you’ll be made very welcome.

We meet in the cafe bar on the first floor just before 6.45pm and each leader will give a quick description of their route before setting off. There is no charge for the Tuesday runs but you do need to sign up so that we adhere to England Athletics’ leader/athlete ratios.

Other club sessions

Monday – circuits / HIIT at Ilkley Grammar school (from Sept to Easter). 7pm start, cost £3.

Wednesday: track session at Carlton Academy Trust in Keighley (BD20 6EB). It starts at 7.30 pm and costs £3.

Thursday – hills session on the moors from opposite Darwin Gardens car park (summer only). 7pm start, free.

Saturday – efforts from the Denton Road side of the Old Bridge. 7.45am start, free.

‘Efforts’ are either timed (anything from 45 seconds to three minutes on the track) or repeats of certain distances at race pace (such as five lots of 1km on a Saturday morning)

Membership

At the moment the membership year starts on 1st October but we are looking to change that to the start ot April to align with England Athletics registration.

The membership fee is currently (2024) an annual £34 of which £19 goes to EA for registration and £2 to Northern Athletics.

Lots more detail here.

Races

Many Harriers participate in local, national, and even international running events. Being affiliated with England Athletics often results in a discount on race entries.

See kit section below for info on club vests etc.

Number swaps

If you’ve entered a race but then can’t take part then it can be possible to transfer your number to another runner through official race channels.

But please never do this without contacting the race organiser – it could cause safety issues and result in sanctions against you, the person who takes your number and the club.

There’s a fuller explanation here.

Relay races

The club enters several relays each year – road, trail, and fell – and pays the entry fees.

This page has more details, and the password is Harriersrelays. Please note that in most relays, wearing a Harriers vest is obligatory which brings us on to…

Kit

We have two styles of club vest: 1/ the traditional all red with a green stripe and 2/ the new ‘spotty’ version.

Both are available from Complete Runner on Leeds Road, Ilkley – and you can order online here.

The old style (which is obligatory in some of the bigger relay races) will also be available soon from Complete Runner in Otley, including in a high-end version which is lightly lighter, has taped seams etc. Their Harriers shop section is here.

More details on other club kit here.

Harriers Race League

This is a friendly competition between club members, and is based on results in races throughout the year.

Your time relative to the winner’s time is scaled by an age/gender factor, which should make it a level playing field for everyone.

Here are this year’s races and latest standings.

Training routes

Baffled by the ‘Big Dipper’ or wondering where ‘Concrete Square’ really is? Here are some of the more popular Tuesday night club run routes.

Social events

There are a number of events throughout the year, starting with the Awards night at the end of January. There’s the Brian Sweet Predictor in late February, away runs during summer and the Christmas Relays to round things off.

We often try and meet on the last Tuesday of the month too and there’s also an ultrarunning group which has social events every couple of months.

Upcoming events are here.

Race reports

If you’ve recently completed a race or a running challenge, please share your knowledge with other members by sending it to news@ilkleyharriers.org.uk Petra or Jonathan will add it to the website.

Keeping in touch

We’ll email all members with the most important communications throughout the year, but there are also active Facebook and WhatsApp groups for day-to-day messaging, such as changes of location for club run starts.

If you’re not in these and would like adding then please contact Petra, Jonathan or your run leader via the news@ email above.

Discount codes

One of the benefits of being a member of Ilkley Harriers is the discounts on goods and services you can get – from kit and shoes through to physio and even Saltaire Brewery!

The latest list is here and many of the codes are now accessed via your personal ‘Members Page’ on membermojo.

Junior Harriers

There’s also a thriving junior section and full details of what’s on offer and when can be found on their dedicated website.

Any more questions?

This is just a start point so if there’s anything else you’d like adding to this page please email news@ilkleyharriers.org.uk

Ilkley Gazette report – w/c 1 Jul

Mon 1 Jul 2024

From Jill Ezard…

This week got off to a cracking start with two local, midweek opportunities for racing. Wednesday saw the staging of the Hyde Park Summer Mile, a one mile, two lap race on tarmac paths around Woodhouse Moor in Leeds. Participants are organised into one of fourteen heats based on their predicted finish time with the fastest runners going off last. Two Harriers tried their hand at the event with Matthew Thackwray the first home in an impressive fifth place in 4:36:01, achieving the gold standard level! Jane McCarthy came over the line in a blistering time of 06:01.1 taking first place in her age category and securing a silver medal standard.

This was clearly a warm up race for Matthew who lined up on Thursday evening for another superb Ilkley Harriers’ hosted event, the fourth race in the Harrogate and District Summer Race league. Run by local running clubs the events take place on weekday evenings through the summer and are between five and six miles long, predominantly on road. It was a challenging 5.1 mile course for the more than 300 runners who turned out in great conditions. Starting with a lap of the football field by the Rugby Club, the course gave the runners a false sense of security along Denton Road, Langbar Road and Nesfield Road before the long slog up Owler Park Road. Following the bridleway to Myddleton Lodge, and taking Slates Lane, down Carters Lane, runner had the opportunity for a fast finish along Denton Road before finishing on the grass around the rugby pitch. It was a great turnout for the Harriers with 28 taking to the start line with some excellent results. After his warm up race the night before Matthew Thackwray had a tremendous run on home turf taking first place in the race in 26:57. Michael Odell was the next over the line in sixth place in 29:18 taking second place in his age category. There were some excellent top five age category placings on the night: Philippa Rawling was first Ilkley lady home taking fifth place in her age category in 38:41; Peter Shelley and John Hayes battled in their category taking third and fourth place in 32:11 and 32:56 respectively; Nicky Liptrot took fourth place in her category in 40:03; and continuing her consistent run of results in the league, Diane Kitchen took first place in her category in 44:30. All participants were treated to pie and peas after the event, supplied by volunteers from the club.

The weekend’s race action took Harriers off road and onto trail and fell. Gawain Moore was the only Harrier to take on the challenge of the Eldwick and Gilstead Gala Fell race on Saturday. This three mile route, starting on tarmac, follows a well-worn footpath up to the ‘summit’ of Baildon Moor, plunging back down the hillside before an energy zapping uphill finish giving an impressive total elevation gain of 550ft. Gawain had a great run completing the race in 18.41 in seventh position taking second place in his age category.

Perhaps Gawain was the sole participant in the event as several Harriers were up the valley competing in the annual Upper Wharfedale Fell Rescue Association (UWFRA) Wharfedale Three Peaks Challenge. Raising much needed funds for the service the event sees participants completing a 17 mile race across Wharfedale taking in Birks Fell, Buckden Pike and Great Whernside, a route that affords fantastic views across the valley. Taking in the view was clearly not the aim of the Harriers taking part however who flew round the course dominating the podium. Oli Murphy was the first Harrier home in a course record breaking time of 2:09:36. In a fantastic clean sweep, the Harrier men took all top five places with Dan McKeown in second in 2:40:01, Gavin Lamb in third 2:43:05, Dave Robson in fourth in 2:46:10 and James Batterley in fifth in 2:46:40! And it was a first and third for the Harrier women with Rachel Carter winning the race in 3:05 and Katie Poulter taking third place in 3:23. Robin Moffat was the final Harrier over the line in 4:04. Well done to the Harrier team for such a great turnout!

Sunday saw second outing of the week for one Harrier as Alex Stanley-Hyde, continued his return from injury to take on the Harrogate Harmony Energy 10k. An undulating course on tarmac and bridleways, the course takes participants round Follifoot and the surrounding areas. Alex had a great run completing the course in 1:09:36.

And finally, our 17 parkrunners were travelling far and wide achieving personal bests (PB) and finishing in the first ten. Hitting the triumvirate of a PB, a top three finish and an eye-watering age grading this week, Alison Bennett had a superb outing at the Morecambe event, finishing in second position with an age grading of 91.91%! Other top ten finishers were Jacqui Foster in seventh at the same event, Helen Thurston in second at the University Parks event in Oxford, Sally Malir at the Cinder Track in Whitby in seventh, Samesh Chotai in fourth and James Horrex in sixth at the Skipton event, and Michael Odell taking first in a PB time at the Watermeadows event in Towcester. Nigel Illingworth was also in PB form at the Lister Park event and Hilda Coulsey and Diane Kitchen were pushing the age gradings with results both over 80%. Thanks to all the parkrunners who have been taking part in the interclub parkrun challenge with Saltaire Striders and Baildon Runners. With her amazing run in Morecambe, Alison Bennett was the clear overall winner with Mark Hall taking the plate prize to make it a Harriers’ double! Well done to all that took part.

HDSRL race #4 in Ilkley – Thu 27 Jun

Thu 27 Jun 2024

From Alison Bennett…

Ilkley Harriers hosted the 4th race of the Harrogate and District Summer Race League, where 366 runners from 15 clubs assembled at the start of the 5.1 mile course. After a lap of the field, the runners were directed towards Owler Park Road for the infamous climb before an undulating stretch along the track to Myddleton Lodge, and Slates Lane.

This was followed by a long descent of Carters Lane before the final couple of miles flat running to the finish at the rugby club where a pie and peas supper was served.

The race was won by Matthew Thackwray in 26:57 with a commanding lead over the 2nd placed runner. Michael Odell was 6th and Philippa Rawling was the first female for Ilkley Harriers whilst Diane Kitchen was first in her age-group category.

An event like this requires massive organization and pivotal in this was Neil Chapman who was supported by an army of volunteers in various roles including marshalling the course, first aid, setting up/clearing away, the superb team in the kitchen and many others. In addition, the club had another 28 Ilkley Harriers taking part in the race. It was deemed to be a superb evening of which the club can be proud. Even the weather which had threatened a downpour, stayed fine.

Results

Hyde Park Summer Mile – Wed 26 Jun

Wed 26 Jun 2024

From Jane McCarthy…

This was my first attendance at the popular, UKA-licensed and well-organised Summer Mile event. Using a two-lap largely flat circuit in Leeds Hyde Park runners are pre-allocated into heats based on predicted times. It all works smoothly, plenty of space to warm up and ushered into your pen before starting. The format provides a great opportunity to push yourself from the gun, legs undergoing a sufferfest in the final hundred metres. Great camaraderie and support at this event – it would be great to see more Harriers there.

I was in Heat 10, and told at the start that the runner that sadly passed away at Chevin Park run recently would also have been racing in this Heat. A poignant moment. It was a privilege to watch the final (fastest) heat, and see Matthew Thackwray right in the thick of the lead group, finishing in an impressive 5th place.

Results

(1. Gavin Taylor 4:28:07)

5. Matthew Thackwray 4:36:01

123. Jane McCarthy 6:01:01

341 finishers

Ilkley Gazette Report – w/c 24 June

Mon 24 Jun 2024

[Daniel Fazackerley on his way to victory at the Solstice Saunter, photo courtesy of Nigel Pepper]

From Will Worboys…

Midsummer success for Ilkley runners

There were more wins for Ilkley runners last Thursday evening. Firstly in the ‘Solstice Saunter’; the annual midsummer trail race in the scenic grounds of Bolton Abbey. The race which raises funds for the Sue Ryder Manorlands Hospice is 5 miles long and this year attracted an impressive 772 competitors and considerably more midges! The route follows the River Wharfe upstream from The Cavendish Pavilion to Barden, before crossing the bridge and returning on the opposite river bank.

The race was superbly won by Harrier Daniel Fazackerley who was the only runner finishing inside the half hour mark, posting a time of 29:49, 11 seconds ahead of the second-placed runner. Ilkley’s Joanne Williamson also put in a storming run to finish 9th female. The next Harrier to finish was Andrew Smith, who was then followed by Lucy Elliott; with Rachel Corrigan, Joe Henderson and Aleksandra Atman all finishing in close succession.

Also on Thursday evening the Harrogate Summer Race league continued with the third race of the series for club runners taking place at Sutton Bank. This race was organised by Thirsk and Sowerby Harriers and was a 4.7 mile route on varying terrain including road and a trail section on an undulating section of the Cleveland Way.

The race was won by Ilkley’s Tom Adams in a time of 25:18, which was over a minute quicker than the athlete in second place. It was Adams’ second successive victory in the series after also winning at Ripley in race 2. The next Harrier to finish was Nick Kealey who came in 3rd in his category and 15th of the 394 total finishers. The third Harrier was Jaysson Sawyer who was 6th in his category and 43rd overall.

Other notable Harriers performances came from Alison Bennett who was 4th in the F60 category, Steve Murray who was 6th M50 and Diane Kitchen being 2nd F65. The series continues this Thursday night with the action moving to Ilkley.

On Sunday morning Jack Cummings put in a brilliant performance to smash his PB and finish 3rd with a time of 30:24 at the Leeds Runforall 10K. The only two athletes to finish ahead of Cummings were International class athletes from Kenya and Tanzania who were both just over a minute ahead. The annual event was created by the inspirational amateur athlete and fundraiser Jane Tomlinson in 2007 while she was battling terminal cancer; and the race continues to raise money for a range of local charities to this day.

Another Ilkley athlete Ed Hobbs also put in a superb performance to finish 6th of the 5,500 who took part on the day in a time of 31:36. Adding to the mounting incredible 10K times that have been posted this year by members of the club. The only other Harrier taking part was Pete Evans who finished around the hour mark.

Meanwhile on Wednesday Harry Sime continued his quest to break 20 minutes for 5K at the latest Leeds EvenSplits event. He was close again finishing in a superb 20:13 and will surely smash the 20 minute barrier before long. Dick and Helen Waddington also attended this event with times of 21:22 and 22:54 respectively with Helen finishing first in her category.

On the south coast one Harrier took on the epic challenge of the ‘Jurassic Extinction 105’. With that number signifying the number of miles! Matthew Kennedy had a marvellous run to finish second in the endurance adventure; which started in Poole Harbour in Dorset and followed the South West Coast Path all the way to Exmouth in Devon. Kennedy finished at 8am on Sunday morning 23 and a half hours after starting the race on Saturday.

There were some excellent performances at this week’s parkruns’ by Ilkley runners. Particularly at Roberts Park where Jane McCarthy and Rachel Carter made up an Ilkley ladies 1-2 and with Alison Bennett in 4th and also topping the age-graded table. Robert Carter finished 6th overall at the same event.

Elsewhere, Mark Hall was 2nd at Crichton in Dumfries in a time of 18:25, James Horrex was 5th finisher at Cliffe Castle and Stephen Coy came 4th at Kircaldy. Finally at Skipton, new Harrier Alice Hewitson followed up her first ever 10K with another excellent run.

Jurassic Extinction 105 – Sat 22 June

Sat 22 Jun 2024

From Matthew Kennedy…

The Jurassic Extinction 105 is a race along the final section of the South West Coast Path from Poole Harbour to Exmouth (minus the loop of Portland Bill). Having never been to that part of the country, I entered for the scenery and was duly rewarded – not just by beaches, cliffs & bays, but also by occasional rolling hills and even the mazy forest of the undercliff by Lyme Regis.

Starting in warm weather into a steady headwind, the course was deceptively tough, with nearly 17,000 feet of climbing despite never reaching the altitude of White Wells! I managed to make it harder still by getting confused about the line of the coast path at the western end of Chesil Beach, adding two painful miles of shingle “running” when I could have been on a paved lane slightly inland.

That mistake contributed to a bit of a mid-race slump, but fortunately the night was cool and still, with a beautiful strawberry moon out over the English Channel. My legs began moving more easily again and I picked up speed over the final third to arrive in Exmouth just before 8am. Waiting at the finish were local winner Justin Montague, the race director and the parents of the soon-to-be third place runner – something that summed up the small & friendly nature of the event.

Results

(1 Justin Montague 22h08)

2 Matthew Kennedy 23h30

31 starters, 16 finishers

Bolton Abbey Solstice Saunter – Thu 20 June

Thu 20 Jun 2024

From Joanne Williamson…

Thursday night saw a good turnout of Harriers at the start line at Bolton Abbey. We ran a 5-mile route through the woods from the Cavendish Pavilion, over Barden Bridge, and back along the river path to the finish.

The trick was the faster you ran, the less midges got you!

Daniel Fazackerley won the race with a time of 29:49.

Results

HDSRL #3 Thirsk and Sowerby – Wed 19 June

Wed 19 Jun 2024

From Alison Bennett…

Summer had arrived for the third race in the Harrogate and District Summer Race League and several Ilkley Harriers gathered at Sutton Bank to enjoy a superb event organized by Thirsk and Sowerby Harriers.

The 4.7 mile route was 40% road and 60% trail in that order. Those who weren’t at the front, could see the leaders racing away in the distance along a fairly straight road from the start before turning onto a track which led to the return route along the undulating Cleveland Way. Anyone who wasn’t watching their feet for stones to trip up on along the path, or keeping their eyes, as Pete Shields would say, on the ‘target ahead’ was treated to great views of the Vale of York all the way to the finish.

Such a lovely warm and still evening meant ample sandwiches and stacks of cakes could be enjoyed alfresco style adjacent to the finish line. Tom Adams won the race in 25:18 setting a new course record and Jane McCarthy was the first lady for Ilkley Harriers.

Results

Ilkley Gazette Report – w/c 17 June

Mon 17 Jun 2024

[Jack Cummings, this year’s winner of the Buckden Pike fell race, photo courtesy of Liz Dawson]

From Jean Sullivan…

Wins at home and abroad for the Ilkley Harriers this week

More wins for the Ilkley Harriers this week! In the Yorkshire Dales, Harrier Sam Bentham, fresh from his recent victory at the Kettlewell Anniversary fell race, was the first over the line at the Hawkswick Dash in Littondale. This 1.4-mile race, with 600ft of climbing, is part of the BOFRA (British Open Fell Runners Association) series of races. Sam finished in a speedy time of 11:34. He was followed by fellow Harrier Gawain Moore, who finished in tenth place, with Peter Roll also having a great run and the third Harrier home.

A win also for Jack Cummings at the Buckden Pike fell race, with Jack over a minute ahead of the second-placed finisher. This 6km race, with 486ft of ascent, organised by Barlick Fell Runners, has been in existence since 1987 and sees runners set off from the tiny village of Buckden in Upper Wharfedale. The race always takes place on the same day as Buckden Gala, the ideal opportunity to combine a fell race with a family day out.

Meanwhile, in Coimbra in Portugal, Harrier Christos Tzelis representing Great Britain, secured a fantastic first-place finish which saw him become the outright European Sprint Duathlon Champion. In a field of 360 top athletes, Christos started by completing a 5km run in a blistering pace to finish in 15:47. This was followed by a 20km bike ride, in 30:56, with only seconds between him and the eventual second finisher. Christos completed the final challenge, a 2.5km run, in a superb 8:12 for a total time of 56:42, with a 36 seconds gap between him and the second finisher. A hugely deserved achievement for dedicated and talented athlete Christos.

On the Cumbrian fells Ben Rothery and Jane McCarthy took part in the Buttermere Sailbeck fell race, described as ‘a classic tough rough’ fell race, which packs in over 4,000ft of climbing in nine miles. This year’s race had the added appeal of being a counter in the 2024 English Fell Running Championships. Starting from Buttermere village, the route climbs onto Knott Rigg before traversing the ridgeline of Ard Crags and dropping down into Rigg Beck. A brutal climb back up onto Causey Pike leads to a stunning and airy run across Scar Crags to Sail and Crag Hill. From here, runners follow the long and exhilarating descent back into Buttermere.

Ben had a spectacular run, finishing in second place, just 17 seconds behind the first-place finisher, in a great time of 1:26:14. Jane, always impressive, completed the course in 2:16:49.

Back in the Yorkshire Dales, Harrier Robert Green took part in the Kettlewell (Skirfare) half marathon. Robert finished in a superb eighth place overall, completing the route in a great time of 2:10:09. This challenging race with approx. 900m of ascent, takes runners over three steep climbs, which are rewarded with spectacular views over Wharfedale.

On the roads, a popular fixture in the summer calendar, especially for those wanting to get a mid-week race under their belt, the Otley 10-mile road race took place this week. The race starts and finishes at Otley Cricket Club, with a grandstand finish, barbecue, prize giving, and a great friendly atmosphere. Runners need this at the end of what is a very tough course, described as undulating, but the big hills to contend with are more than undulating!

Conditions were good – cool with a slight breeze – as 11 Harriers lined up at the start line. Ed Hobbs led the Ilkley contingent home to finish in a superb second place overall, with Ed’s blistering pace meaning that he finished in a superb time of 53:55, and only 37 seconds behind the first finisher. Steven Bysouth was the second Harrier home, in just over an hour, with Steven finishing second in his age category. Sally Armitage was hot on his heels and was the third Harrier home, in a speedy time of 1:06:31. Sally was also the third lady overall to finish, taking first prize in her age category. Other notable performances came from Kate Archer who took second prize in her age category, and Fiona Schneider who came third in her age category.

Harriers’ love of ultras continued this week, with Petra Bijsterveld taking part in the Montane Spine Summer Challenger South, a non-stop 108-mile race along the Pennine Way from Edale to Hardraw, with a time limit of 60 hours. Petra, no stranger to the ultra-running scene, took part in this physically and psychologically demanding route, completing the course in an amazing time of 47:19:17.

Further south, Matthew Kennedy took part in the South Downs Way Ultra, a 100-mile trail run from Winchester to Eastbourne on the hard chalk trails of the South Downs Way, with a total climb of just over 12,000ft, offering great views along the way. This race is organised by Centurion Runners an ultra-distance trail event organisation based in the UK. Matthew had a superb run, working his way up the field to finish in an impressive 23rd place overall out of a field of over 400 runners. Matthew completed the race in an incredible time of 18:15, taking third prize in his age category.

The shorter 5km distance was also popular this week. Nathan Edmondson took part in the Barrowford 5km, the 6th race in the Pendle and Burnley Grand Prix series and billed as one of the fastest 5km courses in the UK. Continuing his fine form, Nathan sped around the course to finish in an incredible time of 14:27, narrowly missing the current club record by only two seconds.

Over in York, race number five in the EvenSplits 5km series took place, held at the University of York Sports Village Cycle Circuit. Harrier Harry Sime took part, finishing in an impressive 20:01 and taking second prize in his age category, on this fast and challenging circuit.

Rounding off this week’s news, Ilkley Harriers continued to shine at the weekly timed 5km parkrun events. An impressive first place finish, as well as a PB, for Tom Lambe at this week’s Horton parkrun, with Tom running the course in 19:30. Nick Kealey was the second finisher at the Robert’s Park parkrun, with Nick running the course in a speedy 18:00. Meanwhile, Mark Hall completed his 50th parkrun at Bradford’s Lister Park, with Mark being the fourth finisher across the line. Samesh Chotai completed his 70th Skipton parkrun, with Samesh the third to finish.

Hawkswick Dash – Sun 16 June

Sun 16 Jun 2024

From Peter Roll…

After driving through a rain storm, Sunday turned out to be a fine & sunny day in Littondale for the short & steep Hawkswick Dash Fell Race. Only 1.4 miles/2.25km long but, a brutal 600ft/170 metres of climb.

It’s a proper family outing for Father’s Day, starting with the junior events, which follow a slightly truncated course.

First off were the under 9’s with junior Harrier, Isobel Moore 1st Girl home & Leyton Hudson in a creditable 15th. Then the under 12’s with Michael Moore 10th, followed by the under 14’s Joseph Bentham in 6th and under 17’s Oscar Shinn in 5th, George Whittlestone in 8th.

Finally the seniors race, now when they say 600ft/170 metres of climb, it is actually climbing as in on all fours scrambling up a precipitous fell, once you finally top out it’s a moorland trig over some walls, then a tumble down the hillside back home. Sam Bentham managed a thrilling overtake on the descent to bring home the win with Gawain Moore coming in 10th. A highly recommended day out.

Results

Summer Spine Challenger South – Sat 15 Jun

Sat 15 Jun 2024

From Petra Bijsterveld…

On the weekend I ran the 108 mile Montane Summer Spine Challenger South, along the Pennine Way from Edale to Hardraw. The start was at 8 am on Saturday. As per the forecast the weather turned out to be very mixed, whilst we had some lovely sunshine there was also plenty of heavy driving rain accompanied by a nasty cold wind. As there had already been a lot of rain in the preceding weeks the underfoot conditions on the moors were beyond boggy, and more like one might expect on a winter event. At least we didn’t have a named storm as an uninvited guest this time, like we had on the Northern Traverse.

There were plenty of highlights for me, like the sunset on Saturday over the reservoirs on my way to Stoodley Pike, a Sunday sunrise at Ponden. Going through lovely fields full of buttercups, long grass and contented cows or curious bullocks. Buying snacks in the Gargrave Coop and sitting on the pavement in the sunshine eating them. Meeting lots of lovely runners and volunteers, spotting Spine race legends in real life. Having my nutrition and hydration completely spot on. Finding out that 2 minute micro-naps really do work! Having no foot problems at all. The lowlights were the total mud and bog fest, having to battle unseasonably chilly and wet conditions and feeling cold despite wearing even more than the mandatory kit. Towards the end of the race, on Sunday evening, I deviated from the course after Fountains Fell and took the shorter and lower route to Brackenbottom and Horton (which is sometimes activated as an official diversion by the race, but had not been) rather than going over the top of Pen-y-Ghent via the scramble, as I felt unsafe tackling that on my own in the hideous weather conditions. I obviously incurred a time penalty which is totally justified, speaking to some other runners they had also felt unsafe and like me had hoped the diversion would be put in place, yet I was the only one taking that route. Always a bit of a rebel I guess! I ended up having to change into my emergency dry base layers in the toilets in Horton-in-Ribblesdale, using my emergency spare socks as gloves, and wearing my emergency foil blanket in between all my layers, in order to tackle the final 16 miles to the finish. Thankfully I had finally found some company for the Cam Road as it was a very tough trudge in the dark and fog, together we battled pain, exhaustion and sleep deprivation. I had struggled with acute IT band problems since late on Saturday, was reduced to hiking from Hebden Bridge onwards and struggled on descents especially, and as the miles went by the pain had reached very uncomfortable levels indeed. It varied between agony and what I called ‘agony cubed’ depending on how long ago it was that I had taken painkillers. Towards the very end my back was also giving me problems again and I was leaning over to the left, the same issue which had caused my DNF on the Northern Traverse. After leaving the Cam Road the final miles across the moor down to Hawes were so slippery that I fell over at least five times and I had a total sense of humour failure as a result with a lot of four letter words being uttered. Eventually I reached the road, as there is an end to every hellish thing eventually, and I ‘enjoyed’ walking in the early morning through the fields into Hawes and through to Hardraw despite having to stop in every field to stretch my back out. I reached the finish at 6:19 and was given the medal that I had been focussing on for so many hours. And delicious tea and hot buttered toast. I was 19^th out of 35 women and 58^th out of 95 overall finishers. The legend that is Hilda Coulsey came to collect me at 7 which was wonderful! I wasn’t in a fit state to drag my heavy bags onto the train. I have already started writing my blog but it will take some time as there is a lot of detail and I also want to wait for the official photos. So for those amongst you who like to read more there will be a blog post in due course.

Results

1 22:31:02 Rupert Allison (new CR)

12 31:05:00 Ursula Sullivan 1st woman

58 47:19:17 Petra Bijsterveld

157 started

95 finished

62 retired

European Sprint Duathlon Championship – Sat 15 June

Sat 15 Jun 2024

From Neil Chapman…

Christos Tzelis was over at Coimbra in Portugal at the weekend representing GB, taking part in the European Sprint Duathlon Championship. This is the short course version so the intensity is high right from the start. He was competing with 360 other top-quality athletes, getting off to a good start in the 5k run and coming into the first transition with a small leading group in 15:47. He backed that up with a great 30:56 on the 20k bike section, so at that point there was only a couple of seconds between him and eventual second placed man Pablo Perez of Spain. Christos got his head down for an impressive final 2.5k run time of 8:12, stretching his lead to 36 seconds and a total time of 56:42, to become outright European Sprint Duathlon Champion.

Christos has had previous success in national competitions, winning or well placed in his age category, but he has really delivered this time, to be standing on top of the podium as outright European Champion is a major step up for him. Well done Christos, with all the hard training you subject yourself to, it is well deserved.

Buttermere Sailbeck – Sat 15 June

Sat 15 Jun 2024

From Jane McCarthy…

Ben Rothery and I were the only Harriers racing at Buttermere Sailbeck Fell Race on Saturday, a 9 mile, 4,300ft horseshoe from the shores of picturesque Buttermere over Knott Rigg and Ard Crags, descending to the valley bottom before the slog of a climb up to Causey Pike. Due to the narrow paths on sections the women had been started 30 minutes before the men, meaning for the mid-pack runners (like me) we had the treat of watching first the ascending speed of the lead male runners and then the descending skills on the ever so steep grassy descent from Whiteless Pike back to Buttermere. This provided some welcome distraction from the realisation that I hadn’t run a Lakeland fell race for 18 months and that they are hard(!). Ben Rothery was spectacular again in this English Fell Champs counter, finishing 2nd in 1:26:14.

Results

(1 Finlay Grant, Dark Peak Fell Runners, 1:25:53)

2 Ben Rothery 1:26:14

221 Jane McCarthy 2:16:49

359 finished

Otley 10 – Wed 12 June

Wed 12 Jun 2024

From Sally Armitage…

What a great evening for a race, 13 degrees, dry and only a slight breeze. Much better than last year’s Otley 10 when it was around 21 degrees still at 7pm.

Although this had been on my race calendar all year I delayed entering until the morning of the race, thanks to my hatred of evening races. The atmosphere on the night zapped any doubts I had away though, it was once again an epic event with plenty of harriers on the start line too.

I have finished within the same minute for 4 years now, at least I’m consistent! I was happy with my run, I felt I paced it correctly, I ran the 2 torturous hills my fastest yet and my final mile was my fastest to date too. I bagged 3rd place, which is what I’d hoped for, I’d seen Georgia Malir and Zara Knappy on the start line and I knew with absolute certainty that they would be 1st and 2nd!

Ed Hobbs had a superb run, finishing in 2nd place, only 37 seconds behind the leader. I think he’ll catch him next year (no pressure Ed).

Results

1st male Graham Rush Leeds AC 53:18

1st female Georgia Malir Leeds AC 01:00:20

2nd Edward Hobbs 53:55

16th Steven Bysouth 1:03:29 [2nd M40]

32nd Sally Armitage 1:06:31

40th Stephen Morris 1:07:31

47th Dave Robson 1:09:46

53rd Iain Young 1:10:12

61st Kate Archer 1:10:50 [2nd F45]

105th Colm McCann 1:16:45

138th Martin Stubbs 1:21:01

141st Jeremy Greenwood 1:21:48

237th Fiona Schneider 1:37:54

268 ran

Ilkley Gazette Report – w/c 10 June

Mon 10 Jun 2024

[Nathan Edmondson, winner of the inaugural Pete Shields Ilkley 10k, photo courtesy of Philip Bland]

From Jill Ezard…

Harriers’ inaugural Pete Shields Ilkley 10k a roaring success

Sunday 9th June saw the first staging of the Pete Shields Ilkley 10k road race, created as a tribute and memorial to Harrier Pete Shields who died early in 2020. Pete was a gifted runner and an outstanding coach, who had guided runners from far and wide, also leading training sessions for athletes at club, national and international levels over many years. He was exceptional at getting the best out of all runners, but especially skilful in encouraging those young enthusiastic runners who are the lifeblood of the sport.

The fast, flat, out-and-back two-lap course along Denton Road starting at East Holmes Field, was a great opportunity for all runners to achieve a personal best or even set a course record, it being run for the first time! Equally as a course with minimal climb, rare in Ilkley, it also meant it was a fantastic opportunity for those less experienced wanting to give a 10km a go.

With club runners, charity runners, members of the Harriers’ run/walk ‘jeffing’ group and a graduate of the first Harriers group for Adults with Learning Disabilities, it certainly proved to be a super inclusive event.

There were some impressive performances with some tough course records to beat in future years. In the men’s race it was a podium first and second place for the Harriers with Nathan Edmondson winning the battle in 30:44, closely followed by Jack Cummings in 31:27. It was almost a clean sweep with Christos Tzelis being pipped to third place by John Ashcroft of Leeds City AC by just six seconds! The women’s race was won by Zara Knappy of Keighley and Craven AC in 38:16 over one minute ahead of second finisher Charlotte Wills in 39:29. Third place was taken by Ruth Draisey of Hyde Park Harriers who finished in 40:00 pipping Harrier Beth Rogers into fourth place by just seven seconds! A fantastic result for Beth.

There were some outstanding age group performances from the 87 Harriers who took part. Seven Harriers secured first place in their age categories: Michael Odell, finishing in seventh overall in 34:35; Mark Hall finishing in the top 20, in 37:07; Peter Shelley in 40:15; Alison Bennett in 46:54; Paul Stephens in 49:00; Sally Malir in 49:12; and Jan Jones in 51:17. And a further eight finished in the top three: Sara Mclean in 41:31; David Westhead in 41:50; Kate Archer in 41:50; Erin Keating in 46:22; Tracey Watson in 49:17; Diane Kitchen in 53:12; Scott Armitage in 53:40; and Hilda Coulsey in 54:37.

The club’s thanks go to the organisers, volunteers and Ilkley residents for making the event such a success. Profits from the race will be given to Marie Curie Cancer Care in appreciation of the help and care they gave to Pete and his family when he was unwell.

If that was the event to end the week, the start of the week was equally podium-rich for the Harriers taking part in the second Harrogate District Summer Race League race held in Ripley. Run by local running clubs the events take place on weekday evenings through the summer and are between five and six miles long, predominantly on road. 28 Harriers took to the start line with yet more excellent results. It was another top two places in the men’s race with Tom Adams pipping Matthew Thackwray to first place in 25:57 and 26:15 respectively. Peter Shelley was next home taking third place in his age category in 32:57. In the women’s race Jane McCarthy was the first Harrier home taking second place in her age category in 34:58, with Alison Bennett taking third place in her category in 39:03.

Elsewhere across the country, it was a bumper weekend mostly on the fells and trails for the Harriers. On Wednesday it was short trip over to Otley for the seven Harriers taking part in the 2.9mile Otley Chevin Fell race. Despite its length, the race certainly packs a punch with over 900 feet of elevation taking in road, trails, steps mud tracks and grass…a truly multi-terrain event. Forrest Hamilton was the first Harrier over the line in an impressive 21:25 closely followed by Steven Gott and Steven Bysouth who were separated by one second in 21:37 and 21:38 respectively and both taking third place in their age categories. Alistair Barlow and Bob Hamilton took age category wins at the event finishing in 26:02 and 27:51 respectively.

Over in Haworth on Thursday Jacqui Foster was the only Harrier to take on the Bronte 5, a scenic, undulating five mile, two lap road race on quiet country roads round Penistone Country Park. Jacqui had a great run finishing in the top 25 in a time of 42:50. On the same night up in the Dales two Harriers were taking on the Kettlewell Anniversary Fell Race. Another five mile race, the route is challenging covering 550m of climb but with fast descents, the opportunity is there for a fun event, especially if you compete the additional challenge of the Shark Hunter’s Reward – the first man or woman to catch the runner carrying the inflatable shark! Sam Bentham was flying round the course and took the win in 37:31, although we have no confirmation if he caught a shark! Dave Robson also had a great race setting a PB and taking first place in his age category in 44:24.

It was a busy day at home and away on Saturday with Harriers taking part in three challenging events. Nea and Alison Weston headed to the Lake District to take part in the Ennerdale Horseshoe Fell Race. This is a challenging race described as “not for the faint hearted” as it covers 23 miles and nearly 2300m of ascent taking in several peaks including Red Pike, Pilla and Crag Fell. Nea won the battle of the Westons completing the race in 11th place for the women in 5:53:30 with Alison only a short distance behind in 5:58:46 taking first place in her age category. James Dobbing was also in the Lakes but stepping up the distance to take on the Ullswater Way Ultra, a 33.5 mile race taking in the Lowther and Dalemain Loops of the Ullswater Way. James had a fantastic run taking 22nd place in a blistering 5:48:13.

Meanwhile, in an Ultra much closer to home Martin Hartley and Ritchie Williamson were taking part in the second Stanza Stones Ultra, a 50 mile route with over 6800ft of ascent connecting Marsden to Ilkley. The route takes in all six Stanza Stones the brainchild of Poet Laureate Simon Armitage, who created six poems carved into rock on the theme of water: Snow, Rain, Mist, Dew Puddle and Beck. Martin and Ritchie completed the challenge together and came over the line in 10:52:29 and 30 respectively.

Clearly needing to pound the trails rather than the road, Sunday saw three races attracting Harriers across the country. Unable to relax on holiday, Dan McKeown took on the Mulgrave Castle 10k. Running through the private Mulgrave Estate near Whitby, the undulating course takes participants through woodland and affords fantastic views of the old castle and Whitby Abbey. Dan earned a restful rest of his holiday after taking a fantastic fifth place and first in his age category in 37:31. Meanwhile back in the Lakes three Harriers took on the scenic Lakeland Trails Half Marathon, and one the Marathon distance with fantastic results! In the Half Marathon, Dick Waddington was first home in 1:57:04, taking third place in his age category. Next up and neck and neck were Nicky Liptrot and Helen Waddington who finished in 2:04:25 and 26 respectively taking first and second place in their age categories. In the marathon, Mary Fairclough completed the course in 5:26:44, finishing in the top ten in her age category. A fantastic set of results!

Closer to home again, three Harriers took on each of the races at the Settle Saunter. This annual running/walking event has three distances each taking participants on footpaths and bridleways in some of the less well known parts of the Yorkshire Dales. First to set off was Mark Judkowski in the 23 mile event, which he completed in 4:22:02, taking second place in his age category. Next up was Sharon Meadows who took on the half marathon event completing it in 4:35:54. And finally Joanne Williamson who took part in the 10k event, coming over the line in 1:06:21 and first in her age category – a great result!

It was Yorkshire and Harriers’ success at the Junior Intercounties Fell Running Championships on Sunday. Harrier Sam Bentham was representing Yorkshire and stormed to take the gold medal in the U19 race, leading the under 19 Yorkshire team to the gold medal position overall. There were fantastic results for the Junior Harriers as well with both Alex Wolfenden and Oscar Shinn’s results earning the U17 team the silver medal. Congratulations to all!

And finally, our 21 parkrunners were travelling far and wide achieving personal bests (PB) and finishing in the first ten. Hitting a PB this week, Alison Bennett event, finishing third and with an eye watering age grade of 90.5% at the Morecambe Prom event. Other top ten places were Jane McCarthy and Diane Kitchen at Roberts Park finishing first and tenth respectively with Jane hitting an age grade of 81.9%. There were also some participation milestones achieved with Rachel Corrigan completing her 25th event and both Steph Fox and Diane Kitchen completing their 50th events, with Diane also hitting a fantastic age grading of 81.41%. Well done to all that took part.

Pete Shields Ilkley 10k – Sun 9 June

Sun 9 Jun 2024

[Photo credit: Philip Bland]

A heartfelt thankyou to everyone who ran, volunteered or supported the fantastic first edition of this race in tribute to our much-missed Harrier and coach Pete Shields.

And above all thanks to organiser and race director Neil Chapman for the incredible amount of work he put in to make the event a reality.

Photo galleries from Philip Bland can be found here:

Start

https://photos.app.goo.gl/WYjX5vtmZz6u8Wb47

Lap 1

https://photos.app.goo.gl/v6ZdC8a686DMy3P78

Lap 2

https://photos.app.goo.gl/wWpwWdU2cS7Ri3TG9

https://photos.app.goo.gl/V6txvytBk9VASZaTA

https://photos.app.goo.gl/SME3ErReMSaPV36v8

Presentations

https://photos.app.goo.gl/Pc2ZfC2ESaBkmJmA7

Results

1 Nathan Edmondson 30:44

2 Jack Cummings 31:27

4 Christos Tzelis 32:56

7 Michael Odell 34:35 [1st MV40]

8 Daniel Fazackerley 35:05

13 Fraser Arnott 36:40

16 Samesh Chotai 36:58

18 Mark Hall 37:07 [1st MV60]

27 Andrew Overend 38:22

28 Stephen Morris 38:43

36 Tom Lambe 39:51

38 Beth Rogers 40:07

39 Jaysson Sawyer 40:09

41 James Lumb 40:09

42 Peter Shelley 40:15 [1st MV55]

43 Justin Phillips 40:16

44 Rob Cunningham 40:20

51 Dave Robson 40:53

54 Iain Young 41:18

55 Sara Mclean 41:31

56 John Jackson 41:43

58 Justin Pierce 41:45

60 David Westhead 41:50

61 Steve Murray 41:52

62 Kate Archer 41:50

69 Phil Joyner 42:23

70 Luke Watkeys 42:29

73 Paul Sullivan 42:59

75 Matthew Lambe 42:56

77 Derek Oliver 43:13

78 Charles Wain 43:20

79 Steve Newell 43:23

80 Tony Pye 43:35

82 Mark Iley 43:52

83 David Singleton 43:54

91 Colm McCann 44:23

94 Oscar Street 44:40

97 Nicholas Archer 44:49

102 Stephen Liversedge 45:04

105 Mike Williams 45:09

117 Michael Ho 46:03

118 Andrew Smith 46:10

119 Matthew Snow 46:17

122 Erin Keating 46:22

124 Marie Watson 46:29

128 Alison Bennett 46:54 [1st FV60]

130 Antonio A Perez Lopez 46:52

131 Keith Wood 47:16

134 Simon Jenkins 47:34

137 Theo Ford 47:49

140 Bethany Prus 47:55

143 Alan Travis 48:22

148 Paul Stephens 49:00 [1st MV65]

150 Sally Malir 49:12 [1st FV55]

151 Tracey Watson 49:17

152 Aphra Hicks 49:17

155 Heidi Hoad 49:27

160 Emma Moore 49:49

170 Lucy Hayes 50:42

173 Scott Pinfield 51:03

177 Jan Jones 51:17 [1st FV65]

179 Nigel Illingworth 51:11

188 Gaenor Coy 52:10

193 Tom Lally 52:23

197 Katherine Suddaby 52:47

199 Diane Kitchen 53:12

200 Hannah Osieku 53:10

204 Lucy Lowe 53:24

209 Scott Armitage 53:40

220 Hilda Coulsey 54:37

221 Mark Burns 54:44

227 Andrew Jackson 55:12

228 William Worboys 55:16

235 Sarah Gregory 56:00

239 Robin Moffatt 56:36

248 Jacqui Weston 58:00

254 Anna Nolan 59:00

258 Robert Morse 58:57

266 Carolyn Stone 1:01:18

268 Sarah Lambert 1:01:29

271 Peter Evans 1:02:08

277 Alex Stanley-Hyde 1:03:29

293 Jessica Summers 1:11:11

294 Nic Anness 1:12:55

296 Laura Samtaney-Roberts 1:13:04

297 Laura Clegg 1:13:05

307 Caroline Tong 1:25:14

310 finished

Mulgrave Castle 10k – Sun 9 June

Sun 9 Jun 2024

[Photo credit: Mike AC]

From Dan McKeown…

By happy coincidence, the annual family holiday on the Mulgrave Estate in Sandsend coincided for the first time with the Mulgrave Castle 10k. I’ve had a lot of enjoyment (and nettle rash) running round the local woodland on previous trips, so I’d circled it in the calendar earlier in the year, got the entire family signed up, then didn’t really do enough training and was consoling myself with the fact that I wouldn’t actually be racing against anyone I knew, unlike if I’d been part of the hurly-burly of the inaugural Pete Shields 10k.

Imagine, then, my perplexity when I pitched up to race registration on the Sunday morning and the first person I saw was renowned Harriers second-claimer Mike AC, along with a crowd of more than 30 people from his adopted club, Abbey Runners.

I wasn’t about to take Mike’s aggressive stalking lying down; I marched straight up to him and demanded to know exactly what he thought he was doing there. The look of incredulous horror on his face as he stammered the same question back at me (shorn of some of the more unsavoury epithets I may have used) was at least some reassurance that he wasn’t just following me round the country with a gang of his mates.

While Mike’s partner Rachel tried to revive him by wafting him gently with a scented handkerchief, I bade good morning to the rest of Abbey Runners and remarked that if they’d wanted a 10k away day, there was a pan-flat race rather closer to home they could have driven their coach to. They said something about going for fish and chips afterwards. I said that Ilkley has a perfectly good chippy.

The course of the Mulgrave Castle 10k starts at the new castle, which I’ve never seen up close before (it’s on private land), pitches down into the valley, before winding up to the old castle ruins, fishtails down again to a lumberyard by the coast road, then brings runners round to slog back up the hill to finish where they started.

In previous years, the course had an absolute mule of a final hill, but a series of land slips had taken this out of circulation. I’d still been out and recced it the previous evening, hence I had rather more nettle rash on my legs at the start line than the other runners. A chastened Mike AC was worrying about his allergies; I did my best not to offer him any encouragement.

The host club, Loftus and Whitby, can’t have been any more pleased than I was to see the invading horde from Abbey Runners (except for their treasurer). When the gun went, three of them turboed off down the hill, with Abbey’s Simon Jones in hot pursuit. Although he wasn’t able to pull off a win for the raiders, he prevented a sweep for the home club by making the podium, while Abbey’s Charlotte Knowles earned a hard-fought victory in the ladies’ race.

I finished fifth overall, having dragged myself clear of Mike at the old castle, as he fought his own personal battle against his histamine levels. Happily, this also meant the V40 prize for me, so not a bad start to the holiday.

Results

(1. Adam Theaker 34:15 Loftus & Whitby AC)

5. Dan McKeown 37:31

13. Mike AC 39:01

151 finishers

Settle Saunter 10k – Sun 9 June

Sun 9 Jun 2024

From Joanne Williamson…

The Settle Saunter was a lovely race put together by the Rotary Club of Settle. The race went over the hills and around the area of Settle and Giggleswick. People chose to run or walk distances of 10km, a half marathon or 23 miles.

I chose to run the 10km which ascended Giggleswick scar before passing through Langcliffe.

I finished 5th overall (1st female) in a time of 01:06:21.

Lakeland Trails Coniston – Sun 9 June

Sun 9 Jun 2024

From Helen Waddington…

Not too wet, windy or warm made for perfect Lakeland running conditions. This year there was a great new start location for this event, more central to Coniston, as well as some route changes including an additional climb making it just over 1800 feet of ascent over the half and 3,500 over the full. The half course is really beautiful and takes runners through shady woods and tiny hamlets before reaching Tarn Hows which we were instructed (more than once) you must complete one full lap of before branching off and enjoying the nice long descents back to Coniston. As always with the Lakeland trails series there’s lots of distances on offer and a Challenge or Race option. Hats off to Mary who opted for the full marathon distance whilst Dick, Nicky and myself felt fully tested over the half. Some big hitters on the start line of the half race, courtesy of Inov-8, made for extra interest.

Results

Half-marathon Race

(1) Damian Hall 1:27:30

(1) Kate Marriott 1:39:30

49 Dick Waddington 1:57:04

59 Nicky Liptrot 2:04:25

60 Helen Waddington 2:04:26

90 ran

Marathon Challenge

(1) Liam Godfree 3:51:53

66 Mary Fairclough 5:26:44

146 ran

South Downs Way 100 – Sat 8 June

Sat 8 Jun 2024

From Matthew Kennedy…

Following a cold and boggy Fellsman in late April, a well-timed e-mail from SI Entries flagged the South Downs Way 100. Hard chalk trails over gently rolling hills sounded like an appealing change, and the race also gets great reviews for its beautiful views and friendly organisation, including from a number of Harriers (most recently Jane McCarthy – thanks for the tips!). So it was I found myself just outside Winchester at 6am on Saturday morning, setting off for Eastbourne in perfect conditions with over 400 other runners.

12,700 feet of ascent is not much for a 100-mile trail race (the Lakeland 100 has about 21,000, UTMB pushing 33,000), and it’s also split into lots of small, often quite runnable climbs. However, I decided to hike the ups right from the beginning, in the hope of saving my legs for later on. Although yo-yoing back and forth with other runners felt a bit silly at the start, the approach paid off as I gradually worked my way up the field, from 74th at the first CP, to 50th at 35 miles, to 31st at 67 miles, to 23rd when I finished not long after midnight. Although I was nearly four hours behind race winner and 1st MV50 Dan Lawson, even that felt like a good result, considering he’s the current MV50 100 mile world record holder (on a track, with 12h37!).

Results

(1 Dan Lawson 14h28, 1st MV50)

23 Matthew Kennedy 18h15, 3rd MV50

430 starters, 349 finishers

Ennerdale Horseshoe – Sat 8 June

Sat 8 Jun 2024

From Alison Weston…

Nea and I (and some of her friends) decided to do Ennerdale Horseshoe at the weekend.

I have done it a few times before and knew what was in store. It’s 23 miles and an awful lot of climbing (7,500) but an amazing route around Ennerdale. The tops include Great Borne, Red Pike, Green Gable, Kirk Fell, Pillar, Haycock and few more on the way back. Luckily you skirt round a few others including Great Gable which I was very grateful for at the time!

Water is in very short supply on the route so we filled up at Black Beck tarn in Haystacks.

Nea was strong all the way round and I really tried to keep her vest in sight ahead. Failed towards the end though!

Nea finished in 5 hrs 53 and myself 5 hrs 58. Delighted be under 6 hours and not a PW!

Results

Ullswater Way Ultra – Sat 8 June

Sat 8 Jun 2024

From James Dobbing…

Based in Glenridding, this event offers a choice of three distances, a 10-mile race covering half the Ullswater Way (Pooley Bridge back to Glenridding), a 20-mile option (the full loop of the lake) and new this year a 33.5 mile ultra (full loop of the lake plus extra loops out towards both Lowther and Dalemain). I opted for the ultra.

It’s a very scenic route with decent weather on the day (other than the torrential downpour which welcomed most entrants to registration).

The route is undulating with around 4500ft of accent, culminating in the biggest climb after about 28 miles – over the summit of Gowbarrow Fell (not a big fell but using the perfectly acceptable path that goes around it would be more friendly – at least it was a fun descent!).

I finished 22nd (204 started), and ahead of my pre-race target time – overall a great day out.

Results

Kettlewell Anniversary Fell Race – Thu 6 June

Thu 6 Jun 2024

From Dave Robson…

This time of year always provides plenty of short, midweek fell race opportunities. Kettlewell Anniversary Fell Race is a good example. It’s only 5 miles but crams in 550metres of climbing, by sending you up and over a rocky ridge and then back again. To my knowledge this is the only fell race to include the optional carrying of inflatable sharks for the first male and female runner to the top the initial climb. Taking them all the way to the finish, bags you a bottle of gin.

This year, just before the start, we were treated to a sudden downpour, which made the grassy tracks slippery and my choice of trail shoes the wrong choice.

Sam Bentham was the only other Ilkley Harriers present. He flew round the course in less than 38 mins to take the win (I’m not sure if a shark was involved).

I was happy with a pb which gave me 21st place and 1st M50.

Perhaps next year additional inflatable fish species could be added for each age category?

Results

HDSRL race #2 Nidd Valley – Tue 4 June

Tue 4 Jun 2024

From Alison Bennett…

A great contingent of 28 Ilkley Harriers arrived at Ripley for the second race in the Harrogate District Summer Race League, hosted by Nidd Valley Runners. The cool, wet and windy showers of the day subsided and the weather was perfect for this well-organised event. It was a route partly familiar to anyone who has done the Guy Fawkes 10 as the race started and finished on the track outside Ripley Castle. The 4.9 mile course was a mixture of tarmac, trail and a couple of fields, one of which had an incline not too dissimilar to the hill used on Neil’s Thursday night session on the moor.

Whilst I was still a long way off from the turnaround point, I saw Tom Adams and Matthew Thackwray storming towards me on their way to the finish. It was a close battle to the end, with them finishing in first and second place in the race. This is possibly the only time I can remember Ilkley having two such highly-placed results in this series. Jane McCarthy was Ilkley’s first lady home and second in her age group.

Most people seemed to agree that this was a challenging race but the joy of reaching the finish line, chatting with friends and enjoying the food on offer afterwards soon made way for positive retrospective memories.

Results

Ilkley Gazette Report – w/c 03 June

Mon 3 Jun 2024

[Photo: Dave Woodhead]

From Will Worboys…

Harriers bag multiple prizes as Cummings wins at Wharfedale

Ilkley Harriers were by far the most dominant club in terms of their prize haul at Saturday’s Wharfedale Trail Half Marathon. Sixteen Harriers made the trip up the valley to Threshfield and an amazing six of those came away with category wins; with another four managing top three finishes.

The overall race was won by Ilkley’s Jack Cummings in 1hr 23:23, just outside the course record. This after a brilliant battle with fellow Harrier Tom Adams who finished 2nd in 1hr 25:18 and first in his category. Adams led going up the infamous hill of Mastiles Lane but was reeled in by Cummings well before the finish back at Wharfedale Rugby club.

The classic race attracted 226 finishers and is a challenging circular route of 13.2 miles, which takes in parts of the Dales Way before heading over Kilnsey Moor and Malham Moor; and includes a lung busting 2,000 feet of ascent.

After the front two, the next Harrier home was Matt Cox who was 5th overall and 2nd MV45. He was followed by category winners; Steve Clarkson MV35, Jane McCarthy MV50, Jonathan Sinclair MV60 and Bernie Gibbons FV70. Other outstanding performances were had by Owen Parker who was 18th overall and Emma Sheppard who was 2nd FV45. Finally Robert Hamilton, Peter Ferguson and Vince Gibbons were 3rd, 5th and 9th respectively in the MV65 category.

There were two representatives from Ilkley at Sunday’s NorthowRun 5. One can only speculate at the hours of brainstorming and extensive focus groups that must have happened for Northowram Pumas running club to come up with ingenious pun on the name of their village where the five mile race takes place. Harrier Sally Armitage took the prize for first lady with a superb time of 32:26 which was also a new Harriers record for that distance in the F45 category. This was all the more impressive as the course was by no means flat. Set in the rugged hills near Halifax, the other Harrier present Helen Waddington also put in a brilliant run to finish first in her category in a time of 40:20.

Back up in the Dales on Sunday was the Pen-Y-Ghent fell race which again saw success for all three Ilkley runners who competed. The race is a tough seven mile loop including the climb up to the peak of Pen-Y-Ghent and starting and finishing in Horton-in-Ribblesdale. Gawain Moore led the Harriers home finishing 12th overall and winning his MV45 category prize. Next back was Kate Archer who was 1st FV40 and 5th lady overall. Followed by Geoffrey Howard who had a great run to also finish 1st in his category of V70; continuing Ilkley’s streak of prize winning this weekend.

Further north one Harrier was taking on a special challenge. Jann Smith completed the ‘Joss Naylor Lakeland challenge’. Named after the fell running legend, the challenge is an East to West traverse of the Lake District. There are a mind-boggling 30 designated summits to reach and 47 miles to cover in a time limit which depends on age and gender. In this case Smith had 16 hours and managed it well inside; in an amazing time of 14 hours and 24 minutes.

Meanwhile on Thursday evening was the Apperley Bridge Canter; with this year’s multi-terrain 10K race being a particularly muddy renewal. The sole Harrier to take part was Thomas Mountain who put in a good shift to finish 94th of the 336 participants in a time of 51:34.

Slightly further afield there were brilliant international performances from Harriers Ed Hobbs and Ben Rothery around Annecy last week. Ed was fourth in the European Uphill U20 Championships – the first Brit and part of a bronze medal-winning team; and Ben 16th was on his GB debut in the elite senior European Off-Road Champs Up/Down Race, with a silver medal for the team. They both helped Team GB come second overall in the final medal table, with only France ahead of them.

To the nation’s weekly parkruns. The pick of the 5K results were had by Marie Watson who was 1st female at Nova Prestatyn in 22.37 and Helena Coy, also first female at Conyngham Hall in 20:29. Gaenor Coy followed her daughter home in 10th at the same event. Elsewhere Dave Foyston was 4th in 18:11 at Roberts Park, pushed all the way by Nick Kealey who was just 3 seconds behind him in 5th. At Lister Park Mark Hall was 4th and Sally Malir was 5th female. Finally Hilda Coulsey won this week’s age grading with a huge 87.33% with a time of 25:55 at Heslington near York.

NorthowRun5 – Sun 2 June

Sun 2 Jun 2024

From Sally Armitage…

An undulating 5 mile road race starting and finishing in Northowram, a small town on the outskirts of Halifax. A super little event managed by Northowram Pumas Running Club and chip timed by Racebest. I’d entered this event last year but couldn’t run due to illness so it had been a ‘provisional’ on this year’s race calendar ever since.

I’d had a scan over last year’s results to check the field size, and the competition of course! Despite it being a relatively small field, last year the first three females all finished in 32 minutes so I didn’t go with any expectations, and when Margaret Beever and Sarah Cumber came and stood next to me on the start line I knew the race would be on. However, by the top of the main climb I had taken the lead and managed to maintain that for the rest of the race, with the second lady only 27 seconds behind me, and the third lady 40 seconds behind her.

Me and Helen both agreed the hills were not as bad as expected, I think looking at the race elevation profile online always makes the hills appear worse than they are, well most of the time anyway!

[Ed: Sally doesn’t mention it but her time was a new LV45 club record for the distance]

Results:

1st Male Chris Newton (Northowram Pumas Running Club) 28:24

7th (1st lady) Sally Armitage 32:26

48th Helen Waddington (1st F55) 40:20

181 ran

European Off-Road Championships

Sat 1 Jun 2024

Brilliant international performances from Harriers Ed Hobbs, Ben Rothery and Sam Bentham around Annecy last week.
Ed was fourth in the European Uphill U20 Championships – the first Brit and part of a bronze medal-winning team.
And Ben 16th was on his GB debut in the elite senior European Off-Road Champs Up/Down Race, with a silver medal for the team.
Sam, too, was 16th in the U20 men’s Up/Down Race, the second British counter, as the quartet finished in fifth.
Team GB came second overall in the final medal table, with only France ahead of them.
Congratulations to all three.

Joss Naylor Lakeland Challenge – Fri 31 May

Fri 31 May 2024

From Jann Smith…

At 47 miles, with 17,000 feet of climbing, the JNLC is a tough mountain challenge.

It’s about three quarters of a Bob Graham Round, an East to West traverse of the Lake District. You have to touch 30 designated summits and have a time limit depending on age and gender set on Joss Naylor’s time for doing it.

I had 16 hours and after a sketchy first half with bad weather and stomach issues I was delighted to get round in a time of 14 hours and 24 minutes, solely supported all the way by Paul Carman.

Ilkley Gazette Report w/c 28 May

Tue 28 May 2024

From Jean Sullivan…

A race win and a new club record; another great week for the Ilkley Harriers!

Always a landmark in the Ilkley Harriers calendar, but especially now more than ever, with this race being dedicated to former Ilkley Harrier athlete, coach and friend to all, Pete Shields; This bank holiday weekend saw the staging of the Pete Shields Ilkley Trail Race. Thanks to the huge efforts of Race Director Neil Chapman and team of excellent volunteers, this race was a great success, with all profits from the race being shared between the Marie Curie charity and the Revival Centre and Orphanage in Matugga, Uganda, which has been supported since the race started in 2008.

Ilkley Harriers were out in force, with 39 Harriers running this 6.9-mile trail race, which offers superb views over the Wharfe Valley. Christos Tzelis led the Harriers home to finish in a superb fourth place overall, Christos running the course in 44:43. Gawain Moore was the second Harrier to cross the line in 46:24, finishing in sixth position, with Jeff Green the next Harrier to finish in 47:24, with Jeff also managing a top ten finishing place. These superb results, along with Forrest Hamilton’s great time, meant that Ilkley men had the winning men’s team. Rachel Carter led the Ilkley ladies home in a great time of 53:58, with Rachel taking first prize in her age category. She was followed by clubmate Jane McCarthy, with Jane also taking first place in her age category. Nicole Liptrot also had an impressive run also and was the third Ilkley lady to finish. Well done also to Justin Pierce and Tim Ashelford who secured age category prizes

This week saw the first race in the Harrogate District Summer Race League take place in Skipton, hosted by Skipton AC. This series of five races, which are only open to club runners, consist of five summer evening races in various locations around Yorkshire, with the last race being a handicap race for all to enjoy.

There was an impressive turnout of Harriers at the first race in the series with 25 Harriers taking part. The 8km race, mainly on the roads, starts and finishes in Skipton’s Aireville park, with Harrier Matthew Thackwray stealing the show to win the race outright in 27:49. Nick Kealey was the second Harrier over the line, in a great time of 32:02, with clubmate Jaysson Sawyer the third to finish in another speedy time of 32:29. Jane McCarthy led the Ilkley ladies home, with Jane taking first prize in her age category. Erin Keating was the second Ilkley lady to finish, followed by Phillipa Rawling. Other notable results included for Diane Kitchen who took second prize in her age category.

This weekend also saw the staging of the popular AJ Bell Great Manchester 10km road race. Harrier Nathan Edmondson’s blistering pace meant that he not only finished in a very impressive 29:48, but in doing so he also set a new Ilkley Harrier’s club record, breaking his own previous club record. His sub-30 finish makes him the first Ilkley Harrier to have gone sub-30 in the 10km distance.

Great running also by Clare Boyle at this event, with her time of 52:03 meaning she achieved a course PB. Dave Ibbotson and Juliet Green also had great runs at this event.

Up in Scotland, the Hayes family took part in the Edinburgh marathon festival. The festival offers a choice of marathon, half marathon, 10km & 5km race distances, as well as lots of junior race options. While Mum & Dad Sarah & John were busy completing the marathon, son Daniel and daughter Lucy took part in the half marathon event. Daniel finished in an impressive 1:22, with Lucy also having a great run, completing the course in 1:49:12. Great results from Sarah and John, with the miles recently clocked at the London marathon still in their legs. Despite the challenging weather conditions with strong headwinds to contend with, as well as torrential downpours, Sarah completed the course in a great time of 4:27:02, with John running the 26.2 miles in an impressive 3:23:52.

Harrier Carolyn Stone also completed the Edinburgh half marathon in a great time of 2:20:07, with fellow Harrier Steve King completing this iconic Scottish marathon in a superb time of 4:09:45.

Also on the roads two Harriers took part in Northallerton 10km, organised by the Northallerton 10km team, with all funds raised going to the Pendragon Community Trust. Taking first prize in his age category, Harrier Mark Hall completed the undulating course in an impressive time of 37:18, finishing in thirteenth place overall. Close behind, was Harrier Jaysson Sawyer, who finished in another great time of 38:08.

It was also busy on the fells, this week with two Harriers taking part in the Kildwick fell race, organised by Keighley and Craven Athletic Club. This 3.7-mile marked course, with 800ft of climbing, sees runners leave from Kildwick, climb to the Farnhill Pinnacle and across the moors before the return to Kildwick. Harrier Duncan Cooper led the Harriers home in 31:15, followed by clubmate Alistair Barlow in 31:43, both finishing high in the field of runners.

Also on the fells, hardy fell runner Dave Robson took on the Helvellyn and the Dodds fell race, organised by Keswick AC. This tough 15-mile course, with 1337m of ascent, is an out and back course from Threkheld Cricket Club. Luckily the weather was favourable, sunny with good visibility, and Dave completed this challenging race in a great time of 3:09:57, with Dave finishing highly placed in his age category.

Further afield in the Scottish mountains, Harrier Nea Weston, took part in the Isle of Jura fell race, described as ‘the pilgrimage of the fell running calendar’. No stranger to fell running, with her Mum Alison, a fell-running legend, Nea tackled this 28km course, with 2370m of ascent, over seven summits, made all the more challenging by the route not being marked and runners having to choose their own lines between checkpoints. Nea completed this technically challenging course in an impressive time of 5:35, but even more impressive was that she was 45 minutes quicker than her previous attempt at this event

The John Carr 5km race series, a longstanding tradition hosted by Saltaire Striders, has undergone some exciting changes for this year’s event, with a series of 5km races held throughout the day at Greenhead Athletics Track in Keighley. Runners were grouped into heats dependent upon their predicted finish time. The event, had a great atmosphere, with music provided by a resident DJ, and the finishing straight consisted of a ‘Lactate Tunnel of Love’ with four designated lanes to allow spectators to get up close to the action.

Four Ilkley Harriers took part, with Luke Watkeys achieving a PB by a large margin. Superb runs also by Danny Thompson, Helen Waddington and Jacqui Foster, who all enjoyed their track experience.

A beautiful sunny Saturday morning enticed many Harriers out to take part in the weekly 5km timed parkrun events, with lots of great results all round. Martin Stubbs managed a course PB at the Harrogate parkrun, as did Tom Lambe on the Leicester Victoria parkrun course, with Harry Sime also getting a parkrun PB under his belt at the Robert’s Park parkrun. There were lots of top ten finishing places also, including for; Tom Worboys, fourth finisher at Llyn Llech Owain parkrun, Samesh Chotai fourth finisher at the Skipton parkrun and Rob Cunningham also fourth to finish at the Bedgebury Pinetum parkrun in Kent. Tim Ashelford was the seventh finisher at the Chevin Forest parkrun. Penny Coulthard was flying the flag for the Ilkley Harriers at the Castlebar parkrun in Co. Mayo, Ireland, with Penny finishing high in the field of participants.

A busy weekend for Christos Tzelis – 26/27 May

Mon 27 May 2024

From Neil Chapman…

On Sunday Christos was competing with 250 others in the Darley Moor Sprint Duathlon, where he finished 3rd on the podium overall, but 1st U20. The race was won by Matthew Nelson in 51:09 and Christos finished in an impressive 52:29.

What was particularly pleasing for Christos is that he was sharing the podium with Matthew and second placed Ben Price. That might not mean much to most of you, me included, but these two guys are elite duathlon and triathlon competitors who have competed in many European Championship events with very good results. The icing on the cake for Christos is this was an age group qualifier for the world championship sprint Duathlon, so he will be heading over to Pontevedra, Spain to compete there in 2025.

After a fair bit of travelling the previous day and a tough duathlon, on Monday, after a swim training session first thing, he was at our own trail race. He went out hard leading the way on the climb and across the moorland, getting caught on the way back down, but still finishing in a very creditable 4th place.

Well done Christos, you need to put your feet up now for a couple of days, but I know that will not happen.

Pete Shields Ilkley Trail Race – Mon 27 May

Mon 27 May 2024

From Dan McKeown…

After an uncertain forecast, the Pete Shields Ilkley Trail Race took place in almost passable weather. Being in the registration / results tent, I barely needed my waterproof at all.

Despite the lowering skies, 170 runners opted to spend their bank holiday with us and they were rewarded, for the most part, with a sharp downpour when they were on the most exposed part of the course.

Christos Tzelis of Ilkley was the early leader on the uphill, but he was reeled in and passed by Ed Hyland of Calder Valley, who held off a fast-finishing Richard Anderson (Holmfirth) for the win in 42:38, with Jim Gordon (Doss AC) third and Christos fourth.

In a similarly tight finish to the women’s race, Rebecca Whalley of Valley Striders edged Catherine Westhead of Oxford University, with Sarah Shanks (Valley) third and Georgia Baynes (also Valley) fourth.

This sealed a dominant win in the ladies’ team competition for Valley Striders (he said, gnashing his teeth), but the home team fared rather better in the men’s competition, with Christos, Gawain, Jeff and Forrest the winning quartet.

There was a BAG of age-group prizes for the Harriers, well done to Rachel Carter and Jane McCarthy who both topped their categories on the ladies’ side, and to Gawain Moore, Justin Pierce, Jeff Green and Tim Ashelford, who also earned themselves some much-needed Complete Runner merch.

Huge thanks to all who took part and volunteered, and particularly to Neil Chapman for once again making the event a great success.

Ilkley Harriers are hosting two races in June – the inaugural Pete Shields 10k, plus a Harrogate District league fixture – and we’re looking for plenty of horsepower and help for both. Keep your eye on club comms and please get involved if you can!

Results (170 finished)

4 Christos Tzelis 00:44:43

6 Gawain Moore 00:46:24

9 Jeff Green 00:47:24

13 Forrest Hamilton 00:49:31

18 Tim Ashelford 00:50:39

20 Owen Parker 00:51:05

21 Andrew Overend 00:51:20

25 Justin Pierce 00:52:15

39 Luke Watkeys 00:53:33

40 Richard Joel 00:53:37

42 Adam Gerrish 00:53:47

43 Tony Pye 00:53:49

45 Rachel Carter 00:53:58

46 Peter Shelley 00:54:00

47 Charles Wain 00:54:34

57 Dave Reynier 00:55:51

60 Iain Young 00:56:30

62 Jane McCarthy 00:56:46

75 Dick Waddington 00:59:06

78 Martin Stubbs 00:59:24

81 Jeremy Greenwood 01:00:03

84 Nicky Liptrot 01:00:54

88 Marc Westerman 01:01:48

90 Mike Williams 01:02:10

93 Michael Ho 01:02:30

97 Paul Stephens 01:03:01

100 Keith Wood 01:03:16

102 Alan Travis 01:03:32

112 Geoffrey White 01:05:01

114 Sacha Jones 01:05:39

118 David Howe 01:05:56

133 Scott Armitage 01:10:42

137 Nigel Illingworth 01:12:39

138 David Lewis 01:12:45

141 Vincent Gibbons 01:12:50

144 Katherine Suddaby 01:13:36

155 Paula Reynier 01:18:32

160 Alex Stanley-Hyde 01:21:36

164 Meredith Bailey 01:23:33

Edinburgh Marathon – Sun 26 May

Sun 26 May 2024

From John Hayes…

This was a family affair for us, with Sarah and I running the marathon and two of our children, Daniel (who now lives in Edinburgh) and Lucy running the half marathon. In the days leading up to Sunday we’d been keeping an anxious eye on the BBC weather app. Fortunately, the lightning strikes didn’t happen. But the predicted torrential rain and a headwind for much of the course proved accurate. The fabulous crowds still turned out in force with their placards, whistles and the occasional bagpipes. As much of the route is along the coast, I’d had a romantic notion of taking a swim in the sea at the end. As it was, I felt freezing cold and soaking wet anyway, so I gave the swim a miss!

Results

Half Marathon

(1st Sean Chalmers 1:05:27)

111 Daniel Hayes 1:22:16

2213 Lucy Hayes 1:49:12

7944 Carolyn Stone 02:20:07

11167 ran

Marathon

(1st Moray Pryde 2:23:12)

1043 John Hayes 3:23:52

4420 Steve King 4:09:45

5737 Sarah Hayes 4:27:02

9968 ran

John Carr 5k – Day of the 5,000 PBs – Sun 26 May

Sun 26 May 2024

From Helen Waddington…

A new iteration of the much missed John Carr 5ks, which many IH have enjoyed in the past. This version, hosted by Saltaire Striders (with Racebest providing the timing), took place at the Greenhead Athletics track in Keighley. A trackside DJ provided an upbeat, friendly atmosphere as runners warmed up and family and friends milled around intermittently sheltering under umbrellas as the showers came and went. The race format is similar in nature to The Hyde Park Summer mile, in that runners were grouped into heats dependent upon their predicted finish time. Four IH took part, with Luke gaining a big PB, and Danny and me (and I think Jacqui!) enjoying our first track experience. A perhaps surprisingly small field given the PB potential, but hopefully it will grow.

Results

(1) Jonathan Wills Roundhay Runners 16.25

(1) Sophie Martin Wharfedale Harriers 18:08

20 Danny Thompson 18:39

27 Luke Watkeys 20:10

42 Helen Waddington 22:07

59 Jacqui Foster 25:12

68 ran

Manchester Great Run 10k – Sun 26 May

Sun 26 May 2024

Nathan Edmondson has broken his own club record for the 10k in the Men’s Open category, running 29:48 today in Manchester which saw him finish in 22nd position. Congratulations on going sub 30 minutes!

Clare Boyle, David Ibbotson and Juliet Green were the other Ilkley representatives in the race.

Results

Jura Fell Race – Sat 25 May

Sat 25 May 2024

From Alison Weston…

Nea Weston completed the gruelling Jura Fell race at the weekend (after an exciting time trying to get there by bike via Colonsay!) The race is 28 km with 7 summits, including the Paps of Jura, and 2370 m ascent. The race was won by Jack Wright in 3 hrs 18 and Nea improved her time last year by 45 minutes to finish 165th in 5 hrs 35”

Results

Vic’s Memorial Run – to take place Thu 30 May

Thu 23 May 2024

From Helen Horton…

Many of you will be aware of the recent sad loss of former Ilkley Harrier Vic Verecondi (Aussie Vic). To coincide with his memorial service in Australia, a short run in his honour, followed by drinks at the Bar T’at is to take place Thursday 30th May at 7.30 pm. Vic’s sons have said they would appreciate a photo, so, if possible, please wear a Harriers top.

Meet at Bar T’at for a short half hour river loop 7.30 pm and/or drinks at around 8pm.

HDSRL 1 Skipton – Thu 23 May

Thu 23 May 2024

From Petra Bijsterveld…

Twenty-five Harriers toed the start line on the first Harrogate and District Summer Race League race held in Skipton. A five mile road race with some significant hills to add a bit of spice, the only grass to negotiate was at the start and finish. Some of us who started towards the back, such as myself, were held up by a bottleneck on exiting Aireville Park, this was a bit frustrating. Otherwise an excellently organised event. Matthew Thackwray took the overall win! Jane McCarthy was 1st F50 and Diane Kitchen 2nd F65.

Results

Ilkley Gazette Report w/c 20 May

Mon 20 May 2024

From Jill Ezard…

Podium finishes on trail and road, England vests and GB team selection – it’s a great start to May!

Two evening races started the week for the Harriers. On Tuesday Kyle Bethell, Jane McCarthy and Mark Iley ventured to Rudding Park near Harrogate for their Rudding Parkrace, an undulating single loop 10k trail race taking in a mixture of paths and woodland with some technical areas. Kyle was first home in 45:45, followed by Jane in 50:25 and Mark in 51:08, with both Jane and Mark taking third place in their age categories. Wednesday evening say the 37^th running of the Jack Bloor Fell race. Starting on the moor opposite Darwin Gardens this local race covers only 8.4km but takes in 350m of ascent! It’s an unmarked course taking in the Badger and Swastika Stones and Cowper’s Cross before finishing back at the bottom of the moor. Michael Odell was the first Harrier home taking fifth place overall in 46:23, and along with Jeff Green and Oscar Shinn, secured the men’s team second place. Alison Weston was the first female home in 1:01:03, followed by Joyce Marshall in 1:02:21, taking a well-deserved first place in her age category.

On Saturday Harriers were in action on both road and fell with podium success on both! Sally Armitage travelled to Lancashire for another of the Lancaster Race Series, the Caton Gala Windmill 10k. An undulating course through the scenic countryside around Caton village, the race takes runners three miles uphill with a short section on the tops with glorious views, then three miles downhill. Racing in a very small field, Sally powered through the race despite the heat finishing in third place overall and first female in 41:51, nearly ten minutes ahead of the next female finisher!

A little further north but continuing on the roads, Stephen Liversedge took on the Windermere Marathon. This wonderful and undulating road marathon takes participants on a 26.2 mile anti-clockwise circuit of Windermere through the villages of Hawkshead, Newby Bridge, Bowness-on-Windermere and Ambleside, finishing at Brathay. Stephen had a great race and completed it in 4:53:56.

Closer to home five Harriers took on the Up the Odda 10k race from Hawksworth. Jack Cummings had an outstanding race completing the challenging race in 37:35, over six minutes ahead of the second finisher! With a fantastic top ten finish, Dave Robson was next over the line in 47:09 taking second place in his age category. There were also impressive runs from Samesh Chotai, Justin Phillips and Darryl Stead.

Not content with the win on Sunday, Jack took part in the Calderdale Way relay as one of the Ilkley A team at the next day. One of two teams taking part in this challenging six leg race, with legs ranging from 10.5 to 4.5 miles and some challenging climbs, the A team had a fantastic race taking fourth place overall. In addition three of the pairs took first place on their leg: Tom Adams and Sam Atkinson on the first leg; Ed Hobbs and Sam Bentham on the third; and Jack Cummings and Nathan Edmondson on the last leg. The Ilkley B team also had a great run out taking 28^th place out of the 99 teams that ran.

Still on the trails and a new race to the calendar, two Harriers took part in the inaugural Bronte Half Marathon. Starting from Penistone Hill, the undulating lollipop route follows paths and tracks between Haworth and Hebden Bridge, finishing with a challenging last mile up hill. Helen Waddington and Mary Fairclough had a great race and came over the line within a minute of each other, fourth and fifth females respectively in 2:23:38 and 2:24:29.

Heading in the opposite direction two Harriers travelled to Burton Leonard to take part in a challenging multi-terrain 10k. This undulating route follows the tracks, woods and fields of the Mountgarret Estate in North Yorkshire. Kate Lofthouse and Susan Williamson took on the challenge completing the race only one second apart in 1:09:19 and 20 respectively.

For our last race we return to the roads where Hilda Coulsey was the only Harrier taking on the Essar Chester Half Marathon. The event boasts a lively city centre start and finish, with a route that takes in all the city centre sights alongside the surrounding picturesque countryside. Despite the heat, Hilda had an outstanding race coming over the line in 02:05:11 and taking first place in her age category.

And finally, our 24 parkrunners were travelling far and wide achieving Personal Bests (PB) and finishing in the first ten. Hitting personal bests this week were Harry Sime at the Skipton event, Martin Stubbs at the Conyngham event and Gaenor Coy at the Roberts Park event which had a great turnout of nine Harriers. Out top ten finishers this week included Jon Denniss at South Manchester, Penny Coulthard at Westport, Ruth and Diane Kitchen at Druridge Bay, Jonathan Turner at Carlingark Loch and, travelling the furthest this week was Amanda Newham, the ninth finisher at the Løvstien parkrun, in Bergen, Norway. Well done to all that took part.

Chester Half Marathon – Sun 19 May

Sun 19 May 2024

From Hilda Coulsey…

The day was really hot, the first time this year for me running in 25 degrees full sunshine. I was on a mission though, I’d failed at this event last year pulling out with a pre-existing calf strain which unsurprisingly didn’t get better when I started to run. Then I attempted to run the marathon later in the year, but without a real reason it became a case of too many marathons in 2023 and in trying to find a reason I chose to run as fast as I could. Again unsurprisingly that failed when I made it to half way in good time then my head went, not able to contemplate the second half at similar speed.

Chester is a lovely city and the crowds were cheering enthusiastically in the villages, deafeningly loud in the city. The half starts in the racecourse and after heading north westwards through country lanes it finishes in the town centre. There is a little hill first off up and down, then up to gently undulating countryside, down and back up again to the centre. The half last year saw me running with Jane McCarthy and Sally Armitage proudly in England vests. This year it was a qualification race to achieve an England vest for an event in the future. My head was in the right place, I had studied the route carefully, I knew not to set off too fast, I knew what I need to do to qualify, the issue was the temperature and with no breeze we were in for a very hot race.

All thought of a PB time was therefore out of the window from the start, I set off at a pace which was not dissimilar to a solid training run knowing that should see me inside the qualification time. I was able to keep that pace going despite what must have been glorious views but was seemingly relentless ‘undulating countryside’, chasing shade, and walks through water stops to dowse down my head, neck and wrists. Sadly there were a large number of heat casualties on the road side and DNFs in the results.

I am so pleased to have finished, achieve qualifying standards and rest my Chester demons. The race attracts a strong field, many club and charity runners, it is highly recommended.

Results

1. 1.07.52 Marshall Smith, Ashford AC

27. 1.19.17 Abigail Howarth, Vale Royal AC

2560 2.05.11 Hilda Coulsey 1st v 70

5133 finished, out of 5911 entries

Brontë Half Marathon – Sun 19 May

Sun 19 May 2024

From Helen Waddington…

The inaugural Brontë Half Marathon couldn’t have had a better first day, although at times it felt perhaps a little too good! This hilly trail race (just over 2000 feet of elevation) has piggy-backed on to a long-standing MTB event, which offers 3 distances for the bikes (Charlotte, Emily and Ann!), the runners being allowed to follow the bikes on the shortest route. Starting from Penistone Hill, the route took us on the lovely paths and tracks in that area, familiar to those who have done the Yorkshireman or Haworth Hobble, and formed a lollipop – which, as much as we had all enjoyed the first mile downhill proved to be not much fun on the way back up! A small field of runners for the first year, hopefully it will grow, and lovely to meet fellow IH Mary and enjoy a post-race cuppa and pie and peas in the finish field sitting in the glorious Yorkshire sun.

Results

(1) John Benton 1:48:42

(1) Sophie Whitrick 2:14:15

19 Helen Waddington 2:23:38

20 Mary Fairclough 2:24:29

43 ran

Old County Tops – Sat 18 May

Sat 18 May 2024

From Alison Weston…

Kate and I took part in the Old County Tops on Saturday, visiting only 3 tops, Helvellyn, Scafell Pike and Coniston Old Man but about 36 miles and over 10,000 ft climbing! It was hot work in the valleys but the views were amazing. I struggled up (and down) Coniston Old Man but Kate was really strong all the way round.

We were 49th and 3rd ladies team in 10hrs32.

Caton Gala 10k – Sat 18 May

Sat 18 May 2024

From Sally Armitage…

Today I ventured over to Caton, a small village in the Lancashire countryside, for a 10k road race. With the sole purpose of a good ‘race pace’ run to prep for upcoming larger events (to make me work hard as I struggle to do that without the buzz of a race!). I’ve taken a liking to the Lancaster Race Series events as they all offer entry on the day, ideal if you worry about losing a race entry due to illness/injury before the event! Also ideal if the weather takes a turn for the worse…

When I arrived and purchased my number the organiser told me there were 27 entries, this upped to 36 by the race start.

The race started in the centre of the village and ran straight up, 3 miles, almost to the windmills on Caton moor, with a short loop at the top, followed by 3 miles back down. I really struggled with the heat, my heart rate was higher than I’ve ever seen it. I can’t say I actually enjoyed any of it, but it’s a good training run in the bag!

I also want to note that, despite the small field, the goodies at the end included a beautiful slate medal, a long sleeved running top and a wagon wheel to all finishers, plus I bagged 3 x £10 vouchers to use on any of their races. Pretty sweet finishers treats for such a tiny race!

Results

1st Lee Parrington (Lancaster & Morecambe AC) 37.45

2nd Andy Ward (Wigan Phoenix) 38:38

3rd Sally Armitage 41:51

36 ran

Dick Hudson’s and Jack Bloor Fell Races – 2 and 15 May

Wed 15 May 2024

From Paul Stephens…

I haven’t raced much in recent years – injuries and fear of injury, but the first 2 fell races I did following Covid were the 2023 Dick Hudson’s and the Jack Bloor race. They’re just 2 weeks apart in May, and I ran them again this year. Dick Hudson’s is fast, mainly on paths and after the first long climb is relatively level. It’s almost 7 miles. The Jack Bloor feels very different. Although shorter at around 5.7m, the terrain is rougher, there are route choices to make and it feels hillier. Interestingly according to my Garmin, there was actually more climbing at Dick Hudson’s and I was still was a full minute-a-mile faster.

Dick Hudson’s is out and back over the moor, with a choice of route at the start but with most people coming back the more direct route down the side of the beck to the White Wells car park. I’ve been towards the back of the race for the last 2 years, but was reasonably satisfied with my time this year of 73mins which was 3 minutes faster than last year. Despite all the rain so far this year it was dry underfoot and a beautiful evening although the headwind on the way back was hard work. There was a short stop coming off the top where a runner had fallen and hit her head. Geoff White stayed with her longer which is why he finished behind me. When I first ran Dick Hudson’s in 2008 (and we competed with cyclists back then), I took under the hour and was well ahead of one John Hayes. This time John was 11 minutes in front of me, and it was less than 2 weeks since his 3.18 London Marathon time. A good turnout by Harriers with Nathan Edmondson the clear winner and Jeff Green the 1st M50.

Two weeks later, and it was raining hard for much of the day of the 37^th Jack Bloor Races. It did dry out and the cloud lifted, which made navigation les challenging, but it’s still easy to get it wrong. I first ran the Jack Bloor in 1996, 11 years before I moved to Ilkley. Malcolm Pickering and Nick Pearce were in the top 10 that year. I was about half way down the field in 52.08. I didn’t run it again until 2007 – one of my first races as an Ilkley Harrier. It’s a great course, and I ran it most years through to 2017 when I helped for a few years until Covid. I picked it up again in 2023. Now I was towards the rear, and 10 minutes slower than in 2016. My time this year was only marginally slower, but would have been faster if I hadn’t made a stupid navigational error getting from the top down to the last checkpoint before the finish. I did make up some time on the final leg through excellent route choice (thank you Mr Hayes). I do like the course, its varied terrain, the fact that if you follow the person in front it’s probably not the best route; and as with most fell races, people are out to have fun

Again a good turnout from Harriers with a category win for Joyce Marshall, 2nd prize for Ilkley Men’s team (Michael Odell, Jeff Green and Oscar Shinn), and 3rd prize for Ilkley Women’s team (Alison Weston, Joyce Marshall and Lucy Haines).

Thank you to the organisers of both races – Wharfedale Harriers, and the Jack Bloor team.

Dick Hudson’s results

Jack Bloor results

Ilkley Gazette Report w/c 13 May

Mon 13 May 2024

From Will Worboys…

Photo credit Chris Hodgson

Ilkley athletes break records during busy weekend of running

In a bumper weekend of running events there was much focus on the second Leeds Marathon festival in which a number of local runners were participating. But it was two big fell races and a flat 5K that proved most successful in terms of finishing positions for competing Ilkley Harriers.

Ben Rothery again showed that he is one of the top fell athletes around with a brilliant victory at Pendle Cloughs; smashing the course record in the process. This event was the third counter in the English fell championship series ensuring a strong competing field. The race was a gruelling 14 miles with six climbs totalling over 4,000 feet; and rather unusually for Lancashire took place in hot and sunny conditions adding to the challenging nature. Rothery stamped his class on the race unfazed by the conditions, finishing in a time of 1hr 58, a minute and a half clear of his closest rival. Two other Harriers excelled at this race with Kate Archer achieving a time of 2hr 56 and Jane McCarthy 3hr 03. Both Ilkley ladies finished 4^th in their respective categories.

Some distance north-west of Pendle and taking place at the same time was the Fairfield Horseshoe fell race. Again run in hot conditions and again won by an Ilkley Harrier with an incredible performance. Oli Murphy smashed the field to bits winning by over five minutes from the 2^nd placed athlete in a time of 1hr 26. This race takes in the classic nine mile Lakeland route starting out from Ambleside, enduring 3,000 feet of uphill and requiring good navigational skills. It is advertised as ‘not an ideal first fell race’. Other Harriers taking part and all performing brilliantly were; Gavin Lamb who put in a great run to finish 3^rd MV40. Jim Ryder who was 5^th MV55 and Katie Poulter finished 23^rd female overall.

On to flatter surroundings but no less impressive, last years winner of the Leeds Marathon Nathan Edmondson elected for a shorter distance this weekend, winning the York 5K race on Friday night in an amazing course record time of 14:42. The race which was part of the EvenSplit series and held at the University of York Sport Village Cycle Circuit. It was also attended by Harrier Mark Hall who bettered his own MV60 club record to 17:48 in another brilliant showing and finishing 1^st in the category. Harry Sime also achieved an impressive 20:17 ensuring he finished 4^th in the MV60 category.

So onto the Rob Burrows Leeds Marathon. Fourteen Harriers were among the 14,000 participants in the second running of the event which began last year to raise awareness of Motor Neurone Disease. The first Ilkley runner home was Forrest Hamilton finishing in 49^th position in a time of 2hr 58:38, no mean feat on a course that is by no means flat. The only other Harrier to break the elusive three hour barrier was Dave Foyston who scraped under by just three seconds despite never running more than ten miles during his training runs! There were plenty more impressive performances with Steven Bysouth and James Lumb finishing in 3:01 and 3:11 respectively and being 23^rd and 35^th in the MV40 category. Fiona Schneider put in a very good run to finish 10^th in the FV60 category. While Dave Reynier was 25^th MV50. The other Harriers putting in a great shift in the heat where Tony Pye, Robin Nicholson, Charles Wain, Alan Travis, Hannah Osieku, Jonathan Nelson, Sarah Lambert and Jo Pattinson.

Meanwhile in the Half Marathon there was a quartet of Ilkley ladies who completed the course headed by Heidi Hoad; finishing in an impressive 1hr 48 and 36^th in her category. The other ladies who navigated the course, which was a similar route to the marathon but avoiding descending into Otley or heading back up the hill of doom were; Charlotte Smithson who was next coming home in 2 hours. Followed not too far behind by Lucy Lowe and Rumana Chowdhury.

Also taking place this weekend on Friday night and attended by an Ilkley runner was a race at Pinhaw Moor. Dave Robson continued his streak of finding the most obscure fell races possible to test the report writers’ detective skills. Robson had his usual excellent run in the five mile event based at Earby to finish 1^st MV50 and 27^th overall of the field of 218 runners.

Finally in terms of races, there were two Harriers present at the Ripon 10 mile mixed terrain event on Sunday based around Studley Royal. Jaysson Sawyer was 5^th of the 170 finishers in a time of 1hr 06:24 and Mark Hall close behind in 6^th. Particularly impressively, it was Hall’s second MV60 category win of the weekend after also racing on Friday!

Moving onto the weekly 5K parkrun results, there were some more superb performances from Ilkley Harriers. Tom Adams finished 1^st at Conyngham Hall in a time of 16:13. Rob Cunningham was 3^rd finisher at Witney in Oxfordshire in 20:24. James Horrex was 3^rd at the tough Chevin course in an impressive 19:36. Nick Kealey was 2^nd at Roberts Park with 18:04. Alison Bennett was 3^rd at Morecambe Prom in 21:48 giving her a whopping age grade of over 90%. Finally the Coys continued their weekly parkrun tour with Steve finishing 3^rd at Sandy Water in South Wales and Gaenor finishing 5^th.

Leeds Half Marathon – Sun 12 May

Sun 12 May 2024

From Rumana Chowdury…

I ran the Leeds half marathon and enjoyed it! The new route, which is on the same day as the marathon and follows part of the same route, suited me much more than the previous years’ fairly tedious amble through the less scenic parts of Leeds. This time, the atmosphere was electric, the crowds were huge and full of support and the out and back approach worked well, with a mostly uphill first half towards Golden Acre Park then a mostly downhill return. Finishing in Headingley stadium was brilliant, I even managed a fist pump which got me a little cheer out of the crowd – my one and only stadium rock moment!

It was a hot day and there were a fair few runners looking in a bad state on the side of the roads, I had to stop twice to let ambulances through. So when I realised my electrolytes had fallen out of my pocket, I did have a mild panic. Thankfully, there were plenty of disgusting sweets being handed out by the crowd which just about did the trick, although please note – don’t stuff haribos in your pockets on a hot day and then forgot about them as I did, only to later discover them congealed around my car keys…

I was happy with my time, my 2^nd fastest half marathon time, with no specific training. I will return to chasing the elusive sub-2 hour goal another day! Until then I’m enjoying running off-plan, trying new routes and events and rediscovering the joy. And this event definitely helped with that.

I suspect there will be grumblings from some marathon runners about the point where the half and full runners merged and having to weave around slower runners etc. But coming at it from the other side, I absolutely loved that point, running for a short bit with the 3.15 marathon pacer (I was swiftly dropped, obvs) was just brilliant, seeing the pain and determination on fellow runners faces was so moving and being able to run alongside and give them a ‘come on, you’ve got this!’ was just everything that I love about running and the running community.

Now, don’t get me started on trying to exit the stadium and walk back through Leeds to the car. Those pesky marathon runners blocking the roads, can’t they just hurry up?!

Results

Chip times (go ladies!)

Heidi Hoad 1:48:35

Charlotte Smithson 2:00:51

Lucy Lowe 2:02:19

Rumana Chowdhury 2:08:07

Pendle Cloughs Fell Race – Sat 11 May

Sat 11 May 2024

From Kate Archer…

This was the third counter in the English fell championships. A challenging 14-mile figure of eight route over Pendle Hill with at least six climbs that takes in seven cloughs. The start and finish is in Downham, a picture perfect village with a lovely ice cream café and village green. The heat made the going tough this weekend, but it was beautifully clear which meant navigation wasn’t an issue. The race was won by Ben Rothery in an amazing time of 1:58. Ben was 1.5 minutes clear of second place and a set new course record! Other than a very frustrating bottleneck at the start, Jane McCarthy and I enjoyed the race, both of us 4^th in our respective categories.

Results

1. Ben Rothery 1:58:48

124. Kate Archer 2:56:43

146. Jane McCarthy 3:03:21

York Evensplits 5k – Fri 10 May

Fri 10 May 2024

From Mark Hall…

Three Ilkley runners took part in the latest York 5k series event. Conditions were warm with a little wind. A field of 83 lined up. Nathan Edmondson once again performed to his usual excellent standard winning the event in 14.42 also setting an event record in a rare outing for him at 5k. Mark Hall was 26^th in 17.47 and for those who like age grades 92.5%. Next was Harry Sime 57^th in 20.13.

Results

(Editor’s note: this is a new MV60 club record for Mark Hall, breaking his own record by 4 seconds)

Tadcaster Tri – Mon 6 May

Mon 6 May 2024

From Neil Chapman…

A great result for Christos Tzelis at the Tadcaster Sprint Triathlon on Bank Holiday Monday, when he beat almost 300 other competitors to win the race.

Christos did not get off to the greatest of starts and was two minutes down on the race leader at the end of the first transition, but managed to pull 25 seconds back on the 13k bike section. A storming 6k run to finish with, which was 1m 40s faster than the leader’s time, was good enough to see off the competition and win the race by the narrowest of margins, just 4 seconds, with a total time of 53.54.

It just goes to show it is not how you start that matters, but how you finish the race. Well done Christos!

Ilkley Gazette report w/c 6 May

Mon 6 May 2024

From Jill Ezard…

Podium finishes on trail and road, England vests and GB team selection – it’s a great start to May!

May got off to a fast start with 18 Harriers taking part in the ever popular Dick Hudsons fell race on Thursday. There are only two fixed points in this seven mile course with competitors starting at the barrier at the bottom of the track to White Wells and choosing whichever route they want to get to the gate at Dick Hudsons and back again. Knowledge of the moor was clearly an advantage for Harrier Nathan Edmondson who took first place over six minutes head of the second finisher in 44:00. Michael Odell was the next home in eight place overall and second in his age category in 49:42, followed shortly after by Jeff Green taking first place in his age category and 12^th overall in 50:37. Seven Harriers made it into the top 30 finishers with Matt Cox, Gavin Moore, Nick Kealey and Dan McKeown having great runs. It was a family battle to the finish for the only two female Harriers taking place with less than 60 seconds separating Nea and Alison Weston. And it was bragging rights for Nea who finished in 1:10:30 followed by Alison in 1:11:22.

There was no rest for Alison who, along with Kate Archer, was in action again at the Coniston Fell Race on Saturday. A classic fell race with some steep and technical sections but with some fantastic views across the ridges. Starting from the Copper Mines Road, the 14km route summits Wetherlam, Swirl How and the Old Man giving a total of over 1000m of ascent. Alison was first over the line for the Harriers in a fantastic time of 2:03:25 and taking third place in her age category, followed by Kate in 2:10:32.

Sunday was the busiest day in the calendar with Harriers taking part in four different races. Based on an outstanding race performance last year, Helen Waddington was yet again in an England vest, having been selected to take part in the England Age Group Masters which this year was part of the AJ Bell Great Birmingham 10k. An undulating City Centre race, participants set off from Centenary Square headed out to the Jewellery Quarter passing the famous Mailbox building and New Street Station, finishing in Smithfield. As a masters event it was a tough field and Helen put in a great performance completing the race in 46:11 coming in the top 15 of her age category.

Still on the road, it was another Harrier podium finish at the Melmerby 10km. Starting in the village this undulating route takes runners through surrounding villages on quiet rural roads and has the potential for some fast times. And that was definitely the case for Matthew Thackwray who whipped round the course in 32:45 taking first place by nearly two minutes! Jaysson Sawyer also had a great race finishing in 38:29 and taking third place in his age category.

And the podium placings continued on the fells at the Great Hameldon Hill Race in Accrington. Starting at the base of The Coppice on the outskirts of Accrington, the race crosses tracks, fields and open moor before a bog and steep climb (described as horrendous!) leads the runners to the Great Hameldon trig. A fast descent picks up the outward route and ensures an exciting finish. And it certainly was that for Harrier Oli Murphy who romped home in 38:50 taking first place, almost two minutes ahead of the second finisher.

In other news, three Harriers have been chosen to represent Great Britain and Northern Ireland in the European Off Road Running Championships taking place at the end of the month in Annecy, France. Ben Rothery will take part in the Senior Men’s up and downhill race, Sam Bentham in the Junior Men’s uphill only race, and Edward Hobbs in the Junior Men’s up and downhill race. We look forward to reporting on their performances. And congratulations to Christos Tzelis on winning the Tadcaster Sprint Triathlon, where his superb 6k run section secured him his podium finish.

And finally, our 26 parkrunners were smashing the age gradings, achieving Personal Bests (PB) and finishing in the first ten across the board this week. Achieving age gradings well over 80% were Mark Hall and Alison Bennett at the Lister Park event, Hilda Coulsey at the Fountains Abbey event and Jane McCarthy at the Roberts Park event. Not content with that, Jane also achieved a PB and was third finisher. At the same event Harry Sime also got a PB, as did Rachel Barnicoat at the Bramley event. And other top ten finishers included Alex Foyn and Jaysson Sawyer at Fountains Abbey, Robert and Nicola Budding at Northallerton, Tom Lambe at Leicester Victoria Park, Jacqui Foster at Ford and Tim Ashelford at Chevin Forrest. Well done to all who took part.

Great Birmingham 10K/England Athletics Age Group Masters 10K Representative International – Sun 5 May

Sun 5 May 2024

From Helen Waddington…

A beautiful sunny day in Birmingham for this England Age Group Masters race, which I was lucky enough to qualify for last year. The camaraderie at these events is great, although the field is competitive so expectations have to be managed. The course was surprisingly enjoyable for a city centre race, with multiple twists and turns and undulations. I am ashamed to say I’ve never visited Birmingham before but that’s the good thing about running – it takes you where you might never go otherwise!

Results

(1) Stephen Blake 00:31:16

(1) Gemma Steel 00:34:06

371 Helen Waddington 00:46:11

3694 ran

Staveley 18km trail race – Sat 4 May

Sat 4 May 2024

From Rebecca Mon-Williams...

Natalie and I headed to the south lakes last weekend to take part in the Staveley 18km trail race. This race is part of Lakeland Trail series, and you’re able to choose from an offering of different length races or opt for a “challenge” (in this case, the challenge was the same as the 18km race but without the cut-off time). The field was relatively small (only 47 running, 205 runners having set off an hour earlier for the “challenge”). The atmosphere was friendly, and despite the drizzle, both Natalie and I enjoyed the event. The course was beautiful, very runnable and, in recognition of the race being held on May 4, we even had a fully clad storm trooper to cheer us on at the top of the final hill!

Results

(1 Vit Knezinek 1:20:06)

(5 Victoria Duncan 1:26:17 1st F)

35 Rebecca Mon-Williams 1:50:37

45 Natalie Curtis 2:03:08

Helvellyn and the Dodds and other May races

Wed 1 May 2024

From Dave Robson…

May has been a bumper month for my new race challenge, with three completed…

Helvellyn & the Dodds Fell Race: Advertised by Keswick AC as 15 miles and 1337 metres ascent, this was always going to be a tough race. The course is an out and back From Threlkeld Cricket Club to Helvellyn via various ‘Dodds’, which I’m told is pretty much part of the Bob Graham route. It was a sunny day with great views across the tops and the route was easy to follow but tough to complete. I clocked it (Strava elevation and OS Map checked it) at 1670m climb, so bear this ‘bonus’ 300m+ ascent in mind if you’re going to give it a go. I was pleased with my time and 48th position on the day which just sneaked me into the top ten in the M50 category. Results

Pinhaw Fell race: A quick trip across the Lancashire border, for a fast 5 mile, Friday night fell run. Although it’s only 200m ascent and largely on tarmac it is still classified as a fell race in the FRA handbook. A competitive field, spurred on by the Red Lion beer garden faithful, created a great atmosphere. I finished 27th and 1st M50, partly due (Strava tells me) to my fastest ever 2 mile effort! Results

Up the Odda trail race: I registered last minute for this one as it was just down the road in Hawksworth. A two lap trail race which Jack Cummins won by a huge margin. Most impressive performance of the day however, may have to go to the man who ran it in inflatable dinosaur costume! Results

Races in honour of Pete Shields

Wed 1 May 2024

We’re hosting two races over the next couple of months in honour of Pete Shields, a much-loved former coach and fellow Harrier, who died early in 2020 – and we need your help.

Both events will be raising money for charity and we’d like as many Harriers as possible to enter or volunteer – and raise awareness of them to friends and family.

First up is the Pete Shields Ilkley Trail Race on Bank Holiday Monday 27th May.

As most of you will know, it’s a lovely 11km route on a mix of surfaces up to Middleton Moor and then back down, providing spectacular views over the Wharfe Valley.

All profits from the race will be shared between Marie Curie, the UK’s leading charity for people living with a terminal illness, and the Revival Centre and Orphanage in Matugga, Uganda, which has been supported since the race started in 2008.

Enter | Volunteer | More details

And then on Sunday 9th June there’s the Pete Shields Ilkley 10k, a brand new event and will be run on fully closed roads between the Lido in Ilkley and the turn off to Denton.

Pete was a gifted runner himself and an outstanding coach. He was exceptional at getting the best out of all runners and especially skillful at encouraging young enthusiastic runners.

So it’s hoped the new race will attract a wide range of abilities and ages – as a fast, flat, out-and-back two-lap course, it offers the chance to run a new PB. But the course’s style, with minimal climbing, also means it is a good opportunity for those less experienced wanting to tackle a 10k for the first time to give it a go.

All the profits from this race will be given to Marie Curie Cancer Care in appreciation of the help and care they gave to Pete and his family when he was very poorly – and to enable them to help other sufferers and their families in the same way, when it is most needed.

Enter | Volunteer | More details

Please do support both these races – even if it’s just by spreading the word. Neil Chapman in particular has already put in so much hard work to make them happen and we now need to help as much as we possibly can. Many thanks.

Selection News

Wed 1 May 2024

From Abbie Rothery…

Three Ilkley Harriers have been selected for the senior and junior uphill and up-and-down events for the upcoming European Off Road Running Championships 2024 taking place between 31 May – 2 June in Annecy (France). Ben Rothery will be in the Senior Men’s team for the Up and Down race, and in the Junior Men Edward Hobbs will be running in the Uphill race whilst Sam Bentham will be in the Up and Down race. Read more about it here

Ilkley Gazette report – w/c 30 Apr

Tue 30 Apr 2024

From Will Worboys…

Photo credit Dave Woodhead: Alison Weston after the Three Peaks with Geoff Howard fresh from his London Marathon heroics

Ilkley Runners at the Three Peaks and an Inspirational performance at Boston

Anyone who has walked Yorkshire’s three peaks even at a leisurely pace will know how tough the popular route is. However on Saturday morning around 600 people made the decision to attempt to run the 69^th renewal of the fell race in the Yorkshire Dales. The classic race starts and finishes at Horton in Ribblesdale and takes in Pen Y Ghent, Whernside and finally Ingleborough and is 23.5 miles in total. There were five Ilkley Harriers who braved the cold weather and disagreeable headwinds to complete the event this year. Peter Shelley was the first Ilkley runner home, brilliantly bettering his previous course best to finish in a time of 4hr39:16 and achieving a second class finish. This despite suffering with an unpleasant cramp well before the final peak. Next over the line was Dave Reynier who conquered the five thousand feet plus of climbing to finish in 4hr54:37. Alison Weston put in an excellent run to finish seventh in her age category WV50 in a time of 5hr09:43. Not far behind were Kate Prior coming home in 5hr13:11; and then Sacha Jones in 5hr35:34. Anyone completing the three peaks deserves praise, but to run it in these sorts of times takes an admirable amount of training and determination.

Amazingly, the above race was arguably not even the toughest event in the Dales this weekend with the 60^th running of the ‘Fellsman’ also taking place concurrently. A whopping 95 kilometre arcing route from Ingleton to Threshfield, this race attracts a special breed of athlete. Challenged further by the cold weather and the many climbs, Ilkley’s Dick Waddington ran all day Saturday and through the night, finishing early on Sunday morning in the sunshine in a time of 21hr02. Over 400 competitors started the race and were whittled down to 258 finishers, further demonstrating how tough this event is.

One of the most impressive performances of the weekend was on flatter terrain at the Boston Half Marathon in Lincolnshire. Ilkley’s Jaysson Sawyer finished ahead of the vast majority of the field of 460 runners to finish 15^th overall and 3^rd in his category. This was a particularly poignant race for Sawyer because four weeks after managing a PB at the 2021 edition, he was struck down with an unknown illness leaving him unable to walk. He was blue lighted to hospital with a suspected stroke and eventually received a diagnosis of ‘Functional Neurological Disorder’; symptoms of which include muscle weakness and impaired co-ordination. Since then the Ilkley Harrier’s recovery has been a long and steady but inspirational story and he is well on the way to matching the fast times achieved in races before the diagnosis. Finishing where he did in poor weather and in a superb time of 1hr23:50 is testament to Sawyer’s will, dedication to training and recovery.

Meanwhile in midweek the EvenSplits 5K series at the Brownlee centre continued. An impressive 31 second course PB was had by Harry Sime who finished in a time of 20:15 and was 2^nd in his category. The only other Harrier to participate was Matthew Lambe who just ducked under the 20 minute barrier to finish in 19:55 and was 38^th overall.

Sticking with the 5K distance, plenty of Harriers gave good accounts of themselves at the Saturday morning parkruns. At Barnsley Mark Hall was 3^rd overall and also in South Yorkshire Diane Kitchen was 19^th female at Hillsborough, with an age graded score above 81%. Samesh Chotai finished 2^nd at Skipton in a superb 17:47. At Fountains Abbey Andrew Smith enjoyed the scenery putting in a course best time of 21:44. At Chevin Forest Nicola Budding put in a great run to finish 8^th female, while Robert Budding was 11^th overall. Finally the Coy family had a productive visit to Malahide in Ireland with Gaenor posting her quickest time for quite some time of 25:20. While Steve stormed to 2^nd place on his milestone 50^th parkrun.

The Fellsman- Sat 27 Apr

Sat 27 Apr 2024

From Dick Waddington…

It was the 60th running of the Fellsman this year and the number of entries was up over 400, much better than the life-threatening numbers of last year that nearly caused the race to fold. It takes an arcing 95km route from Ingleton to Threshfield over a long series of often remote tops adding up to over 4000m of ascent.

On the bus to the start I was chatting to an American runner who had never seen a bog; I bet he feels experienced now.

After a delayed start to get all the runners registered we set off into bright and windy conditions. It was very cold on the tops, but the ground was pretty good underfoot given the wet winter we have had. I hadn’t trained very much for an event of this length, so I set off pretty slow and enjoyed the stunning views across to the Lakes. The checkpoints on the Fellsman are the best bit, being staffed by lots of very friendly and helpful volunteers. Sitting on top of Dodd Fell or Buckden Pike all day and night is truly impressive.

The few who finished in daylight got off lightly I think. As soon as the sun went down the conditions became horrendous on the tops. Visibility was down to a couple of metres and finding the path was a real challenge on the long traverses over Buckden Pike and Whernside. I was wearing all 5 of my mandatory layers (including fleece and belay parka for me) and just about felt ok.

It was a very pleasant sunny morning when I dropped into Threshfield, the birds were singing and the sun was shining, as if it had been a nice quiet night.

(1 Kim Collison 11:12)

Dick Waddington 21:02

The results are still being finalised, but times are here

Three Peaks Fell Race – Sat 27 Apr

Sat 27 Apr 2024

From Peter Shelley…

The Three Peaks Fell Race bills itself as ‘The Marathon with Mountains’. Personally I prefer its description as ‘three fell races and a trail race’. Alison Weston, returning in 2024 for her 23^rd running of the event, described it as ‘The Four Peaks’. Whether it is the unique combination of running challenges, the geological inconvenience of Pen Y Ghent and Whernside being a half marathon apart, the changing spring conditions, valleys being in one season and summits in another, this event has a habit of finding your weak spot and publicly exposing it.

The race has a fantastic history captured in books, film and a roll call of illustrious winners. The organisation and atmosphere are terrific, the scenery spectacular and the support on the course outstanding.

My heart connects with the event, but my head, eyes, hips, knees, calves and feet beg to differ.

After one previous attempt in 2017 took me 4:41:23, 1 minute 23 second outside a second-class finish, following a fall and cramp attack coming off Ingleborough, I had unfinished business with the Three Peaks. That’s not to say I planned or trained at length. Entry came down to a last-minute Hobson’s Choice between Three Peaks and the Fellsman. Not even remotely prepared for the Fellsman, I went for the 3P. I’ve done the Bob Graham. How hard can it be?

As it happens, quite hideously hard.

Everything went swimmingly until the ascent of Whernside. I went out on a 4:30 pace plan, kept to it up Pen Y Ghent, gained some time and places on the descent before settling into what I thought was a sensible pace for the trail half marathon to Ribblehead. Arriving at the checkpoint 15 mins ahead of schedule, I was unsure whether I should feel confident or worried. I moderated my pace, which was easy to do up the murderous Whernside ascent, but got cold and felt twinges of cramp on the descent. I stopped to stretch my calves near Bruntscar, at which point the left one went into full spasm. The muscle moved up the leg into a tight pulsating ball. I lay on the ground, shouting theatrically, and was helped by a spectator to stretch the leg out (thank you thank you!).

I resumed running but had to manage the cramp. Even taking all the salt tablets I had with me did not eliminate it (note to self: drink more. You’re 56 and should know by now). Climbing Ingleborough and the run into Horton were horrendous. A headache came on, and my coordination deteriorated. Even my eyesight went a bit squiffy. I dropped off my pace plan and felt like I had no energy but somehow managed to finish in 4:39:16. Since 2023 2^nd class extends to 4:50 due to an altered route which is 1k longer. I call that a win.

Lying in the grass just after the finish, relieved and satisfied but aching all over, I felt like my skeleton had been broken down and reassembled incorrectly.

A grand day out, then. Congratulations to Harriers Dave, Alison, Sacha and Kate, all of whom beat the challenging cut-offs and completed this gruelling race.

I enjoyed the race village, chatting to competitors (Ilkley Harriers and others), the support out on the course (it really makes a difference), the bean chilli and the prize giving.

Ilkley Gazette Report – w/c 22 Apr

Mon 22 Apr 2024

[Photo: Sarah and John Hayes at the London Marathon]

From Jean Sullivan…

Marathon success for the Ilkley Harriers this week

It was a tale of two marathons. This weekend saw the staging of the 44th TCS London Marathon with a record number of participants taking part, including nine Ilkley Harriers. The day was dry and bright as they lined up at the start with incredible results all round. John Hayes led the Harriers home, finishing in a fantastic time of 3:18:40. Steve Newell (3:23:33) and Derek Oliver (3:23:53) also managed sub 3:30 finishes. Heidi Hoad led the Ilkley ladies home in 4:14:02, with Sarah Hayes the second Ilkley lady home in a PB time of 4:20:29. Lucy Lowe also had a great run, crossing the line in 4:36:26. David Howe, Jon Nelson and Geoff Howard also did the Harriers proud at this event.

Meanwhile, as the London Marathon was in full swing, Sally Armitage was running the Blackpool Marathon, held as part of the Blackpool Festival of Running. This two-lap course along the seafront saw Sally not only complete the course in an amazing 3:07:09, but she also set a new club record for the marathon, beating the previous FV45 record by 17 seconds.

Off-road, there were two outstanding performances by Harriers as the Yorkshire men’s team took the silver medal at the Inter-Counties Mountain Running Championships on the fells above Keswick.

The standard could hardly have been higher as the race incorporated the 2024 British Athletics Up-and-Down Trial Race for the Senior 2024 European Off-Road Running Championships in Annecy in June.

The route was 16.3 km and featured 900m of climbing, following the Cumbrian Way before summiting Latrigg.

And Yorkshire champion Ben Rothery was the first White Rose counter (and fifth overall) in a staggering time of 1:07:06, with fellow Harrier Jack Cummings the second Yorkshire runner home in 17th place in 1:12:11.

Scotland – North won the gold medals, eight points ahead of Yorkshire, with Derbyshire in third place.

Meanwhile the third run in the fast and furious Bunny Run Series took place this week. This 3-mile course with 300ft of climbing sees runners complete a small Egg Stage loop, followed by a longer loop, with the incentive of all entrants receiving a crème egg. Harrier Tom Adams finished in an impressive second place, in a speedy time of 16:46. He was followed by junior Harrier Alexander Wolfenden in 17:17, with clubmate Oscar Shinn the third Harrier to finish in 17:57. Rachel Carter, who has completed all races in the series, was the first Ilkley lady over the line in 21:33, which saw her taking third prize in her age category. She was followed by Jann Smith in 24:29, for second place in her age category.

Two Harriers took part in the interestingly named Teenager with Altitude fell race. The route of this 15.3-mile race with a whopping 7,546ft of climbing covers the Newlands Valley Horseshoe, with runners having to visit 11 checkpoints including Robinson, Dale Head and Catbells. This challenging route is known to make runners feel slightly stroppy! Kate Archer led the Harriers home in 4:17, taking third prize in her age category. Jann Smith followed, completing the round in 4:37, which saw her again take second place in her age category.

Also on the fells, hardy fell runner Paul Carman completed a solo run of the Cumbrian Traverse. This linear high-level route, which goes from the south to the north of the Lake District National Park, starts at Broughton in Furness and finishes in the popular town of Keswick, taking in 21 summits, including Coniston Old Man, Bowfell and Great Gable. Paul completed this 31-mile challenge in 9hrs 52 minutes, an impressive time for this rocky and technically demanding course.

Also in Cumbria, Harrier Alison Weston took part in the Grisedale Grind, a 4km race which goes through Whinlatter Forest, with runners climbing 480m to the top of Grisedale Pike and descending to return to the finish line the same way. Alison took second place in her age category, running this short and very steep course in 40:34.

Cumbria remained popular with the Harriers this week, with Danny Thompson taking part in the Brigham 10km in Cockermouth, with all proceeds going to the local village school and every finisher receiving a clay medal made by the local school children. This undulating road race saw Danny finish in an impressive seventh place in a speedy sub-40 time of 39:02, taking second prize in his age category.

A sunny spring Saturday morning enticed 40 Harriers to take part in various parkruns around the country, with a host of impressive results including for Stephen Coy who was the first finisher at the Bowling Park parkrun, with Alison Bennett the second female finisher at the Lister Park parkrun. Great running also by Samesh Chotai who was the third finisher at the Skipton parkrun and Nick Kealey who was the third finisher at the Robert’s Park parkrun.

Well done also to Gawain Moore who completed his 50th parkrun by running at the Chevin Forest parkrun this weekend and also to Steve Murray for his PB at the Portrush parkrun.

Blackpool Marathon – Sun 21 Apr

Sun 21 Apr 2024

From Sally Armitage…

I entered this race just over two weeks ago after running Spen 20 and realising I’ll never feel ready for a marathon, so I decided to bite the bullet and run one anyway. I’m glad I did. Blackpool marathon attracted me as it’s relatively close to home, low key, cheap to enter and has the option to defer up to 24 hours before the race starts.

I was amazed I actually made it to the start line, working in a primary school has taken me down multiple times over winter with various viruses. I’d half expected to not actually run on race day, even this week I was cleaning up some poor child’s vomit… My hands are raw from sanitising them every 30 seconds. So it only really dawned on me the day before that I was going to have to run a marathon. Luckily I had prepared anyway, gels bought, Revvies bought, CrampFix bought, tapered and carb loaded.

Miraculously, conditions were perfect on the seafront, no wind, cloud cover (mostly), 9 degrees. Spot on. The Blackpool running festivals have the shorter distances on the Saturday and the half marathon and marathon on the Sunday, with the half runners doing 1 lap and the marathoners doing 2. The half runners and the marathon runners were set off together but in opposite directions, we then converged a kilometre or so later, which meant a lot of weaving and winding for a short time, but we soon found our place.

As soon as we set off I realised that the elusive sub 3 finish time was not achievable today, I was running at 4:18 pace and was definitely not comfortable going any faster, so decided to aim for even splits at that pace throughout. Which was fine for the first half, there was a bit of banter between runners, lots of us and plenty of crowd support. Being a Harrier for 7 years, I’ve heard lots of horror stories about the last 6 miles of marathons so really just wanted to survive the 2nd lap. Although I had psychologically prepared myself, I still struggled when the half marathon runners left us, the entire feeling of the race changed, it became eerily quiet, the support dropped, the banter stopped and we became spread out. I battled on, watching my pace drop, yet still passing other runners who’d set off too ambitiously. I was the leading lady for the first half, actually maybe the first 18 miles, then an incredibly strong looking lady passed me with about 8 miles to go and then another with about 6 miles to go. I’m sure I finished 3rd lady, though the results currently have me as 4th. I had a good run, I remembered to fuel according to my plan, no stomach issues, no leg cramps, no niggles, a good strong run, definitely the best I had in me today. By the way, if anyone does struggle with leg cramps I would absolutely recommend trying CrampFix (basically vinegar shots), I took 3 sachets with me and when I felt twinges in my calves at around mile 15 I opened the first one, sipping each sachet slowly, they’re only tiny, until the end. The twinges stopped immediately! May be coincidence, may be the vinegar, I’ll let you know after my next marathon!

Results:

1st Lewis McAlpine (Stornoway Running and Athletics Club) 2:25

31 Sally Armitage 3:07 [Ed: confirmed time 3:07:09 which is a FV45 club record by 17 seconds]

70 Pete De Sanctis 3:35

435 finishers

London Marathon – Sun 21 Apr

Sun 21 Apr 2024

From John Hayes…

Well done to all the Harriers who ran this year’s London Marathon. There was a record field of 50,000+ runners this year. Also, as well as trying to finish ahead of the Rhinos, the man carrying a fridge etc, there was the added incentive of trying to beat Matt Hancock. The deafening crowds were out in force and it was a lovely day. It was, however, cold at the start and I decided to set off wearing my buff. I quickly warmed up though and didn’t need it. Other runners must have done the same, and the first few miles of the route were scattered with various items, notably buffs, gloves and hats. But I couldn’t cast my buff aside. Why? The answer is simple. It was the iconic Ilkley Harriers buff. The thought of discarding it horrified me. So I carried it the whole way round the marathon. I expect you all to be impressed by this dedication, although I confess it wasn’t quite as arduous as carrying a fridge.

From Geoffrey Howard…

The weather was perfect, the crowds were wonderful and my fellow 7+ hours charity runners were great company and massively inspirational. Not what I’d intended back in November when I acquired my place and, even by my standards, to be three hours out on predicted time is a bit extreme. Just one mile too many in the last run of the penultimate week of six months textbook preparation put paid to any idea of a ‘decent time’ as my hamstring tore. Three physio sessions within six days got me to start line but five miles into the marathon it tweaked again. By really good fortune, walking was sore but not excruciating and the subsequent stroll to The Mall was largely very enjoyable, and completion allowed me to feel justified as a fund raiser. It isn’t the first time something like this has happened before a big event and maybe it won’t be the last but, thankfully, walking provided an option B. I have had many great running experiences and this was one of them albeit not textbook. I’ve been very moved by the many messages of encouragement sent by Harriers and thank you to all those who made donations to Outside The Box.

Results

Teenager With Altitude Fell Race – Sat 20 Apr

Sat 20 Apr 2024

From Jann Smith…

This race has been one on the “bucket list” for both of us. It’s a stunning route visiting around 12 big peaks around the Newlands Valley / Buttermere area in the Lake District. It has a reputation as a very tough and brutal fell race (16.6 miles / 7500ft) with some killer ascent and descents that are designed to shred the legs but we both had a good run and enjoyed it.

Results:

74 Kate Archer 4hr 17 3rd F40

102 Jann Smith. 4hr 37 2nd F50

Cumbrian Traverse – Fri 19 Apr

Fri 19 Apr 2024

From Jann Smith…

On Friday Paul Carman completed a solo run of the Cumbrian Traverse. It is a linear fell challenge from South to North Lake District, starting at Broughton in Furness and finishing at the Moot Hall in Keswick. It takes in Coniston Old Man, Bowfell, Great Gable and a lot of the more rocky technical and highest mountains in England. 32 miles / 12, 000ft / 21 Peaks. Starting at 9am he finished at 6.52pm taking 9 hours 52 minutes.

Grisedale Grind – Wed 17 Apr

Wed 17 Apr 2024

From Alison Weston…

Organised by Keswick AC it’s 4km and 480m of climbing from Whinlatter forest to the top of Grisedale Pike and back the same way. Short and very steep!

It won by Jack Wright in 24.47 and I was 2nd V50 in 40.34.

Ilkley Gazette Report – w/c 15 Apr

Mon 15 Apr 2024

[Photo credit: Dave Woodhead – Jann Smith giving a masterclass in descending in the second Bunny Run]

From Jill Ezard…

A clutch of marathon PBs and some impressive age gradings!

It was the ever-popular Manchester marathon on Sunday 14th, with five Harriers posting great results over this flat and fast course. The weather conditions were perfect with cool temperatures and a light breeze as participants lined up under the Trafford Arch ready to run through the City Centre and out to Altrincham and back.

Phil Joyner was the first Harrier over the line in a fantastic 3:25:34 just ahead of Marc Westerman and Tony Pye who completed the race in 3:28:25 and 3:29:23 respectively, both achieving marathon PBs.

Marie Watson was the only female Harrier taking part and had a superb run finishing in 3:50:17, another PB, followed by Iain Young in his first marathon posting a fabulous 3:54:50 despite suffering with a knee injury. Well done to all.

Closer to home, Tuesday saw the second event in the Bunny Run series with 160 runners turning out despite quite challenging conditions underfoot and very high winds. The series takes place around Easter and consists of three races. Described as a fast and furious dash around the same three mile course, participants are encouraged to enter all three events to score points to be in with the chance to win series prizes. There were some great performances from the juniors with three runners in the top 15. Rachel Carter was the first senior over the line in 22:25 taking second place in her age category. Richard Joel was just behind in 23:02. Completing the Harriers participants, Jann Smith had a fantastic run taking first place in her age category in 25:57.

And in another event known for its potential for super-fast performances, three Harriers went over to York on Friday to take part in the Evensplits 5k event at the University of York Sport Village Cycle Circuit. A series of races from February to November, participants are again encouraged to try and improve their time over the series. Matthew Thackwray was the first Harrier over the line in 15:48 taking second place in his age category with a superb 84.4% age grading. Next in was Helen Waddington in 22:43, taking third place in her age category. Hilda Coulsey ran a superb time of 25:04 landing an age grading of 85.2%. Great results all round!

Back on the trails, two intrepid Harriers took to the fells in the Lake District, tackling the ominous sounding Eskdale Elevation. Starting from Boot village in Eskdale, this 13 mile event takes in 4771 feet of ascent, and is a traditional race with limited checkpoints requiring effective navigation and route choice, without the aid of GPS devices! The route takes competitors up Whin Rigg and Scafell finishing past Eel Tarn. Steve Turland was the first Harrier home in a superb 17th place in 3:13:05 being pipped to second in his age category by only ten seconds! Katie Poulter also had a superb run taking fourth place in 4:26:54.

On a more undulating course, Jessica Summers took part in the Run Yorkshire 10k at Roundhay on Sunday. Taking in some of the beautiful scenery including parkland, woodland, gardens and of course the climb to the Mansion house, this multi terrain two lap course has something for everyone. Jessica had a great race completing the event in 1:15:08.

And finally, our parkrunners were out in force with 30 taking to the weekly events across the country. There were some superb top ten finishes for Mark Hall, Jane McCarthy, Rob Budding, Sarah Hayes (in a PB time for this event), Samesh Chotai, Rob Cunningham and Adam Gerrish. And there were other notable achievements: At the Rothwell event, Martin Stubbs posted a PB time; in Lister Park, Mark Hall achieved an age grading of 87.76%; and Vince Gibbons completed his 50th parkrun at Roberts Park. Congratulations to everyone who took part!

Manchester Marathon – Sun 14 Apr

Sun 14 Apr 2024

From Iain Young…

Well after 15 weeks of training, I have managed to complete my first full marathon. Manchester, the crowd and the runners gave me the best encouragement to help me get to that finish line. During my training, not only was it about building up the mileage, it was also about injury prevention too. Only this time last week, without revealing to anyone, I had a problem with my left knee, which I then thought that’s my marathon training gone and thought I wouldn’t run a marathon in the near future. Earlier this week having been for sports massage and Osteopathic appointments I had positivity that I could still give it a go, even if I’d have had to drop out. So Race Day came, I had enough time to loosen the nerves and stress and I started off with belief. The 10th and 13th miles went by until, after the 15th mile, I felt my left knee niggling again. I knew that moment I mustn’t give up – spectators and runners shouted keep moving! I wasn’t going to pull out unless I couldn’t walk, I knew I needed that gold medal and finisher’s shirt. Big congratulations to Marc Westerman, Tony Pye and Marie Watson on getting their Marathon PBs. At least I got to see Phil Joyner, Marc and Tony out on the course. This may have been my first marathon, but it certainly will not be the only one for me. Next time will be an improvement – fingers crossed it will be without an injury concern or having to pull out. Bring on the recovery.

Results

York 5k Evensplits 2024 series – Fri 12 Apr

Fri 12 Apr 2024

From Hilda Coulsey…

What a fantastic set of times, I don’t remember this race being quite so competitive the last time I did it (which was, I’ll admit, prior to Covid). The top 10 men all ran under 16 mins and the top two ladies under 17, with a third of the field getting age grade % of over 80. As a lady chatting at the start said, she wondered if she had dropped into the Olympics!

The circuit is flat tarmac, 5x 1k laps, the wind had dropped to a slight breeze and the temperature was mid teens vest and shorts weather. For those still in the parkrun league this is the Heslington parkrun circuit.

A brilliant time from Matthew Thackwray who whizzed past to lap me in a red and green flash and lovely to chat to Helen and Dick.

Results

1. 14:57 Marcos Angel Volero Palacios, Valley Striders

8. 15:48 Matthew Thackwray

101. 22:43 Helen Waddington

113. 25:04 Hilda Coulsey

118 ran

Ilkley Gazette Report – w/c 8 Apr

Mon 8 Apr 2024

[Jack Cummings was the winner at the Baildon Boundary Way, photo credit: Gareth Bloor]

From Will Worboys…

Jack Cummings wins in Baildon as Ilkley take the team prize

Jack Cummings continued his superb springtime form to romp home in first place at Sunday’s Baildon Boundary Way race. The annual event is a tough trail half marathon which takes in parts of Esholt Woods, the Leeds Liverpool canal towpath, a tough climb up through the woods of Shipley Glen, followed by a traverse of Baildon Moor before finishing at the Rugby club. This year the course was extra challenging due to some particularly muddy areas that slowed many of the field down. This was borne out by Cummings winning time of 1hr 24:49 being more than three minutes slower than his time when winning the same race last year. This performance was perhaps more impressive however as he was able to assert his dominance on the course and terrain by finishing nearly six minutes clear of Lee Athersmith of Wharfedale in second place.

There were 15 other Harriers who braved the mud and wind to take part in the event with Ilkley also managing to claim the team prize. Kate Archer finished fifth female and second in her category in a time of 1hr 56:03. Dan McKeown was also second in his category and seventh overall in a time of 1hr 36:26. Elsewhere in the results Emma Sheppard and Mike Baldwin both finished fifth in their respective categories. While Andrew Overend, Martin Hartley, Peter Shelley, Adam Gerrish and Owen Parker all managed to break the two-hour barrier.

On Tuesday evening at Penistone quarry near Haworth was the first of this year’s ‘Bunny Run’ series. Success was had by some of the younger members of Ilkley Harriers with Alex Wolfenden finishing in third place of the three-mile fell run which signals the start of lighter evenings. Following not far behind was Samesh Chotai in fourth. Ollie Holder, Oscar Shinn and Robert Carter followed on in 11th, 14th and 17th of the 207 who ran in total, ensuring Ilkley took the team prize.

On Saturday there was further evidence that the future of fell running in Ilkley is in good hands with up-and-coming Ilkley athlete Sam Bentham finishing a superb third at the Pendle race. Oli Murphy was only around 30 seconds behind in fifth and was also 1st in his category. A classic short four-and-a-half mile race on the Lancashire hill, the race includes a leg burning 1,500 feet of ascent. George Whittlestone was the other Ilkley representative also finishing comfortably among the first half of runners.

There were several other Ilkley runners dotted around the north of England tackling remote spring events; Helen Waddington competed in the Wetheral village 10-mile race. Situated on the banks of the River Eden in Cumbria. This is a two lap race and Helen finished third in her category and 42nd overall in an excellent time of 1hr 20:59.

Meanwhile in the North York Moors Dave Robson was 2nd V50 and finished 14th overall at the 11 mile ‘Blakey Blitz fell race’. Starting at the Lion Inn near the Rosedale Valley and including 3 big climbs totalling around 2,500 feet this was a superb performance particularly taking into account the exposed route and Sunday’s strong winds.

Two more Harriers made the journey to South Yorkshire but stuck to the roads, taking part in the Sheffield Half Marathon. Lucy Lowe finished almost dead on two hours after taking it steady due to her upcoming attempt at the London Marathon looming on the horizon. Jonathan Nelson also finished just outside the two-hour mark for the large city event.

While all this was going on two Ilkley endurance specialists were tackling the ‘Northern Traverse’. An incredibly challenging multi-day event that crosses the entire country in a ‘coast to coast’. The event started at St Bees on the Cumbrian coast on Saturday morning. The route takes in three national parks; the Lake District, Yorkshire Dales and North Yorkshire Moors. The race finishes at Robin Hood’s Bay in East Yorkshire and is 180 miles in total.

Petra Bijsterveld managed an amazing 116 miles before sadly having to retire near Richmond due to back pain. She managed this in 45 hours which is a stunning achievement in itself and was well up in the field at that point. Andrew Merrick had also unfortunately retired after getting to 21 hours. As well as the hilly terrain the competitors had also been up against ‘Storm Kathleen’ and reported battling some particularly hideous conditions and both competitors should be proud of enduring as much as they did!

In more manageable surroundings the nations’ parkruns attracted a good number of Harriers as always. Ilkley runners dominated at Lister Park with Mark Hall being second finisher, Nick Kealey third and Beth Massey first female. At Skipton Samesh Chotai was second and Robert Cunningham fourth. At Fountains Abbey Jaysson Sawyer continued his upward curve posting an impressive time of 18.29 and finishing 10th with Jonathan Turner close behind in 12th. Stephen Coy was fourth at Woolaton Hall. Finally Geoff Howard again topped the age grading score with over 83% at Clitheroe Castle.

Wetheral 3 village 5 and 10 – Sun 7 Apr

Sun 7 Apr 2024

From Helen Waddington…

Wetheral is a pretty Cumbrian village high on the banks of the River Eden and hosts this friendly, well-organised road race held on quiet country lanes. It’s an undulating course which (not surprisingly) takes you through 3 villages which form a convenient 5 mile triangle. I opted for the 2 lap 10-mile version and I did see one other IH vest enjoying the 5 miler (sorry I couldn’t find you on the results!). The high winds were still making conditions less than favourable but the sun shone and it was warm enough for shorts and vests, at last.

Results:

(1 Ross Houston, Cenmal AC, 56.44)

42 Helen Waddington 1:20:59

99 ran

Baildon Boundary Way – Sun 7 Apr

Sun 7 Apr 2024

[Picture credit: Nigel Pepper]

From Dan McKeown…

16 Harriers braved the Baildon Boundary Way on Sunday, the varied 13.5-mile course rendered even more testing by heavy going on the off-road sections.

(When I say ‘varied’, they varied everything – terrain, gradient, and even width, with narrow snickets and a couple of inopportune bollards providing a unique challenge to anyone in an ‘M’ sized vest or over.)

Last year’s winner Jack Cummings screeched into the first right-hand turn about 20 metres clear of the field and it was immediately clear that the greatest danger to Jack retaining his title was likely to be a navigational mishap or a badly overcooked corner.

In typical fashion Jack kept his foot to the floor for the remainder of the course, squelching home inside 85 minutes, nearly six minutes clear of second place.

If, like most of the runners, Jack was considering investing in a new pair of socks post-race, the good news was that his haul of Yorkshire Runner vouchers was supplemented with a share of the team prize (our team of three comprised Jack, me, and Andrew Overend, who beat Martin Hartley to the final team berth by the thickness of a pair of shoelaces).

Elsewhere, let the record state that there were age-group podiums for me, Pete Shelley, Kate Archer and Mike Baldwin.

Not all of these, alas, were deemed voucher-worthy by the race organisers, but EVERYONE, podium or otherwise, can celebrate a haul of race league points towards this year’s club competition. Jack Cummings is stretching his lead in this year’s competition, as befits a man who always runs as if he’s got three dogs after him. Our next fixture is the Jack Bloor race on 14th May.

The rest of us can take heart from the memory of Jack getting lost last time he had a crack at that one.

More info on Harriers Race League and latest standings

Baildon Boundary Way Results

1 Jack Cummings 01:24:49

7 Daniel Mckeown 01:36:26

33 Andrew Overend 01:48:01

34 Martin Hartley 01:48:09

51 Peter Shelley 01:53:31

61 Kate Archer 01:56:03

65 Adam Gerrish 01:57:33

77 Owen Parker 01:59:14

107 Emma Sheppard 02:05:09

139 Mark Judkowski 02:12:52

177 Alan Travis 02:20:05

207 Mike Baldwin 02:29:45

232 Andrew Smith 02:37:24

265 Rumana Chowdhury 02:52:10

279 Nigel Illingworth 02:58:25

283 Sarah Lambert 03:01:29

(302 ran)

Blakey Blitz Fell Race Report – Sun 7 Apr

Sat 6 Apr 2024

From Dave Robson…

I have decided to continue last year’s plan to every month run a race that I haven’t done before. So far this year has included – JAN Hoofstones, FEB Windy Hill, MAR Haworth Hobble.

For April, I picked a trip to the North York Moors for the ‘Blakey Blitz Fell Race’. At 10 miles and around 800 metres ascent, it gets an AM classification from the FRA and is a counter for 3 Peaks qualification.

On the day registration (only £7 or £5 for FRA members), was in the fantastic Lion Inn, a cosy 16th century pub located on the highest point of the North York Moors.

The pre race weather was doing nothing to tempt us outside. Extreme wind and sudden downpours of rain coupled with a start time of 11.00, was making a pint and a bag of crisps look increasingly tempting.

Fortunately the rain stopped just in time and we walked down to the start, a few hundred yards from the pub. It was good to see fellow Ilkley Harrier, Sacha Jones, with a friend who had travelled over looking for 3 Peaks qualifying points.

The race itself is mostly an out and back open moor run, with a loop at the mid point. Three climbs make up the 800m, but as you start with a quick downhill section, you know you have to finish with the uphill return. The scenery was spectacular and you could see for miles in all directions for large parts of the race. As expected with recent weather, the course was pretty boggy in parts but had some decent trail sections and a couple of lively descents.

The wind that had been behind us on the way out, made it tough on the return leg with open moor sections directly into a strong head wind (not much chance to enjoy the views at this point).

I was pleased to get up the final climb to finish in 14th place and 2nd V50.

Overall an excellent race, which I would recommend.

Results

Bunny Run 1 – Tue 2 Apr

Tue 2 Apr 2024

From David Holder…

Four senior and five junior Harriers ran in the first of the Bunny Runs over on Penistone Hill above Haworth with some degree of success amongst the 207 finishers.

Alex, Samesh and Ollie brought home the team prize for the Harriers.

Bunny Run 2 is on Tuesday 9th, followed by the final race on Tuesday 16th.

Results:

(1 Mitchell Boocock, Pudsey & Bramley AC)

3 Alex Wolfenden, 1st U17

4 Samesh Chotai

11 Ollie Holder, 3rd U17

14 Oscar Shinn

17 Robert Carter, 1st U15

35 Tom Mountain

49 Rachel Carter, 2nd FV40

61 Samuel Woods

97 Rob Budding

207 finished

Leeds Evensplits 5k – Wed 27 Mar

Wed 27 Mar 2024

The Evensplits 5k series started again last month and offers 10 monthly races over the year (February to November) on the Brownlee cycle circuit at the Bodington Playing Fields. Just three Harriers toed the starting line this month on a very cold and breezy night. With the temperature down to 2 degrees there was a black ice warning! I had entered the day before feeling ‘on form’ by my standards and hoped I might be able to have a good run. Whilst the legs felt good going round I was disappointed to be nowhere near my PB which I ran on the same course exactly a year ago. Still, I ‘enjoyed’ racing short and fast on the road as a change from my more usual ultra running. Nice to catch up with Britt and Harry who both had good runs.

Results

(1 16:07 George Ravenhall, Airecentre Pacers)

39 20:13 Brittany Watson

46 20:49 Harry Sime 2nd M60

76 24:30 Petra Bijsterveld 1st F60

104 ran

Ilkley Gazette report w/c 25 Mar

Mon 25 Mar 2024

From Jill Ezard…

A jam packed race weekend with podium and age category success on road and trail!

This weekend saw a mix of nine road and trail races, and a rogue set of wheels, with some impressive results across the board. On the trails, five Harriers took on the We Need To Talk About Chevin race in Otley. As described by the organiser, this is “simply the worst possible scenario when touring the Chevin”, with the first climb of the 14km course straight up to Surprise View, down and up to the Danefield climb with a final ascent, after a couple of small ones in between, up Miller Lane. Dave Robson had a fantastic run taking second place and first in his age category in 1:14:43. Nick Helliwell was next over the line in 1:22:16. Despite a painful detour through some brambles Rachel Carter took first place in an impressive time of 1:23:21. John Jackson and Meredith Bailey also had good runs finishing in 1:28:14 and 2:07:12 respectively.

Sunday saw three trail races of gradually increasing distance. First up was The Pendulum, an aptly named 11 mile race taking on two challenging ascents in the Cheviot Hills. Competitors must take on the first climb, returning the same way, and then the second returning again the same way they went up. Petra Bijsterveld took on the challenge and completed the race in a fantastic 3:19:32.5. With 15.4 miles and nearly 1000 metres of climb, the Heptonstall Fell Race offered a great challenge for three Harriers. The route is over varied terrain including steep-sided wooded valleys, upland pasture and pathless moorland, affording great views across the remote South Pennines. Matthew Kennedy was the first Harrier home in 2:26:44 taking second place in his age category. Kate Archer was next in, taking fifth place and second in her age category in 2:39:34. Alison Weston also had a great run out coming over the line in 3:17:07. And stepping up one final distance gear on Sunday, John Hayes took on the ever popular Blubberhouses Moor 24 mile event by the North Yorkshire Long Distance Walkers Association. The event starts and finishes at Bland Hill taking the Swinsty, Fewston and Thruscross reservoirs, Rocking Hall, Bolton Abbey with a local section over Beamsley Beacon, Round Hill and Ellarcarr Pike and back again. John had a fantastic race finishing in 3:54 in sixth place and displayed true Harriers’ sportsmanship in stopping two runners going the wrong way…twice! Well done John.

And so now to the road. Saturday saw Dick and Helen Waddington venture into the Lakes to take on the Coniston 14 race. Starting and finishing in the centre of Coniston the route does a complete tour of Coniston Water, with some challenging hills but affording some stunning views across the fells. Attracting a large field of over 1500 participants this is a popular race. Dick finished the race in 1:47:23 and Helen came in fifth place in her age category in 1:57:37.

On Sunday, Michael Odell was the only Harrier to take the trip south to the Wakefield Hospice 10k. A popular race now in its 28^th year it’s known for being a great race for seasoned and new runners alike. Michael had a great race dipping under the 40 minute mark in 39:04, taking fifth place in his age category. Next up was the Wilmslow half marathon. In its 40^th year, the anniversary race was as popular as ever with two Harriers taking to the start line. Run on closed roads with some interesting inclines in the second half, this is a well-supported event and both Ed Hobbs and Emma Sheppard had great runs. Ed came over the line in a staggering time of 1:09:20 taking 12^th place overall, with Emma finishing in 1:39:46, and with those times, both clearly managing to resist the beer available on the route! And finally, in her first race stepping up from half marathon distance, Sally Armitage took on the Spen 20, a challenging hilly 20 mile two loop race in and around Cleckheaton. Despite ignoring her own race plan, and suffering with chronic calf cramps half way through the race, Sally still managed to come in under her target time of 2:20 in 2.18.06, taking second place on the podium. A great result!

And so to the wheels. Whilst we don’t normally allow those into our reports, Harrier Christos Tzelis was taking part in the British Duathlon Championships at Oulton Park this weekend. With an 8.6k and 4.3k run bookending the 38k bike section, Christos used his superb running form at the moment to come twelfth overall, becoming British National Champion in his age category as a result!

And finally, the inclement weather didn’t put off the hardy parkrunners with 35 taking to the weekly events across the country. There were some superb top ten finishes for Nathalie Gravett-Foyn, Alex Foyn (in a PB time), Jaysson Sawyer, Jane McCarthy, James Horrex, Sally Malir, Adam Gerrish and Samesh Chotai. The 80% age grading was broken by four Harriers this week: Jane McCarthy, Sally Malir, Diane Kitchen (in a PB time) and, clearly winding down for the London Marathon, Geoff Howard! And yet more PBs were achieved by Clare Boyle and Harry Stead. Some wonderful achievements this week!

YVAA XC Championship- Sun 24 Mar

Sun 24 Mar 2024

From Dan McKeown…

Photo credit William Overton

Last Sunday saw the 2024 edition of the Yorkshire Veterans AA Cross Country Championships at Penistone Showground.

In the leadup to the race, I set myself the ambitious target of motivating enough Harriers to enter that we’d need to take a second car. Despite my best efforts – and perhaps my best-ever recruitment slogan (“Let’s bring some more mutton to this BBQ”) – it was, again, a single carload. And I didn’t even have to take out the child seat to make extra room.

Joining me on the expedition were crocked cyclist Steve Gott and poorly triathlete Danny T, both of whom had been too banged up to complete the PECO season. Nonetheless, with only 130-odd runners on the start line – and a good number of them genuinely old enough to be my dad – we were optimistic about our prospects of a team medal, provided we could all make it round the four-lap 10k course.

A word on the course: it set off up a gravelly track with concrete crossing that made me regret bringing long spikes, before sweeping downhill into a left-hand U-turn in a soggy bog. Heading back uphill, we turned round again to do a long section into a headwind before doing another detour through the bog, then heading back to the start field for the end of the lap. Wave to adoring fans. Go round again.

The previous two editions of the race had followed a set pattern of one guy steaming off at 34-minute pace, and several foolhardy people trying to give chase and blowing themselves up. This time was a much more tactical affair, although it was last year’s winner and runner-up to the fore, eyeing each other up like a pair of cats in a sack. I was a distant third place at the end of lap one and lost a few places before the end to come in sixth, which was enough for third in the M45 category.

(For keen followers of local veterans’ athletics, I can report that Mike Burrett of Leeds City dethroned two-time champion Scott Hinchcliffe of Barnsley AC. Apparently, the decisive break came on the second lap, but I was already too far behind to verify this.)

Neither of the last two winning teams had made the trip to Penistone, so I was beginning to hope we might even scoop the team gold for the first time since 2020. I divided what little breath I had remaining between cheering home Steve (12th) and Danny (21st), and shouting at runners from other teams that they still had one more lap to go (doesn’t hurt to try).

After a brief and painful warmdown, we were cheek by jowl in the bowling club bar with a pint of mild and the rest of the oldies to hear the results. Sure enough, we were confirmed winners of the M40 team category, a golden end to Steve’s first season as XC captain. Sadly, we don’t appear on the individual medals table, as our solitary bronze was mistakenly credited to Totley.

That about wraps it up for the 23/24 cross country season, other than the postponed National Championship, which I believe is scheduled to take place in September, as if late March XC wasn’t bad enough. Let’s hope it’s a wet summer.

Results:

(1 Mike Burrett, Leeds City 36:32)
6 Dan McKeown 39:39 (3rd M45)
12 Steve Gott 41:13 (5th M45)
21 Danny Thompson 43:04 (7th M45)

Spen 20 (incorporating Yorkshire 20 mile championships) – Sun 24 Mar

Sun 24 Mar 2024

From Sally Armitage…

A hilly, 2 lap, 20 mile road race starting and finishing in Princess Mary Athletics Stadium in Cleckheaton. This race is marketed as, and predominately used as, ‘marathon prep’. I was perhaps the only person running who doesn’t have a marathon this spring.

This was my first race at this distance, and I classed it as a disaster. It was quite a step up from the 13 miles that had been my previous longest race distance, I hadn’t really appreciated this until afterwards.

I was disappointed with myself for the way I paced it, I let my desire to win override my plan for the race and my common sense. As soon as we set off I attached myself to the heels of the leading lady, despite knowing who she was, and that she was a faster runner than I am.

We set off with a lap of the track and then began the first of many climbs. I knew the pace was far quicker than I’d anticipated, I’d planned for a finish time of around 2 hours 20, we were running around 2 hours 10 pace, but I couldn’t bring myself to let her go. Then when we reached mile 10, in around 1 hour 5, my calves started cramping, this happens often to me in races longer than 10 miles. Sharp painful spasms, starting intermittently and increasing in frequency, I couldn’t run up the hills anymore, I was having to stop and walk for 10 seconds, stretch them and then try and continue. I managed to finish the race, and in the time I’d originally planned, just with a lot of discomfort and a much slower second half.

I finished feeling disappointed with myself and frustrated, the cramps would’ve probably kicked in anyway, but not that early in the race or been quite as debilitating if I’d not pushed so hard in the first half.

I’ve spent all evening researching how to prevent calf cramps from happening, I discovered a new tactic, vinegar! I’d never heard of this, apparently the acetic acid acts directly on neurological pathways and works immediately, stopping the signals from the brain that cause the cramps. Anything’s worth a go!

Results

1st male Jed Bartlett, Hallamshire Harriers 1:50:48

1st female Laura Hesketh, Clayton-le-Moors Harriers 2:14:13

25th Sally Armitage 2:18:06 (2nd lady)

130 ran

Wilmslow Half Marathon – Sun 24 Mar

Sun 24 Mar 2024

From Emma Sheppard…

Tour of Wilmslow (Wilmslow half marathon)

Having succumbed to the annual kamikaze entry into a road half, I was starting to regret it with a traffic jam, questionable parking, a toilet stop in a holly bush and huge queue to collect numbers which led to a very brisk trot to get to the start on time (and inadvertent setting of watch to lap times!). Relieved to get going, it was a lovely sunny day – lots of plane spotting and crowds to keep you going along the route with choirs, primary schools and a few house parties with some techno tunes (and beer…at 10am!). The first half whizzed by but I’d conveniently forgotten how brutal the second half is – it’s a really undulating course and whilst the uphills and downhills cancel themselves out, somebody forgot to tell the legs and brain that!

Anyway, I was delighted to pick up my huge medal to celebrate 40 years of the Wilmslow running festival (just nipping under 1:40). And a huge well done to Ed Hobbs -the only other Harrier who did the race – who completed it in an absolutely eye watering 1:09:20 and was 12th.

Results

Heptonstall Fell Race – Sun 24 Mar

Sun 24 Mar 2024

From Alison Weston…

Three Harriers took part in the 15 mile Heptonstall fell race yesterday with 3100ft of climbing.

Registering in the church and setting off on the cobbles with a blessing from the vicar, the race criss-crosses the local moors and woods and has a sting in the tail in the last mile to get back up to the top of the village. Thai curry in the pub included in entry too!

Matthew had a great race and Kate too (5th lady and prize for 1st V40!)

Results not available yet but approximately:

Matthew Kennedy 2:25?

Kate Archer 2:39

Alison Weston 3.17

Oulton Park British Standard Distance Duathlon Championship – Sun 24 Mar

Sun 24 Mar 2024

From Neil Chapman…

Christos Tzelis was over at Oulton Park on Sunday competing with almost 200 others in the British Duathlon Championship. All you motor racing fans will know that Oulton Park is well known for its heavily undulating course, which probably played to Christos’s strengths.

He started with a two lap run of 8.6k which he finished in 2nd place overall, before getting on the bike for a 38k section. He was on a bike that was new to him and struggled to get into the rhythm he would have liked, which cost him quite a few places. So he had a bit of work to do on the final 4.3k run, but had a strong run, pushing the pace on the hills, getting past a number of runners to finish in 12th place overall in 1:44:23. More importantly he did win his age category and is now the British National Champion at age 17/18. Well done Christos.

Results

Blubberhouses Moor – Sun 24 Mar

Sun 24 Mar 2024

From John Hayes...

24 mile loop with 2,900 feet of climbing, starting / finishing at Bland Hill and taking in Swinsty, Fewston, & Thruscross reservoirs, Rocking Hall, Bolton Abbey, Beamsley Beacon, Round Hill, lots of man-eating bogs, Ellarcarr Pike and Timble (and random other locations if you go the wrong way – see below).

Three times in this event I wrestled with the same dilemma. More of this in a moment. Before then, I want to pay tribute to the volunteers who help to make it such a success. They cheerfully take your number at various checkpoints, dish out drinks, cakes and pork pies from little tents and, at the finish, they present you with a certificate, a woven badge and they serve up a hot meal. All for the bargain price of £8. Yes, you’ve read that right! Only £8!

Perhaps I need to learn something from these wonderful volunteers when I return to my “dilemma”. I suspect that, for most of you, this isn’t a dilemma at all. But here it is anyway: What do you do when the fitter, faster runners in front of you take a turn in the wrong direction? On the one hand is the response of the orienteer, or anyone who is a fan of the tortoise and hare story. That person says to themself something on these lines: “It’s not just about who can run the fastest. It’s a navigation event too. Stay quiet and you go the right way… Perhaps you’ll even beat them…” But there is an alternative school of thought which goes like this: “One of the great things about fell running is the friendly camaraderie amongst the runners. Give them a shout and get them back on track!” I confess I tend to be in the first camp. But not today. Each time (once near Thruscross Reservoir, twice about a mile from the finish) I called out “Not that way, follow me!” And they did. And then they overtook me and they beat me. So I suppose I can feel good about this…. But what about them? Do they have any qualms about ruthlessly beating me? Probably not.

I came 7th in a time of 3hrs 54. I was chuffed about this. It’s possible I could have come higher but …. NO! STOP! Keep to the moral high ground John!

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Results

The Pendulum – Sun 24 Mar

Sun 24 Mar 2024

From Petra Bijsterveld…

Photo credit Jon Heaney

The Pendulum is a race in the Cheviots, starting and finishing at Langleeford in the Harthope Valley, south of Wooler. It was last held in 2017 and has been resurrected this year. Organised by Northern Fell Running and Cheviot Trail Events, and supported by the North of Tyne Mountain Rescue Team (who supply all the marshals) it is a low key affair with a maximum of 150 entries (in fact only 114 ran). One of the main reasons to keep it small is to avoid overwhelming the valley (with a single track pot-holed road, a ford, and limited parking) with too many cars.

The race is 11 miles with 3900 feet of ascent and consists of two out and backs, the first one up to the summit of the Cheviot (815m). After touching the trig and receiving a wrist band from the MRT marshal as evidence you retrace your steps down to the start/finish in the valley and start the second climb, up Hedgehope Hill (714m), another trig to touch, a second wrist band to collect, and back down to the finish for your medal. The course was partially marked and follows fairly obvious trods through the ever present bogs so navigation was easy, there were also plenty of runners to follow. Though I had climbed both these hills on the Cheviot Goat you approach them from a different direction in the Pendulum so it was all new (and not covered in snow). Turned out the ascent up Hedgehope is much steeper this way!

We were treated to a lovely sunny day without a drop of rain, though there was a strong icy breeze. I had started out without my jacket thinking I would warm up on the climb (dress for the second mile and all that) but I found I was actually getting colder as time went on despite the effort of the ascent, so I briefly stopped to put my jacket on before we got to the plateau and the flagstones of the Cheviot. I even saw some ice in the puddles up there! The right decision as I kept it on for the rest of the race.

I knew when I entered this race that it doesn’t really play to my strengths. I am not fast, and not very agile on uneven terrain especially not on the descents. I need an ultra distance before I might start overtaking people, about 25 miles in or so. Still, through recceing and running the Cheviot Goat last year I have become quite enchanted with this area, and having met Graeme and Lee from Northern Fell Running on the Goat I was keen to return for this bit of Pendulum fun. And it was a fab morning out in the sunshine with amazing views from the tops, and relatively runnable terrain, even for me, apart from the ascents which are pretty steep and had to be walked. My 3 hours 19 minutes placed me as 88^th (out of 114) and 18^th out of 28 women, whilst the men’s winner (Courtney Ryan, Dark Peak Runners) made short work of it in 1:51 and the first woman (Lauren Boucher) 2:18. There were no age categories listed but I am pretty sure I saw no woman of my sort of vintage!

Results

We Need to Talk about Chevin – Sat 23 Mar

Sat 23 Mar 2024

From Rachel Carter…

I entered this race on an early bird offer in October then spent Nov-March nursing an injury and only decided I would probably be ok to take part couple of weeks before. Having recced the course with Jonathan Turner (thank you) I knew exactly what I was letting myself in for – 3 climbs up (and down) the Chevin and a seriously muddy course in parts. Apart from nearly missing the start (only saved by my car being parked meters from it) by thinking it set off at 11:30 instead of 11AM all felt better than the recce though I did pick up a nasty bramble scratch early on which made for some concerned marshals. Nick H and I ran more or less together for about 2/3rds of the race but he had more energy in reserve up the last hill and I couldn’t catch him back up after that! Not deterred by last year, Dave Robson was back for a second attempt and claimed a brilliant 2nd place to Julian Hood of Skipton. John Jackson and Meredith Bailey also had great races for Ilkley.

Results

Coniston 14 – Sat 23 Mar

Sat 23 Mar 2024

From Dick Waddington…

Coniston 14 provides a very satisfying course – a lap of Coniston Water. It’s all on road and hilly (1000ft of climbing) with beautiful views of the surrounding fells and the lake of course. There’s a cake stall for post race refueling and a slate drinks mat for your efforts – perfect.

Results

(1 Kieran Walker, North East Project 1:15:09)

238 Dick Waddington 1:47:23

435 Helen Waddington 1:57:37

1102 ran

Ilkley Gazette report w/c 18 Mar

Mon 18 Mar 2024

From Will Worboys…

Photo credit: Paul Chapman

Ilkley runners pick up prizes on contrasting terrain

Two Ilkley Harriers made the trip to Todmorden on Saturday for the Flower Scar fell race. This was the first English fell championship race of the year and as such attracted a large and high quality field. Taking place in the Upper Calder Valley, the landscape is characterised by death defying steep valley sides near the river level and vast swathes of open moorland higher up, also featuring the Havoc downhill mountain biking course which is in a scenic hillside pine forest; there is over 2,000 ft of climbing overall. As is the case almost everywhere at the moment this race also offered the bonus of almost wall to wall deep mud. All this made for a challenging eight and a half miles. Hill specialist Jane McCarthy managed the conditions brilliantly to finish 1st in the W50 category in a time of 1:24:40. Fellow Harrier Kate Archer also put her extensive off-road experience to good use to finish 2nd W45 in a time of 1:30:55. The overall race was won by Tim Lamont of Helm Hill in a time of just over an hour while Eve Pannone of Ambleside took the women’s prize in 1:08:10.

On very different terrain there were two more fine performances from Ilkley athletes at the Thirsk 10 mile road race which took part on Sunday. A fast flat road race based at Thirsk racecourse, this event also includes a wheelchair category and is a good opportunity for competitors to register a quick 10 mile time. Young Harrier Ed Hobbs capitalised and put in a storming performance to finish in 4th place with a PB and a time of 52:47. This was only a minute behind winner, the aptly named Graham Rush of Leeds AC. Fellow Harrier Jaysson Sawyer also took part in the event organised by Thirsk and Sowerby Harriers, registering another excellent time of 1:04:37 and finishing 56th of the 531 total finishers.

Not too far away on the same day another pair of Ilkley runners tackled the Vale of York 10 mile race. Similar to Thirsk, this was a flat route starting at Rufforth Air Field to the west of York. Speedy times were posted in wet conditions by Forrest Hamilton who was 11^th overall in a time of 1:02:04; he was followed by Harry Brook-Dobson who finished in 1:04:16 and was 16^th of the 333 total finishers.

A little further south but also in the flatter eastern part of the country was the North Lincolnshire Half Marathon. With almost 1,500 finishers and based in Scunthorpe this is a popular event in the area in it’s own right and also with many competitors using it as a warm up for one of the upcoming spring marathons. This included the sole Ilkley Harrier taking part Tony Pye, who smashed his previous half marathon PB by 5 minutes, raising hopes for a strong performance in Manchester next month. With a time of 1:30:47, Pye was the 257^th finisher and came 28^th in the M45 category.

Once again Ilkley Harriers where well represented at the nation’s 5K parkruns with nine attending Roberts park alone. Some impressive performances were had at this particular event with PB’s from Harry Sime, Vince Gibbons and Peter Roll. While Nigel Illingworth and Alex Hyde reaped the rewards of some dedicated training to post their best times since returning from injury.

Elsewhere James Horrex finished 2^nd in a time of 18:12 which was presumably an exciting finish at Chevin Forest as this was the exact same time as the first finisher. The prolific Paula Reynier was the 20^th female finisher among 352 participants at Lister Park. Meanwhile Robert Cunningham was 8th of 392 at Fountains Abbey and Stephen Coy finished 5^th from 227 at Skipton. Finally Geoff Howard topped the age grading with a superb 85.87% for a time of 24:29, also at Skipton.

Vale of York 10M – Sun 17 Mar

Sun 17 Mar 2024

From Harry Brook-Dobson…

The Vale of York 10M is one of the fast and popular races organised by EvenSplits. Forrest Hamilton and I were the only Ilkley Harriers there and we had a similar target time for this race. Starting with an out and back on the runway at Rufforth airfield gave a good opportunity to settle into your desired pace before moving onto the (slightly) more interesting lanes in the Vale of York. A relaxed attitude to getting your feet wet was important in order to try to run as close to 10 miles as possible rather than avoiding every puddle. Forrest and I ran together for the first 4 or 5 miles before he pressed on while I tried not to slow down in the second half. Forrest finished 11th in 62:04 and I came 16th in 64:16.

Results

Flower Scar Fell Race – Sat 16 Mar

Sat 16 Mar 2024

From Jane McCarthy…

Kate Archer and I were the only Harriers racing in Todmorden today. Ben and Abbie Rothery were there cheering folks on (thank you!) – Ben saving himself for the next English Champs race after a recent chest infection.

Only one word comes to mind for the race – mudfest. Mixed terrain included boggy fields, boggy moors and muddy tracks. But the sun was shining on the start line and vest and shorts were order of the day. A varied route, including a fab run through a plantation with some hardcore MTB trails running through it. The final descent to the finish line was not the faint hearted and with the first three men finishing within 10 seconds must have been exciting (and terrifying) to watch.

Results

1. Tim Lamont 1:00:41

181. Jane McCarthy 1:24:40 1st Fv50

222. Kate Archer 1:30:55 2nd Fv45

Ilkley Gazette report w/c 11 Mar

Mon 11 Mar 2024

From Jean Sullivan…

Photo credit Woodentops

A race win this weekend for the Ilkley Harriers at the Keighley 10km!

Harrier Jack Cummings stormed to success to win the popular Keighley 10km this weekend. This race, staged on Mother’s Day, to raise money for the Sue Ryder Manorlands Hospice, sees runners start at Victoria Hall and follow a circular route through the paths and parks of Keighley, as well as taking in a section of the Leeds Liverpool canal towpath and the stunning East Riddlesden Hall.

Jack had a superb run, crossing the line in 35:11, in a nail-biting finish with Jack managing to secure first place with just a four second gap between him and the second finisher. Andrew Overend was the second Harrier home, with Thomas Mountain the third Harrier to cross the line, fresh from his PB at the Fountains Abbey parkrun the previous day. Jane McCarthy led the Ilkley ladies home in a speedy time of 42:58, with Jane finishing first in her age category. Junior Harrier Lucy Hayes was next to finish, with Mum Sarah the third Ilkley lady to complete the course. Bernie Gibbons also had a superb run also, taking first prize in her age category. Carole Cunningham completed the 5km option, and was also highly placed in her age category

Also on the roads, this weekend also saw the staging of the Dentdale 14, celebrating its 40th anniversary this year. This undulating road race is a circular route around the lanes of scenic Dentdale in the Yorkshire Dales. Harry Brook-Dobson completed the course in a superb time of 1:35:05, with Harry finishing in thirteenth place overall. There was also a Dentdale 7.5-mile race option on the same day, with Ilkley Harrier Sally Malir completing this in an impressive 1:03:02, with Sally taking first prize in her age category.

Off road, The Howarth Hobble was a popular choice for Ilkley Harriers this week, with ten hardy Harriers taking part in this challenging 32-mile ultra race, organised by Keighley and Craven Athletics Club. The route traverses gritstone moors around Haworth, Todmorden and Hebden Bridge and involves 4400ft of ascent. Ben Sheppard led the Harriers home, finishing in 28th place, with Ben completing the course in a superb time of 5:02:22. Hot on his heels was clubmate Gavin Lamb, with Gavin finishing the race just under a minute later. Dave Robson was the third Harrier home, with Dave running the route in 5:16:34. Kate Archer maintained her fine form and was the third lady over the line at this event in 5:18:52. Alison Weston was the second Ilkley lady to finish, with Jacqui Foster the third. Harriers Martin Hartley, Peter Shelley and Derek Oliver also had great runs at this event, as did Ritchie Williamson, back racing having completed the Spine Winter race.

Continuing her love of ultra running Petra Bijsterveld took part in The Welcome Way Ultra, organised by Punk Panther Endurance Events Ltd.. The Welcome Way is an existing waymarked circular long distance walking route connecting Otley, Burley and Baildon and this event largely follows this route. There were options to run 50 miles (6000 ft), 34 miles (4300 ft), 20 miles (2200 ft) or a half marathon, with Petra opting for the 50-mile option. Conditions were cool and dry, but with low visibility, and lots of mud to contend with. Petra finished in an impressive tenth place overall, taking first prize in her age category.

It takes dedication to race on a Friday evening, but it paid off for Harrier Daniel Fazackerley, who took park in the Evensplits York 5km. This race, billed as the ‘flattest, fastest’ 5km in Yorkshire, is held at the University of York Sport Village cycle circuit, with Daniel finishing in an impressive eighth place overall, in a super quick time of 15:56.

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This weekend saw the staging of the UKCAU Inter Counties cross country championships at Wollaton Park in Nottingham, with Ed Hobbs and Christos Tzelis representing Yorkshire in the U20 race. Unfortunately Ed was ill during the race and had to withdraw, but Christos went on to finish 29th out of 155 runners in a highly competitive field. Christos was the third Yorkshire counter in the race and helped them to win a silver medal at this event. In the U17 race, Harriers Sam Bentham and Archie Budding were running in an even more competitive field than the U20 race, with almost 300 runners battling it out to win. Their excellent running meant they helped their U17 Yorkshire team finish in second place overall.
Continuing with cross country, three Ilkley Harriers took part in the PECO Cross Country League end of season relay race, which gives participants a chance to race cross country as part of a team with fellow clubmates. This race, which took part in Bramley Fall Park in Leeds saw Harriers, Steven Gott, Matthew Snow and David Singleton compete as a team, (team name ‘Old Menstonians’), and they finished in an impressive nineteenth place out of the 45 teams that took part, not quite deserving of the word ‘old’ in their team name!

The allure of the interclub parkrun championships between Ilkley Harriers, Bingley Harriers and Saltaire Striders has continued to encourage lots of Harriers to add a parkrun to their weekly schedule. This week saw the grand total of 38 Harriers give these timed 5km runs a go, with some incredible results. It was a PB for Thomas Mountain at the Fountain’s Abbey parkrun with Thomas completing the course in 20:01. Mark Hall, David Foyston and Nathan Coy all managed to finish in the top five at various parkruns, with Will Worboys clocking an impressive 225 parkruns by completing the Robert’s Park parkrun this week.

Keighley 10k – Sun 10 Mar

Sun 10 Mar 2024

From Will Worboys…

The Keighley 10K road shoe debacle

Although many will think this 10K race was a standard nondescript local event, for me there were several reasons why it was a bit more than that. It was my first completed (non-parkrun) event for almost exactly 4 years. My last was the ‘Hot Toddy’ 10K which took place a week before the first lockdown in March 2020. So to complete this it was quite a big deal and effort for me and hopefully the first of plenty more! In the end I got a very similar time to the Hot Toddy, however unlike in Tod today’s race did not have a monumental 600ft climb as it’s main feature.

So to today (it was raining by the way). I have done the old hilly Keighley 10K several times but not the new course which debuted last year. Advertised as a ‘road race’ there was some debate about which shoes to wear due to a short stretch near East Riddlesden Hall on ‘a bit of grass’. The consensus seemed to be that road shoes would be fine, what with it being mainly on tarmac… The consensus was wrong.

Fresh from my first deafening from some very well meaning drummers in a tunnel; within the first mile we seemed to be running down a lane that had turned into energy sapping bog; and it got worse! By the time we were on mile 2 and running up through the golf course in torrential rain Gaenor Coy who I had been just behind, was already disappearing into the distance, warming up for her mudslide (shown in pic), as my legs weren’t playing ball. Then the very long canal stretch it was hard to differentiate between canal and towpath with the ubiquitous never-ending puddle. All this was actually good for me as it had taken my focus away from any other anxieties I had about the race to just being present in the general exhausted soakingness of the day.

As we left the canal I was relieved to have the mistaken belief that we were getting towards the home stretch. Until we entered the previously mentioned ‘bit of grass’. Road shoes or trails had been mentioned. Mud claws would have been much better for this, or actually probably wellington boots. In my road shoes I slipped and slided and stumbled and skidded as people in better footwear overtook me comfortably. Kate Williams glided past me towards the end of this tough mudder section and along with the 55 minute pacers they were gone into the distance. Finally we were back on the road for the run in and I managed to gain a little bit of pace through the tunnel under the road for my second deafening from the drummers in the underpass and then back into a final bit of bog for the stumble to the finish.

Anyway despite how it sounds it was all great and there was an excellent turn out of 23 Harriers among the 775 finishers. Jack Cummings won it in a ridiculous time of 35:11 in those conditions. Jane McCarthy was first in her category and Marie Watson somehow got round dressed as a star!

Results

1/775 Jack Cummings 35:11

24/775 Andrew Overend 41:08

36/775 Thomas Mountain 42:24

37/775 John Hayes 42:26

43/775 Jane McCarthy 42:58

152/775 Lucy Hayes 49:21

214/775 Alan Travis 52:03

251/775 Sarah Hayes 53:39

314/775 Kate Williams 56:26

321/775 Hannah Osieku 56:47

322/775 Gaenor Coy 56:50

331/775 Will Worboys 57:00

419/775 Nick Bailey 1:00:27

491/775 Nigel Illingworth 1:03:30

526/775 Sarah Lambert 1:04:47

541/775 Bernadette Gibbons 1:05:33

542/775 Vincent Gibbons 1:05:34

553/775 Aleksandra Atman 1:06:00

571/775 Jo Henderson 1:06:36

584/775 Marie Watson 1:06:54

604/775 Susan Williamson 1:08:11

605/775 Kate Lofthouse 1:08:12

119/175 Carole Cunningham 40:15

UKCAU Inter Counties XC Championships Wollaton Park – Sat 9 Mar

Sat 9 Mar 2024

From Neil Chapman…

Ed Hobbs and Christos Tzelis were representing Yorkshire in the Inter Counties Cross Country Championships at the weekend. Ed had been there before, but Christos was proudly wearing his Yorkshire vest for the first time in the U20 race. Unfortunately Ed was ill during the race and had to withdraw, but Christos went on to finish 29th out of 155 runners; he was third Yorkshire counter and helped them to go one better than last year and win the silver medal. The standard is incredibly high in these races, evidenced by the fact only six seconds separated seven runners at the point Christos finished. Well done Christos, but hard luck to Ed who went all that way and had to pull out of the race.

In the U17 race Sam Bentham and Archie Budding were running in a race which is even more competitive than the U20 race as they were up against almost 300 runners. Unfortunately they did not make the first four team counters, but still played their part in pushing back other teams runners to help their U17 Yorkshire team finish in silver medal place. The racing was so close that just a few seconds could separate 20 finishers and four runners finished with the same time as Archie. Well done to both of them and the team as a whole.

Results

Welcome Way – Sat 9 Mar

Sat 9 Mar 2024

From Petra Bijsterveld…

Photo credit Ryk Downes – Punk Panther Endurance Events

It becomes quite hard to say something new about a race you are taking part in for the third year running. On the upside it allows for quite a bit of time saving cutting and pasting from previous reports!

The Welcome Way is an existing waymarked circular long distance walking route connecting Otley, Burley and Baildon, with an optional loop around Shipley Glen and Bingley. Local ultra-race organiser Punk Panther stages a running event along this route, in fact it was their first ever race in 2017. In 2022 I completed the 42 mile version of the course, and in 2023 I did the then newly created 50 mile route, created by adding a loop (not part of the official Welcome Way) out to Bramhope, Arthington and Pool Bank before finishing in Otley.

Yesterday there were options to run 50 miles (6000 ft), 34 miles (4300 ft), 20 miles (2200 ft) or a half marathon, and a total of around 160 runners made the start line in two waves.

In 2023 we were running in beautiful fresh snow, in addition the bogs on Burley Moor had been so deep to be deemed dangerous (as the RD flagging the course the day before had gone in waist deep) and the route was diverted along the Moor Road and Bingley Road, which was tedious but a little shorter and no doubt faster. Thankfully this year we could run the full course as it was not too soggy on the moor, despite all the recent rain. The countless fields however were definitely as muddy as always, especially where they had been churned up by livestock. We were lucky, the predicted rain held off and it stayed dry all day, a cool, grey and cloudy day without sunshine or great views. Still, having had quite a few rain-soaked outings in recent weeks this was a definite improvement.

I had company for most of the day, initially running with two other PP regulars whom I know well, later I ran with four different people (one at a time) whom I had not met before. Nice to make new friends and share some miles. My friend Gill popped up at various points along the course with snacks and support.

I started near the back as is usual for me in an ultra, and slowly worked my way up the field. I had the upper hand as far as navigation is concerned over some runners who had come from other parts of the country as I know the course very well by now. However, I did try and help out some others, especially during the final miles when we were in the dark. Still, I didn’t abandon my competitive nature altogether. Last year by some fluke I had won this race (small field!) with a sprint finish in the final mile. I knew that would not be on the cards this year as there were three women running who are substantially faster than I am. But I definitely tried to beat the women who should be beatable. It was an effort, as two of them were either with me or ahead of me for much of the race. I managed to pass one in Arthington, and the other one less than two miles from the finish, somewhere in a field between Pool Bank and Otley. I crossed the line in 12 hours 26 minutes, together with a nice runner called Paul who I had been with since Arthington. I was joint 10^th out of 22 finishers in total in the 50-mile race, and fourth woman (out of seven) as well as 1^st F60. There had been some F50 entries so RD Ryk had printed the award, but none of them had turned up so I was given the F50 certificate as well 🙂

I had been dreaming of the famous Punk Panther post-race food for quite a number of the final miles, and enjoyed my two cups of tea, veggie pasta as well as a cheese toastie whilst chatting with friends.

Results

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(1 8:57 Kirk Hardwick)

(4 10:25 Alice Kershaw/Sophie Clarke 1^st F)

10 12:26 Petra Bijsterveld

22 finished

Dentdale Run – Sat 9 Mar

Sat 9 Mar 2024

From Harry Brook-Dobson…

Photo credit Philip Bland

It was the 40th anniversary of the Dentdale run on Saturday 9th March. Dent Primary School organise a 14 and 8 mile road race: down, then back up the valley. While the route sticks relatively close to the river it still clocks up a decent amount of elevation for a road race and this year we had a vicious wind to contend with (and reap the benefits of) as well. Sally Malir ran the 8 mile race and came 22nd overall and 2nd in the F55 category in 63:02. I ran the 14 mile race and finished 13th in 1:35:05. I’ll definitely be coming back again.

Results

Brian Sweet Predictor – Tue 5 Mar

Tue 5 Mar 2024

From Vince Gibbons…

The Brian Sweet Predictor 10k drew a record turnout on Tuesday 5 March, making it the second successful event organised by Ilkley Harriers in three days! Several new faces were amongst the the 41 finishers.

Geoffrey White won the prize for the most accurate prediction, his race time being just nine seconds away from his finish time. Runners up were Martin Campbell, 15 seconds; Steph Fox, 17 seconds; and Rob Cunningham, 21 seconds. Special thanks to Neil Chapman, Jonathan Turner for help with the organisation; sweepers Dawn Turner and Jayne Norman; race marshals Alison Weston, Jane Guillard, Sue Verspyck, Hilda Coulsey and Alex Foyn.

Brian Sweet was a long-standing member of Ilkley Harriers. He led club runs for new members every week for over two decades, introducing hundreds of runners to the sport. He continued running until reaching the age of 80. He died in 2017.

Finish Position/Name/Time Predicted/Difference

23 Geoffrey White 54.25 54.16 0.09

22 Martin Campbell 53.15 53.30 0.15

37 Steph Fox 59.42 59.59 0.17

3 Rob Cunningham 40.04 40.25 0.21

19 Natalie Gravett 51.33 52.00 0.27

28 Will Worboys 57.16 57.45 0.29

7 Iain Young 44.10 43.37 0.33

33 Sarah Hayes 57.46 57.12 0.38

6 Oscar Smythe 43.59 44.44 0.45

1 Samesh Chotai 39.20 38.30 0.50

4 Andrew Overend 41.28 42.20 0.52

24 Sacha Jones 54.34 53.35 0.59

10 Matthew Lambe 45.47 46.50 1.03

31 Charlotte Smithson 57.35 56.30 1.05

12 Jane McCarthy 46.31 47.40 1.09

27 Tom Lally 57.14 56.00 1.14

34 Petra Bijsterveld 58.10 56.56 1.14

15 Simon Jenkins 51.10 52.25 1.15

11 Jonathan Turner 46.14 47.30 1.16

2 Nick Kealey 39.33 40.50 1.17

32 Lynn Donohue 57.39 59.00 1.21

41 Sarah Lambert 69.59 68.36 1.23

21 Paul Stephens 52.53 54.22 1.29

9 John Hayes 45.07 46.45 1.38

16 Martin Stubbs 51.14 53.00 1.46

38 Nigel Illingworth 61.48 60.00 1.48

25 David Lewis 57.05 55.00 2.05

26 Peter Ferguson 57.13 55.00 2.13

40 Alex Atman 68.37 70.00 2.23

39 Jo Henderson 67.22 70.00 2.38

13 Stephen Liversedge 47.42 50.25 2.43

18 Lucy Hayes 51.29 55.00 3.31

17 Keith Wood 51.19 55.00 3.41

20 Alan Travis 52.08 55.55 3.47

36 Emma O’Looney 59.04 62.59 3.55

35 Vince Gibbons 58.17 64.05 5.48

5 Martin Peace 43.52 50.00 6.08

8 Tom Mountain 44.41 50.50 6.09

14 Luke Watkeys 47.44 55.00 7.16

29 Sheena Pickersgill 57.20 65.00 7.40

30 Peter Tapper 57.20 65.25 8.05

Ilkley Gazette report w/c 4 Mar

Mon 4 Mar 2024

From Jill Ezard…

Photo credit: Woodentops

Podium and age category success on road and fell with a smattering of “je ne sais quoi!”

It was the first Harriers’ organised race in the 2024 calendar on Sunday with the 32nd staging of the Ilkley Moor Fell race. As last year, this iconic race was also chosen as the 2024 Yorkshire Senior & U23 Fell Running Championships so attracted a very talented field. The race is short but steep taking in some of the toughest ascents and descents of the moor resulting in a total of over 400m of climb in just 8km. A fantastic turnout of 33 Harriers took to the start line with some outstanding performances. It was an Ilkley first and second in the men’s race with Ben Rothery taking the win and the Yorkshire Championship title in a time of 37.05. In a close second in 38:42 was Sam Bentham, also taking first place in his age category. Oli Murphy taking 11^th place in 40:31, the Harriers managed to secure the men’s team prize. Jane McCarthy was the first Ilkley woman home in a superb time of 52:40 taking first place in her age category. Other top three age category places were secured by Alexander Wolfenden in 44:26, Kelly Wilby in 1:02:02 and Alison Bennett in 1:04:35. Thanks must go to organiser Peter Roll and all the volunteers from the club who made the day a huge success.

The rest of the weekend’s Harriers took to the roads for their races. Hilda Coulsey was the sole representative of the club at the Leicester 10k, aiming to get a great time under her belt early in the season. And the race didn’t disappoint. Starting in Jubilee Square in the city centre, the race takes participants through Victoria Park, out to the University and back to the finish line at Jubilee Square. Hilda had a fantastic run in a tough course and completed in 53:47, yet another age category club record!

With an equally impressive performance, Christos Tzelis travelled to Manchester for the Trafford 10k. A fast race known for its PB potential, the race attracts a high quality field from all over Europe, with nearly 30 of the finishers completing the race in under 30 minutes. The race heads out to Dunham Massey on quiet country roads before heading back to the start at Partington just outside Manchester. Christos had a fantastic run and finished in 31:08, in 74^th place out of over 1500 finishers and taking third place in his age category. Another great performance from Christos!

Taking on their annual overseas half marathon challenge, four intrepid Harriers travelled to Paris to take part in the Harmonie Mutuelle Semi de Paris. Starting south of the Seine on Boulevard Saint Germain, the route takes participants out to the Bois de Vincennes, returning via the banks of the river to the iconic Place de La Bastille. Jane Bryant was the first Harrier over the line in 2:04:47, followed by Helen Horton in 2:05:23, Anna Nolan in 2:07:27 and Jacqui Weston in 2:14:56. Bravo!

And finally, the ongoing parkrun challenge with other local clubs lead to another fantastic turnout at the local events with over 40 Harriers turning out. Roberts Park was the most popular with ten Harriers taking part. Nicky Liptrot had a great run and was sixth finisher, with Diane Kitchen clocking an age grade over 80% and a PB. Other PBs across the country included Harry Brooks-Dobson, Martin Campbell, Vince Gibbons, Dave Reynier and Tom Lambe. Driving the age grade up again for the club were Geoff Howard and Alison Bennett, both with gradings over 87%. Keep up the good work team!

New Longton 10k – Sun 3 Mar

Sun 3 Mar 2024

From Mark Hall…

Another trip to the Preston area for this race. I have not run in this event before so gave the organiser a call to ask about the circuit he informed me that the circuit was flat which it was, unfortunately, he didn’t mention there was a 1 mile (at least) section of farm track with lots of water filled pot holes and lots of mud, not ideal for race shoes. I finished in 10^th place (1^st V60) from a field of 250 in 36.50. The winner was Ian Agular from Chorley Athletic in 33.12,

Results

Trafford 10k – Sun 3 Mar

Sun 3 Mar 2024

From Neil Chapman…

Christos Tzelis was the only Harrier who joined over 1500 other runners at the Trafford 10k at the weekend. This is a big race that attracts many of the top runners, which is highlighted by the 28:57 winning time of the Swede Victor Urquhart Smångs and the fact that 28 runners finished sub 30 minutes.

As you might expect with so many top runners around you, as always, Christos went out hard and gave it his best, finishing 74 overall in a great time of 31:08, which placed him an impressive 3rd in the U20 race. Well done Christos.

Results

Leicester 10k – Sun 3 Mar

Sun 3 Mar 2024

From Hilda Coulsey…

I headed to Leicester, missing the Fell Race volunteer duty, to road race aiming to lodge a good time. 10k is a hard distance to race, as I definitely reminded myself again today. Also whereas I expected it to be fairly flat the over 80m elevation didn’t help. The route though is pleasant through town into Victoria park and the University, snaking through both, before heading back to the start location in Jubilee square. Although it was cold the torrential rain from yesterday was gone.

I felt I did my best on the day, after a month of a heavy lingering cold, but was completely trounced by top of the UK rankings Dorothy Kesterton.

Results

1. 32:37 Anthony Woodward Notts AC

19. 34:40 Gemma Steel

220. 46:36 Dorothy Kesterton Sheffield Steel City 1st FV70

431. 53:47 Hilda Coulsey

991 finished

Ilkley Moor Fell Race – Sun 3 Mar

Sun 3 Mar 2024

From Peter Roll and Vince Gibbons…

Photo credit Woodentops

Ben Rothery of Ilkley Harriers AC won the 32nd Ilkley Moor Fell Race on Sunday 3 March in a time of 37 mins 05 sec. Eve Whitaker of Leeds University AC was first home in the female race in a time of 43 mins 12 sec.

The men’s team prize was won by Ilkley Harriers (Ben Rothery 37 mins 05, sec; Samuel Bentham 38 mins 42 sec; Oli Murphy 40 mins 31 sec and Alexander Wolfenden 44 mins 26 sec ). Ambleside AC scooped the women’s team prize (Sarah McCormack 44 mins 29 sec, Lex Whitaker 45 mins 13 sec and Katrina Hemingway 58 mins 00 sec)

The short but tough course on scenic Ilkley Moor with steep ascents and descents included 401 metres of climbing over 8 km and was very muddy on the day. Once again, the iconic race was chosen as the Yorkshire Fell Race Championship. The best in the county were joined by a strong local field to battle it out with runners from as far away as York, Blackburn and the Lake District.

In the junior races Clara McKee (Under 15 girls) and Otis Brooks (Under 19 boys) achieved new course records. A total of 125 juniors raced, ranging in age from six to 16 years. There were treats for all juniors who took part and Easter eggs for the winners.

Race organiser Peter Roll said: “Spectators turned out in force to cheer on the runners, especially at Darwin Gardens and the Cow and Calf Rocks. It was a family occasion: Junior Fell Races were also staged, making it a grand day out. Pete Bland Sports had a stall at the event. Coffee and cakes were on sale. Ilkley’s Real Food market on The Grove that day proved an added attraction for runners and supporters.”

Organised by local running club Ilkley Harriers, more than 40 volunteers manned the route as marshals.

Ilkley Moor Fell Race has been staged annually since 1990. Pete Bland Sports and Big Bobble Hats sponsored this year’s event.

Results

Ilkley Gazette Report – w/c 26 Feb

Mon 26 Feb 2024

[Ilkley runners at the PECO in Roundhay Park]

From Will Worboys…

Harriers out in force in the mud and sunshine

Several intrepid Harriers were among the 411 athletes who made the trip to Cumbria to take part in the High Cup Nick fell race on Saturday. A spectacular amphitheatre of volcanic rock near the Eden Valley, High Cup Nick is three miles from Dufton along the Pennine Way. Raising money for the upkeep of the Dufton village hall, the race takes in nine miles of challenging terrain and around 1,800 feet of punishing ascent. This includes some perilous-looking rocky scrambling and a long descent down to the finish on the village green. The first Ilkley runner to finish was Gavin Lamb who crossed the line in 58th place and a time of 1hr 18:42. He was very closely followed by Ben Sheppard in 1hr 19:27. Kate Archer had another excellent run to finish as 17th female and 3rd VF40 in a time of 1hr 31:12. Other impressive runs were had by Charles Wain (1hr 31:06) and Alison Weston (1hr 43:42). The race was won by Tim Lamont of Helm Hill in 1hr and 12 seconds.

Further afield was Matthew Kennedy who produced an incredible performance to finish in the top 100 of the 126km Classic at Transgrancanaria in the Canary Islands. To give that some context it’s one of the top ultrarunning races of the year – superstar American Courtney Dauwalter won the women’s race this year and was 13th overall. Matthew and all the other runners faced tough conditions after the midnight start but thankfully things improved and he traversed the island from north to south – overcoming a range of different terrain – in just under 20 hours.

A little closer to home in the Yorkshire Dales, four more representatives from Ilkley enjoyed the Settle 10 mile road race. Despite being part of the ‘Grim Up North’ series this race took place in glorious sunshine, leaving some of the runners who had prepared for a winter run feeling a little over-dressed. The event follows an out and back route from Settle through Ribblesdale and attracted 33 participants. The emphasis here was definitely on quality of the athletes rather than quantity. Jane McCarthy managed a superb run to come fifth overall and second female in a time of 1hr 09:25. Following in third female was Rebecca Mon-Williams in 1hr 19:54. Jean Sullivan and Sarah Hayes also managed excellent times of 1hr 25:51 and 1hr 30:49 respectively.

With the unfortunate cancellation of the National cross country championship due to flooding, all local mud lovers’ eyes turned to the fifth race in this winter’s PECO cross-country series, which took place at Roundhay Park on Sunday. With only the relay event still left to take place, the cross-country season is now drawing to a close. The popular event attracted nearly 700 of the region’s muddiest pairs of running shoes and followed a course which was just under five miles in length. Ilkley Harriers sent a strong team, with the best-placed finish coming from Ruth Kitchen, who was ninth in the Female race in a time of 33:53. Keeping it in the family, Diane Kitchen again performed impressively to finish third in the V60 category. Sally Wright also made a promising return to racing after some time off with health issues; reaping the rewards of her recent dedication to regular club training sessions.

In the men’s race James Horrex was the first Harrier, finishing in 20th place and a time of 30.11. He was closely followed by Dan McKeown who claimed 1st place in the V45 category. Other speedy runs were had by Forrest Hamilton (32:29), Jaysson Sawyer (33:11), Thomas Mountain (34.44), Adam Gerrish (35:01) and David Singleton (36:43). With Robert Singleton impressively also managing 2nd placed V65.

At the weekly 5K Saturday parkruns Alison Bennett scored an amazing 88% age graded score with a time of 22:17 and finishing as third female at Lister Park. Age grading is an adjustment made to a competitor’s time to compare it to the world record for their age and gender (100% being the world record), creating a more level playing field for all who take part. Another with a phenomenal age graded score was Geoffrey Howard who managed over 83% for a time of 24:50 at Skipton. As well as Diane Kitchen who scored 80% at Roberts Park. While Hilda Coulsey was 9th female at Portrush in Northern Ireland, posting an age graded score of 81%. With these age scores being the basis for the current inter-club championship also involving Baildon Runners and Saltaire Striders, there are several Harriers currently in very strong positions in their league table.

Elsewhere at parkrun, Jane McCarthy warmed up for the previously mentioned Settle 10 by not taking it easy at all and finishing second female at Harrogate; posting her best time yet at that event. At Roberts Park Alexander Wolfenden, Alex Foyn, Nick Kealey, Robert Carter and Adam Gerrish finished 5th, 6th, 7th, 9th and 10th all very speedily and all well under 19 minutes. At the same event Nicole Liptrot was third female lowering her PB and Natalie Gravett-Foyn was seventh female. At Myrtle Park, Harry Brook-Dobson was 6th overall and Jacqui Foster finished 7th female. Fiona Schneider was 8th female at Armley. David Foyston and Robert Cunningham both came 2nd; at Heslington and Druridge Bay respectively.

Settle 10-mile road race – Sun 25 Feb

Sun 25 Feb 2024

From Jean Sullivan…

If you are looking for a low-key road race, taking in some beautiful Yorkshire Dales scenery with incredible views, this is the race for you (unless you aren’t a fan of a hill or two)!

Organised by It’s Grim Up North, with 10km, 10 mile and half marathon distance options available, this race starts and finishes in Settle, and follows an out-and-back course along Ribblesdale.

Despite getting very cold as we waited for the race to start, we were very lucky as the sun broke through the mist and we ran in glorious sunshine for the whole race, the problem then being, that I at least, had overdressed and was at risk of overheating! Luckily, I was able to drop my hat, gloves, fleece buff and windproof jacket at an early water station, which I was then able to collect on my return; one advantage of an out-and-back course!

Jane McCarthy had a superb run, finishing as second lady and in fifth place overall. Rebecca Mon-Williams also had a great run, finishing as third lady. Sarah Hayes also did the Harriers proud at this event.

This race is definitely to be recommended, as we all left with a medal, a tee-shirt, crisps, a can of pop, a Cadbury’s creme egg, and we didn’t even avail of the bacon butty available to all finishers!

Results:

(1 Harrison Crawford 1:03:40)

5 Jane McCarthy 1:09:25

12 Rebecca Mon-Williams 1:19:54

16 Jean Sullivan 1:25:51

20 Sarah Hayes 1:30:49

33 ran

Transgrancanaria Classic 126km – Sat 24 Feb

Sat 24 Feb 2024

[Superstar runner Courtney Dauwalter at Transgrancanaria / Photo credit: The North Face Transgrancanaria]

From Matthew Kennedy…

Transgrancanaria is one of the largest early season trail running events, with around 4,000 runners from all over the world gathering on Gran Canaria to tackle races across a range of distances. I had signed up for the Classic 126km (about 78 miles, with over 22,000 feet of ascent / descent), along with over 750 others, including Americans Courtney Dauwalter and Zach Miller, respectively 1st F and 2nd M at the 2023 UTMB.

Although it was very pleasant when we lined up on the beach at Las Palmas for the midnight start, extra bad weather kit had been mandated a few days earlier, and the forecast storm duly arrived as we climbed into the foothills on the north side of the island. The conditions quickly began to resemble a bad Tuesday night club run in the winter – dark, cold, wet, windy and muddy.

Once the sun finally rose and we continued climbing towards the central mountains, firmer ground made it easier to find a footing, but the wind only became stronger and there were even hints of hail and sleet mixed in with the driving rain. However, as the view began to open up from the ridge between Artenara and Cruz de Tejeda (roughly 45 miles in), occasional flashes of blue in the distance suggested that the weather in the south might be very different.

Sure enough, no sooner had we crossed the highest pass of the race – around 5,900 feet above sea level – than the wind died away and the sun came out in full force for the rocky 20 mile descent to the finish at Maspalomas. Fortunately, it was already mid-afternoon, so I wasn’t too badly sunburned when I crossed the line shortly after nightfall (lesson learned about leaving suntan lotion in your drop bag…)

Given the unexpectedly wild weather, I was pretty happy to come in just under 20 hours, although the impact of the conditions is hard to gauge. While Courtney Dauwalter was 35 mins slower than her winning time from 2023 and Zach Miller tailed off from an early lead to finish 7th, men’s winner Raul Butaci was able to improve on his 2023 time by a hefty 50 mins.

Results:

(1 Raul Butaci 13h23)

(13 Courtney Dauwalter 15h15, 1st F)

98 Matthew Kennedy 19h57, 8th MV50

497 finishers

High Cup Nick – Sat 24 Feb

Sat 24 Feb 2024

From Ben Sheppard…

If you like fell running and you like geological features – in particular U-shaped glaciated valleys – then this race is a must.

It is situated high on the western flanks of the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Beauty and the Pennine Way. With race HQ in the village of Dufton, the route heads out along High Cup Gill, becomes a steep climb up the Nick and takes a long runnable descent to finish on the village green.

Good weather on the day rewarded the five Harriers with wonderful views of the chasm. Meanwhile, try as I might, I was unable to stop Gavin turning a small gap at the top into a chasm between him and me by the finish, closely followed by Charles, Kate and Alison.

In the village hall we were rewarded with soup and bread and recovery cakes, while recovery drinks were successfully located in the cosy village pub.

From Alison Weston…

A few hours travel to get but this 9 mile fell race from Dufton but well worth the effort. Spectacular scenery and a bit of everything – grass, mud (lots!), boulders, steep climbs and long descents. Gavin was first harriers home followed by Ben, Charles, Kate and Alison.

Results:

(1 Tim Lamont, Helm Hill, 1:00:12)

58 Gavin Lamb 1:18:42

62 Ben Sheppard 1:19:27

148 Charles Wain 1:31:08

150 Kate Archer 1:31:12 (3rd LV40)

263 Alison Weston 1:43:42

411 finished

Ilkley Gazette Report – w/c 19 Feb

Mon 19 Feb 2024

[Photo courtesy of Abbie Rothery: Ben Rothery on his way to winning race five of the Kong Winter series]

From Jean Sullivan…

A win on the fells and club records broken for the Ilkley Harriers this week!

Ben Rothery continued to impress on the fells, reinforcing why he was voted ‘male runner of the year 2023’ by his club and clubmates. Ben won race five of the Kong Winter series, and also set a new course record.

This five-mile route, with 2,500ft of ascent, starts at Threlkeld village hall in Cumbria. This challenging course sees runners traverse the flanks of Blencathra, undertake a tough climb up Doddick fell to reach Blencathra summit, race across the ridgeline to Blease fell, to finish with a steep technical descent back to the car park at Threlkeld.

And despite a tumble on the descent, Ben still clocked an impressive 45:03, setting a new course record, shattering the previous record of 50:30, set in 2021. Clubmate Alison Weston also had a great run at this event, finishing with a high age-group placing, in a time of 1:16:48.

Meanwhile, on the roads, this weekend saw the staging of the Snake Lane 10. This popular and well-established road race, now in its 32nd year, is a fairly flat, fast 10-miler, ideal as part of Spring marathon training. As its name suggests, the course has a winding stretch that snakes its way through beautiful East Yorkshire countryside at the foot of the glorious Wolds. The race starts and finished in Pocklington. Sally Armitage continued her fine form, with an age category win, with Sally completing the course in 1:02:45. Her incredibly fast pace meant that she set two new club records (40-44 and 45-49 age categories) for the 10-mile distance. Clubmates Jaysson Sawyer and Sally Malir also completed this race, finishing in superb times of 1:04:40 and 1:16:37 respectively, with Sally taking fourth place in her age category.

Jane McCarthy and Mark Hall also excelled this weekend, breaking four club records between them. They both took part in the Wombwell 5, a long-established road race in South Yorkshire, organised by Kingstone Harriers. Jane completed the race in 32:29, not only placing Jane first in her age category, but also meaning that she broke two club records for a 5-mile race, the FV45 and FV50 categories. Mark finished the course in 29:41, with Mark not only taking first prize in his age category, but also breaking the M55 and M60 club records. Hilda Coulsey also had a great run at this event, finishing second in her age category,

The interclub parkrun championships between Ilkley Harriers, Bingley Harriers and Saltaire Striders has certainly encouraged lots of Harriers to add a parkrun to their weekly running schedule. This week saw the grand total of 52 Harriers give these timed 5km runs a go, with some incredible results and PBs all round. Ruth Kitchen was the first lady home at the Roundhay parkrun, with Ruth managing a sub-20-minute finish, also making this her PB time for a parkrun. A first-place finish also for Matthew Thackwray at the Fountains Abbey parkrun, Matthews 25th parkrun to date, which he completed in a speedy 16:26.

Lots of Harriers managed top five overall finishing places including; Dave Foyston, second finisher at the Heslington parkrun, Tom Worboys who was the second finisher at the Bowling Park parkrun, completing the course in 19:58, a PB for him for this course, Samesh Chotai was the second finisher at the Skipton parkrun, with Rob Cunningham finishing in fourth place at the same parkrun. Alex Foyn was the fourth finisher at the Preston parkrun, Nick Kealey the fourth finisher at the Robert’s Park parkrun and Tom Lambe was the fifth finisher at the Horton parkrun, with Tom achieving a course PB.

Deborah Nicholson also managed a course PB at the Chevin Forest parkrun, with PBs also for Nicole Liptrot, Vince Gibbons and Phil Hirst at the Robert’s Park parkrun.

Wombwell 5 Mile Road Race – Sun 18 Feb

Sun 18 Feb 2024

From Hilda Coulsey…

A race with a friendly feel, strong turnouts from local clubs, plenty of marshals and support.

Not having done this one I thought I should. With plenty of car parking on site at the local football club and kart track and the race HQ in the club house it was well set up (a slight concern re parking on waterlogged grass did not become an issue).

The route starts on the kart track and out onto local streets, not traffic-free but well-marshalled. The surprise was the extent of the hill in what was known as a fast 5 miler. Thanks to Mark Hall for recommending a warm up run out to recce which Jane and I did, lovely seeing Mark and Beth on their way back. Obviously an up comes back down and the second half of the race is fast. I struggled with this but that is to do with my present running status. The last mile is back into the stadium, a run through the finish line then a circuit of the track to finally finish – phew it’s a good job we knew this beforehand.

Congratulations to Mark Hall and Jane McCarthy; they were very able to take advantage of the route, Mark bettering his previous IH M60 5-mile record and Jane taking the F50 record.

Results:

(1. 26:13 Alex Smith Hallamshire Harriers

14. 29:15 Ellen McCloud Rotherham Harriers)

18. 29:41 Mark Hall 1st M60

62. 32:29 Jane McCarthy 1st F50

300. 45:05 Hilda Coulsey

458 finished

Snake Lane 10-miler – Sun 18 Feb

Sun 18 Feb 2024

From Sally Armitage…

I was beyond excited to race today having missed a number of events over winter due to illness.

A fairly flat, road 10 miler around the country lanes surrounding Pocklington. A popular race, it sells out quickly and attracts fast runners, this year the male winner finished in 50:14 and the female in 56:09. Quite ridiculous.

I ran Snake Lane two years ago and didn’t do my research properly at the time, I hadn’t realised there was a 4.5km long very gentle (does not feel gentle at that stage of the race!) incline to the finish, into the headwind, and lost a lot of time. This year I was ready and had saved a little kapow for the finish and luckily there was no wind to battle against! I had a good run, I felt strong throughout and really enjoyed it. Stoked to get a pair of running sunnies instead of a t-shirt at the finish, and a shiny medal too! Love a bit of bling.

Results:

1st male William Strangeway (Lincoln Wellington AC) 50:14

1st female Katy Wood (City of York AC) 56:09

82nd Sally Armitage 01:02:45

113th Jaysson Sawyer 01:04:40

444th Sally Malir 01:16:37

1568 ran

Blencathra and Blease Fell Race – Sat 17 Feb

Sat 17 Feb 2024

From Alison Weston…

Another win for Ben Rothery at this race yesterday, the last of the Kong Winter series. A great 5 mile run up Blencathra via Doddick fell with a short run along the ridge and then a steep descent back to Threlkeld. Sadly thick mist on the tops so no views at all!

He set a new course record of 45:03 [edit: amazingly despite a nasty fall on the descent which left him looking like Terry Butcher circa 1989!]

I finished in 01:16:48 (6th W50)

Ilkley Gazette Report – w/c 12 Feb

Mon 12 Feb 2024

[Photo courtesy of Billy Milnthorp: Diane Kitchen negotiating a ‘puddle’ at the Winter Beast]

From Will Worboys…

Ilkley runners enjoy a wet winter weekend

There were more great results from Ilkley’s runners at the weekend, with the pick being a second-placed finish for Ruth Kitchen in the St Aidan’s ‘Winter Beast’. Aptly covering 6.66 miles, the Beast is described as ‘not flat and not easy’ and includes a wade through a sluice crossing. Located in the St Aidan’s RSPB nature reserve to the south east of Leeds the race attracted 219 runners. Ruth finished the race in a time of 49.12. There was also an excellent run from Diane Kitchen to finish in a time of 1hr 07.38 and bag 3rd FV60.

Also appropriately named was the Windy Hill fell race in which several Harriers made the trip over to Saddleworth Moor to take part in. All were successful, with Kate Archer being 3rd female and 1st FV45, Nick Kealey finishing 17th and 1st MV45, Dave Robson was 23rd and 3rd MV50 and Harriers second-claimer Martin Peace 37th and 1st MV55. The race itself was a particularly exotic sounding affair in the ‘bleakest part of the Pennines’ with four crossings of the M62 motorway. Starting and finishing at the Rams Head pub and covering 12 miles and over 2,000 feet of ascent, this was a challenging but reportedly rewarding and recommended event enjoyed by 243 runners. It was won by Doni Clarke of Todmorden and with the legendary Antonio Cardinale bringing up the rear.

Back on this side of the Pennines, Ilkley’s endurance specialist Petra Bijsterveld took part in the 35-mile-long epic ‘Harrogate Hustle’ on Saturday. Another very muddy and wet event as was the general theme of this weekend’s running, this event run by ‘Punk Panther’ encircles the North Yorkshire town, following trails including the Nidd Gorge and the Knaresborough Round. Petra finished in a time of 7hr 54 in 44th place and was 1st FV60.

Also performing impressively in an endurance event was Kate Prior who came home as 3rd female in the Saltburn trail marathon, which is part of the Hardmoors series. Coming 23rd overall in a time of 5hr 40, Kate was the only Ilkley athlete at this event last weekend which attracted 122 finishers in total.

At the parkrun 5K events on Saturday there were more excellent times from Ilkley Harriers. At Hackney Marshes in London, Oli Murphy was first finisher in a time of 16.46. At Lister Park Esme Stoney just pipped Alison Bennett by 1 second while they finished 3rd and 4th females. Jonathan Turner was 4th at Horton Park. Peter Roll decided to attend an event that kind of rhymed with his surname and finished 18th of 236 participants at Mole Valley. Meanwhile at Roberts Park, Ilkley provided the first male and female finisher with Alex Foyn (17.58) (who just pipped clubmate Alexander Wolfenden) and Rachel Carter (21.31) both impressing. Other members of the Carter family had great runs with Robert showing who’s park it is by finishing 5th and his dad Julian a little further back but still in a very respectable 47th. Lisa McDonell, Clare Boyle and Vince Gibbons all continued their streak of PB’s.

Finally at a muddy Harrogate James Horrex finished 3rd, while Jean Sullivan had the coincidental experience of being 9th lady for the third time in three attempts at this particular parkrun!

Windy Hill Fell Race – Sun 11 Feb

Sun 11 Feb 2024

From Nick Kealey…

Eager to not miss the opportunity for a race on a free weekend, I found and liked the look of the Windy Hill Fell Race on Saddleworth Moor organised by Craggrunner. A 12-mile route over the bleakest bit of the Pennines as you travel on the M62 between West Yorkshire and Manchester.

Having persuaded a car full to join me (Dave Robson, Kate Archer, Martin Peace), we arrived with some trepidation, knowing we were required to navigate the course without knowing the area and made all the more difficult by thick fog. However luckily no wind despite the name.

The route started with a sharp drop down a rough track. A track we would get to know well on our return. The majority of the run was undulating hills with four crossings of the M62. But don’t let that put you off. There was something quite exciting about watching the cars fly past and I would like to think those drivers and passengers looked on with some envy – well maybe not.

The one long climb got you to the top of Blackstone Ridge followed by a few flat miles along the Pennine Way. On arrival at Windy Hill (the decapitated mast you see from the M62) there is then a couple of miles of rough moorland made all the more trickier by recent snow and bikes. Finally, back to the track we saw at the beginning for a last mile murder climb that took all my will power to avoid the humiliation of walking the finishing straight.

I was really pleased to finish first in my age category with category prizes for Kate, Martin and Dave too. Well, there would have been prizes if we had stayed to collect them. A 2hr wait between finishing the race and the prize presentation being my only criticism. Otherwise a great day out on an enjoyable and challenging course. Despite our concerns, navigation was simple and flagged all the way round. Would definitely recommend.

Results:

(1st – Doni Clarke – Todmorden Harriers)

17th Nick Kealey (1st MV45)

23rd Dave Robson (3rd MV50)

37th Martin Peace (Bingley Harriers, 2nd claim IH) (1st MV55)

57th Kate Archer (3rd Female and 1st F45)

Harrogate Hustle – Sat 10 Feb

Sat 10 Feb 2024

From Petra Bijsterveld…

The Harrogate Hustle, organised by Punk Panther, is a 35 mile / 2400 feet clockwise circuit of Harrogate and Knaresborough, starting and finishing in Bilton this year. A fairly straightforward combination of the Harrogate Ringway and the Knaresborough Round, two existing routes on paths through woods, farmer’s fields, along the river Nidd, and along some tracks as well as a few bits of road. 20 mile and 13 mile options were also available. I was delighted for the Punk Panther team that this race had sold out again, with 200 runners across the three distances.

Last year it had been sunny, mild, and more importantly, dry underfoot, allowing for fast times on this very runnable route with relatively little elevation for the distance. The 2024 edition treated us to very different ground conditions. To say it was a mud fest would be an understatement, all fields were complete swamps, in addition substantial segments of the course were under water, often knee deep. The woods between Flaxby and Goldsborough after the A59 and railway crossings were a particular lowlight in that respect. They would have been suitable for the bog snorkelling championships.

I didn’t let it spoil the run and still managed to enjoy a nice day out. A foggy start made way to some hazy sunshine and it was dry overhead which was a big bonus. I largely ran on my own, steady away, and was pleased to overtake around 8 people in the last 10 miles. I managed to catch up with a woman runner about 2 miles from the finish, she had been in my sights since leaving the last check point, but as I knew my age category win would be in the bag anyway as long as I finished (I was the only F60 in the race) I abandoned my competitiveness and we kept each other going through the final stretch, going over the finish line together.

I enjoyed the Punk Panther post-race food which as always was delicious, and caught up with various friends there.

Ali Nash (second claim Ilkley) finished in a brilliant 6^th and 2nd MV50 position on the same distance in 5:55, just missing the M50 1st prize by 39 seconds.

Results

(1 5:11:12 Ellis Morten)

45 7:54:00 Petra Bijsterveld 1st FV60

74 finished

Ilkley Gazette Report – w/c 5 Feb

Mon 5 Feb 2024

[Photo: Oli Murphy (left), Kate Archer (right) and other successful Ilkley runners before setting off at the Rombalds Stride]

From Will Worboys…

Ilkley runners stride to success

Ilkley Harriers supplied a large number of runners to several events of contrasting terrain and scenery across West Yorkshire last weekend. At the Rombalds Stride on Saturday morning, 23 Ilkley athletes took part and provided the overall winner as well as two female age category winners. Out of a total of 437 participants, Oli Murphy had a brilliant run to finish in 1st place overall in a time of 2hr 38. Kate Archer showed why she won the recent Harriers award for ‘best endurance athlete’, finishing third female – and first FV45 – in 3hr 27 while Rebecca Mon-Williams was first FV55 in 4hr 23.

Organised by the 15th Airedale Scout Group, a tough but scenic 23-mile route taking in the trails of Rombalds, including Ilkley and Burley Moor, as well as Burley Woodhead, Otley Chevin, Menston and Esholt. The race attracts a hardy breed of athletes keen to test themselves at a challenging local winter event; there is a 10-hour time limit, enabling long-distance walkers to take part as well as runners.

In addition to the winners, other Harriers with outstanding performances included Matthew Kennedy who came 17th overall and 3rd in his age category. Ben Sheppard was 19th and 4th in his category. Pete Shelley was also 4th in his category. Andrew Overend, John Hayes, James Dobbing, Adam Gerrish and Derek Oliver all also finished within 4 hours. Other standout performances came from Alison Weston, 2nd in FV55, and Paul Stephens, who was 2nd in the MV65 category.

Away from the fells, there are unlikely to be many places a northern road runner would rather be than Dewsbury’s Bradford road heading out towards Batley on a wild and windy Sunday morning in February. This was borne out by the fact that 15 runners from Ilkley made the early morning journey to join the nearly two and half thousand other participants taking in the Dewsbury 10K. The course is a straight out and back and well known for being a quick one, with there being a slight incline on the way out and the second half being a net downhill and on this occasion with a tailwind.

Jack Cummings of Ilkley had a brilliant run out to finish 4th overall in a time of 31:18, just a minute behind the winner Joe Sagar of Leeds City AC. The newly crowned winner of the Harriers ‘emerging talent’ award Christos Tzelis lived up to expectations being not far behind in 6th with a time of 31:58. Plenty of other Harriers impressed, with Ruth Kitchen finishing as 16th female and Jane McCarthy 2nd in the FV50 category. While Dave Foyston succeeded in his goal of going sub-36 minutes, Steve Coy finished as 12th MV50 and Emma Sheppard was 16th FV45.

Still in West Yorkshire and back on the fells two Harriers made it around the ‘Wadsworth Trog’. Taking place near Hebden Bridge and requiring the competitors to navigate more than 19 miles of wild moorland terrain, the Trog also takes in over 3,600 of uphill. Paul Carman made it back in 43rd place in a time of 3hr 42 and Jann Smith was 95th in 4hr 14.

As with the other events at the weekend there were a good number of Harriers out for the 5K parkruns. This in part due to a new inter-club parkrun competition along with Baildon and Saltaire, with runners’ age adjusted scores used in a league format. At Lister Park Ilkley had the first two female finishers, namely Esme Stoney and Alison Bennett. At Skipton Alex Foyn finished 2nd and Rob Cunningham was 3rd. As is often the case Roberts Park attracted most runners from Ilkley with 13 turning up. Sally Armitage was 1st female and 3rd overall in a time of 19.03. She was just pipped by James Horrex who was 2nd. Meanwhile Lisa McDonnell, Clare Boyle and Rachel Corrigan all managed to better their PB’s.

Dewsbury 10k – Sun 4 Feb

Sun 4 Feb 2024

[Photo: Jack Cummings powering his way to fourth, credit: Gaenor Coy]

From Amanda Newham…

A great race today. I did it in 61 min. Fab atmosphere and recommend next time. Jack Cummings was 4th when I passed him [Jack ended up in fourth and Christos was 6th].

Results

Wadsworth Trog Fell Race – Sat 3 Feb

Sat 3 Feb 2024

From Jann Smith…

A long fell race (20 miles / 3700ft) at this time of year nicknamed “The Beast ” is never going to be easy and the accompanying strong winds added to the toughness of covering the rough boggy terrain.

Located on the fells above Hebden Bridge the soup, tea and cakes provided afterwards brought us back to life.

Results:

43rd Paul Carman – 3hr 42 mins

95th Jann Smith – 4hr 14 mins

124 finished

Rombalds Stride – Sat 3 Feb

Sat 3 Feb 2024

From Rebecca Mon-Williams…

The Rombalds Stride always marks the beginning of the “racing” year for me (being a bit slower off the mark than some). Having not done it for a couple of years I was looking forward to going over familiar ground again and having a “grand day out”. It’s a 21/22 mile race which starts in Guiseley, meanders up Baildon moor, loops round Ilkley moor (it’s hard not to feel the pull of home at that point) and then heads back to Guiseley again via the Chevin (somewhat cruelly).

The race is organised by the LDWA which means:

(i) There are lots of walkers as well as runners, giving the whole event a more relaxed feel.

(ii) There are plenty of food stops – I was particularly appreciative of the fig rolls, chocolate raisins and jaffa cakes this year.

(iii) A well deserved pie, peas and rice pudding is waiting for all competitors at the end

Support on the course was fantastic – big thanks to Jean, Richard, Lucy, Jane and the crew at Burley, to Dan who I spotted a couple of times on Ilkley Moor, and to all others who were cheering and encouraging.

It was great to see so many Harriers participating, and there were some fantastic results, including Oli Murphy who won the race in an excellent time of 2 hours 38 minutes and Kate Archer who was 3rd lady in a time of 3 hours 27 minutes. Amazing. Congratulations to everyone who took part and hopefully enjoyed their own personal victories.

Ilkley Gazette report w/c 29 Jan

Mon 29 Jan 2024

From Jean Sullivan…

A first place finish for Ilkley Harriers this week!

This weekend saw the staging of the Meltham Tough 10km road race. As the name indicates, this is a challenging route with 650 ft of climbing, including several very tough hills where runners are exposed to the elements. Runners circumnavigate Blackmoorfoot reservoir, before a great one-mile, mainly downhill, finish back to Meltham. Christos Tzelis was the only Harrier to take part and in a nail-biting finish he won the race, just one second ahead of the second placed finisher, with Christos beating his own 2023 time by over 3 minutes. Christos’s time of 33:18 means that he is one of only six runners who have managed a sub-35 minute finish in this race in the last twelve years. His result is even more impressive as Christos had also raced the previous day at the Northern Cross Country Championships.

The 2024 Northern XC Championships were held in Sedgefield, County Durham. The races were held on a large undulating common next to Hardwick Park, with the fast course providing lots of potential for good times. Rachel Carter led the Ilkley ladies home in the senior women’s race, followed by clubmates Alison Bennett and Petra Bijsterveld. Dan McKeown flew the flag for the Ilkley men in the senior men’s race, finishing high in the field of over 400 runners.

Great results also from the U17 males, with Archie Budding finishing in a superb sixth place overall and fellow Harrier Sam Bentham finishing in fifteenth place. In the junior men’s race Christos Tzelis finished in twelfth place, with Harrier Beth Rogers finishing in sixth place in the junior women’s race. Great news also for Beth this week, as she was selected to run for England at the Diest International cross country race in Belgium on the 11th February.

With cross country season in full swing, race number four of the PECO cross country series took place this weekend. The race was held at Middleton Park in Leeds and hosted by Wetherby Runners and assisted by Nidd Valley. In the ladies’ race, Ruth Kitchen had an excellent race, finishing in a very impressive tenth place overall. Sarah Hayes was the second Ilkley lady over the line, with Catherine Glaister the third Ilkley lady to finish. Helen Jacques, Kate Lofthouse and Sarah Lambert also had great performances at this event.

In the men’s race, Forrest Hamilton led the Harriers home, in a great time of 30:25. Hot on his heels was Dave Foyston, with Jaysson Sawyer the third Ilkley man to finish, with Gavin Lamb finishing just one second behind Jaysson. Harriers David Singleton, Alan Travis and Roar Leijssen also had great runs at this event.

Another impressive turnout of Harriers this week at the weekly timed 5km parkrun events. A first-place finish for James Horrex at the Cliffe Castle parkrun, with James over a minute ahead of the second-place finisher. Lister Park in Bradford was the parkrun of choice however, with eight Harriers completing the three-lap circuit. Paula Reynier brought her total number of parkruns run up to 300 by completing this parkrun; a very impressive tally. Mark Hall was the first Harrier over the line, and second finisher overall in a time of 18:33. A second-place finish for Samesh Chotai at the Skipton parkrun, with Samesh clocking a PB on this course of 17:43, with Jane McCarthy the first lady to finish at the same parkrun, Also at the Skipton parkrun, Alex Foyn finished in an impressive fourth place overall. Well done to Vince Gibbons and Harry Sime who achieved PB’s at the Robert’s Park parkrun and to junior Harrier Esme Stoney who was the third female over the line at the Chevin Forest parkrun!

Ilkley Harriers rounded off the week with their annual celebration night, held at the Olicana Cricket Club, to toast the Harriers’ successes of 2023. A great night was had by all!

Meltham Tough 10k – Sun 28 Jan

Sun 28 Jan 2024

From Neil Chapman…

Christos had a great run at Meltham on Sunday less than 24 hours after finishing 12th in the U20 race at the Northern XC Championships. In the aptly named Meltham Tough 10k he stuck with Nigel Hockin of Slaithwaite Striders all the way, outsprinting him at the finish to win by one second.

This race is just a mass of hills, which is born out by the fact only six runners have got under 35 minutes in the last 12 years, so 33.18 for Christos is a fantastic result, particularly given the headwind at the most exposed part of the course. What was key in this race was how he dealt with the downhill sections of the course which have been a bit of an achilles heel in the past, and this race has a steep one mile of descent in the latter part of the race, which he attacked all the way and even pulled back a small gap that opened up. A great result!!

Results

Northern XC championships Sedgefield – Sat 27 Jan

Sat 27 Jan 2024

From Petra Bijsterveld…

Photo credit: Mick Hall photos

A small but keen Ilkley contingent made its way up the A1 to Sedgefield for the 2024 Northern XC championships. A new venue for this race, which proved a success. Very accessible, good and easy parking at the race course, then just a short walk to the race which was on a large undulating common next to Hardwick Park. The entire event was cheerfully marshalled by members of Sedgefield Harriers. My day was already completely made when my car was waved to its parking spot by Gary Thwaites from the Tea and Trails podcast! A fast course with very little mud, at the pointy end of the race this will have benefited the road and track specialists, there were some very fast times as a result. Some excellent placings from our younger Harriers, especially Archie Budding and Beth Rogers who were in the top 10 in their respective races. Great to see Neil Chapman there, thanks for the support!

Results

U17 men (5.7k)

(1 18:08 Jonson Hughes, Rotherham Harriers)

6 18:33 Archie Budding

15 19:10 Sam Bentham

60 21:02 Callum Dow

70 21:25 Alexander Wolfenden (junior club)

90 ran

Junior Men (8.1k)

(1 26:19 Josh Blevins, Gateshead Harriers)

12 27:47 Christos Tzelis

45 31:18 Josh Beevers

53 ran

Junior Women (5.7k)

(1 20:09 Amelie Lane, Wharfedale Harriers)

6 Beth Rogers 21:28

37 ran

Senior Women (8.1k)

(1 28:35 Lauren McNeil, Hallamshire Harriers)

95 37:29 Rachel Carter

149 42:25 Alison Bennett

182 44:43 Petra Bijsterveld

236 ran

Senior Men (12.1k)

(1 37:55 Calum Johnson, Gateshead Harriers)

167 48 :13 Dan McKeown

442 ran

Harriers celebration night – Fri 26 Jan

Fri 26 Jan 2024

Fantastic to see so many of you at our annual celebration night.

Many thanks to Nick Kealey, Kate Archer, Jean Sullivan and Becky White for organising the whole event – and all those who helped them, especially the ‘Burley’ kitchen crew.

Olicanian Cricket Club proved a great venue and they were very welcoming hosts.

For those of you who couldn’t make it, the winners and those shortlisted are below – congratulations to all.

Thanks for the nominations for the new ‘fun awards’, which will become an increasingly important part of this night going forward – the two photos sum that up; check out the Facebook page for the full album from Will Worboys.

And fantastic entertainment from Dan McKeown again with his Harriers Race League presentation – the final standings are here.

WINNERS and shortlists

Male runner of the year – BEN ROTHERY

Tom Adams, Jack Cummings, Nathan Edmondson, Ed Hobbs, Matthew Thackwray, Christos Tzelis, Jack Wood

Female runner of the year – SALLY ARMITAGE

Kate Archer, Petra Bijsterveld, Hilda Coulsey, Catherine Crawley, Ruth Kitchen

Most improved female runner – MARIE WATSON

Sally Armitage, Petra Bijsterveld, Ruth Kitchen

Most improved male runner – ANDREW SMITH

Vince Gibbons, Jaysson Sawyer, Christos Tzelis

Female endurance runner – KATE ARCHER

Petra Bijsterveld, Hilda Coulsey, Ann Marsham, Jann Smith

Male endurance runner – ANDREW MERRICK

Tom Adams, Paul Carman, Nathan Edmondson, Simon Richardson, Ben Rothery, Peter Shelley, Ritchie Williamson, Jack Wood

Emerging male talent – CHRISTOS TZELIS

Sam Bentham, Archie Budding, Ed Hobbs

Emerging female talent – BETH ROGERS

Helena Coy, Katie Poulter, Marie Watson

Over 50 male – JEFF GREEN

Mark Hall, Geoff Howard, Andrew Merrick

Over 50 female – HILDA COULSEY

Alison Bennett, Petra Bijsterveld, Beth Massey, Jane McCarthy, Jann Smith, Helen Waddington

One-off perforrmance – NATHAN EDMONDSON for Rob Burrow Leeds Marathon

Tom Adams, Sally Armitage, Petra Bijsterveld, Hilda Coulsey, Dom Coy, Jack Cummings, Mark Hall, Geoff Howard, Jane McCarthy, Andrew Merrick, Christos Tzelis, Jack Wood

One-off contribution – NICK HELLIWELL for galvanising the relays in 2023 and taking on two captaincy roles

Neil Chapman and Vince Gibbons for getting the Pete 10k race in motion, the Gazette team of Jean, Jill and Will, Dan McKeown for Harriers race league, Peter Roll for IMFR

Male captain’s pick: JAYSSON SAWYER

Female captain’s pick: PETRA BIJSTERVELD

Contribution to club female – BERNIE GIBBONS

Petra Bijsterveld, Jill Ezard and Jean Sullivan, Caroline Tong, Helen Waddington

Contribution to club male – NEIL CHAPMAN / JONATHAN TURNER

Nick Helliwell, Peter Roll, Will Worboys

Finish photo of the year: Rumana Chowdhury and Sarah Hayes (closely followed by Adam Gerrish and Sally Armitage) – nominated by Jean Sullivan

Don’t take yourself too seriously award: Gavin Lamb – nominated by Ben Sheppard

Who knew runners could be funny: Dan McKeown – nominated by Rumana Chowdhury

Longest serving member not to win an award: Steve Newell – nominated by Will Worboys

SPECIAL THANKS TO…

COACHES: Neil Chapman x3 (and Mark Iley for Wednesday track)

MAIN RUN LEADERS: Andrew Overend and Emma Barclay, Nick Kealey, Peter Roll, Dawn Turner, Bernie Gibbons, Jane Guillard, Jo-Ann Pattinson, Antonio Cardinale, Jane McCarthy, Becky White, Helen Waddington and Iain Young

RUN LEADER ASSISTANTS: Jeremy Greenwood, Alex Hyde, Andy Barker, Sue Verspcyk, Carolyn Stone, Caroline Tong and Paul Sugden

Ilkley Gazette Report w/c 22 Jan

Mon 22 Jan 2024

From Jill Ezard…

Photo credit Montane Spine Race

Spine tingling performance on the 268 mile Pennine Way!

A virtual standing ovation for Ritchie Williamson this week for completing the brutal Montane Winter Spine. A few facts to explain this frankly mind blowing achievement: a 268 miles endurance race starting in Edale in the Peak District, completing the full length of the Pennine Way ending in Kirk Yetholm in the Scottish Borders; over 10,000 metres of climb through some of the toughest terrain in the UK including the Yorkshire Dales, Northumberland National Park, Hadrian’s Wall and the Cheviots; only 168 hours, or seven days, non-stop to complete it; and all that whilst battling the full force of the British Winter including deep snow, storm force winds and driving rain. Ritchie set off on his challenge on Sunday 14^th January at 8am and completed the event well ahead of the cut off in 155 hours, 48 minutes and 41 seconds. In a race where almost half of participants didn’t finish, and having experienced real highs and lows, and no doubt some sleep deprivation induced hallucinations along the way, Ritchie’s achievement is all the more incredible. In his own words Ritchie said “Lots of highs, lots of lows, want to go back to the Spine”! We’ll wait a couple of days and see if the enthusiasm for another go wears off! Well done Ritchie!

Continuing on the fells, Dave Robson took on his first fell race of the season at the Hoof Stones event near Todmorden. At eight miles and 430m of ascent it’s a tough challenge, taking competitors onto Stansfield moor and up to the Hoof Stones Height trig point and back. 67 hardy souls braved the wintry conditions and Dave had a fantastic run, taking 10^th position overall in a time of 1:13:57.

Continuing off road, two of our promising young Harriers, Ed Hobbs and Beth Rogers, were selected to run in their respective Northern Athletics teams in the Cross Country Challenge in London on Saturday. Taking place at Parliament Hill the tough 2km loop course provided some challenging and fast racing for the teams. Both athletes had great runs placing in the top 15 in both their races: Ed, completing an 8km race, finished in 13^th place in 26:51; and Beth, completing a 6km race finished in 15^th place in 24:07. A fantastic experience for both runners and great results on the day.

With less mud and practically no hills to contend with seven Harriers ventured over to York to take part in the iconic Brass Monkey Half Marathon. The ever popular, super flat and fast course has potential for some great times and this year didn’t disappoint: Dave Foyston was the first Harrier home in 1:19:27; Steve Coy was next over the line in 1:23:22, securing an impressive top ten age category place; next up was Jonathan Turner in 1:26:13; Marie Watson was the first female home for the Harriers in 1:43:23; Michael Ho completed in another great time of 1:48:48; and Bess and Paddy Sturman completed the roll call coming over the line together in 1:51:45. Well done team!

And finally, the challenging underfoot conditions meant only ten Harriers braved the parkrun events this week. Ever popular, five Harriers took on the Roberts park event with top 50 finishes for Tony Pye, Andrew Smith and Gawain Moore. Samesh Chotai was just pipped at the post at the Skipton event and was second finisher in 18:21, setting a PB in the process. And Tom Lambe completed his 100^th parkrun in style at the Leicester Victoria event securing a PB by finishing in 19:53.

Hoof Stones fell race – Sat 20 Jan

Sat 20 Jan 2024

From Dave Robson…

Hoof Stones was my first fell race of 2024 and a new one for me. At just over 8 miles and around 430m ascent the course was surprisingly runnable despite some wintry conditions.

The race starts at the Staff of Life pub near Todmorden and on the day consisted of:

– a well flagged, icy first climb up to CP1 and onto Stansfield Moor.

– a ‘quickish’ section to CP2 followed by a snowy slog up to Hoof Stones trig (CP3).

– from here you could take whatever route you think is best diagonally back down to CP1, before a fast descent down to the finish line.

A recce would have helped for the navigational section but with a bit of help from Tom (Otley AC) I still made decent time and managed to finish in 10th place overall (and I think 3rd V50)

Definitely worth another go in future.

Results

1st D Clarke (Todmorden Harriers)58:17

10th D Robson (Ilkley Harriers)73:57

Ilkley Gazette Report – w/c 15 Jan

Sun 14 Jan 2024

[Photo: Jack Cummings, winner of the Stanbury Splash, credit: Dave Woodhead]

From Will Worboys…

Jack Cummings dominant on the fells again

Ilkley’s Jack Cummings stormed to a decisive victory in this year’s ‘Stanbury Splash’ fell race. The race is one of the old ‘Woodentops’ series and is now organised by the Wharfedale Harriers. Based at Penistone quarry near Haworth and taking in the moors made famous by the Bronte sisters, the participants enjoyed a bracing 6.7 miles, including 1,200 feet of climbing and several water crossings.

The conditions were good but very cold after an overnight frost, and Cummings managed to navigate the tricky moorland terrain to finish nearly three minutes ahead of the second-placed runner. The next Harrier to finish was Nick Kealey who came home in 25th place. There were also excellent runs from Ilkley’s ladies with Jann Smith and Katie Poulter finishing as 12th and 13th females respectively, followed by Catherine Crawley in 17th and Nicky Liptrot in 21st. There were plenty of other runners from Ilkley and strong performances were noted from Tom Mountain, Robert Green, Jim Ryder, Charles Wain and Nick Helliwell, all appearing in the first 50 of the 202 finishers.

Also in the Pennines there have been several Harriers taking part in the epic Montane Winter Spine Race. There were several different options for the hardy endurance athletes with events ongoing all week including the full length race; an incredible 268 miles and taking in the full Pennine Way from Derbyshire to the Scottish borders, with Ritchie Williamson representing Ilkley. There were also slightly shorter North and South versions which are 160 and 108 miles respectively. Shorter still was the ‘sprint’. Although conjuring images of Usain Bolt hurtling over the tops, this ‘sprint’ race is still 46 miles long and any actual sprinting would presumably be confined to the final couple of metres so long as the legs are still intact and in any case would probably not be advisable. This race starts at Edale and finishes at Hebden Bridge and two Harriers took part. Ann-Kristin Marsham brilliantly finished as 8th female in a time of 12hr 41 and Deborah Nicholson was 14th in 15hr 24. Usain Bolt has however not yet reportedly crossed the finish line.

In Lancashire, the veteran club record hoarder Mark Hall managed another hugely impressive performance to finish third overall in the Garstang 10K. It almost goes without saying that Mark was the first in his V60 age category. His time of 36.52 is all the more impressive when taking into account the hilly nature of the two-lap course. Although not breaking the club record on this occasion, the 10K mark is already his. In fact the only V60 club record that hasn’t been broken by Hall in the past few months is the marathon distance, with an 11-year record held by Nick Pearce perhaps tempting him to make it a clean sweep!

There were again some cracking displays across the nation’s 5K parkruns on Saturday from Ilkley athletes. James Horrex continued his excellent recent form with a first place finish at Pendle parkrun in Colne. Oscar Street was the standout performer in a large field of 471 at Lister Park, finishing 25th. Lizzie Reilly was 2nd female at Harrogate and Junior Harrier Heather Crolla was 5th female at Skipton. James Lee was 3rd finisher at Chevin Forest and Tom Worboys 5th at Bowling Park. Meanwhile at Roberts Park Andrew Smith was the fastest Harrier again with both him and Vince Gibbons on an upward trajectory and surely closing in on PB times in the near future.

Garstang 10k – Sun 14 Jan

Sat 13 Jan 2024

From Mark Hall…

After a half marathon in Lancashire last week it was a return to the Preston area for the Garstang 10k. The event uses 2 laps, a 2mile loop followed by a longer one. The first circuit has a long climb back to the start point with lots of undulations for the final circuit, so not ideal for quick times. I was on a good day and managed to finish 3^rd in the race. My time was 36.52 in a field of around 200 runners. I was also 1^st V60.

Ilkley Gazette report w/c 8 Jan

Mon 8 Jan 2024

From Jean Sullivan…

Two more club records broken by an Ilkley Harrier this week!

Mark Hall continued his fine form to break two more existing club records this weekend. Mark headed over to Lancashire to compete in the Central Lancashire Half Marathon, a road race which starts in the village of Lea Town near Preston. Marks blistering pace, which saw him complete the not entirely flat course, in 1:19:44, means that he has added two more Ilkley Harriers’ club records to his name. Mark beat the existing M55 record for a half marathon by over a minute and the existing M60 record by over three minutes.

John Hayes and Dan McKeown took part in a race with a difference this week in Leeds. Known as ‘The Drop’, participants are blindfolded, bused to an unknown point 15-miles from the race HQ, with the challenge being to find their way back to race HQ without any navigational aids. Definitely not one for the faint-hearted and definitely one for the very fit, with plenty of energy reserves required to deal with any route errors.

It transpired that they were dropped in the Pontefract area, with John and Dan deciding to take different routes back to Leeds; John opting for the Leeds Road option and Dan opting to follow the more scenic route, along the River Aire. John’s route choice meant that he finished in second place overall, returning to Race HQ in 2:30, with Dan hot on his heels to finish in third place, reaching the finish just eleven minutes behind John.

This weekend saw the staging of the West Yorkshire Cross Country Championships, at Lightwater Valley, near Ripon in North Yorkshire. There was a great turnout of Ilkley Harrriers at this event.

Harrier Beth Rogers came a superb fourth place in the U20’s women’s race, while four Harriers took part in the U20 men’s race all of whom achieved top twenty placings; Edward Hobbs was fourth overall, Christos Tzelis fifth, Nathan Coy tenth and Josh Beevers nineteenth in a very competitive field. This meant that Ilkley Harriers won the first team prize in this category. Great running also by Stephen Coy and Harry Brook-Dobson in the senior men’s race.

Four Harriers took part in the U17 men’s race, all of whom achieved top twenty placings; Sam Bentham was fourth overall, Archie Budding sixth, Samesh Chotai sixteenth and Alexander Wolfenden nineteenth in a very strong field, meaning the U17 men got the third team prize. Great news also for Archie Budding who was selected to run for Yorkshire.

Ilkley Harriers excellent attendance at the weekly timed 5km parkruns continued this week, with 28 Harriers taking part in various parkruns in the UK and overseas. James Horrex completed his first parkrun at Temple Newsam, finishing in a superb sixth place overall with a sub-20-minute finish. Still in Yorkshire, Natalie Gravett-Foyn was the third lady over the line at the Skipton parkrun. The Robert’s Park parkrun remained as popular as ever this weekend, with Andrew Smith leading the Harriers home, completing the course in a great time of 21:49. Lisa McDonell and Clare Boyle also ran at this parkrun, both achieving PB’s on this course. Success also for Harrier Archie Budding at the Robert’s Park Parkrun, with Archie finishing 2023 by matching clubmate Edward Hobbs age category record of 16:16 which had been standing since January 2023. Overseas in Japan, Simon Lorimer flew the flag for the Ilkley Harriers, with Simon finishing in the top ten at the Tsujido kaihin koen parkrun in Japan.

More great news also for the Ilkley Harriers this week, with Harrier Beth Rogers being selected to run for England in Cross Country, with Beth making her debut in Elgoibar in Spain this weekend (which unfortunately she couldn’t compete in due to her flight being cancelled). Further to their brilliant running at the Liverpool Cross Challenge in November (which was the trial for the European Cross Country Championships), Beth and fellow Harrier Edward Hobbs, have also been selected to run for the North of England. They will be racing in the Home Countries International at Parliament Hill on 20th January, where they will be competing against teams from England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland.

Central Lancashire Half Marathon – Sun 7 Jan

Sat 6 Jan 2024

From Mark Hall…

In my last year in the 60-64 category my target time for the year was sub 80mins. This in mind I entered the above event. The course description said it was flat(ish). The (ish) part translated to lots of short inclines and throw in a few patches of ice and not ideal for quick times. I was lucky to run with a small group and get pulled to a good time for an ancient!

(Editor’s note: this is a new club record for the M60 (previously 1:23:12 Dave Matthews) as well as the M55 (previously 1:21:31 Henry Heavisides) categories).

Results

Mark Hall 1.19.44. 14^th place. 414 finished

The Drop – Sat 6 Jan

Fri 5 Jan 2024

From Dan McKeown…

Saturday was the renewal of ‘The Drop’ in Leeds: contestants are put on a bus, blindfolded and ditched 15 miles from race HQ, with no navigational aids, and tasked with finding their way back. The organisers don’t set dogs on you, taser you or physically attack you, but I suppose there’s only so much they can lay on for the price.

After coming second last year, I had unfinished business with this event (you may read that as taking the overall victory or – more probably – getting very badly lost).

Joining me on this escapade was John Hayes, who had clearly been insufficiently daunted by my report of the previous event.

As was the case last year, we could get a pretty good idea of which way we were heading from the sunlight filtering through our blindfolds on the bus journey. The bad news was, it wasn’t going to be our dream drop of Swinsty / Fewston, but it wasn’t going to be the Mordor-esque nightmare realm of Cleckhuddersfax either. We were heading pretty much directly towards the sun, which meant Pontefract-ish direction and, so long as we had wit enough to follow our own shadows, finding our way back in the general Leeds direction shouldn’t be beyond us.

The bus eventually belched us out into a large puddle on an unprepossessing lane. Last year’s winner, Kristofer Collier, shot off like a scalded cat while John and I were having a wee in a bush, so following him seemed to be out of the question. We joined another group heading down a bridleway, then splintered off to follow a road to Pontefract.

At this point, I gave John a bit of a refresher on the rules of pub cricket (see last year’s report) and he opted to bat first. I was a bit worried about playing against a lawyer, and anticipated several heated arguments about what constituted a leg. I needn’t have worried – a career scrutinising small print has rendered John incapable of spotting anything written in a font larger than 6pt. A couple of very eligible scoring pub signs passed unremarked.

We went past Pontefract Racecourse, and headed for Castleford. We were still locked at 0-0 in the pub cricket and we were faced with a decision: follow the Leeds Road out of town, or head north and join the River Aire.

I thought I’d rather go home and tell my better half about the delights of running through RSPB St Aidans than regale her with tales of the A639. John was more intent on taking home the story of a famous victory, so we wished each other luck (with tolerable sincerity) and went our separate ways.

The River Aire path was sloppier than a pig’s breakfast in places, but did afford a few bird sightings, as well as the Mountain Rescue Team who were doing exercises in the river, just in case they get redesignated as a Valley Rescue Team, or something. Always good to have a side hustle.

Eventually, I made it under the M1 bridge (4 miles to go), past Thwaites Mill (2.5 miles to go), Leeds Dock (less than a mile) out onto Boar Lane and a sprint back to Race HQ at Up & Running, where I wasn’t tremendously gruntled to find not only Kristofer waiting for me (AGAIN) but also John, who had made good on his route choice and come second. His time of 2:30 was quicker than last year’s winning mark, but Kristofer, familiar with the locale, had smashed out a 2:12 to win in very fine style.

John, to his credit, did stand me a MacDonalds lunch. Less nobly, he tried to claim runs for a pub he’d seen *after* we parted. Out of breath though I was, I was still able to tell him:

a. It didn’t count

b. ‘The Three Horseshoes’ don’t have legs – they have nails.

John Hayes adds…

The Drop was an excellent, if a little bizarre, experience. For anyone wondering, I should clarify just a few things arising from Dan’s race report:

1. Everyone on the bus was blindfolded except the driver.

2. Although Dan and I pondered running back keeping the blindfolds on, the hazards of road crossings, rivers, pedestrians, dogs and getting over the M62 made that idea untenable.

3. When Dan and I went our separate ways near Castleford, it was an entirely amicable split. Being British, we didn’t hug one another. But we shook hands and headed off in different directions. Dan’s parting words to me were, “the race is on” or something similar.

4. For anyone who doesn’t know the rules of “pub cricket”, I had to score “runs” by spotting pubs with names of animals with legs. I accept (begrudgingly) Dan’s ruling about the Three Horseshoes. But when I got home I made a discovery whilst poring over the track of the route I took. Strava maps have pub names on. So I messaged Dan claiming runs for The Brown Cow, The Mad Ox and The Old Red Lion (among others) all of which I’d run past. However, Dan bluntly replied that I was too late!

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Results

1. Kristofer Collier 2h12

2. John Hayes 2h30

3. Dan McKeown 2h41

Selection for Beth Rogers and Ed Hobbs

Mon 1 Jan 2024

From Sally Malir…

From a brilliant run at Liverpool Cross Challenge in November (which was the trial for the European Cross country Championships), where Beth placed 9th Junior Woman.

Beth has been selected to run for England in Elgoibar, Spain on Sunday 7th Jan. This is her debut running for England in Cross Country. More here.

Beth has also been selected to run for the North of England together with Ed Hobbs, again from their excellent runs in Liverpool. They will be competing in the Home Countries International at Parliament Hill on 20th Jan, where they will compete against England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland teams.

Ilkley Gazette Report – combined Christmas weeks

Mon 1 Jan 2024

See results here

[Photo: Jack Cummings, winner of the 2023 Daleside Auld Lang Syne race on New Year’s Eve, credit: Dave Woodhead]

From Jill Ezard…

Christmas relay fun and successes on road and trail

Tis the season to go racing and there were plenty of opportunities for Ilkley Harriers to shine over the festive season. The ever popular Chevin Chase on Boxing Day saw an outstanding 51 Harriers shake off the excesses of the season and battle seven miles of deep mud and steep climbs up and down Otley Chevin. This is a tough multi terrain course and there were some great performances: Dominic Coy was the first Harrier home taking third place overall in a blistering 38:42, with Nathan Edmondson only ten seconds behind in fourth place; Jack Cummings and Jack Wood also placed in the top 15; and there were a clutch of age group top five placings for Gawain Moore, Nick Kealey, Dave Robson, Jim Ryder, Rachel Carter and Kate Archer.

Staying with the fells, six Harriers took on the Auld Lang Syne race on New Year’s Eve. At just under seven miles and 1000ft of climb the race starts from Penistone Hill Country Park and heads towards Top Withens, the upper reaches of Ponden Clough and Stanbury Moor. Warmed up from his Chevin Chase outing Jack Cummings stormed to the win in a fantastic time of 44:14. Next over the line were Neil Wilson and Thomas Mountain who finished in the top 50 with only five seconds between them – Neil just ahead in 56:31 . Kate Archer was the first lady home of the Harriers coming in just over the hour in 1:00:46.

New Year’s Eve was a busy race day as there were two more opportunities for the Harriers to shine. Geoff Howard and Jaysson Sawyer ventured over to Ripon to take part in the Jolly Holly Jog, a scenic, multi-terrain course of approximately 10k, following an undulating route mainly on footpaths & through Studley parkland. Jaysson was on fine form finishing the race in 44:41 taking 39th place in a very competitive field of over 750 runners. Geoff had a fantastic run picking up another age category win coming over the line in 52:56.

And it wasn’t all trails, with 23 Harriers taking to the road in the Ribble 10k, the race incorporating the Northern 10k road championships and therefore attracting a competitive field. Starting at the Roefield Leisure Centre in Clitheroe, this traffic-free course gives an opportunity for some great times and the Harriers didn’t disappoint. Christos Tzelis had an amazing run and was the first Harrier over the line in 31:21 taking 28th place overall and second in his age category. Jack Wood was next taking 31st place overall in 31:25. Moving into a new age category Bernie Gibbons had a fantastic run taking first place in her age category in 1:02:02. There were also top ten age category placings for Ed Hobbs, Steve Coy, Jonathan Turner, John Hayes and Alison Weston.

Leaving 2023 behind three Harriers strode into 2024 starting their year off with two very different races. Hilda Coulsey was in Northern Ireland taking part in the Race Over the Glens in Glenariff Forest Park in County Antrim. A hilly, technical and therefore challenging 10k route, Hilda had a fantastic run completing the course in 1:11:00 and taking her first, no doubt of many, age category win of the year. In contrast, Samesh Chotai and Fiona Schneider took part in the much more pleasant-sounding Silsden New Year Resolution Fun Run. Now in its 40th year and with fancy dress encouraged this run sees runners of all ages start the year off with a bang, running an out and back 3 miles from Silsden. Samesh was the first Harrier home in a great time of 18:16 with Fiona finishing in 30:03.

Of course it isn’t always about racing. There was a fantastic turnout for the annual Ilkley Harriers Christmas Relays with some pretty impressive fancy dress. Teams of four tackled the 1.4mile (run) or 0.8mile (run/walk) route competing against their team mates. With prizes both for running and fancy dress, and a trip to the Vaults for a social event afterwards, there was something for everyone. With teams making a voluntary donation to take part, the event also raised £180 for the Upper Wharfedale Fell Rescue Association.

And finally, Harriers were out in force for all of the festive parkrun events. Christmas Day saw 30 Harriers prepare for their Christmas lunch taking part in events across the country: Top of the list was junior Archie Budding who was not only first finisher at Roberts Park parkrun but his time of 16:16 matched the JM course record of fellow Harrier Ed Hobbs. There were also some impressive top ten finishes for Harry Stead at Woodhouse Moor, Danny Thompson at Lister Park, Alison Bennett at Skipton, Jacqui Foster at Myrtle Park and Dave Foyston and Steve Coy behind Archie Budding at Roberts Park. And three Harriers achieved Christmas PBs: Jaysson Sawyer at Roberts Park; Carole Cunningham at Chevin Forest; and Tom Worboys further afield at the St Helens event. Although there were less Harriers out on New Year’s Day the performances were almost as impressive: James Horrex was the second finisher at the Gladstone event; Jonathan Turner, John Hayes, Nathan Coy and Steve Coy all had top ten finishes; and it was a great start to the year for Gaenor Coy who celebrated with her 50th parkrun.