Ilkley Harriers news archive 2026
High Cup Nick Fell Race – Sat 28 Feb 2026
Sat 28 Feb 2026
From Charles Wain…
On Saturday I headed to Dufton in the North Pennines for the INOV8 High Cup Nick Fell Race — a classic 15 km (9.3-mile) outing that packs a lot into a relatively short distance.
The race heads quickly out of the village before climbing north towards the Nick. After that early sting in the legs, the route rolls across classic Pennine terrain: boggy, grassy, and often awkwardly sloping underfoot. A brief drop leads to a stream crossing, and then comes the long grind up the valley bottom — seemingly endless and shoe-sucking in places.
With no respite we then negotiate a boulder-field scramble and steep, hands-on-rock climb to gain the top of the Nick. From there, though, it’s pure reward: a brilliantly runnable 6 km descent on the Pennine Way, fast and flowing all the way back to the village green.
With kind weather it made for a cracking day out. Definitely one to put in the diary — particularly if you’re volunteering at the Ilkley Moor Fell Race on the Sunday and still fancy getting a race in that weekend.
Top 3 Results
Men
Ricky Lightfoot (Ellenborough AC) – 1:02:24
Mark Lamb (Keswick AC) – 1:02:27
Sam Holding (Keswick AC) – 1:02:51
Women
Kate Maltby (Black Combe Runners) – 1:16:13
Tanya Raab (Keswick AC) – 1:21:20
Joanne Mosley (Pennine Fell Runners) – 1:21:37
I finished 89th in 1:25:15 and was grateful for the soup and cake in the village hall at the end.
Ilkley Gazette Report w/c 23 Feb 2026
Mon 23 Feb 2026
From Luke Watkeys and Nicola Budding…
Photo credit Jann Smith
National Cross Country and Fell Championships: A Great Weekend for the Harriers
The National Cross Country Championships 2026 were held on Saturday, 21 February, in Hardwick East Park, Sedgefield. This marked the first time the championships had been staged in North East England since 2013. The course was undulating, with the ground soft underfoot and only a few challenging, muddy sections. Despite a chilly wind, conditions were ideal for the three Harriers who took on the challenge. Beth Rogers participated in the Junior Women’s race, covering 6.1 km (3.8 miles), finishing a fantastic 18th out of 107 in 21:26. Alison Bennett completed the Senior Women’s race, an 8.3km (5.2 miles) course, finishing 451st out of a field of 532 in 48:49. Dan McKeown ran the Senior Men’s race, a 12.4km (7.7 miles) route, coming 344th out of a field of 1046 in a time of 47:46.
Also on Saturday, the Doctors Gate Fell Race marked the start of the English Fell Championship season. Starting and finishing at the Queen’s Arms in Old Glossop, this 20.4 km (12.7 miles) route with 914m (nearly 3000 ft) of ascent saw a thrilling battle at the front. Picking up last year’s rivalry, our own Ben Rothery was neck-and-neck with Dark Peak’s Finlay Grant throughout, with Finlay just edging the win and beating the previous course record of 1:40:59. Ben took a superb second place, only four seconds behind, in 1:30:49. Sam Bentham secured eighth place (1:37:53), while Kate Archer and Jane McCarthy were the first females home for the club in a fantastic 2:19:05 (27th) and 2:19:07 (28th) respectively. Jane also claimed an impressive third in her age category.
In parkrun news, Samesh Chotai continued his successful parkrun tour, coming first at Cannon Hill in Birmingham (16:25). Stephen and Gaenor Coy headed to the coast for the Fleetwood Promenade parkrun, finishing in 18:32 (fourth) and 26:20 (60th and ninth gender category) respectively. Daisy Lowe travelled the furthest this week, taking on the Hackney Marshes parkrun, where she finished the course in 29:17 and first in her age category JW11-14.
Closer to home, John and Sarah Hayes represented the club at Cliffe Castle, finishing in 21:50 (second) and 30:17 (48th and 12th gender category). Lerryn O’Neill, running in her first-ever parkrun, also ran Cliffe Castle, finishing in 25:24, 11th overall and first female finisher, which is amazing considering her age category is JW10. Ethan Pickwoad travelled across to Skipton parkrun, where he finished in 15th position with a time of 21:47 and first in his age category JM11-14. Milena Morgan, who obviously enjoyed the mud so much at Roundhay Park PECO last week, decided to take on an even muddier Chevin Forest Parkrun, completing the course in an extremely speedy 22:10; not only securing 11th place overall but also first female finisher.
Lastly, on home soil at East Holmes Field parkrun, six Harriers ran out of 111 parkrunners, with Deborah Nicholson, the first Harrier home, in a time of 27:51 (tenth gender category).
English National XC Championships – Sat 21 Feb 2026
Sat 21 Feb 2026
From Alison Bennett…
Photo credit Andrew Bennett
A few Ilkley Harriers made the trip to Sedgefield to take part in the English National Cross Country event. The course was undulating and the ground soft underfoot with only a couple of challenging short muddy sections. The weather stayed fine with a slightly chilly wind, but these were ideal conditions for running and spectating. Although this annual event attracts elite athletes it is open to all club members. It’s a great event to put in the diary.
Junior Women 6.1 Km
1 Rebecca Flaherty 21:26
18 Beth Rogers 23:10 107 Ran
Senior Women 8.3 Km
1 Lucy Jones 28:54
450 Alison Bennett 48:49 531 Ran
Senior Men 12.4 Km
1 Hugo Milner 37:07
344 Dan McKeown 47:46 1046 Ran
Ilkley Gazette Report w/c 16 Feb 2026
Mon 16 Feb 2026
From Caroline Howe and Nicola Budding…
Dan Paterson and Sarah Marsden celebrate completing the Seville Marathon
As the never-ending rain continued to fall in the UK, two Harriers decided they needed a break from the gloomy weather and ventured to the sunshine of Spain for the Seville Marathon.
The long-standing race, first held in 1985, attracted a record 17,000 competitors this year. Renowned as the flattest marathon course in Europe and sixth fastest marathon course in the world, it’s a favourite for PB-chasers. Dan Paterson and Sarah Marsden took full advantage of the ideal conditions, coming away with not only a welcome boost of vitamin D, but also two excellent results: Dan with a new PB of 3:28:16, and Sarah not far off her PB in 3:39:12 – congratulations to both!
Back in Yorkshire, the fifth instalment of this year’s PECO cross country series at Roundhay Park saw extremely muddy conditions following an overnight blast of snow. Nonetheless, a contingent of hardy Harriers took on the challenge, including several junior Harriers.
In the senior ladies’ race, Emma Moore was first Harrier home in 44:32, followed by Lucy Lowe in 46:43, Diane Kitchen who was third F65 in 47:58, and Sarah Lambert in 1:02:33. Ten Harriers lined up in the senior men’s race, with Gawain Moore producing an impressive run to finish third M45 in 31:08. He was followed by Harry Brook-Dobson (31:51) and Steven Gott (33:32).
The juniors also shone. In the 1-mile race, Isobel Moore, Maisie Dyson and Millie Houlbrook all finished in the top ten out of 86, clocking 7:52, 8:12 and 8:13 respectively. Milena Morgan meanwhile was eighth out of 72 in the 2-mile race in 14:02. Outstanding performances all round.
There was more junior success at Hoppit’s Hill Fell Race, this year’s 2026 Yorkshire Junior U14, U16, U18 and U20 Fell Running Championships in Mirfield. The U14s faced a short but steep 3km course with a 170-metre climb whilst the U16, U18 and U20 athletes tackled a 4.85 km route with a climb of 210 metres, combining distance, elevation and an element of true determination.
There were several impressive performances, including Oscar Shinn, third, and George Whittlestone, fifth, in the MU20 race; Joseph Bentham, fourth, and Ollie Holder, seventh, in the BU18 race; Heidi Frank, seventh in the GU16 race; and Olly Brooks, 13th in the BU14 race. These are tough races requiring strength and stamina – so well done to all of you.
Two Harriers took on the 5km senior race, with Rachel Carter finishing with a great result of first in the F50 category in 29:37, and Rachel Holder finishing in 36:47.
In parkruns this weekend, Samesh Chotai continued his fine form coming in third at Edgbaston Reservoir in 16:29. Steve Coy was fourth at Millfield in 18:51 with a very impressive 80% age grading. Oscar Smyth was seventh male at Belton House in 19:59. At Sherwood Reserve in New Zealand, Maddie Morris was second female in 22:38. At York Community Woodland, Jaysson Sawyer was ninth male in 18:50.
Another packed week of brilliant running… congratulations to all who represented the club near and far!
Ilkley Gazette Report w/c 9 Feb 2026
Mon 9 Feb 2026
From Peter Shelley…
Photo credit Steve Davey
Harriers’ endurance and fell runners prevail over acres of mud
Harriers double-tied their shoelaces and ran through floods, bogs, swamps and clag as the UK experienced the longest unbroken spell of rainy days since 1908. Undeterred, they headed for the hills in substantial numbers and for substantial periods to test their offroad skills, navigation, waterproofs and shoe selection.
Rombalds Stride was a popular choice for runners in search of an early-season distance challenge. Extended bogs, spontaneous streams and slick mud awaited them on the 35km route which includes an ascent of Baildon Moor, traverse of Rombalds Moor and a final punishing climb of the Chevin before a run down into Guiseley. Oli Murphy made light work of the conditions to win by 10 minutes, taking two minutes off his 2024 winning time to reach the line in 2:36:43. Forrest Hamilton took a full half hour off his 2025 time to take a highly creditable 4th place for the Harriers in 2:53:42. John Hayes finished 45th and third MV55 in an impressive 3:44:57. Andrew Marshall took 52nd place, Ash Winter 64th and Steve Ladhams 65th. Jann Smith ran a strong race to finish first lady Harrier, 9th lady and 1st FV50 overall. Emma Sheppard was close behind Jann, 10th lady and second FV45. Among the 401 participants who stayed sufficiently upright and moving to make the finish were 26 Harriers in total split evenly between female and male. Their reward was pie and rice pudding on arrival at St. Oswald’s Primary School in Guiseley.
Not prepared to rest on their laurels following recognition at the Ilkley Harriers awards night last week, ultra specialists Petra Bijsterveld and Ritchie Williamson were back in action, Petra taking on the Lady Anne’s Way Ultra and Ritchie the Pendle Way in a Day. Following much of the Lady Anne’s Way long distance hiking path, inspired by Lady Anne Clifford, prolific restorer of castles in the area, the ultra race started at Skipton Castle and headed north 75 miles through Wharfedale, Wensleydale and the upper Eden Valley to finish at Appleby-in-Westmorland in Cumbria. Starting on Saturday at 9am, Petra experienced poor visibility, mud and the many other varied effects of precipitation on the English fells. Persisting as many other competitors abandoned, Petra reached the finish just after midday on Sunday securing an excellent 25th place overall, 7th lady and 2nd FV60.
Following a long-distance hiking route further south in Lancashire, Ritchie covered 45 miles to complete Pendle Way in a Day. The route featured 2,000m of ascent including the 560m summit of Pendle Hill, tackled at the very end. Ritchie finished 19th overall and 2nd MV50 in 9:07:39. Hats off to Petra and Ritchie for such tremendous feats of endurance, navigation and balance!
Race five of the Kong Winter Series took place at Clough Head in Cumbria with a 7km route climbing 560m of the northern and steepest elevation of Clough Head from Threlkeld Cricket Club. Third place was enough to secure Sam Bentham the overall series title, adding to his growing fell running accolades. Father James Bentham finished in 89th place of 160.
In Saturday’s parkruns, junior Harrier James Lee ran a very quick 19:20 to 2nd place at the Chevin with Oscar Shinn 4th in 19:52. Steve Coy ran 19:29 in Barnsley, while Harry Brook-Dobson ran 19:04 at Black Park. Nina Pearce was third lady in 20:21 at Burgess, James Horrex 2nd at Cliffe Castle in 20:02. Dylan Shinn ran 21:16 at Gloucester City. Bob Hamilton went furthest afield to run 25:26 and finish 1st MV65-69 at Wanaka in New Zealand.
The Fountains Abbey Trail runs and Wharfedale Harriers’ Runners and Riders events took place the week before last. As results were not available when we went to press last week, they are covered here. Three Ilkley Harriers competed in the half marathon, the longest of three scenic routes on offer at Fountains Abbey. Lucy Lowe finished 139th, Heidi Hoad 140th and Rumana Chowdhury 211th. The route was (no surprise) muddy, but enlivened by snowdrops, sunshine and deer.
Runners and Riders pitted fell runners against cyclists on a 7.5km offroad route with 270m of elevation. Devised by fell runner and cyclist Ted Mason seven years ago and held on his farmland near Appletreewick, the race has not yet seen a runner win, although competition with the cyclist is always close. Conditions were (yes – all together now!) muddy, which notionally favoured the runners, obliging the cyclists to push or carry their bikes at times. The non-technical descents, however, particularly across the pasture into the finish, handed the advantage to the cyclists. Even the 2024 winner on a bike Tom Bell, who enjoys regular running success and was this year competing on foot, could not hold off Hope Factory racing’s David Mirfield who peddled to victory in 29:20.
First Harrier was back Gawain Moore in 31st place with a time of 39:17. Paul Carman rode to 36th. Mike Burdon ran to 54th, George Whittlestone to 87th, John Marsham to 97th and Katie Poulter to 103rd. 193 competed, of which 23 were cyclists.
Pendle Way in a Day – Sat 7 Feb 2026
Sat 7 Feb 2026
From Ritchie Williamson…
Pendle Way in a Day is a winter ultra in east Lancashire which follows the full circular of the Pendle Way of approximately 45 miles (6,600ft) and covers the trails and moorland of the South Pennines. Starting and finishing from Barley Village Hall in Barley, Pendle. Having deferred my entry from last year due to a hamstring injury, I had used up all my hamstring excuses (and also hamstrings to injure, although it turns out you can just repeatedly injure the same one) and headed out to Barley early Saturday morning. There are a few flavours to this race, the 45-mile version and a 30-mile version, both can be entered as either a run or a walk. The 45-mile walkers start at 07:00 am, the 45-mile runners start at 08:00 am and the 30-mile walkers and runners start at 10:00 am. I took the 45-mile option.
The start of the route takes you through farmland and fields to the village of Barrowford and the Pendle Heritage Centre. The omens at this point were not good, the fields were soddened and spongy and while still runnable, it was hard going and on sloping ground slippy. Once through Barrowford the trail takes you along the riverside to Blacko through Weets Hill to get to Barnoldswick, after this there is a nice (approx. 2 mile) stretch along the Leeds Liverpool canal before heading through more fields, though the cemetery at the Church of St Mary le Ghyll up to and through Earby and the first CP (Earby YHA, 16v miles). The first 16 miles were the easiest/most runnable of the day, from this point on it was mostly mud, miles and miles of mud.
After CP1 the route takes you through Kelbrook to CP2 at Laneshawbridge (22.5 miles). From CP2 you follow a path along Wycoller Beck to join Ferndean Way and along the foothills of Boulsworth through Coldwell and onto CP3 at Southfield (30 miles). After some welcome toast and butter, it was more farmland and fields to Higham and plenty of tarmac (about 4 miles) to CP4 at Newchurch (37 miles). The last stretch takes you on a steady climb through some fields and moor land to Newchurch-in-Pendle before starting the ascent of Pendle Hill. It was on the path along-side Fell Wood as I headed down towards Ogden Clough that I thought my race was ran. Running to the edge of the path I hit a patch of mud and sank thigh deep into it. It took some effort to extract myself as there were no hand holds to try and pull myself out with. The only option being to lay backwards into yet more mud and try to get some purchase.
After a graceless extraction all that remained was the final ascent to Pendle trig and a relatively easy run back down to Barley. I had planned to run it quicker, but weak hams and conditions had other ideas. Plan B was to finish before needing to get the headtorch out, I achieved plan B (just). I arrived at the finish in 9hrs and 6 mins, finishing 19th overall (144 starters,129 finishers) and 2nd MV50.
Overhead conditions were not as bad as expected, mostly drizzle with the heavy rain only beginning as I entered Barley. Underfoot was worse than expected. I had been warned of the possibility of mud from fellow Harrier Martin Hartley who ran it the previous year. The organisers also promised mud. I wore mudclaws, and even in these it was hard to get good purchase places. There are also quite a few sections of tarmac, and more styles and gates per mile than most races. Simply put, if you were not on tarmac, you started to sink. The checkpoints are well stocked with the usual crisps/cakes/snacks, CP4 is inside and has some hot drink options, whisky and hotdogs, and there is a choice of hot meals at the finish in Barley Village Hall. Overall it was a great event, glad to have done it, glad to have finished it, glad to not go back.
Lady Anne’s Way 75 – Sat 7 Feb 2026
Sat 7 Feb 2026
From Petra Bijsterveld…
Photo credit Anna Jebson
Lady Anne’s Way (LAW) is a waymarked long distance walking trail from Skipton to Penrith. Lady Anne Clifford was born in 1589 in Skipton Castle. After her father died in 1605, as the only surviving child she spent much of her long life in a protracted and complex legal battle to obtain the rights of her inheritance, which included the great castles of Skipton, Pendragon, Brough and Appleby. She regained the estate in 1643, and set out to restore her properties when the Civil War ended in 1649, when she was 60 years old. She died in 1676. You can read about her fascinating history here.
NAV4 organises a 75 mile (8500 ft) race along the route, starting from Skipton Castle passing Barden Tower, Grassington, Kettlewell, Buckden, Askrigg, Pendragon Castle, Kirkby Stephen and Brough Castle, with the finish in Appleby. There has been a race in the past covering the full 100 miles to Penrith, but the final 25 miles contain a lot of road for not much added value in terms of scenery (or so I am told) so this section has been removed. There are a few stretches where the race route deviates from LAW and travels along the Pennine Journey.
The seemingly incessant rain since the start of this year had already prepared the ground for the mudfest that was awaiting us. Heavy downpours in the preceding week as well as fairly consistent rain from mid-afternoon on race day until the next morning just completed the quagmire. It was very difficult going underfoot and this slowed many of us down considerably, with many runners slipping and falling multiple times, though the winner (Derek Fuller) seemed to have had few problems getting round in an astounding 15:42.
I had managed to recce the second half of the route, which definitely helped a great deal when it came to the race. I had not been able to recce the section over Stake Moss (the guide book calls it ‘bleak and inhospitable’, though it praises the views of Addlebrough), between Cray and Askrigg. Darkness fell once I started the climb up, there was thick fog, fairly heavy rain, and visibility was limited to a small circle of light in front of my feet. Lighting up the mud….Gates appeared out of nowhere when I was almost upon them already. Navigation was doable but needed concentration, especially as I was on my own. It is a byway for many miles and as such it reminded me of trudging along the Cam High Road during a similar night on the Spine Challenger South. I tried to count my blessings, e.g. there was mainly a tail wind, it could have been even colder, it could have been icy underfoot (though there were still small patches of snow up there). After what felt like a thousand hours and finally a stupid navigation error on a patch of moorland which had me temporarily go round in circles I managed to regain the road and the village of Worton (near Askrigg), which had a heaven sent bus shelter where I could reset and put another layer on. After Worton I had recced everything which was a relief. From here on I was sliding over familiar rather than unfamiliar mud as it were.
The night was very long, daylight came just after I left the third checkpoint at Winton (north of Kirkby Stephen) at 7 in the morning. There was no stunning sunrise, but I enjoyed the crowing of a cock and singing of the birds. And it finally stopped raining! Only 15 miles to go from there but I knew that would take me a depressing 5 hours. My legs and back were very tired and sore (in large part probably caused by so many hours of trying to stay upright on the mud) so even on stretches of road I was not able to really run anymore, and if I did manage a jog the pace was depressingly similar to hiking speed. I got through it by enjoying the landscape, it really is very nice up in the Eden Valley, and by feeling pleased that I now sailed through bits my friend and I had floundered on during the recce, the effort had paid off!
I had expected to take no more than 25 hours, but that dream was abandoned somewhere on the moors in the night. It didn’t really matter anyway, and with a generous cut-off of 30 hours there were oodles of time. I arrived in Appleby in 27:11. Of the 53 runners who started the race 22 retired and only 31 finished.
Whilst the underfoot and overhead conditions did not make this the most fun race I have ever done, in terms of being looked after it was right up there with the best, and I would therefore recommend it (and the other NAV4 races) to all. There were three indoor checkpoints in village halls (Kettlewell, Askrigg and Winton) with lots of food, drink, warmth, toilets, and volunteers who could not do enough for you. There were a further seven vehicle checkpoints along the route, supplying water and a friendly word of encouragement from a marshal. Lovely other runners, met some old friends, made some new. I ran with others for some sections, but was on my own for much of the race, all good. The finish venue at the Appleby Hub was exceptional, and again wonderful food was supplied by NAV4. I had a rest there before hopping back home on the train (Appleby is on the Settle Carlisle line) with a bunch of other finishers. It is a race I would do again. And if you don’t fancy running 75 miles in one go I would still recommend the route as a multi-day hike or fast pack.
Rombald’s Stride – Sat 7 Feb 2026
Sat 7 Feb 2026
From Ash Winter…
I don’t know if you’ve noticed but the weather has been pretty indifferent of late. Quite a lot of rain for an unusual number of days in a row. Misty too, lots of gloom around. The perfect conditions then for the Rombalds Stride, a 20-odd mile trail race and walk around Guiseley, Baildon, Ilkley, Menston and surrounds. I was a first timer, but had been admirably assisted and joined on recce runs by Colm McCann and Simon Jenkins. Jeremy Greenwood contributed a lot to the learning as well, with his uncanny knowledge of the route, which he happily shared with the group.
Colm, Simon, Paul Disney and myself trundled over to Guiseley on the train in nervous anticipation. Race HQ was busy with over 400 runners and walkers, as a league counter, the race was packed with Harriers. Catching up with some and saying hello to others but leaving them to their race prep. It’s no joke this one, distance, elevation, navigation, fuelling, mud, rain, mist all contributing to quite an adventure.
Onto the race. I had no expectations time-wise, but 4 hours seemed like a decent aim. I figured if I got to the top of the Chevin and sub 4 hours was still on, I’d thunder down the hill, like the Chevin Chase all over again.
The start had chaotic good vibes, walkers, runners all off together. Everyone was very gentle though, no elbows out getting ahead manoeuvres, all aware there was plenty of distance left to cover. Esholt Woods navigated, I headed to the Bucket Drop. My first faux pas of the day, I tied my token to the clip card, meaning a couple of minutes to retrieve it. Special thanks for Adam Gerrish for shouting ‘schoolboy error’ as he went past me.
We began the climb up to the Baildon Trig point, a classic Peter Roll Just Grind It Out™ sort of climb. After that though, there was a lovely slippery descent. To my surprise I kept my feet and made it to the Glen Road stretch, leading to a lovely bit of Otley Road, whose volume of SUV’s had me looking forward to the mud again.
From here, it was extremely boggy and familiar. I splashed across Burley Moor, joined the path to Dick Hudsons and onto the paving slabs at the Twelve Apostles. This was my first encounter with Jann Smith, who I rumbled past on the way to the Whetstone Gate checkpoint. I chose the dropdown to Cowpers Cross and I stumbled across Steve Newell and Emma Sheppard, who had become emotional support creatures to each other. We happily ran together through familiar territory, until Rocky Valley when I was ready to push on. The companionship was most welcome though.
Dropping down off the moor at Burley Woodhead, Jann Smith was ahead of me again, showing superior navigational and bog running skills. After getting a cheer from Jean though, I kicked on again and began navigating the twists and turns of the Menston section. After being warned about the small ginnel that was easy to miss, I missed it anyway but only by 10 meters or so.
The final climb of West Chevin path beckoned, so I found some friends to complain about it with and began to climb. My old nemesis, uneven steps were in full effect. Also, barely walkable mud, but it soon relented into trail you can make progress on. I checked my watch and I had 20 minutes to get finished in less than 4 hours. Managed to not drown on York Gate and galloped down the hill, to a satisfying 3:57 finish.
All Harriers who completed the challenge should be applauded but a few special mentions. Oli Murphy on another win and for being a thoroughly personable chap. Forrest Hamilton on 4th place, improving last year’s time by half an hour. John Hayes was as strong as ever, in really good form at the moment. Lucy Lowe improved last year’s time in far worse conditions showing excellent progress. Colm McCann on his longest ever race, no flat road marathon to ease into distance running for him. Simon Jenkins for his exemplary approach to recce runs and another great performance on the day. Paul Disney for completing the race and then heading out with friends afterwards, proving you can run almost marathon distance and maintain a social life in the same day.
Ilkley Gazette Report w/c 2 Feb 2026
Mon 2 Feb 2026
From Jill Ezard…
Harriers celebrate successes of 2025
It was podium places of a different sort for the Harriers this week as the weekend got off to a flying start with the annual awards ceremony on Friday night. An opportunity to nominate fellow runners for a range of awards, it’s a night to celebrate not just running achievements but also the contributions of the many volunteers that keep the club alive. This year’s winners for Contribution to the Club were Neil Chapman and Helen Waddington, with both dedicating time to running training sessions throughout the year. There was special recognition for the Learning Disabilities group Run Leaders and thanks to and recognition for the many people who lead the club runs every week.
Running was definitely celebrated though. The award for Male and Female Runners of the Year went to Jack Cummings and Kate Archer, with the Most Improved Runner prizes being scooped by Oli Murphy and Emma Sheppard. At opposite ends of the experience spectrum our Emerging Talent winners were Alexander Wolfenden and Helena Coy, with Ritchie Williamson and Jane McCarthy taking the Over 50s Runner of the Year prizes. Going the distance for the Endurance Runner top spots were Petra Bijsterveld and Ritchie Williamson. Other winners were Forrest Hamilton and Alison Weston (Captains’ Awards), Hattie O’Looney, Jane Bryant and Sue Verspyk (One-Off Contribution to the Club) and Nathan Edmondson and Ben Rothery.
Despite the more social start to the weekend there were some great performances on the road. An impressive 18 Harriers travelled to Dewsbury to take on the annual 10k. A fast and flat out and back course on the ring road, it’s an opportunity to start the year with a Personal Best time or tackle your first run at this distance. Christos Tzelis had an outstanding run and was the first Harrier over the line taking third place in 30:32, closely followed by Jack Cummings in fifth place in 30:35. Several Harriers came in under 40 minutes with Iain Young returning to racing after injury in an impressive 37:58 and Mark Hall taking first place in his age category in 38:20. Marie Watson was the first lady Harrier to finish in 45:39. Well done to everyone that took part.
And finally, the cancellation of the East Holmes Field event didn’t deter our regular parkrunners, with over 30 turning out on Saturday at home and abroad. There were several top ten finishers: Forrest Hamilton clocking up a Personal Best (PB) at Chevin Forest; Hattie O’Looney at Oldham; Jane McCarthy at Roberts Park; Sam Angus and Maddie Morris at Scarborough; and Steve and Gaenor Coy not resting on their laurels on holiday at the Zuiderpark event in The Netherlands. Other notable achievements included Junior Archie Hallworth achieving a PB at Cliffe Castle, Geoff Howard hitting an age grading of 83.74% and Nicola Budding and Steve Coy both running their 100th event. Well done to everyone who took part in an event.