Ilkley Harriers news archive 2024
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 69th 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 60th 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 15th overall and 3rd 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 2nd 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 38th overall.
Sticking with the 5K distance, plenty of Harriers gave good accounts of themselves at the Saturday morning parkruns. At Barnsley Mark Hall was 3rd overall and also in South Yorkshire Diane Kitchen was 19th female at Hillsborough, with an age graded score above 81%. Samesh Chotai finished 2nd 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 8th female, while Robert Budding was 11th 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 2nd place on his milestone 50th 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 23rd 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 2nd 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.
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
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!
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.
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!
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
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.
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.
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.
(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.
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.
(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