Ilkley Harriers news archive 2023
Ilkley Gazette report w/c 27 Nov
Mon 27 Nov 2023
From Will Worboys…
Ilkley runners bring home prizes and club records from Doncaster
A magnificent triumvirate of Ilkley runners made the trip to the Doncaster 10K on Sunday and surpassed all expectations to return home with prizes and records galore. A popular event on the calendar being a fast and flattish opportunity for personal bests, the race attracted more than two and a half thousand athletes. The Harriers certainly left their mark in South Yorkshire and were headed by up and coming star Christos Tzelis who is fast becoming one of the club’s most prolific race winners, claiming first place and a PB of 30.59. In a tense finish Christos came home just seven seconds ahead of the athlete in second place. The event which is based at Doncaster racecourse also attracted Sally Armitage who won her age category in a brilliant time of 37.07, finishing as 8th lady overall, bagging a big PB and also the club record for V45’s at the 10K distance. Last but not least Mark Hall also won his age category and continued his relentless sweep of the club records by lowering his own V60 time to 35.55.
Back in West Yorkshire on Saturday was an annual two wheels verses leg power alone challenge. On the face of it a race named Harriers V cyclists would perhaps be an unfair match up. But taking into account the off-road trails and hilly moorland terrain not to mention the quality of the experienced fell runners taking part, the race becomes much less of a foregone conclusion. In fact in the end the first seven finishers were all runners with the first cyclist coming home nearly four minutes behind the winner. Harrier Jack Cummings had a great run and was just pipped into second place for the third year running, bizarrely beaten by a different athlete named Nathan each time! This time it was Dark Peak runner Nathan Lawson who won the race. The rumours that Jack is planning to become Nathan Cummings by deed poll before next November’s race are currently unconfirmed.
The event is organised by Bingley Harriers and starts by the canal near Saltaire. The challenging route snakes up through Shipley Glen and then out into a loop around Baildon Moor before retracing it’s steps and back down into the valley, covering five and a half miles and over a thousand feet of climbing. Other Ilkley runners posting impressive runs included Jim Ryder, Harry Brook-Dobson and Jamie Hutchinson all finishing well within half an hour of the winner.
Earlier in the week on a blustery evening in Leeds two Harriers took part in the last in this years even splits 5K series. Both Hilda Coulsey and Harry Sime had excellent runs with Harry managing to improve his PB to a time of 22.05.
Ilkley runners also excelled over the 5K distance at various parkruns on Saturday morning. Catherine Gibbons was first lady at Roberts Park in a time of 21.19. At the same event there were PB’s for Andrew Smith as well as Bernie Gibbons on the day before her 70th birthday! Down the road at Lister Park, Rachel Carter was the first female while Dave Foyston and Alexander Wolfenden came 3rd and 4th overall. James Horrex and Stephen Coy both came 3rd; at Gunnersbury and Oakwell Hall respectively. Meanwhile at Skipton, legendary Harrier Geoffrey Howard had a landmark run, completing his 200th parkrun, finishing in a time of 26.04.
Doncaster 10k – Sun 26 Nov
Sun 26 Nov 2023
From Sally Armitage…
Yet another fast, flat road 10k entered in the never-ending quest for fast race times! I ran this race 4 years ago, it was my first sub 40 10k. I’ve entered it every year since but COVID put paid to 2020, then injury in 2021 and illness in 2022 so I was glad to finally make the start line!
The start was interesting, I still had my hoodie on when the gun went, I didn’t hear a race briefing or a countdown, just an incredibly loud gun fire!
I couldn’t remember the early climb from my first time running this course, it arrives almost straight away, a kilometre long very gradual incline up Benetthorpe Rd, followed by a gallop round town then from around 6km you have a 2km long straight run in front of the racecourse to a turn around point then 2km back and into the racecourse grounds for a ‘grandstand finish’.
The turn around point was excellent for watching the leaders in their final kilometres, Christos was right on the tail of the lead runner, who looked absolutely exhausted, he even had time to give me a little wave as he passed, at that point I knew he had enough in him to win the race!
It was the turn around where I also clocked Mark Hall, who is also quite ridiculously fast! An M60 running 35 minute 10ks, amazing.
I was surprised with my own crazy time too! I’d hoped for sub 38 but didn’t think I’d get so close to 37!! I think I attribute it to having a tune up from Wistow a few weeks ago and Tadcaster last weekend, along with playing with my nutrition. I’m half way through a post graduate sports nutrition course and I think tweaking my pre-race nutrition, utilising carbohydrates and some proteins differently, is making a difference!
(Edit, these times are new club records from Mark Hall (M60) and Sally Armitage (F45), both improving their own records)
1st Christos Tzelis 30:59
100th Mark Hall 35:55
141st (8th female) Sally Armitage 37:07
2584 ran
Leeds Evensplits 5k – Wed 22 Nov
Wed 22 Nov 2023
From Hilda Coulsey…
It was a strong, gusty wind for this last 5k race in the 2023 series. Nevertheless 85 hardy souls, only two of us Ilkley Harriers, braved the elements. Harry had a great race, improving his PB over last month. My time wasn’t as good as my last time here in February, but I’m happy with work in progress after umpteen marathons.
Back to the track for me next week.
Dates and entry is now available for these and the York 5ks for 2024.
1 16:27 Adam Lomas Hyde Park Harriers
57 22:05 Harry Sime
73 25:30 Hilda Coulsey
Ilkley Gazette report w/c 20 Nov
Sun 19 Nov 2023
From Jean Sullivan…
The pleasant sounding ‘Tour of Pendle’ belies the fact that this is a tough and challenging fell race requiring excellent navigational and technical skills. This figure of 8 course, is widely regarded as one of the hardest on the fell race calendar. Now in its 39th year, this race requires runners to deal with 5000ft of climbing over a distance of 17 miles, with steep ascents, boggy underfoot conditions as well as challenging descents including the infamous drop known as ‘Geronimo’. The race starts and finishes at the village hall in Barley, Lancashire. Six hardy Harriers, Jann Smith, Paul Carman, James Batterley, Peter Roll, Alison Weston and Katie Poulter undertook this event, in wet and misty weather conditions, with excellent results all round.
Race number three of the West Yorkshire Cross League, a league which has been running for over 50 years, took place at the weekend, in Middleton park in Leeds. This 9.8km course saw high placings all round for Ilkley men. Steven Gott was the first Harrier home, in an impressive 40:59, with Steven taking second place in his age category. He was closely followed by Tim Ashelford, who finished first in his age category, with Steve Coy hot on his heels, with Steve taking second place in his age category.
Also off road, another event in the popular Punk Panther endurance series took place, the Wharfedale Skyline Trail Race and Ultra Marathon. The route of this challenging trail run closely hugs the hills around Otley, Chevin’s Surprise View, the Cow and Calf rocks and beautiful Lindley Wood Reservoir, with race distances ranging from 13 to 35-miles and climbs ranging from 1,700 to 4,800 feet.
Great results from Ilkley Harriers; Steve Ladhams chose the half marathon option, finishing in a great twelfth place overall, in a time of 2:09:56, James Dobbing opted for the 20-mile option, finishing in a superb seventh place overall in a time of 3:31:10 and Petra Bijsterveld opted for the 35-mile option, with Petra completing the course in an impressive 7:39:02, which meant she finished as fourth lady overall.
On the road, the Tadcaster 10 took place this weekend. This popular 10-mile road race is organised by Tadcaster Harriers and sees runners run on a largely flat course, with PB potential, but with the added challenge of a long steady climb at the half way mark. This years ‘Tad 10’ had also been selected as the Yorkshire Veteran’s Athletic Association Championship race for 2023, with additional trophies for all vet age group winners.
Harrier Matthew Thackwray managed a sub-60-minute finish, with Matthew finishing in a superb fourth place overall and just under 2 minutes behind the first finisher. David Foyston was the second Harrier over the line, finishing in another impressive time of just over 60 minutes. Sally Armitage was the third Harrier home in a great time of 1:03, with Sally taking first prize in her age category. Jonathan Turner also managed to finish in just over 1:03, with Sally Malir also having a great run at this event, taking second place in her age category.
On the track, Christos Tzelis took part in the Podium 5km race in Barrowford in Lancashire, billed as one of the fastest 5km’s in the UK. Despite the challenging weather conditions Christos came 24th in the A race in a quality field, finishing in a great time of 15:15, which was a PB by 19 seconds for him.
Overseas in Italy, Harry Brook-Dobson took part in the Verona half marathon. This scenic, mainly flat race sees runners run through urban and rural areas, along the Adige river and through Verona’s beautiful historic centre, with the finish line on the Plazza Bra, a spacious square that is home to the Arena di Verona, the third-largest of all Roman amphitheatres. Harry had a great run at this event, completing the course in 1:40:55, with Harry highly placed in the field of over 2,700 runners.
Despite it being a very wet Saturday morning, 27 Ilkley Harriers turned out to take part in the weekly timed 5km parkruns, in various locations, including Yorkshire and further afield. Jaysson Sawyer continuing to make an impressive come back to running, was the first finisher at the Clare Castle parkrun in Suffolk, with Jaysson completing the course in 20:42. The Chevin Forest parkrun and the Robert’s Park parkrun were popular this week, with Adam Gerrish the first Ilkley Harrier to finish at the former and Vince Gibbons the first Harrier to finish at the latter parkrun. Over in Lancaster Harry Stead was the sixth finisher at the Lancaster parkrun, with Harry achieving a PB on this course.
Tadcaster 10 – Sun 19 Nov
Sat 18 Nov 2023
From Sally Armitage…
A ‘flattish’ (as described by the race organisers – though actually I think ‘undulating’ is more accurate!) road 10 miler starting with a loop around town then out through the country villages before heading back into town. I ran this race 2 years ago, they tweaked the course slightly this year. We ran the loop around town in the opposite direction and the start and finish was moved a little to allow finishers to see the finish arch from further away, previously it appeared from nowhere round one of the corners.
7 Harriers turned up to race. I had a good run, despite setting off a bit fast, as usual, then regretting it almost immediately, as usual! I found my Knaresborough Strider buddy after around a mile, I raced him at Wistow 10k 3 weeks ago where I mentally attached myself to him and was dragged beautifully around the course, I used the same tactic at Tadcaster! He didn’t seem to mind me using him as a pacer/wind shield at all and I thanked him as we laughed about it afterwards.
I was pleased to finish 4th after just missing out in the top 10 2 years ago. I didn’t expect a podium finish, I’d seen the start list and the first 3 women all ran it in under an hour!! A pipe dream.
(edit: this is a new F45 as well as F40 club record. The previous F45 record of 1:05:10 had been set in 2015 by Sally Malir as an F50. The previous F40 record of 1:03:48 was already held by Sally Armitage)
(1 Harry Johnson, Halifax Harriers & AC 53:19)
4 Matthew Thackwray 55:09 2nd M35
35 David Foyston 1:00:50
56 Sally Armitage 1:03:00 1st F45
63 Jonathan Turner 1:03:30
257 Sally Malir 1:16:25 2nd F55
457 Alan Travis 1:26:12
785 Sarah Lambert 1:55:43
Jack’s update from Switzerland – Sun 19 Nov
Sat 18 Nov 2023
From Jack Wood…
Grüezi Mitenand…From the north east corner of Switzerland. I’ve been proudly wearing the red and green vest in a handful of races since we moved here in August. In September I took on a mountain race in Engelberg and finished 8th behind some strong Ugandan and Swiss runners. Next up was a 2nd place at the ‘Altstätten Städtlilauf‘ (a 10km circuit around a town in the Rhein valley) and a win at the Drei Länder half marathon – a route which passed through Germany and Austria on the shore of Lake Konstanz. The big target of the autumn though was Lucerne marathon which took place at the end of October. With 5 miles to go I made my move and begun a countdown of kilometer markers. The cheers from the crowds gave me a boost and I couldn’t help but imagine the late Harriers legend and former coach Pete Shields was watching from above…’this is where you learn about yourself!’ The gap to second was never more than 20s or so but I held it and was so relieved and happy to cross the line in first and take the win in 2.25. Now the weather is colder we’re looking forward to trying out some skiing and coming back to Yorkshire over Christmas.
Liebe Grüße Jack and Millie
Verona Half Marathon – Sun 19 Nov
Sat 18 Nov 2023
From Harry Brook-Dobson…
I ran the Verona Half Marathon this weekend. It was a pretty flat and fast course with the bulk of the race distance along the river. It was only the last 4km that were in the città antica with its twisty cobbled streets. The start was pretty bunched up and it took a while to spread out. I was aiming for sub 1:45 and set out at this pace finding it comfortable. At around the halfway point I was still feeling good and started to press on. With 5km to go I realised I could go sub 1:40 if I got a move on and I then strung a few quicker splits together. In the last kilometre I realised 1:39:xx wasn’t going to happen and I’d gone too hard too early so was content to roll into the finish in 1:40:55.
Tour of Pendle – Sat 18 Nov
Sat 18 Nov 2023
From Peter Roll…
I’ve made the final & steepest ascent of Pendle & now running down towards the finish. Descending out of the thick mist & clag to find that I’m on my own, no other runners to see. Must have gone wrong somehow, I resort to the soggy remains of my course map & realize that I’m off route & need to take a dogleg to get back on course. So a sharp detour across tussock moorland it is. Soon there is the welcome sight of 4 runners skipping along the skyline and not long after I find a rather pleasant trod down towards the last checkpoint. All that’s left is the coast down to Barley & the finish, being greeted by the friendly faces of Jann Smith, James Batterley, Paul Carman, with Alison Weston & Katie Poulter not far behind.
Speaking to other Harriers beforehand, they had put the fear of dread in me. Stories from one seasoned runner of driving to Barley seeing the conditions & deciding to drive home rather than compete, were typical. On Saturday morning it was unsurprisingly certainly very wet underfoot. However, it was relatively warm & with the exception of a bit of mizzle, the weather was kind to us, even giving us the occasional view down to Clitheroe. The climbs were tough with a ribbon of competitors snaking up the Pendle in single file. Lots of beck crossings too, initially teetering on stepping stones, after a few you realise that just wading across seems the much better option. As with all fell races there was much camaraderie & conviviality en-route, making the whole experience worthwhile. Will I do it again? I’m not sure yet but, am very keen to have a go at doing that more direct final moorland descent.
James Batterley, 03:03:18
Paul Carman, 03:30:01
Katie Poulter, 03:55:11
Alison Weston, 3:55:48
Tour of Pendle – Sat 18 Nov
Fri 17 Nov 2023
From Peter Roll…
I’ve made the final & steepest ascent of Pendle & now running down towards the finish. Descending out of the thick mist & clag to find that I’m on my own, no other runners to see. Must have gone wrong somehow, I resort to the soggy remains of my course map & realize that I’m off route & need to take a dogleg to get back on course. So a sharp detour across tussock moorland it is. Soon there is the welcome sight of 4 runners skipping along the skyline and not long after I find a rather pleasant trod down towards the last checkpoint. All that’s left is the coast down to Barley & the finish, being greeted by the friendly faces of Jann Smith, James Batterley, Paul Carman, with Alison Weston & Katie Poulter not far behind.
Speaking to other Harriers beforehand, they had put the fear of dread in me. Stories from one seasoned runner of driving to Barley seeing the conditions & deciding to drive home rather than compete, were typical. On Saturday morning it was unsurprisingly certainly very wet underfoot. However, it was relatively warm & with the exception of a bit of mizzle, the weather was kind to us, even giving us the occasional view down to Clitheroe. The climbs were tough with a ribbon of competitors snaking up the Pendle in single file. Lots of beck crossings too, initially teetering on stepping stones, after a few you realise that just wading across seems the much better option. As with all fell races there was much camaraderie & conviviality en-route, making the whole experience worthwhile. Will I do it again? I’m not sure yet but, am very keen to have a go at doing that more direct final moorland descent.
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James Batterley, 03:03:18
Paul Carman, 03:30:01
Katie Poulter, 03:55:11
Alison Weston, 3:55:48
Wharfedale Skyline – Sat 18 Nov
Fri 17 Nov 2023
From Petra Bijsterveld…
Photo credit Punk Panther Endurance Events
The Wharfedale Skyline by local ultra event organisers Punk Panther is a largely off-road 35 mile loop from Otley with approximately 4500 ft of elevation. Starting with a steep climb straight up the Chevin the route goes to Bramhope, touches the top of Cookridge before taking you round the perimeter fence of the airport and to Yeadon Tarn and the first checkpoint. From Yeadon you run to Esholt before climbing steeply through Hollins Hall and Bradford golf courses, arriving at Tranmere Park and tackling the Odda, then descending into Menston for the next checkpoint. Onwards via Burley Woodhead and the moor to the Cow and Calf, descending to Ben Rhydding and along the road to Denton, with another welcome checkpoint before climbing again to Ellercar Pike, followed by a downhill section to Timble. Turning south and homeward you run through fields along the Washburn, another climb onto Lower Norwood Rd which leads to the last checkpoint, before climbing again and following the high route above Lindley Wood Reservoir, eventually coming to Farnley and the final 2 mile descent into Otley.
I have run this race twice before, both times with much better underfoot conditions. Last year I finished in 7 hours 29 minutes, and I had hoped to improve on that, but by the time we were nearing halfway, in Menston, I knew I was actually slightly behind despite making considerable effort. The recent heavy rain had left much of the course very muddy and in many places completely waterlogged. The path along the perimeter fence around the airport would have been more suited to flippers and a snorkel than to running shoes, the water was so deep at times that it splashed up as high as my face as I ran through it. The section after Denton on the moor up to Ellercar Pike was similarly waterlogged and possibly the wettest I have ever seen it. It didn’t bother me much, I was wearing my knee length Dexshell waterproof socks and my feet felt cosy and warm, but it definitely slowed my pace down and made it very hard work for the legs in general and glutes in particular. With these conditions I decided to stop worrying about my finish time and focus more on position, like in a cross country race. At the Denton checkpoint (22 miles) I was told I was in 3rd female position, and 1st female vet over 50. The latter I had expected by then, though I was by no means sure how far behind me the next vet might be. There were a few younger women right behind me though. I pressed on, and in the fields coming down from Timble towards Dob Park I spotted the 2nd woman ahead of me. I overtook her but my joy didn’t last very long as I couldn’t hold on. Another woman then overtook both of us. We kept yoyoing like this all the way to Otley, 3 of us fighting for 2nd and 3rd place, I fell behind both but kept trying right until the end, I finished 4th (out of 13 women; 34/60 overall) just 1 minute behind 3rd, in 7 hours 39 minutes.
Other options for this event were the 20 mile and half marathon distances. As far as I can see from the results there were two other Harriers: James Dobbing ran the 20 mile race to finish in an excellent 7th place (out of 46), and Steve Ladhams ran the half marathon coming 12th (out of 45).
All in all a grand day out, we started in rainy and misty conditions (it was quite disconcerting to hear the planes on the runway taking off but not be able to see them) but by the time we had crossed the Wharfe it was intermittently sunny and we got some splendid views. I worked my socks off, only stopping very briefly at checkpoints to take on some coke. It helped that with the lowish temperatures I didn’t need to refill my bottles so that saved time. Not sure why I felt in such a competitive mood all day, but I did have a few nice chats along the way too. Sitting down at the finish talking to my fellow Punk Panthers, having tea, a cheese toastie and a bowl of pasta, as well as receiving my FV plaque, made it all worthwhile!
Podium 5k – Sat 18 Nov
Fri 17 Nov 2023
From Neil Chapman…
Christos Tzelis was the only Harrier at the Podium 5k at Barrowford at the weekend. In far from perfect conditions Christos was 24th in the A race in a quality field, finishing in a great time of 15:15, which was a PB of 19 seconds. A good warm up for Doncaster 10k at the weekend.
Ilkley Gazette report w/c 13 Nov
Sun 12 Nov 2023
From Jill Ezard…
Photo credit Woodentops
A week of contrasts with podium success on muddy trails and 120km of desert running.
It has been a busy race week for Ilkley Harriers as the off road season continues to provide some interesting races and great results. In stark contrast however, our first Harrier outing of the week was in the Wadi Rum desert, providing Peter Tapper with the experience of a lifetime completing the Half Marathon des Sables in Jordan. Peter tackled the longest distance race: three stages totalling 120km, completed over four days, with the 60km second day seeing him battling temperatures of 41o. Despite carrying an Achilles injury into the race Peter completed the event in an outstanding cumulative time of 25:16:01.
Back to normal temperatures and more manageable distances, two Harriers hit the track on Friday evening at the last of the EvenSplits York 5k series. Held at the University of York Sport Village, it’s a great way to improve your 5k speed over the series. Both Harriers had great races with Jane McCarthy taking first place in her age category in 19:38 and Mark Iley just behind taking second in his category in 20:27.
With Harriers Race League points at stake, there was a fantastic turnout of 26 Harriers for the Burley Moor Run on Saturday. An 11km race, the course is steep and challenging, starting in Scalebor Park, heading straight up to the high point of Burley Moor near the Great Skirtful of Stones and then returning to Scalebor. Ilkley Harriers dominated the top 20 in the men’s race: Jack Cummings won the race in a fantastic time of 42:35 closely followed in second place by Oli Murphy in 43:36; Sam Bentham took sixth place in 46:29 with Matthew Cox just behind in eighth place in 47:21; Dan McKeown and James Batterley fought hard to the line in 12th and 13th place finishing within four seconds of each other; Jeff Green took first place in his age category and Dave Robson second finishing in 51:22 and 52:32 respectively; and Danny Thompson completed the top 20 placings in 17th in 52:57. And it was top 20 placings for all the female Harriers too: Sally Armitage was first home in seventh place in 1:05:17 followed by Sacha Jones in eighth place 1:07:20; and Jean Sullivan was 16th in 1:14:25.
Continuing on the trails, Harrier Antonio Perez Lopez took part in the Holly Hustle on Saturday. An 11km fast race, the route has some challenging uphills and rewarding downhills, taking participants through Meanwood Park, the Hollies, past the Seven Arches viaduct and Adel Crag. Antonio had a great run completing the course in 57:49.
Sunday saw a popular fixture in the Harrier running calendar, the Run Bolton Abbey races in aid of Sue Ryder Manorlands Hospice. With routes to suit runners of all abilities, participants can choose a half marathon, ten mile or ten kilometre route, each of which starts and finishes at the Cavendish Pavilion, taking in a mix of riverside and woodland paths, forestry tracks, grassland and open moorland. Two Harriers took on the half marathon option. Lucy Lowe was first over the line in 2:22:40 followed by Nigel Illingworth in 3:02:03. It was a great turnout for the 10k race with eight Harriers competing and finishing with an impressive set of age category results: Geoff Howard was first home and first in his age category in 52:45; Chris Cunningham finished 57:56 just pipping Joanne Williamson by three seconds; Carole Cunningham took first place in her age category in 58:50 closely followed by Jane Bryant in second place in 59:12; Helen Horton was also first in her age category in 59:40; and Laura Tapper and Jacqui Weston came over the line in 1:03:45 and 1:08:43 respectively.
It was also race one of the 2024 PECO Cross Country League on Sunday at Middleton Park in Leeds. The League is a series of five races organised in and around Leeds in which clubs affiliated to the League compete across men’s and ladies divisions. Each race is about 4-5 miles. It was a fantastic turnout for the Harriers. In the Ladies race, Diane Kitchen was first over the line in 44:09, followed by Kate Lofthouse in 53:13, Sarah Lambert in 54:39 and Sally Wright in 57:02. 12 Harriers turned out for the men’s race which was won outright by Nathan Lawson in 25:51, followed by Steve Gott, taking second place in his age category in 29:54. The next three Harriers battled for the line crossing within four seconds of each other: Forrest Hamilton, Daniel McKeown, and Danny Thompson.
And finally, 22 Harriers took to the paths and trails to participate in the weekly parkrun events across the country and there was definitely something in the air at the Roberts Park event with four Harriers posting personal best times: Andrew Smith in 21:37; Jo Foster in 25:26; Vince Gibbons in 26:22; and Rachel Corrigan in 27:58! Elsewhere there were some great top ten finishes: Matthew Thackwray was the first finisher at Conyngham Hall in 17:56; Harry Stead was third finisher at Lancaster in 20:09; Mark Hall was fifth finisher in Lister Park in 17:50; Rachel Barnicoat was the tenth finisher at the Wetherby event; and, taking the Harriers all the way to Rome, Jo Biggins was the sixth finisher at the Caffarella event in 29:13!
Ilkley Gazette report – w/c 6 Nov
Mon 6 Nov 2023
From Will Worboys…
Photo credit Philip Bland
Ilkley win team prize at Guy Fawkes 10
Seventeen Harriers made the journey to Ripley Castle in Nidderdale to tackle the popular ‘Guy Fawkes’ 10 mile road race. This turn out paid off handsomely with some excellent results ensuring that Ilkley took home the men’s team prize. A firm classic on the racing calendar, the event which is traditionally started by Guy Fawkes himself (or at least a lookalike), takes in scenic countryside and villages North West of Harrogate. This year it attracted a bumper crowd with 805 finishers. Of those, Ilkley’s Matthew Thackwray (see photo) came home in a magnificent 3rd place in a time of 57:48. This was all the more impressive when the hilly course with a total elevation of well over 1000ft is taken into account. Five minutes later the next Harrier David Foyston stormed home in 15th position. The women’s race was won by ex-Harrier Jemima Elgood, with Jean Sullivan being the first Ilkley lady to finish. There were several other great results led by Jeff Green who was 1st in the MV55 category, while Danny Thompson and John Hayes both finished 5th in their own age categories. Jaysson Sawyer relentlessly continued his inspirational recovery coming 9th in his category and 70th overall. Other strong runs were had by Iain Young, Steve Murray, Adam Gerrish and Justin Pierce who all finished in the first 100.
Meanwhile on Saturday, Ilkley’s Rachel Carter had a fantastic run to finish 4th lady in the ‘Shepherd’s Skyline’. Named after the Shepherd’s Rest pub where the race starts and finishes, the event includes a boggy traverse of the moors above Todmorden and is one of the tougher 10K’s that runners are likely to endure. The route ascends to the top of the fells twice and passes the famous ‘Stoodley Pike’ monument which is then followed by a death defying descent. Rachel was in 44th place overall and made it home in a time of 60:53. The race was won by Joe Baxter of Pudsey & Bramley and Holly Page of Calderdale.
As always there were plenty of Harriers visiting Saturday morning’s 5K parkruns. The most visited was Roberts Park where nine attended. There were particularly impressive runs from Steve Coy who finished in 7th place and Vince Gibbons who managed yet another PB. Just down the road at Myrtle Park Bingley, James Horrex was first finisher from the 117 who took part. Elsewhere Jane McCarthy was first female at Skipton and Mark Hall and James Lee finished 5th and 8th respectively at Lister Park.
Guy Fawkes – Sun 5 Nov
Sun 5 Nov 2023
From John Hayes…
This classic road race starts and finishes at Ripley Castle, which is a stunning venue. The autumn trees and lovely weather helped ease the pain of running round the surprisingly hilly 10 mile route. It would be impracticable – and probably illegal – for the organisers to hand out goody bags of gunpowder at the end. So, instead, they fill them to bursting with little boxes of Yorkshire tea and plenty of chocolate bars. Quite what Guy Fawkes himself would have made of all this, we will never know. But from what I could tell of the happy faces of the many Harriers at the finish, nobody blew up.
From Jaysson Sawyer…
Let us start by rewinding 12 months. I tried a little jog, half a mile in 4 minutes. That was all I could manage. Went on that day to watch Guy Fawkes 2022. Standing near to the end at the castle munching on my free chocolate bar I told myself I would earn the chocolate next year and run up that hill to complete the race. It was a long journey and one I am still undertaking. Functional neurological disorder has stolen part of my life and I am determined to steal it back. Starting with a park run at Roberts park on the 17th December 2022. A jog walk with many clubmates, coming in at 28:51. 14 further park runs in the next 10 months and now back under 20 minutes. 2 HDSRL races hampered from a fall in April leading to 2 broken ribs, 3 x 10k races a couple of trail races and a very hilly half marathon at Langdale have all got me prepared to keep my promise to myself.
Race morning and I feel the butterflies, racing again with clubmates, family and other friends. The weather was surprisingly good though I swear it was a headwind in every direction! I lined up near the front, though with hindsight not near enough as I lost about 50 places in the first half mile as I really struggle in crowded spaces (my special awareness and sensory processing has been impaired) and let others go by. I made many of those places back as I intended a fast start up till the Birstwith Brute knowing it would slow me down and it sure did. I was surprised how early I had to start walking, but I had lost feeling in my legs and feet after a mile or so, just having a pins and needles type sensation makes it quite difficult to get any feedback from the ground when you run. It is one of many unseen symptoms I now have to manage. I lost about 20 places up the hill most of which I gained back on the flatter and downhill sections. Each of the subsequent hills ended up as impromptu fartleck sessions which wasn’t part of the plan but it meant a few nice chats with the same people as we went back and forth. One of those being Steve Murray who I must thank for his words of encouragement even at the end shouting words of motivation and I dare say letting me pip him to the finish line (I suspect he must have known his chip time would still be quicker than mine!!!!) A lovely race ran with a few club mates, but always room for more next year. Personally I finished in 01:11:15 and was 70/805 gun time 71st on chip (Yes we all know who was 70th don’t we Mr Murray!) I would say mid-pack in terms of Ilkley runners as there were some great performances by the likes of Matthew Thackwray in 3rd (1st Vet 35), David Foyston in 15th (2nd vet 45) and Jeff Green who was 22nd (1st vet 55).
Definitely a tough course that needs a little respect, but one I must admit I found tougher today than maybe I should have after my run at Langdale only a few weeks previous. The recovery is going well but nowhere near complete. There are some aspects that I have been told are long term and are things I will have to live with. There are others I feel I can control such as my running so that is what I will do. Off out for another hilly run tonight, all preparation for PECO. So those that will be there, see you Sunday!!!!!
Shepherd’s Skyline – Sat 4 Nov
Fri 3 Nov 2023
From Rachel Carter…
Another Saturday, another day out for some fell racing with Robert. This time to on the moors above Todmorden for the Shepherd’s Skyline races. The senior race is a runnable 10K route which makes its way up to Stoodley Pike Monument followed by a steep descent (not my forte) before a stiff climb back up the hill with the course then rejoinng the outward route for the descent back to the finish.
The ground was wet and boggy with plenty of slippery rocks and streams to navigate on the well worn paths, but the morning’s cloud lifted as we set off so at least I could see the target of Stoodley Pike Monument. Race HQ is The Shepherd’s Meet pub and having somewhere warm to hover before the race on a cold damp morning and then to head after the race for runner’s pub grub was welcome. Definitely a race to recommend in a place I rarely venture!
Enter the Christmas relays – Tue 19th Dec!
Wed 1 Nov 2023
Timings:
6:45pm Fancy Dress Relay Race Start
7:30pm Drinks & Prize-Giving at the Vaults (Stockeld Road)
Relay route:
Approx. 1.4-mile figure of eight, starting and finishing near the Old Bridge (Denton Road side). Jeffers can run/walk a shorter (0.8 mile) loop.
Rules:
– Teams of 4 to run one leg each.
– Teams of 3 allowed by exception only (e.g. in case of drop-outs) in which case 1 runner runs 2 legs.
– Fancy dress strongly encouraged!
– Juniors (14 and under) must be accompanied by an adult on the route as it will be dark and on roads with variable street-lighting.
‘Fees’ (donation):
£4 per team / £1 per person – ideally one card payment per team please (but cash also accepted). Will be collected on the evening and all donated to Upper Wharfedale Fell Rescue Association.
Prizes:
1. First team.
2. First junior team (all 15-)
3. First mixed team (2F2M).
4. First all-female team
5. First vets team (all F40+ or M55+).
6. Best individual fancy dress.
7. Best team fancy dress.
Everyone welcome!
Please use the comments to declare:
1. Your Gender/Age category (e.g. F40) and
2. Your team name (if you’re entering as part of a full team) or if entering as as individual, please say if you have a preference for the type of team you’d like to join.
Or volunteer here…
Club race league update (inc 2024 races)
Wed 1 Nov 2023
Hello all! As we near the end of the calendar year, I thought it a good idea to make you aware of a few dates for the diary in next year’s club league and bring you up to speed with what’s happening this year.
2024 Race League
I’m still in the process of selecting races and suggestions are always welcome! However, some races are already open for entry for 2024, so I’ve published the first few months’ worth with entry links on the Harriers Race League page.
Race dates for later in the year are not yet confirmed; I do have a number of races on my shortlist, which I will add as we get a bit more clarity on where we can avoid fixture clashes, etc.
2023 Race League
Travelling back in time all the way to the present day, we are down to our last three races for this year. There is a HECK of a tussle going on in the overall standings. Jeff Green has seized the lead and appears to be closing in on his second successive league victory, but there’s still plenty to play for if you want to win a bottle of plonk as a top 10 finisher.
Our fell running champion for 2023 will be confirmed when we have the results from this Saturday’s Burley Moor race. Entire open, EOD also available.
https://www.burleymoorrun.co.uk
The final trail race is the second PECO XC race (Temple Newsam). WHY NOT get some practice in by signing up for the series and getting down to Middleton Park on Sunday. It’s dirt cheap – £17 for five races, PLUS relays – and there’s the additional jeopardy of seeing if we’ve managed to inflate the club tent.
https://racebest.com/races/tq27c
The final road race is the Ribble Valley 10k on 31 December, whereafter we shall know our road running champion AND our overall champion for 2023. https://www.ribblevalley10k.co.uk/event/ribble-valley-10k-2023/
To see how you’re faring in this year’s renewal, head to our race league page to check out the latest standings.