Ilkley Harriers news archive 2024
Ilkley Gazette report – w/c 25 Nov
Mon 25 Nov 2024
From Jill Ezard…
Storm Bert tried its best to upset the November racing calendar but hardy Harriers were still out over the weekend – ice, snow, ankle deep mud and high winds weren’t going to stop them! First to battle the elements was Jim Ryder who took on the Kendal Mountain Festival 10k trail run. Starting and finishing the centre, the route took participants steeply up out of town to Cunswick Scar via Cunswick Hall, with some steep descents back to the centre. With over 250m of climbing in 10k, and adding in the somewhat treacherous combination of ice underfoot and torrential rain, it was a tough route! Jim battled through the race coming over the line well under the hour in 56:42 and taking second place in his age category. A fantastic result!
Meanwhile, over on the west coast, three young Harriers were taking part in the British Athletics Cross Challenge. All competing in races later in the day, the conditions on the course had deteriorated and were particularly challenging with participants battling two or three laps in horrific mud. Competing in a tough field from across the UK, Archie Budding and Christos Tzelis were out first in the U20 race, with Archie coming over the line in 45th position in 14:41 and Christos in 113th in 15:47. Ed Hobbs was the sole representative in the slightly longer and even muddier U23 race, coming 34th in 18:45. Well done to the team for braving the elements!
Sunday’s warmer temperatures provided three Harriers with better conditions at the Northern Masters Ken Mayor 5k Championships. This is the annual championship for members of the Northern Masters Athletic Club (with an open race for anyone over 35). The race, held at The Brownlee Centre in Leeds saw competitors race over three laps of the circuit, and saw the Harriers’ contingent securing fantastic age category placings: Shaunna Burke had a fantastic run taking first place in her age category in a time of 22:21; Helen Waddington took second place in her age category in 22:57; and Dick Waddington was third in his age category in 21:14. A fantastic one, two, three!
And not content with representing the club on Saturday, Christos Tzelis was in action again on Sunday at the Doncaster City 10k race. Heading out from Doncaster Racecourse, the race sees participants complete a tour of Doncaster before a potentially fast, flat finish back to the racecourse. The challenges of the previous day didn’t seem to adversely impact Christos who put in a great performance to finish in eighth place overall and second in his age category in 32:48. Christos was joined in the race by Dave Foyston who finished in the top ten for his age category in 37:33. Well done to both!
Our juniors were impacted by the cancellation of most of the parkruns. In fact only one brave Harrier took part in one of the weekly parkrun events, and that’s only because he wasn’t in the UK! Dan Hayes took part in the Kralingse Bos event in Rotterdam, completing the course in 29:32. Well done to Dan!
Doncaster 10k – Sun 24 Nov
Sun 24 Nov 2024
From Neil Chapman…
Christos Tzelis went back to run the race that he won last year, which was again a 3300 entry sell out. In windy conditions, and having completed the Liverpool Cross Challenge the day before it was perhaps not surprising that he couldn’t take the win, but nevertheless he had a great race, which in Christos’s words he took at a steady pace, finishing in eighth place in a time of 32.48.
I am sure that most Harriers would have been more than happy to finish with that steady pace time!! Well done Christos.
Liverpool Cross Challenge – Sat 23 Nov
Sat 23 Nov 2024
From Neil Chapman…
Three of our young Harriers made the trip over to the Liverpool Cross Challenge at the weekend which attracts many of the country’s best cross country runners. The first part of the challenge was getting out of Ilkley’s sudden snowy conditions. Although the conditions were much different for the race with the sudden thaw providing plenty of mud.
In the U20 race Archie Budding picked the right starting spot and had a great race finishing 45th in a large high quality field. Christos Tzelis had to start from the back and struggled to progress through the congested field of combined U17 and U20 runners eventually making his way up to finish 113th in this relatively short 4.5k race. Ed Hobbs elected to do the longer U23 race and had a good run finishing in a highly respectable 34th place. Well done guys.
Kendal Mountain Festival Trail Race – Sat 23 Nov
Sat 23 Nov 2024
From Jim Ryder…
Conditions were rough for this ‘10k’ (nearer 11k) race from the heart of Kendal. Part of the Kendal Mountain Festival the race starts up Beast Banks to circuit around Scout Scar before finishing down fields and steep cobbles into Kendal. Torrential rain throughout with ice on top meant plenty of tumbles. The field was down on the usual 1000 runners due to the snows of Storm Bert. We were up for the Festival – so OK to get to the race. I was 2nd V55 (behind a few V60+). Not sure if the other Harriers entered managed to make it as official results aren’t out yet, and most runners had waterproofs over club vests!
Jim Ryder 128/674 56’42”
Ilkley Gazette Report – w/c 18 Nov
Mon 18 Nov 2024
From Will Worboys…
Photo credit Woodentops
Harriers breaking records up and down the country
Some brilliant performances last weekend from the Harriers with Ilkley runner Jack Cummings leading the way. Cummings enjoyed the ride back from Alton Towers after smashing the course record for the Half Marathon which took place there on Sunday. Cummings was the sole Harrier who made the trip to the theme park in Staffordshire and bettered his time last year when he was 2nd, finishing with a brilliant time of 1:10:31, which was two minutes quicker than the next finisher. Cummings has recently returned to racing following injury in the summer and is looking forward to more wins in upcoming races.
Also in the Midlands, Mark Hall continued his assault on Ilkley Harriers all time club records, finishing as 1st V60 at the Derby 10 mile race by some considerable margin. Hall lowered his own record for the category by a minute and a half to 59:34 as well as taking the Harriers V55 record in the process. Hall finished 64th overall out of a field of over 1,600 competitors.
Back in Yorkshire at the Tadcaster 10 mile race, more Ilkley runners shone, with Ed Hobbs posting a brilliant time of 52:12 to finish in 4th place. Hobbs’ outstanding performance can be put in context by the fact that his time was only 23 seconds outside a club record that has stood for 34 years. The second Harrier back was Iain Young who finished 69th overall in a time of 1:03:39, which was his best time at this the distance for over two years. Next Ilkley runner to finish was Phil Joyner who came home in a time of 1:09:24. Finally Geoffrey Howard was first in his V75 category and finishing in an amazing time of 1:21:31.
Meanwhile, Temple Newsam was the venue for the first PECO cross country race of the five race winter series. An undulating course with an uphill finish, with both the men’s and ladies’ races being the same distance of 4.3 miles at this series, the event invited a good turnout from Ilkley Harriers. Some excellent results were had too despite the mud, with Sally Malir and Rachel Carter both finishing 4th in their respective categories with the latter being 20th overall of the 388 finishers. Kate Archer also had a fine run to finish 6th in her category.
In the men’s race Oscar Shinn was first Harrier home coming in 14th of the 473 runners. Gawain Moore followed in 22nd and finishing 2nd in his age category. George Whittlestone also finished in the first 100. There were other superb runs from Peter Shelley who was 3rd V55 with Jim Ryder 8th in the same category.
In the Junior 1 Mile Race, Michael Moore had an excellent third place finish coming home in 6:27, with Isobel Moore finishing in 7:17 and Maisie Wilby following on in 10:37. Ollie Holder led the Harriers home in the Junior 2 Mile Race with a great 5th place in a time of 8:55. Amelia Nichols and Lily Singleton both ran well finishing in 11:37 and 13:12 respectively.
On Saturday was the traditional ‘Harriers vs Cyclists’ race which takes place around Baildon and Shipley Glen. It may seem a bit unfair to pit runners v cyclists, but the uneven and hilly terrain is a great leveller in this annual race. Although on this occasion it was actually won by a cyclist albeit by only one minute. Jeff Green of Ilkley could have taken part in either discipline but chose to run and won his category in a time of 42:42; finishing 34th overall. Kelly Wilby also did very well to finish as 9th runner. The other Ilkley runners to take part were Duncan Cooper who finished 65th and Colm McCann who was 67th.
There were more good performances at the various parkruns around the country and further afield. Alexander Wolfenden continued his parkrun success, this time finishing in 1st place at Lister Park in the fast time of 17:27. John Denniss was first finisher at Chevin Forest in18:20, with Robert Cunningham coming in 6th of the 152 participants. Nicola Budding came 3rd at Myrtle in Bingley. A great turnout at Roberts Park with Lucy Hayes finishing 6th, Adam Gerrish 10th and John Hayes 12th. Nigel Illingworth was 4th Harrier home going under 25 minutes for the first time in a while. Over at Heslington near York David Foyston did well finishing 4th. At Skipton, junior runner Rafe Garner was first in his age category (JM10) and 42nd overall in 24:14. Finally, a special mention to Andrew Smith who travelled all the way to Rome and finished 12th at Caffarella parkrun, only to find he wasn’t even the first Harrier over the line! Well done to Harry Brook-Dobson who came 2nd at the Italian event.
Tadcaster 10M – Sun 17 Nov
Sun 17 Nov 2024
From Iain Young…
I’m pleased for hitting my new 10 mile PB for the first time in 2 years, fingers crossed many more PB’s to come in the not too distant future and avoid injury. Well Done to Phil Joyner, Edward Hobbs and Geoffrey Howard who also ran today.
From Geoff Howard…
I’m sure that like many other members I often have a tune running through my head during road race. Ray Charles’s “Hit the Road Jack” would have been particularly apposite yesterday as five miles into the Tad 10, and feeling pleased to have successfully navigated around a couple running side by side, concentration was lost and a full frontal onto the tarmac ensued. The very kind couple urged staying put until any amount of emergency help arrived but it was very cold and isolated and all thoughts were on not losing time. Amazing upon resurfacing, those in front seemed no further away and I guess that only a few seconds were lost. The wonderful first aiders at the finish sorted out the somewhat bloody legacy of the tumble. Despite all that, it was a satisfying morning at a very well organised event.
Derby 10M – Sun 17 Nov
Sun 17 Nov 2024
From Mark Hall…
This is a flat course with only a few little inclines however, it twists and turns through a couple of parks with sharp turns and finishing on a path at the side of the river. Over 1600 finished. I was 64th (my age!). I was 1st V60 in 59.34.
(Editor’s note: with this time Mark breaks his own previous M60 record (1:01:05) as well as the M55 record of 1:00:10 held by Eddie Irving since 2011)
God’s Own Back Yard Ultra – Sat 16 Nov
Sat 16 Nov 2024
From Ash Winter…
On Saturday 16th November I took part in the autumn version of the Gods Own Backyard Ultra in Leeds, managing 15 yards of 4.167 miles, a total of 62.51 miles or 100.6 kilometres. I timed out in the 16th yard, nothing left in the tank, hamstrings, ankles, knees and hips all complaining bitterly! There was a day yard which was mostly trail in Bramley Falls and a night yard which followed the Leeds-Liverpool Canal. The day yard was much more fun, with a lovely downhill in the last mile through the autumn leaves. The furthest I had ever run in a day was a marathon, so I hoped to get to 50 miles. Turns out I also hit my second goal of 100km as well! 100 miles was my third goal but a bit of work to do on endurance to get there. Maybe next time 🙂
Tour of Pendle – Sat 16 Nov
Sat 16 Nov 2024
From Peter Roll…
Warning this report contains comments about running shoes that some might find nerdy:
It might have been so different, with some worrying forecasts but, we were blessed with relatively kind weather and with clear views. Katie Poulter, Charles Wain, Martin Hartley and I seemed to be the only Harriers competing. Katie, Charles and yours truly finishing within a few minutes of each other. Presuming Martin had finished, had his soup, bread, cake, cuppa and off on his way home before we bowled in. The 3 of us seemed to have had good runs, Katie & I improved on our times from last year by possibly 15 minutes of so. The results haven’t been published yet so we’ll wait and see. In Katie’s case this was obviously down to pure talent, as her recent FRA relays performance demonstrates. However, not so sure with me. (Nerdy Fell Shoe comment) Some of it might might be down to me wearing the new Inov8 MudTalons. I’ve never got on with Inov8’s well but, the new Talons have a 6mm heel to toe drop, more cushioning & possibly more support and were very comfortable for the whole route even the last tarmac section into Barley. Last year I wore La Sportiva Mutants which were fine but, Jann Smith showed mudclaws were significantly better for the terrain as she ably demonstrated whizzing past me on the descent.
Either way the race this year was bogtastic and thoroughly enjoyable.
Results
75th – Martin Hartley – 03:08
118th – Peter Roll – 03:33
208th – Charles Wain 03:38
213th – Katie Poulter 03:39
Ilkley Gazette Report – w/c 11 Nov
Mon 11 Nov 2024
From Peter Shelley…
Photo credit: Run Tatton
Ilkley Harriers excel across multiple distances, disciplines and age categories in a busy week of autumn running
Saturday 9th November saw the Podium 5k race take place at Barrowford. Covering multiple laps of the Steven Burke Sport Hub cycle track, the race is staged in ‘waves’ based on expected completion times. Conducive to fast times, the event attracted 349 competitors from across the UK this year. Two Ilkley Harriers braved this competitive environment. Sally Armitage finished in a highly creditable 18:47 to beat the 5k club record set in 2008 by Alison Bennett. Running in the elite sixth wave, Christos Tzelis managed an outstanding 14:32. His performance took 16 seconds off his previous best and puts him within seven seconds of Dom Coy’s 2023 club record.
A further noteworthy performance at the 5k distance took place on Thursday 7th November with Daniel Fazackerley running 15:36 to finish 8/178 in the EvenSplits race, a fixture held monthly from February to November at the University of York Sport Village Cycle Circuit.
The third race of the West Yorkshire Cross Country League took place on Sunday 10th November at Middleton Park in Leeds. Rachel Carter finished 24th of 64 and fourth vet 45 in the ladies race which was won by Katie Wood from City of York AC. Ed Hobbs’ run of form continued with an excellent third place in the men’s race, nine seconds behind winner Joe Sagar from Leeds City AC. Strong finishes by Christos Tzelis in 18th (notwithstanding his Podium 5k effort the day before!), Dan McKeown in 36th, Steven Gott in 75th, Stephen Morris in 96th and David Westhead 102nd of 131 consolidated Ilkley’s position in the team rankings with one race to go.
Harriers enjoyed Sunday’s calm conditions and autumn colours at Sue Ryder Run Bolton Abbey. The event offered a variety of races of different distances on trails across the estate. In the 10km event Joanne Williamson was first Harrier home in 30th place of 353 finishers with a time of 50:48. Geoffrey Howard’s time of 53:06 placed him 49th overall and first in the MV75 category by some margin. Geoff was followed by Harriers Sue Williamson and Nic Anness. In the half marathon, which featured a long climb to Barden Fell, Kate Archer finished in 1:52:12, 23rd of 170 and first lady 45. Jonathan Sinclair was first male 60 home followed by Bob Hamilton first male 65, Lucy Lowe and Caroline Tong.
On the outskirts of North Leeds the Holly Hustle took runners on a challenging 10.5km trail run through woods and green spaces. Tony Pye finished in 53:12 and Sally Malir in 1:02:07, 17th and 45th of 92 respectively.
Further afield, Jane McCarthy triumphed at the Tatton Park half marathon finishing 84th of 1,751 runners and first lady 50 in a rapid 1:29:20.
Kay Pearce enjoyed success in Wales with a time of 5:15:49 placing her 42/140 in the Gower marathon which covers coastal and inlands trails across the peninsular and more than 1,000m of ascent.
Rob Green and Luke Watkeys took on the Cheviots in the Wooler Trail Marathon climbing and descending over 1,837m to finish in 5:14 and 6:37 for 6th and 36th places of 133 respectively.
Parkrun highlights included a 2nd place (of 226) and a new personal best in Skipton for Samesh Chotai with a time of 17:31, Harry Sime 16th place at Fountains Abbey in a time of 20:11 and Rachel Carter 135th (of 825) at Woodhouse Moor in a time of 22:39. Harry Brooks-Dobson achieved a new personal best of 20:18 at Lister Park.
West Yorkshire XC – Sun 10 Nov
Sun 10 Nov 2024
From Rachel Carter...
Race 3 in the West Yorkshire Cross Country league was held on the old golf course at Middleton Park. As race hosts Leeds City AC ensured we were treated to a tough hilly course and one which was good for spectators to join in with some hill reps as the laps comprised loops that came off a ‘central sloping spine’. With a lack of recent rain, the cross country season continued to be bereft of mud ensuring some pacey running for those at the sharp end. I was the only Ilkley lady in the Senior Women’s race and finished a few places down on the last race but remained in position against a couple of other Vet.40/45 ladies I know, so was happy with that! The men fielded 6 so enough for a team (8th) with Ed Hobbs taking an amazing 3rd place. Racing on the back of his Podium 5K the day, repeating his form of Race 2 was going to be tough for Christos Tzelis but he finished a credible 16th. Dan McKeown, Steve Gott, Stephen Morris and Dave Westhead completed the team. The last race is in the series is in early December at Rothwell so maybe if it rains before then we will finally see some mud!
Princeton Half Marathon – Sun 10 Nov
Sun 10 Nov 2024
From Rebecca Mon-Williams…
When we found out that the Princeton Half Marathon was taking place during our visit across to see our son, Ruaridh, it felt rude for at least one of us not to take part. In the event it was a mother and son affair, with Mark offering lots of on-course cheer and encouragement.
The route itself was a sightseers’ delight, taking us past the Princeton Battlefield, Einstein’s House, the Institute for Advance Study (think Oppenheimer), Princeton University, Lake Carnegie, and along many of the towns New England streets looking gorgeous in the fall colours.
Although the course was predominantly road, there was a nice bit of trail thrown in for good measure, along with a few hills. On-course support was vocal and enthusiastic, in a way only the Americans can be. I love it.
The race started at 7am on a very chilly, crisp, clear morning. So all done and dusted by breakfast. Perfect.
Results:
1st male: Ruaridh Mon-Williams 1.09.35
1st female: Ingrid Wells 1.23.13
321 Rebecca Mon-Williams 1.43.44
1634 finishers
Tatton Park Half Marathon – Sun 10 Nov
Sun 10 Nov 2024
From Jane McCarthy…
A first trip for me to Cheshire’s National Trust owned Tatton Park on Sunday to run the Half Marathon event (they host a 10K on the Saturday). On entering the park it was a quintessential English country estate scene with rutting stags along a tree-lined avenue in morning sunshine. Almost worth the entry fee already. The route was largely within the estate grounds on tarmac or good paths, undulating and very picturesque. Two laps meant plenty of support along the way and there was generally a very good atmosphere all morning. Lots of portaloos and parking, couldn’t really fault it. The easy 1hr 15min drive there was more of a slog back, circling Manchester on a Sunday afternoon not so good for the soul. But if you’ve never visited Tatton Park I would recommend it.
1. Danny Cliffe 1:07:49
84. Jane McCarthy 1:29:20
1751 finishers
Podium 5k – Sat 9 Nov
Sat 9 Nov 2024
From Neil Chapman…
Christos Tzelis went over to Barrowford to take part in their last Podium 5k of the year. The pressure was on even before the gun as he had a target in mind to reduce his PB by 16 seconds and get under 15 minutes for the first time. Running in the last and fastest of the four races, he ran a smart race with the first four laps run at an identical pace that put him on target to get under 15 minutes.
He clearly had left something in reserve, as he wound it up and had a stunning last lap to finish in 14.32, which was a PB by 43 seconds, a massive amount relative to his time. Whilst others were lying on the grass after the finish trying to get some air back in their lungs, Christos jogged off to meet his mum and dad to find out what was for tea? Well done Christos, a great result.
From Sally Armitage…
The fastest, flattest 5k in the north. I have frequented this race a number of times in the past chasing 5k PBs, albeit not for 4 and half years. After COVID the race started to cater more for elites, with fewer and fewer events for the rest of us. Last night’s race was a ‘10 years of Podium’ celebration event and was open to all, with graded races from sub 14:30 to sub 18:30 plus one ‘open’ race. It was meticulously organised, chip timed and ran like clockwork. Conditions were absolutely perfect, fast times were guaranteed.
I had been over ambitious on the entry form and had been placed in the sub 18:30 race, in hindsight this benefited me, but last night I was petrified. The field was fast, young and certainly looked elite. I positioned myself at the very back, and hoped to hang on. The first km was far quicker than I would’ve liked and I genuinely thought I wasn’t going to be able to keep up and had already planned my drop out point, but I felt better as the kms were ticked off, I finished with 3 runners behind me and was pleased not to be running my final lap alone. Christos was also in attendance, in the fastest race of the night, the sub 14:30. He ran an astounding race in 14:32, which I think is only 7 seconds off the all time club record.
The calibre of this race was evident in the results, 349 athletes ran, 328 of them ran sub 20 minutes. Despite Christos’ mind boggling time of 14:32, he finished in 40th place (I am certain he will be in the top 10 in the coming years). It was a great experience, if rather intimidating!
(Edit:Sally was too modest to say that this is a new F45 club record for the 5k, the previous record of 18:58 by Alison Bennett having stood since 2008).
1st male Robin Hendrix 13:35
1st female Hannah Nuttall 15:18
40th Christos Tzelis 14:32
301st Sally Armitage 18:47
349 ran
Ilkley Gazette Report – w/c 4 November
Mon 4 Nov 2024
[Photo courtesy of Christopher Morris – Ed Hobbs on his way to a record-breaking win at the Guy Fawkes 10]
From Jill Ezard…
Course records broken and age categories dominated!
There were fantastic performances on fell, trail and road this weekend for the Harriers with some outstanding results. Saturday saw two Harriers take part in the It’s Grim Up North Mother Shipton’s Soft Shoe Shuffle. This trail running event sees participants taking on a beautiful 6.5-mile loop, with a choice of various distances. The route starts from the centre of Knaresborough, climbing gently up through parkland onto the old railway track between Knaresborough and Harrogate, surrounded by beautiful countryside, finishing back in the town. Natalie Gravett-Foyn and Alex Foyn both took on the 10k(ish) challenge, with Natalie having a great run to finish in the top ten in 57:35 and Alex storming over the line in 43:44 to take second place!
Slightly further afield Dave Robson continued his quest to try out a new race every month in 2024 with an outing to Todmorden for the Shepherd’s Skyline Fell race. A 10km race with 350m of ascent this is not for the faint-hearted, with some tough climbs and technical, muddy descents around Stoodley Pike. Dave had a fantastic run, finishing in the top 20 and taking first place in his age category in 52:11. He was joined by Jim Ryder who came over the line in 1:01:30 and Duncan Cooper in 1:04:04.
The ever-popular Guy Fawkes 10 took place on Sunday, attracting a 22-strong team of Harriers this year, yet again lured no doubt by the goodie bag of chocolate the event is renowned for! A hilly ten-mile race, the event starts and finishes at Ripley Castle and is run mostly on the road with a couple of sections of bridleway. There were some outstanding results: Ed Hobbs challenged the lead from the start and put in a blistering performance to win the race in a course record of 54:04; next over the line was Jaysson Sawyer continuing his run of form to take third place in his age category in 1:05:24; Iain Young, returning from injury, put a great run in to be the third Harrier home in 1:07:35; battling for age group top five positions were Peter Shelley and John Hayes who took fourth and fifth positions respectively; Rachel Carter and Jane McCarthy were the first female Harriers home both having superb races to take first place in their age categories – Rachel was sixth female in 1:09:55 and Jane seventh, just seconds behind in 1:10:08; and there were other top ten age group positions for Mike Williams, Marc Westerman and Alison Weston. Well done to all members who took part!
Clearly wanting to get in on election fever in the States, Dick and Helen Waddington crossed the Atlantic to take part in the New York City Marathon on Sunday. This iconic marathon takes participants through all five boroughs of New York City, starting on the Verrazzano–Narrows Bridge on Staten Island and passing through Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan, and the Bronx, before finishing in Central Park. Dick was first over the line in 3:48:15 with Helen just behind in 3:52:58 coming an impressive 115th out of 1,364 in her age category! Well done both!
It has been a very quiet weekend of racing for our Juniors, no doubt due to the school holidays! Nonetheless some good parkrun results for those who took part. James Lee once again had a fabulous top ten finish at Lister Park, coming home in seventh place overall (and first in his age category JM 11-14) with a time of 19:15. Over at Roberts Park, Ethan Pickwoad completed the course in 22:25 (second in his age category of JM10 and 47th overall out of a huge field of 526).
And 20 Senior Harriers took part in one of the weekly parkrun events across the UK with some great achievements. Kate Archer joined in the fun at the Bedworth event and was the first female finisher. And Tom Adams had similar success at Cliffe Castle where his time as first finisher gave an impressive age grading of 82.77%. Even more impressive was Mark Hall at the Lister Park event where he achieved an age grading of 88.78%. At the Chevin event, Danny Thompson had a great run and was ninth finisher and Tom Mountain set a new PB! Also setting a PB at the Myrtle event was Nicola Budding who was also the sixth female finisher. Congratulations to all who took part in an event.
Ilkley Harriers is a friendly welcoming club, open to all. If you would like to try us out, please register first on the training page at www.ilkleyharriers.org.uk and then come along to our main club night at 6.45pm on Tuesdays, meet upstairs at Ilkley tennis and squash club.
Guy Fawkes 10 – Sun 3 Nov
Sun 3 Nov 2024
[Photo courtesy of Andrew Smith – Peter Shelley and Iain Young early on in the popular race]
From Iain Young…
First of all, congratulations to Ed Hobbs, not only for finishing first but also breaking the course record in this year’s race.
For me, having made a return from plantar fasciitis that I picked up from doing the Ilkley Half earlier in the year, I am super pleased I got to take part in this year’s Guy Fawkes 10, which may be the last race from Ripley Castle. And for finishing a few minutes sub 70, plus I was only a few seconds over my course best which was two years ago, making this one my second-fastest effort.
Well done to all the other Harriers who also ran and finished strong.
Shepherd’s Skyline Fell Race – Sat 2 Nov
Sat 2 Nov 2024
From Dave Robson…
I continued my attempt to run a new race each month this year, with a trip to Todmorden for the Shepherd’s Skyline fell race. Around 200 turned up to run the 6 mile, 350m route from the Shepherd’s Rest pub HQ to Stoodley Pike and back.
It’s a great, low-key, £5 on-the-day race, with some good technical sections and a fast downhill finish.
It was good to see fellow Ilkley Harriers, Jim Ryder and Duncan Cooper at the start.
Wooler Trail Marathon – Sat 2 Nov
Sat 2 Nov 2024
[Photo – Rob and Luke before the start]
From Luke Watkeys and Rob Green…
On Saturday we tackled the Wooler Trail Marathon, a challenging 46km (28.5-mile) race through Northumbria National Park, complete with 1,800 meters (6,000 feet) of elevation gain and breathtaking views. Rob had booked the race months ahead, making a half-term family trip of it with a week spent in a cosy cottage, exploring the area and mentally preparing for the course. For Luke, it was a more spontaneous affair. Originally set to run the Yorkshire Marathon a few weeks earlier, a foot injury had thrown off those plans, and he wasn’t about to let the training go to waste. Neither of us had raced this distance on trails before, so this was very much an adventure into the unknown.
Rob’s race
This was about training for a longer distance than I had raced before, so setting off with friends Luke and Liam was an excellent way to try and restrain my pace. We took the first 10km (6 miles) nice and easy, and with the gentle gradients and mild weather, it felt like we had a pleasant day out ahead of us.
But then my enthusiasm got the better of me on the long, steep climb up the Cheviot, Northumberland’s highest peak, looming at 800m (2,600 ft). The sense of ascending into the wild as the wind and rain picked up only egged me on faster. Going over the top, a section of slippery flagstones brought some recovery as I slowed to reduce my risk of falling.
Then the clouds parted, the rain eased, and I could enjoy the views as we raced along the Scottish-English border with exhilarating descents, leg-sapping bogs and sharp ramps. By now, with my legs feeling battered and beaten, the second half of the race was about hanging on. Aided by some long, gradual descents and heartwarming cheers from a supporters gang (including my toddlers running along the track towards me), I managed to keep moving. I almost cracked as a short section of road running brought sharp pains and threats of cramp, but with only 10 km to go, I pushed on up the final hill and was relieved to find there were no chasers in sight.
Trundling down the final descents into Wooler, I felt a great personal satisfaction that I’d completed my first marathon and had also had a fantastic adventure across some rugged and beautiful hills that I had never visited before.
Luke’s race
For my race, let’s just say things didn’t exactly go according to plan. For the first hour, Rob, Liam, and I enjoyed the mild autumn weather, meandering along the trails at a comfortable pace. It was a chance to catch up and enjoy being out there. But about 10km in, we hit the first major test: the ascent of the Cheviot; it was here that things started to unravel.
In just shorts and my Harriers top, I felt fine at the base, but as we climbed higher, I slowed down, and the temperature plummeted. Mist descended, chilling everything and reducing visibility, and just before reaching the top, I hit a stretch of loose scree, and a wave of cramp caused me to collapse. Thankfully, some kind-hearted runners came to the rescue, helping with a field massage. I swapped to trousers and a waterproof, but the damage was done; my legs never really recovered, and from there, it was all about finding a way to keep moving forward.
What followed was a real test of mental resilience. There was plenty of jeffing, lots of stretching breaks, and no shortage of mental pep talks to push through each kilometre. The beauty of the landscape was a real morale boost – misty hills, rugged trails, and sweeping views – but even more uplifting was the camaraderie with fellow runners and the encouragement from marshals along the way. Every checkpoint felt like a mini victory.
The final 5km was the highlight. By that point, I knew I’d make it, and a sense of relief set in, making the pain just that bit easier to ignore. The gradient and terrain eased up, and I found a bit of rhythm, eventually crossing the finish. It wasn’t the race I had pictured, but completing it was a triumph in itself. And though my legs are currently in a dubious state, I somehow already know I’ll be back for more of the same.
Results
(1, 4:24, Russel Walsh, Cheviot Trail Runners)
6, 5:14, Robert Green
(9, 5:28, Sara Robson)
Joint 36, 6:37, Luke Watkeys
133 ran