From Jill Ezard…
Photo credit Mick Hall photos (L) and Paul Carman (R)
Personal bests and team success for Harriers in a busy race week on fell and road.
Early in the week, six Harriers took part in the second race in the Leeds Evensplits 5k series at the Brownlee circuit at Bodington Fields. An increasingly popular event, there were some great performances on the track for the team: Matt Cox was first Harrier home in 16:48 taking first place in his age category with Dave Foyston taking second place in 17:14; Petra Bijsterveld took first place in her age category in 23:52; and Rachel Barnicoat, in her first Evensplits event, did a personal best time of 26:39.
The first race of the weekend saw four Harriers tackle the Coledale Horseshoe in the Lake District. Starting at Braithwaite Lodge, the 13.7 km race with over 900m of climb, takes in Grisedale Pike, then Crag Hill before heading through Barrow back to the Lodge. Winter weather conditions made the route very challenging underfoot. Paul Carman was the first Harrier home in 1:46:00. He was followed by Jenny Roberts in 1:56:59, Jann Smith in 2:03:10 and Harry Brook-Dobson in 2:11:10.
Sunday was the busiest day with contrasting races on road and off. Three teams, each of three Harriers, set off in the PECO Cross Country relays, the finale of the race series. Each runner in the team had to tackle a 2.3 mile undulating lap of the course which this year was at Bramley Park. Two of the three teams finished on the podium: The “No (Cross) Country for Old Men” team of Steve Gott, Danny Thompson and Dan McKeown took second place in a total time of 43:16; the “Ilkley Youth” team of Adam Gerrish, Mike Abrams-Cohen and Ed Hobbs took third place in 43:52; the “Old Menstonians” team of Roar Leijssen, David Singleton and Matthew Snow took 15th place in 55:32.
Tackling a longer distance off road were 10 Harriers who took part in the Blubberhouses Moor event. Run by the LDWA, the event is over 23 miles taking in the local landmarks of Swinsty, Fewston and Thruscross Reservoirs, Rocking Hall, Bolton Abbey, a climb up Beamsley Beacon to Round Hill and back to the start via Ellercar Pike and Timble. Mark Mon-Williams was the first Harrier home, taking fourth place overall.
Road runners went a little further afield for their races on Sunday. Three Harriers took on the Wilmslow Half Marathon, a course which takes runners along country lanes closed to traffic towards Mobberley before winding back to Wilmslow. Known as a fast course enabling personal bests, it certainly delivered for the Harriers: Sally Armitage was first home in 1:22:56, a PB for this distance; Emma Sheppard was next in 1:40:14, again a PB and only just behind was Helen Waddington in 1:42:55.
Even further West Lucy Williamson took on the Cardiff Bay 10k. A flat and fast course, the route takes in all of Cardiff Bay’s most iconic landmarks, starting and finishing in Roald Dahl Plass and passing the Wales Millennium Centre, Mermaid Quay, the Pierhead Building, Senedd, Porth Teigr and the Cardiff Bay Barrage. Lucy had a great race finishing in 37:38 both giving her both a personal best time and a top 10 age category position.
Parkrunners kept up the great performances this week with 11 Harriers taking part in the timed 5k events: Mike Abrams-Cohen was the first finisher in 19:31 at the Wetherby event; Jacqui Foster continued her 5k success with a seventh place finish at the Lancaster event in 27:06; Adam Gerrish was fifth at the Chevin Forest event in 21:18; and finally it was a day for PBs at the Roberts Park event with William Wood posting a time of 21:33 and Paula Reynier 25:55.