Ed and Sam battle it out heading up to the Beacon [Photo credit: Paul Stephens]

From Forrest Hamilton…

It was a case of deja-vu at Beamsley Beacon this year as two Harriers raced off into the distance on a stinking hot evening… Ed Hobbs, who recently won the Leeds Half Marathon, and Sam Bentham, fresh off representing England in the U18 Mountain Running Cup, flew away from the gun.

Sam led (from what I could gather in my infrequent glances up the hill) for most of the climb up to Beamsley Beacon but Ed took the lead shortly before the summit and evidently raced away on the descent. After a missed turn off the road last year, he wasn’t to make the same mistake again and ended up winning by just over a minute. 

Sam came home over 30 seconds clear of third, a very impressive run indeed by both of them. Kudos also for being first through the breach of the nettle-infested snicket and at least clearing something of a path for the rest of us.

After a battle with a number of Pudsey & Bramley vests on the descent for the second time in a week, Ilkley also took home the team prize (sure, thanks to Ed & Sam, I could have jogged home in 27th for the same result, but who was to know).

Results:

1 Ed Hobbs 33:26

2 Sam Bentham 34:31

9 Forrest Hamilton 38:13

31 Dave Robson 41:20

42 James Battersley 43:10

91 Bob Hamilton 50:14

97 Kelly Wilby 51:54

105 Alison Weston 52:31

109 Catherine Crawley 52:48

118 Abbie Rothery 55:54

150 finished