From Nick Helliwell…
On Saturday, 18 Harriers travelled to Keswick for the highlight of the fell running calendar, the British Fell And Hill Relay Championships. Over 250 teams, each comprising six runners over four legs, gathered from all across the country, for the biggest-ever event of its type. Ilkley had three entries, a men’s open, and competitive mixed and men’s vet teams.
Although the worst of Storm Babet seemed to have moved on, and the event field itself was dry and calm, it was a different matter on the tops, with low cloud cover and cold winds; in running parlance, ‘the clag was down’. Such conditions make navigation tricky, especially for leg three, for which the route is only revealed after its runners have set off and been going for a few minutes! Thankfully all our teams got around safely and quickly, with no navigational issues, though it did include long sections of high-stepping through thick heather, and clinging to the side of a mountain, contouring around to avoid unnecessary climbing or descent. Hard running in big country!
The day started well, with Sam Bentham leading the entire field up the first hill, drawing big cheers from the crowd. The competition was as strong as it could be, but Sam did brilliantly, returning to the event field in a close second. A bright future beckons for Sam and the prospects of the Ilkley team in the years to come, as he represents just one of several strong ‘juniors’ maturing into the senior category. Sam handed over to Forrest Hamilton and Jack Gribbin, who finished first in category for the mixed team, holding on to first place. Alison Weston, Kelly Wilby and Helen Thurston then all had great runs on their legs, bringing the team home in a fantastic 5th place nationally, in category.
The men’s vet team also had a strong showing, with Iain Gibbons, Michael Odell, Matt Cox, Jeff Green, Dan McKeown and Gawain Moore taking them to 10th place for their category.
Although depleted by some late withdrawals, the men’s open team of Gavin Lamb, Nick Helliwell, James Batterley, Ben Sheppard, Paul Carman and Steven Gott had a great day out, finishing 57th in a hugely competitive category.
The return trip on the minibus was full of camaraderie and fun; topping off a wonderful day out as a team. Plenty of new runners involved in relays, and great to see the younger members coming through. Next year’s event is on home turf, in Appletreewick, so no excuses for anything but a clean sweep!