From Jill Ezard…
Photo credit Steve Brown
July continues with podium and category success for Harriers on road and trail.
Ilkley Harriers were off to a flying start this week with team and individual first places and course records at the Danefield Relay on 3rd July. Run on the eastern side of the Chevin Country Park, the race consists of three 5km legs of the same lap. Deceptively flat/downhill at the beginning, participants are faced with a challenging climb of c500ft in the final mile. Two senior teams took part in the event. The men’s team of Oli Murphy, Tom Adams and Nathan Edmondson stormed home in 50:54 taking first place and the course record. And a mixed vets team featuring three Harriers – Gavin Lamb, Rachel Carter and Nick Helliwell – also had a superb run completing the relay in 1:06:32 taking first place in their category. To add to the success, Tom and Nathan were also first in their individual categories with Nathan taking the individual course record that Jack Wood set in 2018. A mention also for the Junior Harriers team of Oscar Shinn, Alex Wolfenden and Archie Budding who took seventh place overall and first place in their category in 57:09:90.
Continuing on the trails, three Harriers took part in Lakeland Trails events in Ambleside on Saturday. There are four events ranging from 14km through to 100km, all taking in the trails and peaks around Ambleside. Mary Fairclough took on the 55km challenge event. The route includes three mountain passes, with 7,000 ft ascent and takes in some of the most dramatic mountain scenery in the Lake District. Despite the challenging weather conditions of humidity and storms, Mary had an outstanding run completing in 8:54:38 and taking third place. A superb achievement for her first ultra distance event! Slightly later in the day, Dick Waddington and Emma Sheppard took part in the 23km event which shares some of the final sections of the ultra courses with spectacular views guaranteed. Dick was first home in 2:49:27 with Emma just behind in 2:51:56 taking fourth place in her age category.
Yet more trail success at the Punk Panther Otley High Trails event where participants choose from four distances. Gavin Lamb had a fantastic run out in the 20 mile race starting from Otley, taking in part of the Dales High Way on to Ilkley Moor and returning through Menston. Gavin completed the race in second place overall in a superb time of 3:31:35.
Further afield on the fells three Harriers entered the Wasdale ‘Horseshoe’ Fell race on Saturday. A tough race of 34km and 2750m of climb, the route takes participants up some notable climbs: Pillar, Great Gable and a final challenging climb up Scafell Pike. A route not for the faint hearted, Oli Murphy, Simon Bell and Jack Gribbin took on the challenge. Oli was the first home in a superb seventh place overall in 4:24:37 achieving a silver class certificate for finishing the race in under 4.5 hours. Simon and Jack finished in over 5 hours gaining second class certificates, all certificates being signed by fell legend Joss Naylor.
Closer to home but still on the fells, it was a Harriers League counter on Saturday for those who entered the Baildon Carnival Canter, a 5km race with a scenic climb up Baildon moor to the trig point at Hope Hill and a descent that is described as a good “let’s go for it” route to the finish. Jack Cummings had a stellar run taking first place in 18:19. Justin Pierce and Adam Gerrish finished in the top 20 in 22:55 and 23:03 respectively, with Peter Shelley, fresh from his solo ‘Bob Graham Round’ success, just behind in 23:06 and taking third in his age category. Well done team!
There was also success on the road this week. 11 Harriers took part in the Hollybank Eccup 10 mile race, an undulating route on closed rural roads and a scenic route around Eccup reservoir. Always popular, it’s a competitive race and the Harriers were on good form. Jack Wood took second place in 53:48, with new member Gawain Moore having a superb race and coming over the line in 59:30 and second in his age category. A battle royal between Dave Foyston and Mike Abrams-Cohen finished with Dave just pipping Mike at the post by one second in 1:03:55! There were category successes for Martin Stubbs, completing in 1:16:36 and taking third place and Hilda Coulsey completing in 1:29:42 and taking second place.
And finally, it was a quieter week for parkrunners with only 11 Harriers venturing out on Saturday morning for the weekly timed 5km events. At the Harrogate event Matthew Thackwray had an excellent run and was first finisher in 16:26. Mike Abrams-Cohen travelled to Selby this week and the third finisher there in 18:36. Roberts Park had a good turnout of four Harriers with Steve Newell the first over the line in 20:26, just outside the first 20 finishers.