[Archie Budding, the Northern Athletics U20 Indoor 1,500m Champion]
From Peter Shelley & Nicola Budding…
Archie flies at 1,500m Champs while winter conditions test race organisers and runners alike
The Institute of Sport in Sheffield staged the Northern Athletics U20 Indoor Championships over the weekend. Building on his 2nd place finish at the Yorkshire XC Championships a week earlier, Archie Budding took the championship 1st place in the U20M 1,500m, a great start to his indoor season following a very successful outdoor season last year.
Snow and ice played havoc with the week’s outdoor running fixtures and training, but a number of Harriers mastered the conditions in the events which were able to go ahead.
Postponed from December due to Storm Darragh, the Leeds Country Way Winter Ultras took place on Saturday and Sunday 11th-12th January. Competitors tackle two point-to-point ultra-marathons on consecutive days circumnavigating the city of Leeds via local footpaths and bridleways. Ilkley Harriers Chair Jonathan Turner chose this event to make his ultra running debut. Frozen ground and sheet ice posed not only a challenge to running but to navigation as plunging temperatures caused Jonathan’s phone to stop working. His watch followed suit, and the micro spikes attached to his shoes snapped on the 56km southern segment of the circular route. Overcoming these challenges and his own doubts at the end of a tough day one, Jonathan persisted on day two to complete 50 more km and finish the event in 15 hours 29 minutes and 12th place overall, a fabulous achievement.
James Horrex finished 4th in 21:23 at Roundhay, one of the few local parkruns to take place. Sam Angus was 73rd in 24:55, Will Worboys 325th in 31:22 and Natalie Gravett-Foyn 346th in 31:48. 690 ran.
Tom Lambe’s 20:52 placed him 7th in Heartlands parkrun in Cornwall, while Amanda Newham was 32nd in Southall in 31:29.
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.