From Nigel Illingworth…
Photo credit: Woodentops
Harriers excel on the fells and roads.
An excellent week for the Harriers with achievements high on the fells and down on the roads.
Sunday saw many Harriers on the Withins Skyline, a six-mile race passing Top Withens. Jack Cummings was 1st with 41:50, followed by Gawain Moore 3rd MV40 with 48:39, Paul Carman 9th MV40 with 50:48, John Hayes 7th MV50 with 56:00, Katie Poulter 2nd FV40 with 58:29, Jann Smith 5th FV50 with 1:02:59 and Alison Weston 1st FV60 with 1:03:33. Also, Alistair Barlow (1:02:41), Colm McCann (1:04:51) and Katie Hickling (1:13:08).
Saturday’s Wasdale Fell Race is known as one of the toughest races in the BOFRA calendar, with probably the steepest ascent and descent as the race climbs to the summit of Kirk Fell. Gawain Moore was 2nd in the senior race and 1st MV45 with 44.41, followed by Iain Gibbons in 6th with 50:03. Harriers’ juniors also did well with Oscar Shinn 3rd Boy in the U17s with 20:51, Roberts Brooks 2nd Boy in the U14s with 08:05, and in the U12s, Michael Moore was 1st Boy with 04:34, followed by Olly Brooks in 7th with 05:05.
Saturday also saw the Langdale Horseshoe, over a rough, tough course with almost exclusively rocky and slippy ground. Sam Bentham came 3rd with 02:11:48, followed by Michael Burdon with 03:26:02.
On Sunday, Guiseley’s Nunroyd Park hosted the first of four races in the West Yorkshire Cross Country League. Conditions were unusually dry and warm for this 9.5km race. A tight finish saw Edward Hobbs win with 30:27, just 10 seconds ahead of 2nd place and Christos Tzelis in 3rd with 30:39. Stephen Coy was 3rd V50 with 37:53 followed by Adam Gerrish 41:50. There was a separate 5.5km women’s race with Alison Bennett finishing in 38:25. Harriers Juniors also ran well with Rafe Garner 25th and Thomas Bailey 27th in the U11 Boys, Ethan Pickwoad 32nd in the U13 Boys and Joseph Bentham 8th in the U15 Boys.
More Junior Harriers were across the county in Haworth on Sunday for the Penistone Hill Quarry Runs. Michael Moore delivered a brilliant 2nd U13 Boy, and Lerryn O’Neil stormed to 5th in the U11 Girls’ race.
Manchester Half Marathon on Sunday saw Harriers on the road. Steve Newell was 10th M60 with 01:34:16, followed by Michael Ho with 01:49:42 and David Ibbotson with 02:14:37.
Other races this week saw Mark Hall 1st MV65 with 40:32 at Sunday’s Holmfirth 10k.
New for 2025 on Tuesday was the Punk Panther Headtorch Half, a nighttime trail race around Swinsty and Fewston Reservoirs. With the Super Moon hidden by cloud, Darren Hopkinson came 21st with 1:59:05, followed by Petra Bijsterveld, 34th and 1st FV60 with 2:13:10.
Friday’s fast and flat York 5k delivered two fast times from Rhys Jones, 6th M45 with 18:40, followed by Harry Sime, 2nd M60 with 19:44.
In Saturday morning’s weekly parkruns, Harriers dominated the top ten at our home event at Ilkley’s East Holmes Field with Dominic Coy 1st (16:01), James Horrex 3rd (18:26), junior James Lee 6th (19:04), Daniel McKeown 8th (19:21) and Stephen Coy 9th (19:24). Another 1st in Malmö Ribersborg for Alex Foyn (17:51), 2nd for Samesh Chotai at Leamington (16:59), 10th for Harry Brook-Dobson at Keswick (18:47), 9th female for Sally Malir at Lister Park (24:28) and 14th female for junior Isobel Moore at Roberts Park (24:16).