From Nigel Illingworth…
Photo credit: Lynn Donohue
Celebrating 40 Years: A Week of Records and Relays for Ilkley Harriers
This week marks a special milestone for Ilkley Harriers, as the club celebrates its 40th anniversary. To commemorate four decades of running excellence and community, members gathered for the Anniversary Ilkley Skyline Relays on Sunday. The event featured five legs for participants, and it began with a vibrant start as runners set off on the first leg, showcasing some fantastic 80s-themed running gear to match the anniversary celebrations.
The social relay followed the classic circular route of the Ilkley Skyline, starting and finishing at The Hermit pub and covering over 23 miles and 3,000ft of climbing. Almost 50 runners took part, most enjoying one or two legs of the relay. Alex Lewis earned special recognition for completing the entire Skyline course, a feat supported by fresh runners joining for the final leg.
The celebrations then continued at Vitello Lounge in Ilkley, which provided a fantastic setting for reuniting with old friends and meeting founder members. Attendees celebrated club history with photos, memorabilia, and commemorative merchandise, while Phil Atkinson gave a touching speech, reminiscing that the club was founded on values of inclusivity, community, and a shared love of running. Ilkley Harriers, now with over 450 members, is proud to continue those values and welcomes new members at all levels.
Earlier in the week, the Otley 10 on Wednesday saw some fantastic performances. Ed Hobbs led the charge for the Harriers, finishing first overall in a time of 51:40 – a new course record on the revised route. Nathan Edmondson also put in a stellar run, taking third place overall and winning the MV35 category in 54:41. Other notable results at Otley included category firsts from Nick Kealey (MV50, 1:03:36), Lucy Kay (FV40, 1:16:36) and Alison Weston (FV60, 1:29:20), plus Steven Bysouth (second MV40, 1:03:41) and Jean Sullivan (third FV55, 1:27:48). Mike Williams also claimed a first in the MV65 category in 1:18:39, completing a spectacular hat-trick of MV65 wins, following his first-place finishes at the Pete Shields Ilkley 10K and the Harrogate District Summer Race League race in Skipton last week.
On Sunday, Jack Cummings secured a commanding win at the Leeds 10K, crossing the finish line first in 31:00.
Saturday saw Jane McCarthy tackle the iconic Swaledale Marathon. Jane completed the challenging 23.5-mile route, featuring over 4,000ft of climbing, in 3:53. Despite a strong headwind over the first 10 miles, Jane’s tenacity saw her overtake the leading lady with just 5k remaining to cross the line as the first female finisher.
Also on Sunday, Sally Armitage was the sole Ilkley representative at the Windermere Marathon, completing the hilly, rolling course in 3:27:34. An impressive performance saw her finish as the fourth female overall and second in the F45 category. Sally described the event as a fantastic experience, noting the brilliant support.
Saturday also saw parkrun action, kicking off at East Park where Samesh Chotai took an impressive first place in 16:17, earning an 81.0% age grading. Over at Lister Park, Nura and Mariam Allen performed brilliantly to take third and ninth female spots with respective times of 24:43 and 25:20, securing a first and second-place finish in the JW11-14 category. The momentum continued at Roberts Park as Nick Kealey secured fourth place with a swift personal best of 17:54 and a superb 83.1% age grading, while Finn Maxwell followed closely in sixth, also clocking a personal best of 18:27. Meanwhile, at Witton, Stephen Coy finished as fourth male in 20:12, accompanied by Gaenor Coy who crossed the line as eighth female in 29:09.
There were more fine performances at Cliffe Castle, where James Horrex took fifth place in 20:13, and at Dalby Forest, where Michael Odell earned a sixth-place finish with a time of 19:07. Further afield at Edgbaston Reservoir, Jaysson Sawyer crossed the line as seventh male in 18:11, achieving an 80.5% age grading. Chevin Forest saw a double success as David Singleton finished tenth male in 24:11, while Archie Hallworth secured 12th male—and first in the JM10 category—with a personal best of 24:22.
Rounding out the senior runs, Daisy Lowe celebrated a parkrun personal best at Harrogate with a time of 25:54. Finally, at the Riverside Gardens junior parkrun, Anya Pollard took seventh place in 9:33, with Joshua Steward finishing 12th in 10:15.
The anniversary festivities continue this coming Saturday when Ilkley Harriers will be taking over the East Holmes Field parkrun. Again, we are embracing an 80s theme, so fancy dress is strongly encouraged! With suitable music to help you chase a PB, or simply enjoy the route, it promises to be a fantastic morning. We will also be hosting a cake sale to raise vital funds for our chosen charity, Moor Time, which supports children and young people with additional needs. Whether you like running, jogging, walking, or just cake, we look forward to seeing as many of you there as possible!