From Peter Shelley & Nicola Budding…
A major record tumbles amid individual and team successes for Ilkley Harriers on road, fell and trail.
The Manchester Marathon is a major spring fixture in the road running calendar. The flat course combined with Sunday’s unusually favourable running conditions of low wind, cool temperatures and sun offered excellent pb potential. Step up Matthew Thackwray, road running specialist with a record of race victories and fast times at 5k, 10k and half-marathon, now running in an England Masters MV40 vest. Anyone who has run a kilometre under or close to 3:30 will know the training and effort required. Matthew reeled off 42.2 such kilometres with great consistency to run not only his personal best marathon in a stunning 2:26:41 but to take 24th place of 27,977 finishers and England Masters M40 silver. In so doing he broke an MV40 Ilkley Harriers marathon club record that has stood for 35 years. Congratulations Matthew on a fantastic performance!
Next Harrier was Phil Joyner who had a great day to finish 3,064th and MV45 252/1572 in 3:18:34. Lucy Kay ran a strong 3:37:04 to 6,090th and FV40 92/1088.
Outright men’s victory went to Yohan Lidove (France) in 2:15:19 and women’s to Naomi Robinson (GB) in 2:36:56.
There was similar excitement on the other side of the pond with three outstanding performances at the Boston Marathon. One of the seven major world marathon events, Boston 2026 attracted 30,000 competitors and took place in similarly cool conditions. Ruaridh Mon-Williams ran an immensely impressive 2:27:52 to finish 231st. Father and son team Bob and Forrest Hamilton were next up, motivated by some friendly intergenerational rivalry. Continuing his fine run of form, Forrest ran a personal best marathon time of 2:39:10 in pursuit of one of his Dad’s many personal records. Not content to let it lie, Bob ran 3:52:00 to set new M65 and M70 club records!
John Korir and Sharon Lokedi successfully defended their Boston titles in 2:01:52 and 2:18:51 respectively.
Temperatures were rather higher in the sun of South-Eastern Europe as four intrepid Harriers successfully took on the Istanbul Half Marathon. Jacqui Weston finished in 1:57:49 and was 11th in her age category, Anna Nolan in 2:04:51 and 39th in age category, Jane Bryant in 2:04:59 and 21st in age category and Helen Horton 2:07:28 and 13th in age category.
The Blackstone Edge Fell Race took place on Saturday and was the third counter of six in the 2026 English Fell Running Championship. This brought a high turnout and intense competition with 369 completing the race including a strong Harriers contingent.
Categorised AS (for short distance on steep technical terrain), the race covers 5.6km including an initial 366m moorland climb heading east from Littleborough to the Pennine Way. Here it briefly follows Blackstone Edge before a fast but challenging descent to the finish.
Sam Bentham finished 8th and 1st MU23 in 28:45. Oli Murphy was 14th in 29:49, Kate Archer 162nd and 5th F45 in 39:02, Jane McCarthy 176th and 4th F50, Rachel Carter 233rd and 11th F50. Next were Dave Norris 234th, Katie Poulter 243th, James Bentham 258th, Sacha Jones 267th and Alison Weston 292nd. These results earned Ilkley 2nd place in both the F40 and F50 categories. The race was won by Finlay Grant of Dark Peak FR in 26:46.
There was fell action on a wider scale in Cumbria on Sunday at the Newlands Valley races. 163 runners tackled the Newlands Valley Fell Race which covered six summits in the north-western fells near Keswick. Categorised AM (Alpine/Medium), the route covers 18.5km with 1,200m of elevation in an anticlockwise circuit which visits the summits of Robinson, Dale Head and Catbells. Fellow Harriers reporter Luke Watkeys acquitted himself very well in his first Lakeland fell race acquiring valuable mountain race craft in mixed conditions to finish 96th in 2:37:53.
103 runners braved the even greater challenge of the Teenager with Altitude (AL, Alpine/Long) which adds five westerly summits to the fell race route including Causey Pike, Grasmoor and Whiteless Pike. Among the finishers was Charles Wain who navigated his way to great effect through bogs and low visibility to 80th place in 4:33:48.
Ultra specialist Matthew Kennedy made short work of the Chiltern Ridge Classic 50K while still managing to enjoy the scenery finishing in 4:31: 24, 13th place of 305 finishers and 2nd MV50.
Ilkley Harrier juniors were strongly represented at the second of three Bunny Runs taking place on consecutive Tuesdays in April. At the end of a lively scramble around a moorland circuit above Haworth Samesh Chotai placed 2nd place in 16:29. Oscar Shinn was 8th in 17:52, Ollie Holder 10th (BU18) in 18:05, George Whittlestone 24th in 18:53, Milena Morgan 39th (GU16) in 20:34, Rachel Carter 64th and 1st LV50 in 22:16.
Andrew Overend ran a pb of 21:07 at East Holmes Field parkrun. Tim Ashelford was first MV60 in 22:05. Hugo Haigh (JM10) ran 22:11 and Henry Hirst (JM11) 21:27. Millie Houlbrook ran 24:33 to finish 1st JW11-14. Nura Allen and Mariam Allen followed Millie to make it a 1-2-3 in the JW11-14 category. Alice Gardner was 1st JW15-17.
Maintaining his pace from the Bunny Runs, Samesh Chotai finished 1st in the Lister parkrun with a new pb of 16:55. Steve Murray was fastest MV55 in 20:22. Second and third in category were his contemporaries John Hayes and Jonathan Turner, two and five seconds behind respectively. At Roberts Park Michael Moore (JM11) and sister (JW10) both set new pbs in 19:25 and 22:54 respectively.
Further afield, Steve Coy achieved an 80.5% age grading at Cusworth Hall while Oscar Stapleton finished 2nd at Highbury Fields. Max Hebbron finished 1st JM10 in 23:52 in Denbighshire.
The juniors made their mark in the first meeting of the West Yorkshire Athletics Track & Field League in Cleckheaton. Rosa Crolla (U14) and Heather Crolla competed in the 100 metres, shot put and long jump.
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.