[The start of the Ilkley Incline, photo courtesy Woodentops]
From Nigel Illingworth & Nicola Budding…
Ilkley Incline, plus strong Harriers’ performances across fells, trails and roads
We had a packed race calendar for the Harriers this week, featuring our own Ilkley Incline, fell races, the Great North Run, Sunday’s exciting relays, and our new local parkrun.
Sunday saw two outstanding half marathon performances by Harriers. In the 11th running of the Vale of York Half Marathon, Matthew Thackwray was second overall male and first in the M35 category, setting a personal best of 1:08:49. Derek Oliver finished sixth in the M60 category with a time of 1:38:23. Other Harriers included Samesh Chotai (1:23:15), Ash Winter, who achieved a personal best “tuning up” for next month’s Yorkshire Marathon (1:32:33), Mark Gill (1:33:50) and Sarah Marsden (1:44:57).
Six Harriers also ran the Great North Run, battling a headwind from Newcastle to South Shields. Elite Nathan Edmondson impressively finished 21st with a time of 1:07:24, followed by Michael Ho (1:52:56), Lucy Lowe (2:14:17), Charlotte Smithson (2:16:10), Jonathan Nelson (2:40:03) and Scott Pinfield (3:00:12).
Geoffrey White delivered a winning performance in the scenic Derwentwater Trail Run 10K in Keswick, finishing first in the MV40 category with a time of 55:13 and placing 26th overall.
Sunday also marked the 29th running of the Tholthorpe 10K. Harriers’ ever-inspiring Jaysson Sawyer secured 11th place overall and fourth in the M40 category with a time of 37:54.
Earlier in the week, the Harriers hosted the Ilkley Incline in its 23rd year. This unique, one-mile, point-to-point race rises steeply by 170m onto Ilkley Moor. On a bright, dry, and breezy evening, 33 Harriers ran, with 95 participants in total. Harriers’ Ruaridh Mon-Williams finished third in 7:32, and Daniel Ellis was ninth in 8:42. The club also excelled in the age categories, with Gawain Moore, Ritchie Williamson, Peter Shelley, Matilda Irvine, Jann Smith, and Fiona Schneider each leading their respective categories. Second places were secured by Alex Wolfenden, Nick Kealey, John Hayes, Simon Jenkins, and Elaine Cossins, while third places went to Oscar Shinn, Paul Sullivan, Matthew Kennedy, and Marie Watson. Thanks to everyone who organised, volunteered, or supported the race.
Ahead of the Ilkley Incline, Harriers Juniors hosted the ever-popular Sprint Fell Relays on Ilkley Moor. Teams of four took on the short but challenging course, showcasing speed, stamina and teamwork across the hills, with every finisher enjoying a well-earned ice pop!
On the fells, Harriers were running at Burnsall and Muker. The historic Burnsall Fell Race covers 2.4 km with a 274m ascent up Burnsall Fell. Harriers had a strong showing in the senior race, with Gawain Moore claiming seventh overall and second in the MV45 category (16:46), Iain Gibbons finishing third MV50 (17:57), and George Whittlestone placing fourth MU23 (18:08). In the junior races, Oscar Shinn was fourth in the U17 Race. In the U14 category, Robert Brooks was third boy and Heidi Frank came home as tenth girl. Michael Moore had a great race finishing second in the U12 race followed by Thomas Bailey in 15th. Isobel Moore was ninth girl in 07:10 followed by Cecilia Hallworth in 09:35. Archie Hallworth third in the U9s. The Muker Show Fell Race took place in Swaledale. Harrier Iain Gibbons finished 19th overall and third in his MV50 age category with an impressive time of 14:52.
In the Leeds Country Way Relay, Harriers had three teams each comprising six pairs of runners, with each pair running a leg of the 64-mile route. Our open team came eighth in the Open category, with Kate Archer and Peter Shelley fastest on Leg 1 in the Mixed category. Our MV team came fourth in the Vets category. Our FV team came fifth in both the Ladies category, as well as the Vets category. Well done to all 36 Harriers who ran!
In Sunday’s West Yorkshire Track & Field Championships, Heather Crolla secured the title of West Yorkshire U15 Girls Discus Champion, and Rosa Crolla was fourth in the U13 Girls Discus.
In other events, Liane Cheetham completed the Yorkshire Trail Runs 10k at Harewood House, and Dan McKeown, Paul Carman and Dave Robson all ran the inaugural Ingleton Three Counties.
On Saturday morning, 46 Harriers took part in the weekly parkrun events. Ilkley’s own new East Holmes Field parkrun continued its enormous success with 398 participants, including Junior Harrier Joseph Bentham in third, Jann Smith, who was 8th female and achieved a personal best, Rafe Garner first JM10 and Bob Hamilton marking his 25th milestone run. Down the road at Chevin Forest, Harriers Junior James Lee secured a superb first place. There were six additional top ten male/female finishers: Dominic Coy, Stephen Coy, Nathan Coy, Dylan Shinn, Alison Weston, and Nicola Budding. Congratulations to Will Worboys who returned to the event he started, Centre Vale, for his 300th milestone run.
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.