From Peter Shelley…

Photo credit Steve Davey

Harriers’ endurance and fell runners prevail over acres of mud

Harriers double-tied their shoelaces and ran through floods, bogs, swamps and clag as the UK experienced the longest unbroken spell of rainy days since 1908. Undeterred, they headed for the hills in substantial numbers and for substantial periods to test their offroad skills, navigation, waterproofs and shoe selection.  

Rombalds Stride was a popular choice for runners in search of an early-season distance challenge. Extended bogs, spontaneous streams and slick mud awaited them on the 35km route which includes an ascent of Baildon Moor, traverse of Rombalds Moor and a final punishing climb of the Chevin before a run down into Guiseley. Oli Murphy made light work of the conditions to win by 10 minutes, taking two minutes off his 2024 winning time to reach the line in 2:36:43. Forrest Hamilton took a full half hour off his 2025 time to take a highly creditable 4^th place for the Harriers in 2:53:42. John Hayes finished 45^th and third MV55 in an impressive 3:44:57.  Andrew Marshall took 52^nd place, Ash Winter 64^th and Steve Ladhams 65^th. Jann Smith ran a strong race to finish first lady Harrier, 9^th lady and 1^st FV50 overall. Emma Sheppard was close behind Jann, 10^th lady and second FV45. Among the 401 participants who stayed sufficiently upright and moving to make the finish were 26 Harriers in total split evenly between female and male. Their reward was pie and rice pudding on arrival at St. Oswald’s Primary School in Guiseley.  

Not prepared to rest on their laurels following recognition at the Ilkley Harriers awards night last week, ultra specialists Petra Bijsterveld and Ritchie Williamson were back in action, Petra taking on the Lady Anne’s Way Ultra and Ritchie the Pendle Way in a Day. Following much of the Lady Anne’s Way long distance hiking path, inspired by Lady Anne Clifford, prolific restorer of castles in the area, the ultra race started at Skipton Castle and headed north 75 miles through Wharfedale, Wensleydale and the upper Eden Valley to finish at Appleby-in-Westmorland in Cumbria. Starting on Saturday at 9am, Petra experienced poor visibility, mud and the many other varied effects of precipitation on the English fells. Persisting as many other competitors abandoned, Petra reached the finish just after midday on Sunday securing an excellent 25^th place overall, 7^th lady and 2^nd FV60.

Following a long-distance hiking route further south in Lancashire, Ritchie covered 45 miles to complete Pendle Way in a Day. The route featured 2,000m of ascent including the 560m summit of Pendle Hill, tackled at the very end. Ritchie finished 19^th overall and 2^nd MV50 in 9:07:39. Hats off to Petra and Ritchie for such tremendous feats of endurance, navigation and balance!

Race five of the Kong Winter Series took place at Clough Head in Cumbria with a 7km route climbing 560m of the northern and steepest elevation of Clough Head from Threlkeld Cricket Club.  Third place was enough to secure Sam Bentham the overall series title, adding to his growing fell running accolades. Father James Bentham finished in 89^th place of 160.

In Saturday’s parkruns, junior Harrier James Lee ran a very quick 19:20 to 2^nd place at the Chevin with Oscar Shinn 4^th in 19:52. Steve Coy ran 19:29 in Barnsley, while Harry Brook-Dobson ran 19:04 at Black Park. Nina Pearce was third lady in 20:21 at Burgess, James Horrex 2^nd at Cliffe Castle in 20:02. Dylan Shinn ran 21:16 at Gloucester City. Bob Hamilton went furthest afield to run 25:26 and finish 1^st MV65-69 at Wanaka in New Zealand.

The Fountains Abbey Trail runs and Wharfedale Harriers’ Runners and Riders events took place the week before last. As results were not available when we went to press last week, they are covered here. Three Ilkley Harriers competed in the half marathon, the longest of three scenic routes on offer at Fountains Abbey. Lucy Lowe finished 139^th, Heidi Hoad 140^th and Rumana Chowdhury 211^th. The route was (no surprise) muddy, but enlivened by snowdrops, sunshine and deer.

Runners and Riders pitted fell runners against cyclists on a 7.5km offroad route with 270m of elevation. Devised by fell runner and cyclist Ted Mason seven years ago and held on his farmland near Appletreewick, the race has not yet seen a runner win, although competition with the cyclist is always close. Conditions were (yes – all together now!) muddy, which notionally favoured the runners, obliging the cyclists to push or carry their bikes at times. The non-technical descents, however, particularly across the pasture into the finish, handed the advantage to the cyclists. Even the 2024 winner on a bike Tom Bell, who enjoys regular running success and was this year competing on foot, could not hold off Hope Factory racing’s David Mirfield who peddled to victory in 29:20.

First Harrier was back Gawain Moore in 31^st place with a time of 39:17. Paul Carman rode to 36^th. Mike Burdon ran to 54^th, George Whittlestone to 87^th, John Marsham to 97^th and Katie Poulter to 103^rd. 193 competed, of which 23 were cyclists.