TWO Otley AC runners claimed first and second place in Saturday's 65km Punk Panther Welcome Way Ultra Marathon, starting in Otley and finishing in Pool-in Wharfedale.

The route follows most of the Welcome Way footpath route around lower Wharfedale and Burley and Baildon Moors, Bingley and the Chevin.

The race started at 8.30am, with Otley AC's Tom Lynch storming to the front of the pack straight away as Vicky Stainburn and Becky Harpur took a more relaxed approach.

The route went first through Clifton, Askwith, Denton, Burley-in-Wharfedale, Burley Moor then to Shipley Glen.

At Shipley Glen, they had the option of continuing onto Baildon Moor for the “short” 51km race or retracing their steps a short way and completing an extra eight-mile loop around Bingley.

All three Otley AC runners opted for the extra eight miles. The extra loop went on to Eldwick and Micklethwaite, along the canal to Bingley through to Hirst Wood before climbing back up to Shipley Glen.

A quick refuel back at Shipley Glen then continued on to Baildon Moor. After Baildon, the race arrived at Hollins Hill, Esholt, Guiseley, Yeadon, Otley Chevin, Danefield, Hilton Grange, Bramhope then finished in Pool-in-Wharfedale.

Becky Harpur came in as first lady in 6:45.14, and Vicky Stainburn was less than one second behind in second place. They finished in eighth and ninth place overall, respectively.

Tom Lynch finished in a fantastic fourth place overall 6:22.36, all three runners finishing in the top 10. Craig Pritchard won the race with a time of 5:47.46.

The race is organised by local councillor Ryk Downes and his wife Bev Downes and is part of the Punk Panther Ultra Marathon series.

Two more races for Otley AC followed the next day with Colin Best competing in the Inaugural Brownlee Centre Festival of running 10k race.

The running festival featuring several races from one mile up to 20 miles throughout the day, all of them using the one-mile circuit of the cycling track at the Brownlee Centre.

Best came 37th in 52.45 while Jamie Rutherford of Totley AC won the race with a time of 34:27. Rachael Lundgren of Hallamshire Harriers was the first lady home in 37.21.

Whilst Best was competing in the running festival, Howard Jeffery was running in the Norton 9 and came 162nd as the sole Otley AC runner in the race.

Gareth Cooke of Penistone Runners won the race in 49.27, the first lady was Faye Banks of Pontefract AC in 53.56 in 13th place overall.