IT may have been a Bank Holiday weekend but that didn’t mean time off for a contingent of Ilkley Harriers who were in action around the country.
And it was indeed a Good Friday for Bradford 10K winner Jemima Elgood who continued her stellar form by finishing fourth lady in a top-class field at the Salford 10K.
Her time of 35 minutes and 36 seconds shattered the all-time Harriers female club record for the distance, beating the previous mark of 36.22 set by Nicky Green back in 2014.
Adrian Bastow and Sally Malir also ventured over the Pennines to put in impressive times on this fast, two-lap undulating course of 42.33 and 43.23 respectively.
Closer to home Nathan Edmondson was a desperately unlucky second in the Guiseley Gallop on Easter Sunday.
Traditionally a mud-fest through the woods, the recent dry and sunny spell made it a very different test on the dusty trails.
Edmondson was to the fore throughout but the lead group went wrong a couple of times and, when it all came back together, he forged clear on his own.
However, as he started lapping runners, there was an unfortunate mix-up when he was momentarily sent the wrong way with just over a kilometre to go - and suddenly found himself pushed from first place to a minute behind.
Another great recovery put him right back in the mix but it was too much of a deficit to bridge in such a short space of time, and he had to settle for second place, 21 seconds behind winner Matthew Hallam of Valley Striders.
There were also excellent performances from Tim Ashelford, Beth Massey and Adela Reperecki, who all won their respective age categories at this popular event.
The Newlands Memorial Fell race took place in the Lake District on Saturday, a brutal 18.5km route taking in 1,100m of ascent.
A baking hot day made for great views but tough running over the Lakeland Fells.
With temperatures rising to the mid-20s this was not one for the faint-hearted. Nearly three hundred runners completed the race with the Harriers represented by Nick Helliwell, who finished 96th in 2.23.34, and Dave Foyston, 121st in 2.30.10.
The third and final individual race of this year’s Bunny Run series took place in midweek, and Poppy Anderson once again finished first in the Girls Under-17 category to top the overall series standings.
It was the 300th Skipton Parkrun on Saturday, and plenty of Harriers turned up to celebrate.
Rachel Carter led them home in ninth overall - the second lady - with a superb sub-20-minutes time on a course which features narrow paths and plenty of momentum-losing turns.
RESULTS:
Salford 10K, Friday
(1 31:03 Norman Shreeve, Cambridge & Coleridge)
62 35:36 Jemima Elgood, 4th lady
208 42:33 Adrian Bastow
232 43:23 Sally Malir
605 finished
Guiseley Gallop, Sunday
(1 36:54 Matthew Hallam, Valley Striders)
2 37:15 Nathan Edmondson
18 41:23 Tim Ashelford 1st M55
31 43:38 Rob Cunningham
73 48:27 Beth Massey 1st F45
92 50:00 Robert Budding
198 56:22 Adela Reperecki 1st F55
253 60:09 Alison Bennett
262 60:58 Sheena Pickersgill
298 64:20 Chris Cunningham
312 65:31 Debbie Jukes
322 66:14 Sue Harris
336 67:36 John Marshall
387 71:53 Ruth Jones
426 finished
Newlands Memorial, Saturday
(1 1:40:50 Rob Jebb)
96 2:23:34 Nick Helliwell
121 2:30:10 David Foyston
291 finished
Parkruns, Saturday
Skipton
(1 17:01 Unknown)
9 19:53 Rachel Carter
18 20:45 Colin Williams
72 24:23 Ethan Thompson
74 24:27 Dylan Shinn
93 25:35 Fiona Schneider
101 25:51 Oscar Shinn
152 28:41 Andy Wolfenden
168 29:21 Bernie Gibbons
277 runners
Bradford
(1 17:00 Unknown)
41 21:42 James Lee
208 27:04 Sarah Haines
619 runners
Burnley
(1 16:32 Matthew Lalor, Ribble Valley)
235 31:06 Neve Tennant
367 runners
Cardiff
(1 15:40 Unknown)
14 17:04 Alex Hirst
846 runners
Exmouth
(1 14:44 Tom Merson, Exmouth)
55 21:25 Nina Pearce
502 runners
Harrogate
(1 16:39 Mark Ryall, Marshall Milton Keynes AC)
13 18:50 Robin Nicholson
82 22:01 Geoff Howard
568 runners
Woodhouse Moor
(1 17:02 Michael Vargas, Hyde Park Harriers)
29 20:21 Tom Worboys
426 runners
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