SEVERAL Ilkley Harriers have started racing again - in a socially-distanced manner, of course.

There was a thrilling contest at the ultra-fast Podium 10k event at Barrowford, run in small heats, with no spectators present.

Despite blustery conditions, there were excellent performances from both Cam Reilly and Sally Armitage.

Reilly clocked a stunning 32:16 on an evening when no fewer than eight runners dipped under the 30-minute mark.

While, Armitage broke the 40-minute barrier with her 39:52 in one of the earlier heats.

A number of longer distance events have also taken place - with reduced fields and staggered starts helping to keep runners well apart.

One such recent race was the Yorkshireman off-road marathon and half marathon around Haworth.

Jon Denniss led the way for the Harriers in the latter, finishing eighth in 1:55:07.

Paul Calderbank was 23rd - and first V60 - while Chantal Busby was third FV50.

In the women's event, over the full 26.2-mile distance, there were also top-10s for both Adela Reperecki and Jayne Norman, the latter winning her 30-39 age category.

Even more extreme than that was Andrew Merrick's appearance in the Hardmoors 110 which saw him lift the V50 trophy.

An epic challenge on the Cleveland Way over 110 miles and featuring 6,000m of ascent, was initially scheduled for the end of May but was delayed for obvious reasons.

COVID restrictions resulted in runners being set off in pods of six at three-minute intervals and all the checkpoints and feed stations being outdoors with a limited range of supplies.

26 hours and 23 minutes later, Merrick had reached the finish in 14th place overall and first in the V50 age category.

A special mention too for Steve Turland.

At the start of lockdown, when all races were getting cancelled, he set himself the challenge of running all of the 214 Wainwrights in the Lake District when the latest guidelines allowed it.

He aimed to do a "book in a day" (Wainwright organised all the mountains in the Lakes by geographic area into seven books).

So far he's completed six of the books, with the latest being when he ticked off 35 Wainwrights in the Eastern Fells.

He got round in just over 19 hours, clocking 57 miles and 18,000ft of ascent, leaving only one more book to go - the Southern Fells.