HARRIER Lawrence McCourt stormed to the finish to win the Beamsley Beacon fell race this week in a superb time of 33:58.

This 5.5 mile fell race, with 110ft of climbing organised by Wharfedale Harriers, is another race in the BOFRA (British Open Fell Run Association) series. It starts and finishes at St. Peter’s church in Addingham and involves an ascent of Beamsley Beacon with runners allowed to choose any track back on permitted footpaths.

Not only did Lawrence win the race, Ilkley Harriers also won the men’s team prize. Along with Lawrence, Michael Odell and Steven Gott made up the winning team. Steven Gott was also the first MV40 to finish and Jeff Green took the first placing in the MV50 category.

A win also for Ilkley Harrier Michael Abrams-Cohen at the Baildon 5km Trig Point Challenge, a tough off-road trail race to the Baildon trig point and back. Michael finished in a superb first place in a time 21:38 and he was over a minute ahead of the second finisher.

This weekend also saw the staging of the Buckden Pike fell race, a long standing fell race which was first staged in 1981. This year’s race counted as a British, English and Yorkshire championship race.

Ilkley Harrier Ben Rothery finished in a great fifth position overall with Ben taking first place and gold medal for the Yorkshire championship race. Harrier Nathan Edmondson finished in eleventh place overall and took third place for the Yorkshire championship race. Jack Wood finished in 25th place overall with Jack the third counter for the winning Yorkshire team. Alison Weston, Oli Murphy, Joseph Morrell and Patrick Wardle also had great runs at this race, with Alison taking fourth place in her age category.

The third race in the Harrogate & District Summer Race League took placed this week, staged this time by Ilkley Harriers. The 5.1-mile one lap course starts on the football field to the west of Middleton Avenue / Denton Road crossroads. The route goes up Langbar Road, Nesfield Road and Owler Park Road, follows the bridleway to Myddleton Lodge and then descends down Carter’s Lane, back along Denton Road to finish at the Ilkley rugby club.

Ilkley Harriers were out in force on this lovely summer’s evening, marshalling and helping to ensure the successful staging of the race. A total of 31 Harriers ran in the race, with some fantastic results. Christos Tzelis was the first Harrier home, in fifth place overall in a great time of 29:38. Jon Denniss was hot on his heels, finishing in sixth place in 29:56, with Jon taking the first prize in the M35 age category.

Harrier Emily Gibbins followed in a superb tenth place with Emily being the first lady to finish. She ran in a great time of 30:31. Other notable Harrier performances were by Kate Archer who was the first FV40 to finish, Alison Bennett who took the FV60 prize and Ken Souyave who finished first in the M70 category.

Ilkley Harrier Mary Jeal was the first LV60 to finish at the School Run Race, part of the Summer Wines Trail race series, tough trail races in the Holme Valley. There are five races in the series all of varying distances but all hilly. The School Run, a local classic, is a 6.7-mile race, which winds its way around the Digley Reservoir and up to Holme school above Holmfirth. The course in 90% trails with a downhill road section in the middle and a final hill right at the end.

Up in Scotland, John Hayes took part in the The Seven Hills of Edinburgh Race. Every year since 1980, on a Sunday in June, one of the most unusual running events in the country takes place which involves road-running, cross-country, hill-running, and urban orienteering, over a distance of 14.3 miles with 2200 feet of ascent/descent. This race takes in the seven hills of Edinburgh, namely, Carlton Hill, Edinburgh Castle, Corstorphine Hill, Easter Craiglockart Hill, Buckstone Snab, Blackford Hill and Arthur’s Seat. Between the hills, runners may go on whatever route they choose. John finished in a superb 93rd position out of 466 runners in a great time of 2:16:03.

Closer to home, Ilkley Harriers Mike Williams and Nigel Illingworth took part in the Pudsey Legal 10km, organised by the Pudsey Pacers running club. This multi-terrain race involves 800 ft of climbing in Pudsey Park and surrounding area. Mike ran this in a great time of 48:26:07, taking first place in his age category and finishing in fifty seventh place overall. Nigel also had a great run, finishing in just over an hour in 1:00:11:74.

More great parkrun results from Ilkley Harriers this week also. Helen Waddington took part in the Morecambe Prom parkrun and was the first lady to finish at this seafront parkrun in a great time of 22:36. Kyle Bethell, Steven Gott and Steve Newell all finished with top ten placings in various parkruns this weekend also.  REPORT BY: JEAN SULLIVAN