IT was an uphill start in May for the Harriers with trail and fell races offering the challenges.

Several club members competed at National and County level, with Friday seeing a tough challenge on the trails for Nathan Edmondson who took part in the World Mountain and Trail Running Championships Uphill Only Race, a trial to be part of the British Athletics team for the 2023 championships in Innsbruck in June.  The race saw competitors tackling a climb of Skiddaw, starting in Dodd Wood and running 6.4km uphill, a staggering total ascent of 905m.  Edmondson had a great run in a tough field and came 12th in 41:54 and despite tackling the uphill trials on Friday, he also took part in the Inter Counties Fell Running Championships on Sunday, having been selected for the Yorkshire team.

 Three of the five Yorkshire men’s team were Harriers with Ben Rothery and Jack Cummings joining Edmondson in tackling the two-lap course with 760m of climb around the Howgills in Sedbergh, taking in Winder and Arant Haw.

 It was a scorching day for the 14 km race with a very strong field.  Rothery was the first Harrier home in 58:29, achieving a superb ninth place overall, followed by Cummings in 1:01:31, taking 18th place, with Edmondson being forced to pull out. The team placed fifth overall out of 20 teams – rounding off a great result.

Continuing on the fells, two Harriers took part in the Coiners Fell race in Mytholmroyd on Monday May 1.  Jo Foster and Jim Ryder tackled the tough 6.7-mile race which saw them taking in Erringden Moor, Stoodley Pike & Bell House Moor, a total of 1000ft of climb. The route offers spectacular views of Cragg Vale & passes by the old coiners cottages of Bell House & Keelam.  The bogs were challenging across the moorland but both Harriers had great runs with Ryder coming in first in 1:01:23 while Foster completed the race in 1:15:10.

On Sunday 12 Harriers joined in the fun of the Addingham Gala to take on the Fell Race, a tough six-mile course to the top of Beamsley Beacon and back, a total of 1000ft of ascent.  Sam Bentham, a member of Junior Ilkley Harriers was the first home in second place in 42:00 with Christos Tzelis the first senior home in fourth place in 42:40.  He was closely followed by Simon Bell in fifth in 43:45 and Dan McKeown in sixth. Mark Mon-Williams was first in his age category finishing in 48:21 and Rebecca Mon-Williams was third lady home and took first place in her age category in 59:03. 

Coming down from the fells, two Harriers took part in the Cookridge Community 10k.  A flat, scenic, multi-terrain course containing one grass hill half way round, the route took in Paul’s Pond and Golden Acre Park before returning to the start at the Scout Hall.  Tracey Watson had a fantastic race finishing the course in 49:14 and taking first place in her age category.  Fresh from his London Marathon success, Colin Williams was next over the line in 56:20. 

25 Harriers took advantage of the good weather to take on the timed 5k parkruns across the country this weekend: Beth Massey and Mike Abrams-Cohen were the first finishers in their races in Barnsley in 22:11 and Wetherby in 19:01 respectively; there were top five finishes for Rachel Carter at Conwy in 23:22, Fiona Schneider at Cliffe Castle in 28:12, Dave Foyston at Roberts Park in 17:42 and Mark Mon-Williams and Adam Gerrish at Chevin Forest in 21:00 and 21:42 respectively; Fay Walsh, Matthew Snow and Simon Lorimer all finished in the top ten in their events.  And finally, one Harrier went to great lengths to take on the most northerly parkrun in the UK at Bressay in Shetland, Diane Kitchen finishing in sixth position in a time of 29:29.