Ilkley Harriers flock in numbers to compete on hot day

IT was a beautiful if challenging weekend of racing for the Harriers who tackled events on road and trail in the warmest weather of the year so far.

Three Harriers represented England in the Age Group Masters race on Sunday at the Chester Half Marathon, a fast and flat race starting in the heart of the Roman city but taking in rural closed roads before finishing back in the city. The Age Group Masters competition recognises and rewards the significant contribution that runners aged over 35 make to the sport. To earn themselves an England vest, runners must complete a qualifying event at or under the standard time set. Jane McCarthy, Hilda Coulsey and Sally Armitage had great races early in the season and achieved the necessary times. The latter was the first Harrier home in 01:23:14, taking third place in her age category and 12th place overall. McCarthy completed the race in 1:34:46 securing a top 20 finish in her age category, while Coulsey had to retire from the race.

Jane McCarthy (left), Hilda Coulsey (centre) and Sally Armitage (right) representing England at the England Athletics Masters half marathon race in Chester (Image: Hilda Coulsey)

Saturday saw three Harriers taking part in one of the Up the Odda trail races. Offering a 10k and 5k route the races take in the trails and woods of Hawksworth and Menston with the 10k requiring two laps of the course. Ed Hobbs had a great run out on the 10k event taking second place in 39:29. Sue Williamson completed the event in 1:17:39. Lucia Stoney took on the 5k event and finished second in a fantastic time of 30:45. Continuing on the trails on Saturday, Lucy Lowe completed the 20 mile event of the Beautiful Bluebell Bash at Temple Newsam. Requiring three laps of the hilly and challenging 6.7mile route, Lowe had a great run completing in 2:15:23.

It was off to the fells for Ritchie Williamson, Paul Carman, Kate Archer and Ben Sheppard who took on the Old County Tops Fell Ultra covering 37 miles and around 10,000 feet of ascent, the exact distance and amount of ascent being dependent on the route competitors choose. The Race starts in Great Langdale and takes in the tops of Helvellyn, Scafell Pike and Coniston before returning to Great Langdale. The race is run in pairs who must stay together throughout the race. All four Harriers completed the race.

Sticking with the fells on Saturday, two Harriers took part in the Cave Rescue Organisation Ingleborough fundraising events. Rachel Carter took part in the 12 mile event, The Clapham Circuit while Adrian Hall tackled The Ingleborough Marathon, in which he came second. Both routes started and finished at Clapham and took participants along less well known footpaths and tracks taking in some of the most attractive areas of the Ribble Valley.

Two very different events attracted Harriers on Sunday. Helen Waddington and Clare Boyle took to the roads around Manchester to compete in the AJ Bell Great Manchester Run 10k. Starting and finishing in the city centre the route is out and back with a loop around Salford Quays taking in Old Trafford, the Imperial War Museum and Albert Square. Waddington was the first home in a fantastic time of 47:31 taking third place in her age category. Clare had a great run completing the race in 54:52.

In contrast, 12 Harriers took on the hilly and challenging Calderdale Way Relay, starting at Clay House in Halifax and finishing at Halifax Harriers HQ at Spring Hall. This is a pairs relay event, with each of the six legs posing different terrain, distance and elevation challenges. The team were entered into the open event (no restrictions on gender or age mix) and got off to a flying start with Leg One runners handing over in second place. The team had some great runs, despite the somewhat relentless heat, and finished in 7:40:03, 17th out of 84 teams overall and 12th out of the 46 teams in the open category. Well done to all the leg runners: Jack Wood, Tom Adams, Jenny Roberts, Helen Thurston, Tracey Watson, Sally Malir, Gavin Lamb, Kyle Bethell, Nick Helliwell, Tom Lally, Nick Kealey and Simon Bell.

The great weather encouraged 20 Harriers to take on the timed 5k parkruns across the country this weekend: Beth Massey, Steve Coy, Ruth Kitchen, and Jack Wood were all first finishers in their races; Beth completed the Barnsley run in 22:03; Steve finished the Myrtle event in 19:25; Ruth the Chevin Forest event in 21:34; Jack clocked 16:17 for his event at Roberts Park; and in other events, Nicola Budding finished the Malahide event in eighth place in 24:21, Mark Mon-Williams was fifth place at Chevin Forest in a PB of 20:32, and Mike Abrams-Cohen finished the Bramley event in fourth place in 18:54.

Ilkley Harriers is a friendly welcoming club, open to all. If you would like to try us out, please register first on the training page at www.ilkleyharriers.org.uk and then come along to our main club night at 7pm on Tuesdays, meet upstairs at Ilkley tennis and squash club.