[First Harrier Oscar Shinn flying to finish fourth overall in Sunday’s Guiseley Gallop 10K, Photo credit: Philip Bland]

From Nigel Illingworth & Nicola Budding…  

Harriers shine through Easter despite the storm

On one of the flattest courses in our area, Jack Cummings took second place in the Halifax 10k with 32:21.

Over in Lancashire, Rachel Carter claimed first F50 and fifth female with 1:44:14 in the Darwen Rollercoaster Half Marathon. True to its name, the course is famous for being “undulating”, with views as far as Pendle Hill and the Lake District fells.

Oli Murphy was eighth with 18:21 in the Rivington Pike Fell Race, one of the oldest and most historic fell races in England.

Andrew Wilson was third V40 in the Half Marathon at Roundhay Park’s Leeds Running Festival with 1:33:28.

On Sunday, the Harriers’ 2026 club Race League brought out 24 Harriers in the 29th Guiseley Gallop 10K event – an undulating multi-terrain two loop course starting and finishing in Guiseley and running through Esholt Woods. Runners persevered as Storm Dave brought mud, hailstones and occasionally sunshine.

We saw top ten finishes for Oscar Shinn (fourth with 40:01), Nick Kealey (fifth and first M50 with 40:41) and Lucy Hayes (tenth female and fifth senior female with 52:32).

There were further category wins for John Hayes (M55 with 44:33), Alison Weston (F60 with 54:25) and Rachel Holder (F50 with 55:46).

Also on the category podium were Jonathan Turner (second M55 with 44:48), Richard Joel (third M55 with 45:49) and Ash Winter (third M45 with 46:39).

Earlier in the week, we had a great turnout for the annual Brian Sweet Predictor, with 58 finishers. Closest to their predicted time was Alan Travis who was just 11 seconds away. Second was Jill Roberts (+24s) and third was Geoffrey White (+25s). Vince Gibbons presented the prizes afterwards in the Ilkley Tap, explaining why this event is so important to ensure Brian Sweet’s legacy is remembered by the club.

In the weekly Saturday morning parkruns, Harriers were truly global with junior Millie Houlbrook at Brooklyn Bridge (US), Chris and Carole Cunningham at Pirrama (Australia), and Daniel Paterson and Sarah Marsden at East Coast Park (Singapore).

Back in the UK, Samesh Chotai claimed first finisher at Blyth Links and 81% age grade with 16:12. Finn Maxwell was second at Cliffe Castle with 19:28. Harriers junior Milena Morgan was fourth female at Roberts Park with 21:12, and Harry Brook-Dobson was sixth overall at York with a 16:48 PB.

At Ilkley’s own East Holmes Field parkrun, James Horrex was third with 19:21, Kyle Bethell eighth with 20:30 and junior Nura Allen was tenth female with 25:48. Other juniors were Elwyn Bullock with a PB of 21:06, Miriam Allen with 27:41 and Narae Williamson with 28:37.

There were more parkrun event PBs for Jaysson Sawyer at Brooklands (18:06 and 81% age grade), Nathan Coy (19:21) and Gaenor Coy (25:40) at Fountains Abbey, and junior Archie Halworth (27:25) at Chevin Forest.

Geoff Howard was at Minehead securing another outstanding 88% age grade with 25:11.

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 6.45pm on Tuesdays, meet upstairs at Ilkley tennis and squash club.