From Petra Bijsterveld…
The May instalment of the Evensplits Leeds 5k series and Club Championships saw 14 Harriers turn out at the Brownlee circuit on Wednesday evening. A lovely evening though a tad blowy, with the wind direction ensuring that runners had to face the headwind on the uphill stretch of the circuit. Several of us still managed a PB, including Ruth Kitchen who smashed it at the front end of the first wave, and Matt Cox who posted his fasted 5k since 2007 and led the Harriers home in the second wave. Tom Worboys joked to me that he had entered the wrong (second; sub-20) wave when he was getting ready, but ran very well and was delighted to go sub 20 again for the first time in a while. Personally I was 8 seconds slower than in April despite feeling I worked harder (if that was even possible!) but was pleased to still cross the line with a time starting with 24.
Thanks to Dave Foyston for encouraging Harriers to come out to these races and help Ilkley climb up the ranking in the Club Championship table for this series. The next race is on June 22 and I would encourage anyone to enter. As there are two waves everyone has the opportunity to cheer the runners in the other wave on and there is always chocolate for all finishers.
(1 15:47 Nick Hardy, Saltaire Striders)
6 16:37 Matt Cox 1st M45
14 17:12 Archie Budding (junior) 1st MJun
24 17:47 Jake Norris (junior)
26 17:52 Michael Abrams-Cohen
30 18:13 Kyle Bethell
31 18:15 David Foyston
56 19:49 Ruth Kitchen
59 19:51 Tom Worboys
70 20:26 Mike Williams
72 20:40 Mark Iley
89 21:59 Alison Bennett 1st F60
91 22:12 Rob Budding
110 24:59 Petra Bijsterveld 1st F55
111 25:05 Nicola Budding
131 ran