[Photo courtesy of Dave Woodhead – Sam Bentham was crowned 2025 Yorkshire under 23 Fell Running Champion]

From Peter Shelley & Nicola Budding…  

A great week for Ilkley Harriers with early season wins, titles and personal bests on the roads, trails and fells

Following competitive showings in the Northern Cross Country Championships a number of Harriers headed to London for the English National Cross Country Championships taking place at Parliament Hill on Hampstead Heath on an iconic course with panoramic views of the capital. Running against professional athletes and club runners from across the country on a route that became ever muddier and churned up under thousands of runners’ feet, the Harriers held their own across several race categories; Alexander Wolfenden was an impressive 57th of 319 in the under 17 men’s race. Ed Hobbs claimed an outstanding 9th of 191 in the junior men’s race. In the senior women’s race Rachel Carter placed 228th, Diane Kitchen 631st and Alison Bennett 697th of 830. Charlie Kay was Ilkley’s sole representative in the men’s senior race finishing 920th of 1,781.

Saturday saw the running of the Flower Scar Fell Race. The incorporation of the 2025 Yorkshire Senior and under 23 Fell Running Championship in the race ensured good attendance and a highly competitive field. Starting in Todmorden town centre, the route covered 13km of moorland including tracks and unmarked technical sections climbing and descending 660m in an anticlockwise circuit. Oli Murphy was first Harrier home in 5th followed by Sam Bentham. Sam’s 6th place was enough to crown him under 23 champion and add to a prodigious run of recent fell successes. Jim Ryder finished 72nd, Kate Archer 80th and James Bentham 97th of 184. The race was won outright by Doni Clarke (Todmorden Harriers) and with it the men’s Yorkshire Senior Champion title.

The Snake Lane 10 proved popular with those seeking an early season road fixture. 1,573 runners took to 10 miles of closed roads north of Pocklington in East Yorkshire on a flat route conducive to personal best times. Ilkley Harrier Jack Cummings converted his dedicated training program into a fabulous win in 52:04. A new personal best at this distance, Jack’s time is just 15 seconds outside Ilkley Harriers’ 10-mile club record which stands from 1990. Harry Brook-Dobson finished 55th, Jaysson Sawyer 58th and Sally Armitage 408th.

Penny Coulthard took on the North Downs Ridge Ultra completing 50km with 900m of ascent in the Surrey Hills in a time of 7:50:00, raising valuable funds for Ilkley and District Good Neighbours.  

A number of juniors started their weekend at 9am on Saturday morning by taking part in one of the local parkruns – Harrogate, Skipton, Chevin Park and Roberts Park being the locations of choice this week.

Samesh Chotai continued his excellent form as first finisher at Skipton parkrun with a time of 17:32. In Harrogate Heather Crolla finished first in her age category JW11-15 with a time of 25:44. James Lee ran at his local parkrun – Chevin Forest – finishing in a fabulous 4th place in a time of 20:26. Michael Moore and Ethan Pickwoad ran at Roberts Park with Michael finishing 14th in a time of 20:39, followed by Ethan in 22:35.

Among the seniors Mark Hall, fresh from his five-mile club record at Wombwell the week before, continued to feature at the top of his age category and close to the top of the timesheets in an 18:48 run to third place at Crichton. Jaysson Sawyer also topped his age category finishing 5th in 18:36 first VM45-49 at Fountains Abbey.

If you have been inspired by any of our achievements this week, why not take part in the Ilkley Moor Junior or Senior Fell Races next Sunday, 2nd March 2025. The races are very friendly and loads of fun. Details on the IH website.

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.