Following our recent survey here are answers to some of the most frequently asked questions – please see email address at the end if you’d like to add any more.

Thinking of joining the Harriers?

Try it out for a few weeks free of charge – all you need to do is to register here and then sign up for a club run.

Club runs

Our club night is Tuesday, and the runs usually start from Ilkley Tennis Club (Stourton Rd, LS29 9BG; please park in the overflow car park rather than in front of the gym).

We have a whole range of groups and speeds so there really is something for everyone and you’ll be made very welcome.

We meet in the cafe bar on the first floor just before 6.45pm and each leader will give a quick description of their route before setting off. There is no charge for the Tuesday runs but you do need to sign up so that we adhere to England Athletics’ leader/athlete ratios.

Other club sessions

Monday – circuits / HIIT at Ilkley Grammar school (from Sept to Easter). 7pm start, cost £3.

Wednesday: track session at Carlton Academy Trust in Keighley (BD20 6EB). It starts at 7.30 pm and costs £3.

Thursday – hills session on the moors from opposite Darwin Gardens car park (summer only). 7pm start, free.

Saturday – efforts from the Denton Road side of the Old Bridge. 7.45am start, free.

‘Efforts’ are either timed (anything from 45 seconds to three minutes on the track) or repeats of certain distances at race pace (such as five lots of 1km on a Saturday morning)

Membership

At the moment the membership year starts on 1st October but we are looking to change that to the start ot April to align with England Athletics registration.

The membership fee is currently (2024) an annual £34 of which £19 goes to EA for registration and £2 to Northern Athletics.

Lots more detail here.

Races

Many Harriers participate in local, national, and even international running events. Being affiliated with England Athletics often results in a discount on race entries.

See kit section below for info on club vests etc.

Number swaps

If you’ve entered a race but then can’t take part then it can be possible to transfer your number to another runner through official race channels.

But please never do this without contacting the race organiser – it could cause safety issues and result in sanctions against you, the person who takes your number and the club.

There’s a fuller explanation here.

Relay races

The club enters several relays each year – road, trail, and fell – and pays the entry fees.

This page has more details, and the password is Harriersrelays. Please note that in most relays, wearing a Harriers vest is obligatory which brings us on to…

Kit

We have two styles of club vest: 1/ the traditional all red with a green stripe and 2/ the new ‘spotty’ version.

Both are available from Complete Runner on Leeds Road, Ilkley – and you can order online here.

The old style (which is obligatory in some of the bigger relay races) will also be available soon from Complete Runner in Otley, including in a high-end version which is lightly lighter, has taped seams etc. Their Harriers shop section is here.

More details on other club kit here.

Harriers Race League

This is a friendly competition between club members, and is based on results in races throughout the year.

Your time relative to the winner’s time is scaled by an age/gender factor, which should make it a level playing field for everyone.

Here are this year’s races and latest standings.

Training routes

Baffled by the ‘Big Dipper’ or wondering where ‘Concrete Square’ really is? Here are some of the more popular Tuesday night club run routes.

Social events

There are a number of events throughout the year, starting with the Awards night at the end of January. There’s the Brian Sweet Predictor in late February, away runs during summer and the Christmas Relays to round things off.

We often try and meet on the last Tuesday of the month too and there’s also an ultrarunning group which has social events every couple of months.

Upcoming events are here.

Race reports

If you’ve recently completed a race or a running challenge, please share your knowledge with other members by sending it to news@ilkleyharriers.org.uk Petra or Jonathan will add it to the website.

Keeping in touch

We’ll email all members with the most important communications throughout the year, but there are also active Facebook and WhatsApp groups for day-to-day messaging, such as changes of location for club run starts.

If you’re not in these and would like adding then please contact Petra, Jonathan or your run leader via the news@ email above.

Discount codes

One of the benefits of being a member of Ilkley Harriers is the discounts on goods and services you can get – from kit and shoes through to physio and even Saltaire Brewery!

The latest list is here and many of the codes are now accessed via your personal ‘Members Page’ on membermojo.

Junior Harriers

There’s also a thriving junior section and full details of what’s on offer and when can be found on their dedicated website.

Any more questions?

This is just a start point so if there’s anything else you’d like adding to this page please email news@ilkleyharriers.org.uk