Good weather and a good turnout helped make the day a great success in more ways than one.
The senior race attracted 89 entrants including a fantastic club turnout with 33 running. The junior race had 41 runners including 9 Bingley. So along with 30 or so marshalls and organisers (mainly Bingley members) we had over 70 people directly involved in the event – and I am sure there were more enjoying the gala.
A bevy of Organisers, Helpers already in action and Marshalls ready to go
Busy race registration tent on a busy gala field.
Eldwick Gala Fell Race is a short fell race (4.8km) up Baildon Moor to the Trig point on Hope Hill and back, so lots of our juniors can run the race and try out their fell legs on a senior event and in a relatively safe local environment. The minimum age for the race is 12 but, as race organiser, I would expect a 12 year old to have fell race experience before allowing them to run. However that still gave lots of scope for our older teenage runners to enter and they may have gained their ‘local knowledge’ advantage by training on Baildon Moor and Hope Hill, and even done some route recces before hand so they know the route and what to expect.
The race starts with a fast blast down the road from the Eldwick Memorial Hall, down Saltaire Road, then up Baildon Moor, across the moor Glen Road, up the steep bank and past Dobrudden caravan park and on (and up) to the Hope Hill Trig point. Return by the same route until you get back to the main road where you cross to the Acorn pub, before climbing a high stone stile in the wall and race back over the fields and into the gala field where the crowds are waiting to cheer you in.
I took on organising the race this year from Dave Stephenson who has done it for 15 years. Why? Its my village and my gala and I want running to be part of that, I’m a Bingley Harrier and the Ladies Fell team manager so especially keen to encourage our ladies, and juniors, to run. You may notice I put a full stop there. Obviously as fell team manager I want everyone to run the fells but ultimately I just want people to join in athletics and running in whatever way they enjoy.
So I was pleased to see a good Bingley showing at the race, both running and helping, and great to see Bingley prominent amongst the prizes, especially our Juniors taking 6 of the individual prizes and, making up 5 of the 6 in the winning Bingley teams.
Position Name Category Club Time Race No Category positions
1 Tom Adams MSEN Ilkley 16.40 587 1st MSEN
2 Joe Baxter MSEN P&B 17.21 580 2nd MSEN
3 Alex Flaherty BU15 Bingley H 19.25 540 3rd MSEN
5 David Alcock M40 P&B 19.46 588 1st M40
6 Joseph Carnelly BU15 Bingley H 20.08 509 1st BU15
9 Jonathon Sutcliffe BU17 Bingley H 20.29 546 1st BU17
10 Caroline Lambert WSEN U/A 20.47 572 1st WSEN
11 Will Thackray BU17 U/A 21.05 520 1st MLOCAL
12 John Taylor M50 Mercia 21.11 522 1st M50
24 Grace Dawson GU15 Bingley H 22.08 567 2nd WSEN*
33 Eliza Findlay GU17 Bingley H 23.24 539 3rd WSEN
37 Shona Stone W40 Bingley H 23.47 556 1st W40
59 Peter Ellerton M70 Bingley H 26.01 516 1st M70
60 Rob Myers M60 Baildon 26.02 576 1st M60
64 Olivia Roper GU17 Bingley H 27.14 582 1st GU17
71 Carolyn Fawcett W50 U/A 28.12 560 1st W50**
*Grace Dawson also awarded 1st GU15
** Carolyn Fawcett also 1st Local Lady (unattached)
Teams Men Women
Bingley Alex Flaherty 4th Bingley Grace Dawson 24th
Joseph Carnelly 6th Eliza Findlay 33rd
Jonathon Sutcliffe 9th Shona Stone 37th
The full results can be found on the website :
Enjoying that after race ‘feel good’ factor
And gathered for the post race photo.
The Junior Trail race (1.6km, minimum age 8 on the day) starts in the field next to the gala and crosses towards the Acorn pub – the reeds are nearly as high as some of the younger runners and it must feel like a serious route finding challenge. Then left to the bouldery track to Tewitts House before turning into the fields and back towards the gala and the same finish and cheering crowds as the senior race.
Junior runners setting off . Junior race results will be on the website (as above).
Thanks for Dave and Eileen Woodhead for additional support and the great photos of the senior and junior races and the gala . Find Eldwick Gala photos (and many more) on –
http://woodentops.org.uk/index.php?topic=home&subtopic=morephotos