Ilkley Fell Race AS 8km/401m Sun 18 Feb 2018
The race was full a number of weeks before the event with a good Bingley turnout – combination of local, junior races beforehand, club championship, and Yorkshire championship and just that ‘lets get the year going’ feeling. The Race Organisers had asked anyone with a place but not running to let them know so they could re-allocate the places. It’s a tough race with a real mix of narrow rock, heather & bracken paths, steep rocky scrambles, slippery mud & gravel descents, bog hopping moor, and slidy muddy descents to the finish – this year especially muddy. It also has some strategy to think about – there are a number of pinch points near the start where things slow to a walk for many – you need to make sure your competition is not striding away while you are ‘queuing’.
There were 308 runners and Bingley had 10 of the 77 ladies so putting ourselves in a strong position right from the start. It was especially good to see some on their first ‘A’ grade fell event – well done to Nicola Jones, Sarah Flaherty (who got a late entry!), Eleanor Brown and Joanne Henry
Robbie Williams gave an initial (early!) report on Facebook on 19 Feb :
Congratulations to everybody who took part in the first club fell champ event last Sunday: Ilkley Moor fell race (also a Yorkshire Championship race). 26 Harriers (plus prospective member – Simon Jones) appear in the results sheet, and an impressive haul across the categories. Placers by finishing position: 1st V40 and 1st V50 (Ian Holmes), 1st F (Vic Wilkinson), 2nd U18 (Reuben Mantle), 1st FU18 (Eliza Findley), 3rd FV50 (Becky Weight), 1st V70 (Peter Ellerton). Also 1st F team (Vic Wilkinson, Eliza Findley and Shona Stone).
Bingley Results :
| Place | No | Time | First | Surname | Age | ||
| 8 | 159 | 00:40:22 | Ian | Holmes | M | 1st V40 | |
| 22 | 223 | 00:42:27 | Matthew | Merrick | M | U23 | |
| 26 | 376 | 00:42:58 | Victoria | Wilkinson | F | 1st F | |
| 46 | 11 | 00:46:57 | Graham | Askew | M | ||
| 52 | 127 | 00:47:29 | Tom | Gomersall | M | ||
| 55 | 204 | 00:47:49 | Reuben | Mantle | M | U18 | 2nd U18 |
| 73 | 261 | 00:49:22 | Martin | Peace | M | ||
| 77 | 256 | 00:49:59 | John | Parkin | M | ||
| 84 | 323 | 00:50:30 | Dave | Stephenson | M | ||
| 96 | 123 | 00:51:25 | Andy | Gibbons | M | ||
| 110 | 348 | 00:52:23 | Thomas | Tordoff | M | ||
| 112 | 60 | 00:52:31 | Oliver | Cheyne | M | ||
| 128 | 179 | 00:53:50 | Simon | Jones | M | ||
| 142 | 126 | 00:55:45 | Dominic | Goldthorp | M | ||
| 150 | 104 | 00:57:10 | Eliza | Findlay | F | U18 | 1st FU18 |
| 159 | 327 | 00:57:57 | Shona | Stone | F | ||
| 169 | 218 | 00:59:10 | Anna | McMillan | F | ||
| 177 | 178 | 00:59:37 | Nicola | Jones | F | ||
| 194 | 369 | 01:01:22 | Becky | Weight | F | 3rd FV50 | |
| 197 | 388 | 01:01:59 | Sarah | Flaherty | F | ||
| 213 | 225 | 01:03:43 | John | Merrick | M | ||
| 230 | 92 | 01:06:06 | Peter | Ellerton | M | 1st V70 | |
| 232 | 224 | 01:06:21 | Victoria | Merrick | F | U23 | |
| 256 | 328 | 01:10:12 | Peter | Stone | M | ||
| 268 | 46 | 01:13:24 | Eleanor | Brown | F | ||
| 281 | 153 | 01:16:02 | Joanne | Henry | F | ||
| 292 | 249 | 01:21:20 | Carl | O’Mara | M |
Victoria Wilkinson also took her 6th individual Yorkshire Fell title and, along with Eliza and Shona, the Ladies team gold for the Yorkshire 2108 Fell Championship, Bingley’s 6th and Victoria’s 3rd team gold. Dave & Eileen Woodhead posted plenty of photos and a great report on http://woodentops.org.uk/index.php?topic=yorkschamps&subtopic=2018 with full results on http://www.ilkleyharriers.co.uk/index.php?page=imr.
Yorkshire Team Champions – Shona Stone, Eliza Findlay and Victoria Wilkinson – with presentations from national champion Simon Bailey (Mercia) who was second to Tom Adams (Ilkley).
And some newer to fell racing legs in action :
Jo still looking calm starting the climb up to the Cow & Calf, and Sarah just topping out from the climb back up Backstone Beck.
Nicola on the slidy descents to the finish, and Eleanor happy to be in the finishing funnel. Thanks to Dave Woodhead for the photos.
Anna, Shona, Eliza, Vicki, Becky & Nicola – sporting a great array of finished muddy legs. Photo on Nicola’s phone!
Mickleden Straddle BL 23km/741m 4th February 2018
The race runs from Langsett Barn & Reservoir near Sheffield. The attraction for some is that it can be a qualifying event for the Three Peaks. It’s a mostly ‘out & back’ route and largely runnable following a bridle way south over the moors and down to the head of the Ladybower reservoirs before taking a footpath loop back up onto the tops and the bridleway. The weather on the day wasn’t too bad, despite a snow shower at the start, and snow on the tops.
There were 4 Bingley Harriers out of the 194 starters – including Tom Needham who had done the Wadsworth Trog the day before and confessed to ‘hating fell running’ but also wanting to run the Three Peaks so was fitting his two qualifying events in one weekend – mad but well done Tom. I ran as far as the first checkpoint with my friend Mandy from West Hull Ladies and then ran on seeing Richard a couple of times taking a shoes off to clear a stone out, passing me on the better running by the reservoir, and me passing him on the climb back up to the tops. I was happy to come away with 1st LV50.
22 73 Alastair Jewsbury 02:01:53 MSEN
53 168 Tom Needham 02:14:23 MSEN
122 102 Becky Weight 02:34:55 LV50
158 144 Richard Falkingham 02:48:35 MV50
Fell training activity Q1 2018
Kate Farley, who is now a UKA Leader in Fell Running, arranged a day out on Ilkley Moor for Nicola Jones and Michelle Garbutt to give them a pre-view for the race and some general pointers for fell running.
Michelle commented ‘Excellent run this morning on Ilkley Moor!’
And Nicola noted ‘A little of Kate’s excellent tuition!’ Thanks to Michelle for the pictures.
If you want to try some fell runs or improve your fell skills, or if there is any other fell activity that I haven’t picked up please let me know. Becky Weight.