Stanbury Splash Quarry Run, the first race in our junior fell championship for 2014. Well the weather before the start wasn’t the sun as predicted, but something shone today. This was number our juniors who turned up in mass for this race. It wasn’t windy either, but I was blown away with the 34 juniors (if I counted correctly!!) who ran. We had runners in every race from U8’s through to the U16 (boys and girls). Mixing in with K&C, Wharfedale and Ilkley it was great to see so many blue and white vest from Bingley, with both new and old runners. I think on this turnout, the future is bright in this sport for the blue and white.
Overall we had some great performances in each of the races. In the U8’s had 4 boys in the top 10, Matthew Peace following on from his brother Oliver and in having a great run, but the girls took the awards with a Lilly Smith 2nd and Emily Januszewski in 3rd place in their section. We then had a mass start with the U10’s, U12’s, U14, U16’s and U18’s races. What a sight this was, mud flying everywhere with the sprint across the quarry to the first climb and it was the Bingley teenagers who managed to beat the mass climb. Again we had some fantastic results, Joe Carnelley take 2nd in his first U12 race and Katie Smith taking 3rd in her first U14 race with the U10’s, U12’s and U14’s taking in 1 lap of the route. In the U16’s and U18’s race (2 laps), Matthew Merrick took 1st place in the race in his first U16 race with Max Ducket t in his first every fell race finishing strongly. In the girls, Vicki Merrick (again in her first U16 race) took a great 2nd place with Abigail White and Katy Boden also having strong races. I will post the full results when available.
Overall, a great start to the season for the Bingley Juniors, difficult to pull out some individuals in an overall strong Bingley Team performance, but I must say the U8’s were fantastic, some in their first every race, never mind the fells, but if I have to pick out someone, it must go to Lilly Smith and Emily Januszewski for their fantastic effort and result in their first Bingely Junior championship races.
John Merrick